Low Five Gaming

Sea of Stars

• Studio Low Five • Episode 28

Share episode

Luke and Alex talk Sea of Stars.

Prepare to be transported back to the golden era of turn-based games with Sea of Stars from Sabotage Studios. This episode, we’re diving into this modern classic that pays homage to the JRPGs we all loved. With its captivating art style, a roster of formidable enemies, and dynamic game mechanics, Sea of Stars is more than just a game; it’s a journey through nostalgia and innovation.

Released in 2023, Sea of Stars stands out as a testament to Sabotage Studios' craftsmanship, marrying old-school charm with modern sensibilities. The game's alluring art, challenging puzzles, and pulse-pounding boss battles have already garnered attention in the gaming community, earning it notable accolades.

Navigating the new challenges of fatherhood, Alex and Luke find solace and excitement in the immersive world of Sea of Stars. Between diapers and late-night feedings, they explore the game’s engaging mechanics, like the badge indicating correct inputs - a small but significant touch that adds to the gameplay experience.

But that’s not all! We also reminisce about The Messenger, another hit from Sabotage. Plus, we'll dish out on PlateUp!’s rogue-like cooking adventures and share a hilarious Madden anecdote about relocating the Texans to Anchorage. And don't miss our thoughts on the buzz around the rumored live-action Zelda movie and the enchanting Super Mario Bros. Mario Wonder game.

From the strategic depths of Sea of Stars to the quirky kitchens of PlateUp!, this episode is a wild ride through the gaming landscape, peppered with our personal anecdotes of balancing gaming passions with the demands of parenthood.

This episode is unofficially brought to you in part by pacifiers – because sometimes, the fiercest warriors (and newest dads) need a little tranquility.

Send us a Text Message! We'll respond on our next episode!

Support the show

​
​Visit us at LowFiveGaming.com.

Join the Low Five Discord!

Email us at hello@lowfivegaming.com.

Theme music is by AJ Norman. Design assets were created by Studio Day Job.

Low Five Gaming is a Studio Low Five Production.

Speaker 1:

Hello and welcome back. Here are your two hosts with no rust at all or no baby spit up on any of their clothing. This is the low five podcast. My name is Luke Yo what up, luke?

Speaker 2:

Good to be back. Did I ever take a break, though, man? I don't know. People heard me last month.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it was an Alden, a live pod. That was totally recorded the day of and posted.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, how you doing big dog, how you holding up.

Speaker 2:

Man, I'm good, dude, I'm good. I'm happy to be doing this. Like you said, let's see how we look, what kind of form we're in. Man, it took a little break here, so it's like a beyond paternity leave.

Speaker 1:

I said that's like a like I have a dog. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Your paternity leave.

Speaker 1:

People start taking paternity leaves and quit society, but continue. That's a real thing.

Speaker 2:

People should get paternity leaves. Man, I love that you should like. Dogs need that, cats too. Whatever people need that we need to be better to our people.

Speaker 1:

I mean, that's true, but would you like to explain why you've been less gamified? Yes, those who don't follow you on the socials.

Speaker 2:

We welcomed our son Elton into the world.

Speaker 1:

Alex and I were brothers. We did not welcome his child together. It was him and his wife for clarification.

Speaker 2:

So yeah, well, you sent some like welcoming texts and messages.

Speaker 1:

I welcome him as well, but just to clarify.

Speaker 2:

Yes, luke and I are not lovers, we are brothers. His children are his own, I am the uncle and I have now given him a nephew. Amongst you know the other, the other titles that Elton carries- Hell yeah, dude.

Speaker 1:

So but yeah, he came early, man, he came early.

Speaker 2:

You kind of threw my plans around. I guess that's a. That's a thing in the family. Of course you have twins, so that's a little bit more expected. Elton was to term so like he didn't come too early or anything. He wasn't technically a premium baby, but he did come 20 days early, so he kind of rocked our world. Some of the things I had set up to you know for example, finishing this game or the original podcast date of it, but you know that's chill.

Speaker 1:

We're still happy to be here.

Speaker 2:

Low Five Gaming is a book club style podcast where we, you know we dive into a game and I'm just going to be honest with you Sometimes you pick up a book and you do not finish it.

Speaker 1:

Even though the book was kind of lit. That's just not the point.

Speaker 2:

And sometimes when you gather, you pretend you finished the book and you see how far the other person got and let them carry the load. And I was curious today if that was going to be the case, if you would have rolled the credits on this one the night. Pretend I got further than I did. What's that Castlevania game that we played? In about three quarters of the way through the pod I found out you're halfway through, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I thought to be fair, I thought I was like four fifths of the way through.

Speaker 2:

I just have an experience with this one man. I was kind of looking at the blood stain, that's right, great.

Speaker 1:

So this is both a great games. You, you know we have our. We joke that we have our podcast homework because there's so many games and we have split attentions to many things in life and sometimes other games get in the way and then sometimes you know you have babies sooner than you thought you would and the homework becomes staying alive and making money for little baby to survive. So you still did all your homework. It just changed a little bit. But hey, we're here for Sea of Stars, which is the second game from sabotage studios. Sabotage studios Indie darling kind of a little template that I love as far as they came out previously with the messenger, which you have talked about in previous podcasts and I've played a little bit of it.

Speaker 1:

It is a ninja guide and love letter. I think is probably the quickest way to explain what it is, but it's kind of like that new era of polished throwback games and it's really cool, has super crunchy music, really fun art and then this is like a. They basically made a lot of money on that game and it appears as if they poured that money into Sea of Stars, which is another love letter to games past, another one of these high end retro style games, and this time it is a love letter to JRPGs.

Speaker 2:

Yes sir, and just to hark back to last month's episode, my solo debut, I'm talking about collection stuff. Man, sure, the messenger, the physical version of the messenger, they put it out on a special reserve games. I want to say so it's like a limited run. There's limited run games, it doesn't matter. It's just point is they had a small run of the physical cards that that physical cart for switch dude goes for like 250 bucks. Wow, wild, I'm like I have a digitally. I'm not going to buy it for that amount of coin. But you know, for those that are interested in collecting, keep your eyes out on Sea of Stars, because that is also getting put out via special reserve games. They're not, they're not sponsoring us or anything. But for those collecting heads that love this game or like really curious about this game, snake that shit up, man. It's going to drop before switch and probably some other platforms, but I know for sure the switch card is coming early 2024.

Speaker 1:

And a part of the reason that I wanted to even play the messengers, because I was enjoying Sea of Stars so much. I had heard you talk about it and I just had never gotten around to picking it up. But when Sea of Stars was released, the messenger was put on sale for I want to say like $5, which was an absolute steal. So it's very cool. One of the reasons so why why this game. It was on Game Pass and it looked really cool yeah.

Speaker 2:

Day one.

Speaker 1:

I picked it up just before Starfield came out and I was I was, you know, I was playing on it and I was like this is really fun. And then, even when I picked up Starfield, for a while I couldn't even get into it. So that's when we were deciding what the next Pottos be I was like barely getting into Starfield. And then I was the reason one of the reasons I couldn't get into it is cause I was grinding on Sea of Stars so hard. So I was like, hey, this is, this is pretty cool. I love this retro. I love just the whole era that we're in of studios, just like looking forward or looking backwards, but with modern tools, and just like kind of recreating these original games. I won't get too deep into the story because it's it's mostly JRPG nonsense.

Speaker 2:

It's fun though, man, I've heard some. I've heard a few people on the internet snap these two soaked about the story. But I'm like what do you expect, dude?

Speaker 1:

it's. It's it's like cute and it's like what I would kind of more or less expect from like a JRPG. You know you have like your chosen ones. You're like these twins that are like born of the sun and the moon or some nonsense like that, and like you're these special prodigy in this training. So you got your grumpy OG who's like the rules you're following and you have to defeat some soul reapers or something on a solstice, you know, like if you're confused already, that's the point.

Speaker 2:

Like it's just kind of like yeah, we go. And just like got it. I think like the most fair critique I've heard of the story is just that it leans too hard into like the stories of its inspiration. So like Chrono Trigger and stuff like that, Like I think it mirrors it pretty closely to my understanding. Chrono Trigger is one of my gaming sins. Man, I've never touched that game.

Speaker 1:

Never played it it's was that a Super Nintendo game?

Speaker 2:

Yes, sir. Yeah, it's one of the.

Speaker 1:

It's a beloved Super Nintendo JRPG NESs were still around when I was a kid, like you know on what happened, or a friend might, but Quite literally I've seen like one SNES in the wild and it's like as an adult. So I don't feel any guilt you have one or you have like the retro.

Speaker 2:

I bought one. No, I've got both those, both of those things, but but I I needed I don't have, I don't have a strong cart collection for the Super Nintendo, but I, you know, we were Sega boys growing up. We were. We were gifted a Sega from a neighbor, so that was the. That was a platform we got to play. Mostly, it's like you said, super Nintendo was. Majority of that was done at either family or friends houses, but it was just like I don't know man, like it was, just like I had Just needed it for the collection, so I threw it in there. It's, it's an amazing system, dude. It's sexy too. Like I think it looks good. Do you think it's a good?

Speaker 1:

It's very cool, but I just, you know I don't run into him. So the Chrono trigger yes, I heard that there's a huge inspiration from that. For me, what hits closer to home is more of how it tickles the childhood of Pokemon like and Pokemon sister JRPG. You're running into enemies, you're building up your stats. It doesn't have that same level of, obviously, collection and Customability, but it's it's still cool in the stat bases. One game it reminds me of heavily that I absolutely adore is Paper Mario, specifically the thousand-year door, which is getting a remake, and I'm getting pretty, pretty ignorant about that'll be pretty sick, but we can get into that a little bit. That's kind of why I chose it as far as it throws back to a lot of games that I like. I haven't played a JRPG in a really long time. I would say it's not necessarily my niche, but that doesn't mean that I don't occasionally like to swim in those waters.

Speaker 2:

So for the same way, man. I think that you know like I respect them, but it really takes, like it's been a long. I used to be more willing to dive into those worlds. I want to say, you know, like back back in the back in the day, but you know, when you get a good one, you know I put like about 20 hours into Pokemon, red, fire, red A couple months back, and that's just the thing with like RPGs, jrpgs in general, like once they got their hooks in, you Like it could be a lot of fun and for me it's like they're definitely they fall into that comfort food category.

Speaker 1:

That's kind of where the Pokemon comes in of. Just like you kind of know what you're doing. You don't get lost in this game, although bigger in scope, I think, than I originally. I want to say it's like a 30, 25 to 40 ish hour game. I'm sure if you're super focused you could get it done under 30, but it seems like it's a 30 to 40 hour game.

Speaker 2:

I'm pretty sure that how long the beat says it's 25 ish hours of beat, which means it's probably more like 35 for me.

Speaker 1:

Same, because I checked and you were at like 20 and I was at like 16 to 18 and I was like I looked at a guide to Now's a little over halfway there, so it kind of makes sense, but it is.

Speaker 1:

I guess the word I would use is it's more compact, which I thought was really cool, and that definitely went into my decision. It seemed like a streamlined process of, so it's a love letter, but that doesn't mean that it didn't take any of what no longer works in those types of things. It definitely trimmed some of that. So Before we move on, I just want to talk about some some of my all-time JRPGs. I mentioned Pokemon and Paper Mario, but before we move on, I did do got to mention Final Fantasy 10 and once again remind the audience that you're a butthole and you wouldn't let me use the guide or help me with Final Fantasy 10 because you're jealous that I was gonna beat it before you, so pretend like you could read that.

Speaker 1:

Anyways, bro, that's why I needed your help. You butthole.

Speaker 2:

It's like not only do you want the guide, you want me to read the guide to you. Come on.

Speaker 1:

I.

Speaker 2:

Was trying to be. I didn't, I was trying to beat that game before you. I could have my little brother coming in soup and do it all that extra time.

Speaker 1:

So stupid is. What I remember most is that I couldn't handle like the chocobo nonsense. Therefore I couldn't get like some super sword for Titus and then no one needs to hear this. But if you played that game you might remember some of that. It's kind of funny, but yeah.

Speaker 2:

I like I beat it eventually when I that game's all about the bliss ball anyways, bro.

Speaker 1:

Dude, we'll get into all time or now we won't rank them, but this game has a pretty cool JRPG side game as well. But I like turn-based stuff, dude. I think turn-based stuff is unnecessarily reviled. I understand why games like Final Fantasy have kind of evolved and Kind of gone away from it. I understand how people critique turn-based stuff, but, especially as a dad dude, turn-based stuff is sick. I'm gonna need to set down his controller. I'm gonna need to pause, like this current gen, that one of the coolest things about it is just the save state stuff and how you can just like rest your system and Pick it up in the middle of whatever you were doing, right. So that, combined with like just loving me a turn-based game, made this a pretty cool deal To pick as a game. And then I know I had a nice moment where I was hyping this game up in the discord and I might have forgotten About that. So then I played this game for like a day. I was like Alex, have you heard about? See a star dude? It's so cool.

Speaker 1:

And then you definitely didn't scold me. So what draw your eye to this game before it was selected for the pod?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, dude, I mean, you mentioned earlier the Sabotage games, so like I had my eye on it when, when it got announced that that they were dropping this, I was, I was all over it, dude. I love the messenger, so I was excited to see that they're doing something new and I also love the idea of Kind of the harking back to, you know, pulling from the RPGs of old and bring it to a new audience and Adding some of that new. You know it's quality of life flavor, is it just like was I was ready for it. You know, it's kind of like you said, man, we don't play JRPGs all the time and it's one of those things where it's like I was primed for it.

Speaker 2:

I knew I knew that I would probably like it because of the studio and and the art where I think I might have saw who knows if it was a Direct or something what I saw. Yeah, it was probably a direct. They were showing some of the gameplay in our work and it's just a beautiful game, man. Like it's got that retro bit like thing going on the and it's it's so, it's. It really, really checks a lot of the boxes For like a game that's gonna get your boy, alex, excited.

Speaker 1:

Well, that'll transition us nicely to what we like about the game. The first thing I jotted down was just the art. Both the character sprites and the background and environments are super cool.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1:

I'm not the greatest at explaining these things, but it's definitely like a high-end, polished version of what you would have expected, even like From the GameCube with my Paper Mario thousand year door. It's like it's very specific art style, hearkening back to that SNES era kind of that chrono trigger I'm even though I haven't played like those character sprites look a lot like what I've seen from Chrono Trigger. Does that feel pretty on base?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and I think it like also gives like Chrono, trigger your final fan like early final fantasies, yeah, or like mid mid, I don't know. Man, final fantasy got so many games out there so it's hard to hit with at the time period, so like Like Super Nintendo era, era of Final Fantasy sure, kind of the pretty Final Fantasy 10.

Speaker 1:

I want to say correct. And then the art, even like the character designs, like your enemy designs, like I when I was playing today, is a little refresher. I Really love the enemy variety. To like the enemy variety in the sets and the way that their moves are animated, like all of that is Really diverse throughout these different levels and it's really cool. And I was like it was kind of late September, mid late September getting into October when I was playing the heaviest and I went through like that haunted like house vibe play.

Speaker 1:

So yeah, the spirits and like the vibes there were super cool. Like I really loved that thematic level it was a lot of game all around.

Speaker 2:

I would say, yeah, I say it's extremely linear, which I think is another thing that excited me about it like I'm in this stage of life.

Speaker 2:

That's comforting dude, I mean I love being open, an open world game in an open world, rpg or whatever. But like the I, there was something refreshing about it being able to just go figure out like the maze of the path. So the, the way that the you know it's linear, but this game also encourages you to poke around a lot where, where you are, because there's these without getting too far into the Weeds, is like these cock rainbow conch, like cock shells that you pick up. Buck those Dude.

Speaker 1:

They're like yeah, no for sure, I feel that, but at the same time I can, but it's like aggressive.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so, like I don't think I've hit that like mean backtracking Part that like you've spoken of, and I've definitely heard that to be a pain point for folks. But it's also weird because I took a big break, you know, because my son was born so I wasn't like playing all the time, so I almost had this like rest. So I feel like I don't know, I'm just not gonna have that same experience because I said, like I said it down for my own reasons, whereas, like I haven't hit that burnout that I think a lot of people are hitting because of this. But yes, so I have 100% heard and hear all the folks saying that the those shells are a pain in the ass.

Speaker 2:

At the same time, dude, like with my little collector brain, like I'm like if I see something in the corner, I'm like, oh, that's probably one of those deals, I gotta go figure out how to get it, and then I'll see you spend the next like 15 and 20 minutes Poking around town so figuring out what angle to like jump down to whatever level, that things, that, and and then in the end you get. You get one of those damn shells, dude, and there's a further going on those shells. It's like girl, did you do the one where you you give the kid who's fishing it like you get him no and I missed out on it too.

Speaker 1:

I went after you talked about it. Yeah good fishing mechanic. By the way, love me is this pod. Loyalists will know I'm a big fan of a good fishing mechanic and every JRPG needs one.

Speaker 2:

I understand that so it's a big figure out, yes, but what's a decent?

Speaker 1:

thought it's a fresh, it's cool.

Speaker 2:

It's cool. There's like it's no red head to, but it's pretty. No, there's like this sparkly, like stream or whatever. Do you got to like pull your rod to keep the fish in the stream and then it pulls up, it's, it's pretty dope and it's like I'll be addicting and there's not really much of a reason to do it Otherwise you other than like flaying the fish and then you can use them for recipes, I assume. Yeah, but there's this.

Speaker 1:

I'm not a game, you know in general, yeah, do you want to do that? No, that's okay.

Speaker 2:

All right, but if you go swimming up the docks and whatever that town is I can't remember the end of town right now but if you go podcasts, it's all good, he goes swimming deep enough out there you run into this boat where this kid and his dad are fishing, like they talked to the kid and he saw, pissed off because he doesn't like fishing, and he's like oh man, my dad won't like, let us be done until we catch 30 fish. So you, if you have fish fillets, you can like give them your fillets. And you got to get 30, which is no small amount. So I had to do like two runs to give them all, give them all the flays he needs and then and then he ends up giving you one of these rainbow conscious which I'm like what? Because I'm like I'm aware because of the internet that there's a. They have purpose later.

Speaker 2:

But where I am right now, right, they don't have purpose. So so it's like really like one of those things where you like put in time, figure these things out. You're like I hope to gather there's a payoff on these things, and it sounds like there is, but it also sounds like I Don't know.

Speaker 1:

We'll see how good I've been about collecting them all the game Also does have like special weapons and things like that that upgrade your stats. So I'm always like, ooh, if I grind on this, I'll get like a cool new sword and that's like rainbow, and I'm like damn it. But yeah.

Speaker 2:

Dude. I want to give a quick nod to just the love. Like I've mentioned that, I've definitely heard some gripes about this game on the Internet's but overall and especially in the media that I've get fed because I get fed a bunch of video game stuff, sure, but I've seen a bunch of positive stuff around this game and how inviting it is. Like a one article that kind of I Like saw the other day that really stuck out was this dude. He was writing about how this game see if stars Open up the door for his daughter to start playing video games and jrpgs or whatever.

Speaker 1:

Because it is.

Speaker 2:

Because, you know, because of those things we've been talking about, because of the, the art style, because, like, the characters Like that are in and are really fun and approach. We haven't even really talked about the personalities yet, but I think they've got really fun personalities. It's just like a really inviting game and I think, overall, like I've seen a lot of discourse around this game just being a super inviting game For folks, I've seen, like a lot of people in my my like Instagram circles or whatever, a lot of cozy gamers playing this game like it hits the. It's the gamut. I think the gamer gamers, the people that are like looking for your chrono trigger or something like that, is like they. They feel a little bit let down that it maybe didn't hit that Crunchiness that they were hoping for. But you know, go pay, live, a live or something I don't know.

Speaker 1:

Yeah sure, and I'd say too that, like we've mentioned the general vibes and the coziness, the music is a big part of that music. Super cool dude. It's all original composition and it's just really well done. And I want to say that the messenger, it's the same thing. They put a lot of effort into their music and that's a big part of the overall package and it's like it's really cool.

Speaker 1:

Like I play a lot of games with like a podcast on, and I still do that one with this one because, as we get more ingrained with technology, I'm more of a smooth brain who needs multiple inputs at all times. But I love it. I love the music. The sound effects are cool, although my favorite thing to do is transitions us to the active turn based combat. I'll add like paper Mario, you put an impote when you do the moon ring and it bounces off an enemy and bounces back, like I love to be like hey, hey, babe, it's your favorite thing, cause it's so obnoxious as it's bouncing around the screen and it's making the noise and it's yeah it's for this.

Speaker 2:

There's some accessibility features that I'll bring up right now. Do you use any of those? Do you switch any of them on?

Speaker 1:

No, not, I think there's like there's a little badge thing, so like it shows me when I did the input correctly for like yeah, that thing. I think that's cool.

Speaker 2:

That's the only one that I keep on as well, and it's the other ones, don't they?

Speaker 2:

They do, yeah. So I mean they can make the game a little easier but they might, like you know, kind of they might nerf another boom or something like that. So it's interesting stuff, but that one in particular, like I definitely it did maybe help me find my cause. The whole point of it is it shows you when you hit the perfect response. So it's very like paper Mario. When you're in that combat, like it's, a timing thing becomes a time based, like almost rhythm feature of the game. Right, so like this, what it does is like this star sprite that like a shooting star like shoots up whenever you hit it correctly and it like triggers the fact that, like you've, you've hit that rhythm correctly and I keep it on. I don't even know how much it actually helped me learn the timing, I just think it looks pretty.

Speaker 1:

Looks pretty and also like sometimes you're like where am I, why am I just getting owned? And you're like it does help me find the timing. And also you know, just like paper Mario, when you're getting attacked, you got to time it pretty well. And that gets pretty tricky because I'm a little bit of a little bit of a spaz on that one.

Speaker 2:

I'm always like yeah, that also speaks to like the nice variety of the you know one near attacks and to the enemies in the game, because that happens to me too, man, like I can get in a pretty good flow on certain baddies, like I know what their attacks like, like the bubble drop like when you know that attack, yeah, but see, like I know when that one's going to hurt me, so like.

Speaker 1:

I can tell you I might not have all the time.

Speaker 2:

But you know everybody's got different one. There's different attacks, that I still have no idea what the timing is. So Right.

Speaker 1:

I would say. Another really cool thing is that. So the combat overall. It helps it keep it fresh better than a lot of games. I would say that the boss battles, too, are really, really cool. Like I'm super into thematic boss battles and the different things you got to do. I haven't died too many times, like it's not too hard, but you can mess up and slip up. And you got to like switch between your party. Probably should have mentioned that. You know it's a typical party system game, but it's pretty easy to get to the hang of it. It's pretty cool. You do different combos with one another, so I like it a lot.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and we were. So we were just speaking to the rhythm Paper Mario aspect, to the turn based combat. But another big part of this game and I'm pretty sure it's like a chrono trigger, not to that or whatever, but the there's basically you get the baddies and then it'll show you a series of different attacks that will essentially make it so that they'll lose a turn or like yeah, there's a special attack, pretty much Right. So I like that a lot.

Speaker 1:

It's a little puzzle you got to figure out.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so you hit the right sequences you got to. Like it starts. It just forces you to be a little bit more strategic about how you're, how you're going about the battle. It's good, man. Like I think it's really fun, like it really. You know, every time you go in it's not Whereas you brought up like I mean granted, this is a long time ago, but like the original Pokemon, game Boy games like you can just go in there and, essentially, if you have, you know, an attack that's strong enough and a Pokemon that's strong enough, you just like you.

Speaker 2:

Just the grind is basically just attack, attack, attack, attack. Whereas a game like this it forces you to think about OK, should I use some sort of shield here? Should I be getting one of my other you know, parties, then my party members some food or like should I be like bumping up someone's like mana or whatever? It's just cool, man. Like every time that I go into a battle, like it's like a little puzzle and I like that, as opposed to just like the grind of like all right, just got to tear this one down. Like it makes it fun.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and they also pace the battles pretty well. It's not like in the modern era like the grindy stuff gets just routinely destroyed critically Right. So I would say they did a pretty good job of there's a nice balance of battles, it's not too much. I like the way that you explore the environment. It's not like the diorama style quite that you see being really popular right now, but it's pretty close where, like you're walking over tightrope bridges and you're scaling mountains and stuff and it's just the way. It just looks super cute the way that you're going through it. And some of the inputs are kind of satisfying, like your little grappling hook, your little gust push.

Speaker 2:

And it encourages you to interact with the environment too. You know, because you have to like you're not just like moving, you're not just walking through it Like you can you act to jump up to the ledge or, you know, shoot the grappling hook. So I think that is cool.

Speaker 1:

And the cooking. How cute is the art for the cooking dude.

Speaker 2:

How you hold on to it and it slowly progresses and kind of shows you the process of doing the cooking.

Speaker 1:

I just thought that was like aesthetically intensely pleasing and very cute. It is cool.

Speaker 2:

The more complex the the more complex the recipe like, the longer it will take to. It's just kind of fun, the things like that it's. It's intensely pleasing and wholesome.

Speaker 1:

I can't really explain other than that just to see the little like clay brick oven thing that they're like cooking in and the little like it getting prepared and it's the art they chose to use there is really really cute.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, and then this is like speaks to the layers of the game too, because you start to learn more recipes, like you find recipes out in the wild, that kind of thing. Like it's on surface level, it seems like it's maybe not the deepest thing, but then, like, when you start to peel back the layers, you're like shit.

Speaker 1:

There's a lot going on with this game, which is our great introduction to wheels, a spectacular turn-based mini game within the game Dude. I still not entirely sure how to play wheels, but I love it.

Speaker 2:

I don't know at all, but I like it too.

Speaker 1:

And you when you're into a new area you have to like challenge the person at the table to get like a new person. So this is all pretty standard. It's an old Blitzball which I guess people all think of differently, but it was great. It's all fanatics over here.

Speaker 2:

I love pro. Where does a pro Blitzball pod?

Speaker 1:

Pro Blitzball pod, but wheels, I think better than Gwent, I think we can say that Dude, that's ridiculous.

Speaker 2:

Gwent is king, gwent is trash.

Speaker 1:

Let's just move on from there. Yeah, and then I don't know how I haven't just erupted thus far, but Gar is the best, cutest character of all time.

Speaker 2:

So Gar, I think it's just.

Speaker 1:

Gar, isn't it, or is it? Garrel Got an L at the end of his name. Pretty sure Garrel is just a king and I love him. He's great dude.

Speaker 2:

He's a little some.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, pirate chef.

Speaker 2:

He's incredibly wholesome and like the I think we mentioned at the head. We're not going to get too into the story, so I don't think we have to do much of that, but like I do think that Garrel makes this story.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and he's not one of the chosen one. He's just your best friend who waits for you and you know everyone tells him he can't. But he's just too You're an optimistic to be held down and you know what. We all need a little bit more Garrel in our lives.

Speaker 2:

So there. So how many playable characters have you unlocked? I've got, I've gotten up to four. I think there's six in four.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I know there's more, but it's just, you know, a mysterious pirate lady who's not the pirate lady.

Speaker 2:

I know that's like a spoiler. That is not a spoiler because it's so obvious in the game and that becomes like a fun joke in the game too, Like when when she does like, reveals dude, it's so great. She like tells them and then like Valerie and Zale, who are the two souls as warriors, I think it's. I don't remember which one of them, but they're like yeah, we know, yeah, we know for a long time, but you know the point is is like you're a good guy and you're hanging with us, so like that's all we care about.

Speaker 2:

It's all love dogs, so but that is, I think, that like from my understanding, because, like, I'm right around the part, I just finished the Vespirin part, so, like the pirate ship business, I'm just yeah, that was, that was a cool section. So I'm just beyond that now and as far as, like, you're starting to like learn that, and that's another thing that I think of Testament too. The story of this game that we're not going to talk about is it has layers of itself. Once you have an idea of what's happening, like they start to introduce new elements that are like OK, interesting and the Geese on movement is pretty cool.

Speaker 1:

It's like a trope based in a good way, so like it's a little obvious. It's like definitely, once again, it's not trying to be like blow your mind with craziness, but it's just like it's very much a love letter to get past, totally Anything you don't particularly care for.

Speaker 2:

Hmm, no man, it's a full send for me, I think, like the, but that is that said without finishing the game. Like I mentioned, I know I'm well aware of the, this backtracking pain point that folks have. I don't think I've hit that quite yet, or maybe it's just because, like, I didn't mind going backwards to a couple of things because I took a long break.

Speaker 1:

There was one section I thought was egregious, but at the end of the day it was fine.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I think it's a it's. Yeah, I don't know, I think it's one of those things. Man, I think like this is a recurring theme on our pod, but we just have so many games today that you know it's. It can be annoying to us when a game commands more of our time, when we were like I just want to move on, whereas, like, if you are, I think this game like totally presents itself as like getting sucked into its world. And I don't. I don't think it's rushed, I don't think it's drawn out too far yet. But, that said, according to this guide, I was looking at it. I'm about halfway through. So, you know, maybe I'll have a different take in our in the inside question next month.

Speaker 1:

Yeah it. Um, I don't want to say I dragged on, but like I just got distracted and it's hard, like whenever I booted up. I'm always happy that I do, but I always like get drawn into more addictive games and I'm just too scattershot to really fully invest. And then I should have, when it was going hot, I should have just leaned into it and then I would have been done by now.

Speaker 2:

So I have a little bit of guilt there but I truly enjoyed it all.

Speaker 1:

I have it on game pass. So like obviously, if you have game pass and you have the time for it, full send If it goes on sale, like I actually like have some people I know that I'm like just play this game, buy it, do it Sure dollars less, like you need to do it and For me I'm actually contemplating getting rid of game pass. So like I kind of want to beat this before I do that.

Speaker 2:

So right on. Yeah, I would like to, just because I have. I'm so like far enough in it where I don't want to like start over right yet. I also want to be that on game pass. But that said, I'm 100% gonna get the physical copy for switch. So it's, I would like this game to be in my collection.

Speaker 1:

Just so you can sell it for 250 dollars.

Speaker 2:

I do. You got to listen to my Podcast. I collected again, I did, I'm sure I'm sure you did. You had early access to you know, like here's the deal, like I love it and I love like seeing the value of certain things, but at the same time, like I'm never gonna sell me this shit, dude. Yeah, what do you think them? Bro? Should we take a little break and hear from our on-station sponsor?

Speaker 1:

Yes, sir.

Speaker 2:

As you know, I'm a new dad, you're a dad and you know who's our on. Special sponsor of the month.

Speaker 1:

Who would that be?

Speaker 2:

sponsoring all these new dads out here. Pacifiers, bro Nooks nooks passies. Whatever you want to call them suffer your rave children.

Speaker 1:

That's weird.

Speaker 2:

Hey man, they're making it, they're soothing your mood, they're making you happy at the rave. I'm all for it, I'm a hundred percent full send. Put that past fire in your mouth.

Speaker 1:

I would also like to shout out miss Rachel, the only reason I was allowed to poop and do things when I'm watching the boys. She's a YouTube star, if you're not aware she's. She's an icon, so also a pacifiers. And miss Rachel for allowing parents to poop That'll that'll help you later down the road. Your baby don't care about miss Rachel yet but he will.

Speaker 2:

This is a heavy daddy gamer sponsorship. I'll tell you what heavy dads dude, dude, I don't know what it is. Oh man, like there's this discourse out there that, like, don't use pacifiers as like a thing. I don't even know where I picked that up.

Speaker 1:

There's some dental ramifications if they haven't too long and you also got to get rid of them eventually. So if you don't want to do that, find a different way to pacify your child. But if you're like the rest of us, just sweet, sweet pacifiers dude, if that's a didn't have a bad fire he does.

Speaker 2:

you suck him out his hands anyways.

Speaker 1:

This is also true.

Speaker 2:

So I'm like whatever, bro, get those hands out of your mouth.

Speaker 1:

As a teacher, I say as a teacher I do run into kids who still suck on their thumbs. Occasionally I'm like hey, stop that.

Speaker 2:

I'm gonna be back on teeth full on fist for my boy man. He's probably he's got.

Speaker 1:

He's got big old hands too.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm long thingies. We're gonna fill out though man three pounds since birth. Wow shoot 97 percentile for height.

Speaker 1:

Shouts out to booby milk as well.

Speaker 2:

Booby milk be doing it for him, our little milk monster.

Speaker 1:

Well, alright, dude, this unsanctioned sponsors is parents surviving and babies be in chill. Yes, that's a pacifier, fast, miss Rachel it.

Speaker 2:

Or if you're a kid or a raven dull that just wants to do the pacifier thing, hey, you know, if it stops you from grinding your teeth to take it all that, molly go for it.

Speaker 1:

It's not my life, but you know what go for it live your life.

Speaker 2:

Live your life, people. That's what it's about.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, be safe, but also sure. Yeah, you push some boundaries if you want a little bit you know that's fun what are you gonna do Back to a regularly scheduled program, all right time for some side quests in. So the first question is can Alex even play games? How does one even side quest? What have you been up to?

Speaker 2:

I'm Doug. I've been starting to play more games now, but no, when I, when, when the little boys first board, I was like I was also working a lot. Unfortunately, I just had to manage both those things slash, fortunately at the same time tablet sword, but yeah, dude. So I was like I was like falling on on on Starfield, falling on on On the sea of stars there for a bit. I have not picked up Starfield since my boy was born and it's not even because I like I still enjoy that game. I think it's dope, but it's. It's just such a big, vast, crazy game that like I have anxiety about jumping back in.

Speaker 2:

It was just stupid like.

Speaker 1:

But it's a long time to get comfortable.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

The criticisms of the game, like at first when you start playing, I know you are super gung-ho, and then I feel like the criticisms like you were like fuck, those people are unreasonable. And then they slowly caught up with you. I struggled for like the first five hours to understand and be fluid in the world I think that's the best way to put. It is like it's intensely not fluid and that kind of drives me nuts. The loading screen thing is real and like on a nice system. It's not like the longest way, it's just very clunky and you don't feel free and you feel like there's so much that you don't even know where to go. So if you can find purpose, it's a really fun game. I accidentally got caught smuggling contraband into and I didn't even know I had contraband on my ship, like I literally thought I was being framed.

Speaker 1:

But then that got me caught up in this whole like faction quest between the I was at the Crimson Fleet, yep, and like the space Marines whatever their narc asses are called and I do. That mission has been really cool, digging up dirt on one and being kind of a double agent. I've actually really liked that. But it leads into another super annoying thing in the game, which is that I want to smuggle while I have access to the Crimson Fleet. I want, I want to be a smuggler, make some money, but when you go to upgrade your ship you can't buy parts unless you have a certain like they're locked behind Abilities that are like super deep into the ability tree and I'm like you need me to play for how many hours before I can unlock the ability to more accurately store my cargo?

Speaker 1:

Like I have the money, so the game's just like riddled with design choices where I'm like this is not cool.

Speaker 2:

It bugs me because I'll be stealing ships and then you like the same thing that consider your ship contraband If you go into a star system that you know. And that scans you, but you can go and pay to get the ship registered If you like. Know if you'd like to navigate somewhere that's not being handled by whatever those fuckers are called the FCC.

Speaker 1:

Cyberpunk City. What's that one called neon or whatever.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I don't even know if neon neon might actually stand you too, man, but the but. But it cost. It costs hella money. So like the whole idea is like I wanted to steal cool ships, maybe keep some, maybe, you know, sell some, but you can only sell them after you pay the fee to like register the ship. It's not worth it, but you know. So, even though we're talking about it not really a side question, mind, because I think the the like idea that if I pick this thing up, like I would, I would want to spend a chunk of time to get Immersed into that world again and I just haven't had it in me. I need to play games that, or I've just chosen the game, the little game that I have. I've chosen games that aren't quite as immersive as as Starfield. So I have picked up not not nearly a month hours as you, bro, but I did get to play in some sleigh.

Speaker 1:

We're school finally indoctrinated.

Speaker 2:

It's been cool, man. It's a for a turn-based game and for a very like passive, like. That is fun, dude. It's that one. That one is cool. I, like I said, I've got about 300 hours before I can really talk to you about it, but I'm not there yet.

Speaker 1:

I might be like in the neighborhood, but I'm not there yet.

Speaker 2:

You're pretty well on your way, man.

Speaker 1:

Shut up. 250 isn't that big of a deal. It's like. It's like neighborhood of sieve. It's getting like at this point in time.

Speaker 2:

The. My major gaming side quest, though, is a game called plate up. It's a. It's a really cool rogue like cooking game, kind of like Overcooked I would say it's probably it's its strongest partner in in game likeness. But that was that was hooked up by the homie, isaiah, and good ups, thanks, isaiah.

Speaker 2:

That was that game actually pulled me back in the game I hadn't played at all. I just like didn't have, didn't have an in me with everything going on, and then I started on the on the steam deck. I had just like little spurts at night where it's like the baby was down and I wasn't quite ready to go to bed, so I'd pick that up and I would do these cooking runs. Man, and plate up is dope. So everybody, keep your keep your eye on it because it is coming to council. They had a plan for late last month, but they, you know, is development shit, so they, they push that back. It is available on steam.

Speaker 2:

I like overcooked it is. You can play up with four people. So like, basically, what you do is you own this, you own a restaurant and you're trying to make that restaurant work, and you've got these, these runs that you go on and you take care of your customers. You cook whatever the item is that you're working on at that point in time. You just build up and like keep upgrading your restaurant over the amount of these days, but if you miss a table or if you get a dust, just disgruntled table, it kills your run and so it's super addicting runs, dude, and it's it's like it's pretty cool.

Speaker 2:

It's like have you ever Try the? It's got like kind of a cool animation. It's like kind of that rounded like you know, like the Life bags from the game of life kind of looks like a chunky, chunky version of that. Like it's or like I don't know if you ever play human fall flat like similar, there's similarities, but it's more of a top-down Deal. It's. It's fun though, dude, and it's like I said, it's a rogue. Like these runs are ridiculous. You get you get yourself making these pizzas and then you get it gets it, layers it right, so it's like pretty simple at first, like it make cheese pizzas, then I'll introduce more recipes to you. So you start like having to do more prep work and stuff. It's hard, man, like it's. You know I can get about five, six, seven days in with the food items, the steaks, the pizzas, some of the other stuff that I'm able to Cook now sounds intensely stressful.

Speaker 2:

Dude. But it is so funny because, because I am, I do work part-time in the service industry. It's like so funny that I was taking like Continue, yeah, in the industry dope.

Speaker 2:

And Isaiah's definitely. He's a cook dude, so it's so funny that I got this cook being like dude. You play this game. Basically Ridiculousness of our of the service industry. But it's a great game, man. I'm looking forward to come. Coming to council, I tweeted at them and they say they assure me that it is coming, they just need a little bit more time and it will likely drop a game pass there saying to. So that's cool too, man. If you don't drop game pass we'll. We'll get some runs going, shit. I don't know, I might even make a game of the month, so maybe I'll just gift it to you because I say gifted it to me.

Speaker 1:

There we go. What's the general price she goes for?

Speaker 2:

20 bucks full price. But they've seen some nice like 50% of sales already.

Speaker 1:

So That'd be reasonable dude is worth it.

Speaker 2:

20 bucks, bro. It's full send on this game. Like it's great. I'm super excited to see where it goes and I haven't done any of the multiplayer yet, like I've just been super like having fun with it by myself of.

Speaker 1:

Obviously the spire, did you view?

Speaker 2:

unlocked all four characters, yet oh, there's only four characters, yeah.

Speaker 1:

I mean on the PC, it's like a whole different world with different updates, but also like a lot of mods.

Speaker 2:

But you have yeah, characters, yeah, the last one is to do with the orbs, right.

Speaker 1:

Nope, so you have the three characters the last one is the lady. She's the watch. She's the watcher. Do you have a favorite of the three?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I like the orb dude.

Speaker 1:

Orbs dude school. The defect he's a little bit more not niche, but you gotta do some specific stuff with him but yeah, I like his moveset like I don't know, it's the orb stuff school. I figured you would have been the sorority guy ironclad, if I would have pegged you for him. He's definitely the easiest to acclimate to, in my opinion. So I'm a little surprised. But look at you.

Speaker 2:

Mm-hmm, just to move and evolve a dude, have you be act three yet? No, I don't think so Okay.

Speaker 1:

It's hard and actually takes a while, and then there's just a whole another layer open.

Speaker 2:

In fact I know I have not, I've only, I've only gotten to act.

Speaker 1:

Two Well, my first game is Starfield, so do you. If you want to talk more about Starfield, you're certainly welcome to, but I Let me see the real quick.

Speaker 2:

I also picked up Mario Strikers. That games harder than. I thought it would be dude.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it seemed mostly online focused, so that's the reason I never picked it up. It looked really cool, but it seemed like it was made to be played almost entirely online. Is that? Is that the fact?

Speaker 2:

I don't know, I think no, I think it's like you can definitely play against the computers. I can see where online make will probably be the most fun for folks, so I mean, does it have like a story mode or like different challenges?

Speaker 1:

Is it like Mario Golf, where it's good but a massive disappointment?

Speaker 2:

No, it's more gameplay focused than the story. I think like I haven't, I haven't spent too much time on it. It has a grueling tutorial, dude. So like I like didn't even finish a tutorial because it's so long, and then I was like I'm just gonna play some, like you know, exhibition games, and then I got my ass whipped. I'm like, oh, maybe I should finish the tutorial. So I want to bring that one up because that one is, and that one is like a cool game that I've had my eye on for a while. And then the the physical, went on sale, pretty a pretty deep discount. So I was like, okay, it's time, dude, it was like half off, which is pretty cool for physical.

Speaker 2:

I know right, yeah, that sounds my right. It's pretty close to worth. Or, yeah, 30 dude and then other outside the gaming world. Oh, I've been watching a lot of shows because that's easy to watch shows with the baby when he's when he's nap trapped you, yeah. In addition that I've also started a doctor, making him into Star Wars, so we've watched episodes one, two, three and four together, which means I've watched him. He's just kind of assimilated. And, and the wife, he has started picked up the picked up the cues on that one. She started them on the Harry Potter series and I think he's gone through, like May or maybe one through three of those already. Do these? He's getting it in, I.

Speaker 1:

Dropped off hard, like as kids we were both really, even though you weren't really a kid. You're more in the high school range like really hardcore Harry Potter fan and then Over time I've just deeply fallen off and like it's only grown to like Disney adult status. But for friggin Harry Potter land.

Speaker 2:

I mean, you say I was a. I used to say I was in high school, but when I have the book first dropped, dude, I was definitely in grade school.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, or like early middle school, but like even like a burn, because those books like become more mature as you mature, so like.

Speaker 2:

I think the last book dropped when I was in college. So yeah, it's a big chunk of a chunk of my life.

Speaker 1:

You're right, but so for me? I was thinking about it and I really have not cared. Jk Rowling.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, her personal antics aside.

Speaker 1:

I Simply just kind of fell off when they started making the movies. I just you know, if you make too many movies, I just I just drop out entirely, and the Marvel universe is another example of that. But so then, yeah, like I was really into it, but then I was talking to a buddy about, like Tyler, friend of the pod.

Speaker 1:

He's talking about how he's gonna want to model reading, cuz he never liked reading that much, but he wants his daughter to be really into it. Time work, dad stuff. We've just go full, dad pod.

Speaker 2:

Read to my son last night yeah, there we go, I'm gonna muscle them. Not so, didn't there? And and I was just thinking I was going on, but he was chill about it the world building, harry Potter and like Star Wars.

Speaker 1:

They're like very simple stories but just the world building is really fun for little kids so. I'll definitely drop my too cool for school attitude when the boys get a little older and let them enjoy the throws of Harry Potter and Star Wars like it.

Speaker 2:

The other one is a series though. I finished a morning show Phenomenal I think it was. Like it's on Apple TV. It's great there's. Season 3 is the best season of all three of them Dude it's. It's a lot of fun. Basically I won't. I won't go to and into that one, but that that was a great series in my opinion. And Loki bro, I finished up. Loki, I know you just said you're off the Mario or the Mario you're off the Marvel tip, but Loki do it is dope.

Speaker 1:

Five to six years behind on Marvel. So at this point I think I'm good this one's this one?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, for sure, this one is interesting. I'm not gonna do any. I'm gonna, I'm gonna avoid any major spoilers here and just say, good that it is Aside enough from it's. It's not. It's adjacent, obviously, because it's in the universe, but it's aside from all the other stories that have been going on Within Marvel and it kicks off something new. So it could be, this could be a major, and it's apparently being based off of a similar run that recently has been Quite loved in the comic books. Around the same, the same deal, but it essentially kicks off and you know, multiverse shit, so many, all the verses. It's you this endless content. There's this genius of these fucking companies.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I think they also like spread themselves.

Speaker 2:

Oh yeah, dude, it's not working. I mean to your, to your point with the Marvel stuff, like I think, overall it's not, it's not as sustainable to do it for movies.

Speaker 1:

But you know they got a few hits.

Speaker 2:

All right man.

Speaker 1:

When we were playing see a star, as I mentioned, it was getting in the way of me getting into Starfield and then I finally got into Starfield and then I got in the way of my Sea of Stars. I already kind of railed on it, slash, talked about how I did really appreciate it, because it is super cool, it's just also super.

Speaker 1:

Finish it and not smooth Starfield. No, okay, and I feel like I'll try it again, like maybe next year, or like when I have a lull of games and it's like on sale on something, I'll buy it actually, and then just like maybe, because I think like it's a game, that I can see them like adding quality or life stuff to it over the years and like.

Speaker 1:

DLC things and like Really fixing some of the things that make it kind of boring, but it's so vast it just makes me think of like they were so ambitious that it kind of got in their way and it really makes you appreciate like people make fun of like Bethesda for re-releasing Skyrim for so many years and I'm like that game was so good, yeah, like like the replay abilities insane and like how you go into these dungeons and they're not always super unique, but they're like they give you some pretty unique vibes a lot, even if there's a lot of reused assets and then like Starfield Kind of got in trouble for you know, reusing stuff and making things just feel kind of blah and empty. But also it does give you a sense of wonder. So it is really cool and there is possible levels of Things to do and the gunplay can be gratifying.

Speaker 2:

So like I do think I'll try to go back, but but I'm also not a big first-person shooter fan typically, so it's like I don't have. You know, it's not like I'm like.

Speaker 1:

I like enough. The dialogue stuff I think can be good. All this gate isn't really on a system I can play just yet and it's nowhere in that category, but like I kind of like when you can talk yourself out of situations and do different things like that. They does an okay job of different things like that, so I like it, it's good. But like when someone says it's like a seven out of ten, that feels pretty fair.

Speaker 2:

But then Madden, you know, you've been fired a madden again, bro.

Speaker 1:

Oh god, yeah, yeah so I refuse, I refuse to pay full price for Madden. But there was like a pre Amazon just had like that two-day sale in the middle of October. Sure like a pre-amazon day sale or whatever. So it was like another is the only physical copies I own on the Xbox or Madden yeah, dude, digitally they don't go on sale or they didn't. But I could get physical copy for like half off.

Speaker 2:

So I was like, yeah, yes that's what I did with 2k and I did. I can't even hate on you, because come Black Friday Thanksgiving time I'll probably scoop the new 2k yeah and it's cool, right, it's like it's fun.

Speaker 1:

They did not make any great improvements really to the modes that I play or anything really, so it's once again Infuriating, but also like I know what I want and it's okay that I spend $40 to get access to my crack cocaine. Sweet, sweet heroin whatever you want to call it, because Madden is forever cool. To take a team and build a team over time and get your players better that gameplay loop. I'm just super addicted to Fun times, though.

Speaker 2:

Are you playing as man, the T-Swifts oh?

Speaker 1:

Oh, dude, I wish that's. That should be our own sanctioned sponsor. Love Taylor Swift and Travis.

Speaker 2:

Oh, you want, you want to put this at a time capsule dude Travis Kelsey down in Argentina changing lyrics for man oh, heart melting.

Speaker 1:

And the internet discourse that's dissing them. You know, just enjoy life a little bit, man.

Speaker 2:

Do get out of here the sportsman. Like fuck this guy, we're bringing husband and wife. I'm sure he's working out on there.

Speaker 1:

We're uniting so many people in the world with their love that I'm here for it. No, dude, so they're cute dude, I can't even lie. Yeah, no, dude, travis is so hot anyway.

Speaker 2:

His brother. His brother wasn't the running for people magazines hottest person the year.

Speaker 1:

I can see that as, like Jason Kelsey's, got some daddy vibes for you got the daddy vibes.

Speaker 2:

He was he's. He responded to it, though he's like what the hell?

Speaker 1:

that's crazy, like I'm not even the hottest guy in my family but anyway, I Decided I was tired of playing as the Vikings all the time. I've done that the last few years in a row, where I just make them good over time. So I took a team and I had, I talked with some buddies and I was like what team is the most replaceable team in the league? So I had to think about like what like. So I took the Houston Texans, because their logo sucks Raiders right now.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, but being in.

Speaker 1:

Vegas. That's cool, like they're classic jerseys, so like you don't want your league to not have the Raiders, but like I've never looked at the Texans logo and been like this is cool and you know, everybody knows it's all Dallas in Texas.

Speaker 2:

The Texans are second-class citizens in their own state.

Speaker 1:

So I moved them to drumroll Anchorage Alaska.

Speaker 2:

I'm sure the pale Big fan base the reason I chose to.

Speaker 1:

So. In this version of man you can't create teams. You choose from a bunch of presets. Okay and one of them is the lumberjacks, and there's a plaid design on the back of the helmet.

Speaker 2:

I was like let's go dude.

Speaker 1:

So I was gonna move to like, I think, literally Argentina or Hawaii. And then none of the logos really matched up.

Speaker 2:

They looked like high school team logos and I think I'll let you bring a team Out of this, out of the United States.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, there's a bunch of options like that, like you can be in, like Tokyo, I'd be no Germany. So I chose Anchorage because it fit with the logo the best. Yeah yeah, so the Anchorage lumberjacks and it's pretty dope dude, I love it, you pack that stadium, or what oh yeah, I yeah, and fans are rabid. They got nothing better to do.

Speaker 2:

There's doing. New Madden still allow you to change the pricing of the concessions and all that kind of shit to make money. Yeah, it's a really bad feature that they Do why why did they put a business simulator in that game to begin with?

Speaker 1:

and if they do, they should make it better, cuz, like I'm not gonna get it in the nitty-gritty, no one's here to hear about how the salary cap and bonus structure can eventually bone you over in the. But that's yeah game flawed.

Speaker 2:

They need to. Let me make a game as long as we were sprinkling in a whole bunch of things to date this podcast. When be mania, dude fucking a, haven't been his first man for just lost to the Timberwolves who kid dude.

Speaker 1:

I know he's had a couple duty at a like his first dude.

Speaker 2:

He had his first five games. He was on fire. He's that a couple rough ones and one against the Timberwolves, and we won our last five at home. But I love it.

Speaker 1:

I need you to also Google chat home. Grin cuz he's only a little bit shorter and he's a Minnesota white boy and he's also a gangly, strange, odd-looking player who can do a bunch of swagger stuff like 19.

Speaker 2:

He's. I can't believe it. He's 19 year old boys. I'm so old now that I'm like holy shit, they're so little.

Speaker 1:

Sometimes I'm playing fancy football. I'm like this dude's washed, like he's been in league for way too long, like he's gonna fall off any day now. And then I look at his age. I'm like he is younger than me. All right, do it. I bring up.

Speaker 2:

I bring a wimmy though, because it is pure 99, like maybe 2009, 2000, what was the first PC and be live game ahead. But he is like the spin image of maybe 20 thinner with stuff. Yeah, he's probably thinner, Dude. I used to make him beefier and stronger, but he's got a couple years.

Speaker 1:

That was my deal with the creative player man.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I create a player and that's like that's what when it is Dude, it's like someone create a player and drop them in the NBA.

Speaker 1:

It's pretty funny that his reach Metaphorically, not his physical reach, which is pterodactyl esque, but like his reach to get like you're not You're not like a basketball casual, but you're pretty, pretty strong casual, like you're not super in it, so like the fact that like you're all excited about it and like people's great Don't follow the league, or pretty like I'm sure he's huge on social media Just because he's so wild to watch. So I think that's pretty cool slash, interesting to see.

Speaker 1:

But anyway my last game which, if you would have bought it, we should have made it the pod. But you know, wait on it for a little bit. Mario wonder fun game dude. It's the mushroom trip of a game dude. Have you watched any gameplay or listen anything about it?

Speaker 2:

No, I'm pretty fresh on it, dude. I know that I know people, I love it and I know it's the fastest selling 2d Mario game Of all time, according to Nintendo.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's the post Nintendo Mario movie. Glow up for sure. They made this one like in secret, which is classic Nintendo, just not even letting you know. They're cooking up straight fire and they just kind of dropped it within the same year. They announced it and it's it's your.

Speaker 1:

It's the rebirth of another rebirth of their 2d format. It makes me think about the next Mario maker a lot and how you can choose the wonder and that'll be fun. But basically in the middle of every level you have like this wonder thing that pops off like some trippy stuff, so it's like you know the mushrooms equivalent of, but it's like a fun flavor, so like it's been really fun. Dude, it's been a nice palette cleanser. Like I have my switch next to that's on my bed stand, so like I'll play for like 10 minutes to a half an hour before bed and then on the weekends I've been waking up. Before the boys wake up I'd be popping it on. So strong. Recommend dude, beautiful game, tons of fun. If my boys were a little bit older I'd be Another Tyler mentioned, but his daughter loves to watch him play. She's not quite old enough to pick up the sticks, but she's like play another level and she's super into it, so it's.

Speaker 1:

Nintendo done, did it again. Which brings me to my last talking point my both excitement and scathing disappointment at the live action Zelda movie. Why is it?

Speaker 2:

Yes, I don't know gonna watch it. I'm gonna be high for it.

Speaker 1:

But why if?

Speaker 2:

if Tom Hiddleston is in this movie, I quit okay, so you think it's live action name.

Speaker 1:

What's the what's little Tom?

Speaker 2:

It was in school, but you're talking about.

Speaker 1:

Tom Holland. If Tom is like, I quit.

Speaker 2:

Dude, I don't know why the internet, internet has been so thirsty for that to happen.

Speaker 1:

I mean, I kind of see it, but I mean he's boyish, so I'll give him that.

Speaker 2:

But yeah, I will see. I I have a feeling. Well, I was gonna say that they'll probably. I was like I think I just hope that they go like totally off script and like just go like small names and, like you know, give it to like original Star Wars treatment where it's like who the fuck are these people? And then they blow up and be awesome. But I'm gonna get Chris.

Speaker 1:

Pratt to be well.

Speaker 2:

That's what I was gonna say the fact that they have like Chris Pratt and everybody else in the Mario movie. They'll probably go big names again. I don't know, man, I would you think it's live action in the sense that it's like real people, or will it be live action to the sense like Disney be calling, like Lion King live action, which is, I didn't see any of those. Well they're, they're fine, like there's nothing wrong with the original. So it's like why well, I know why so you make that money?

Speaker 1:

But like you also keep the IP for like copyright stuff sure sure the movies, so that's a huge motivator.

Speaker 2:

But like. So the I'll just use the Lion King example, though is like it's live action, because it looks real, but it's still all computer animated, like lions and shit. So I mean, that could be what they do, I guess, like put it in a real setting, but then, have you know, animated characters. I doubt it, though, but who knows, we'll see what happens.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I just like dude, like the way they did the Mario movie, like there's no reason they couldn't just pick like a more realistic art style for like.

Speaker 2:

Dude, they should have gone. They should have gone straight. Like you know, like anime cast, like the, even if it was like the American animation, like that Castlevania shit we got going on, which I started. The Most reason one is been dope, but I watched all. I was in the hospital.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, or like the the Witcher. Yep, that's their like kind of American anime and that's gonna be really cool. Except for now, netflix is on their bullshit and they're trying to get me to pay for it separately, and that's stupid, what.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 1:

It's like the household thing now, where they finally cracked down on that, or it's made it to us where we have. Oh, You've been leeching.

Speaker 2:

You've been leeching Netflix for a long time.

Speaker 1:

It's been linked. It's been linked into the phone bill, so I just, but now it's like this is not the household and I'm like it out of here. Dude like what is hilarious so I'm actually really butthurt and I think it's really stupid and we should protest Netflix even now that they finally did that. They have some things I want to watch and I find that frustrating.

Speaker 2:

Super Mario RPG on the horizon too. Man, I think that drops like in two days of recording something like that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that one Really into it, but I wonder how long I'll wait, because it's full price, isn't it's like I do.

Speaker 2:

That's like there's a bunch of good Nintendo games coming on right now wonder RPG. I'm very interested by that peach game. They got around the corner. Next year though but it's like it's one of those deals where I know that they'll if Nintendo, so they'll they'll have physical versions of those games for a while, for a long time. So I'm not I'm not chopping out the bit to get them right out the door, but I do want them all, I I.

Speaker 1:

Feel that though definitely need them all, but also Fuck you. Netflix and also Anime is cool. Why don't we just do animation style? I don't want to see super awkward, like real acting, like I just can't see the Zelda movie not being awkward now or just kind of like corny dude, it'll be hella corny, you ever seen clips of the?

Speaker 2:

the cartoon that's out like came a long-ass time ago? The zealous shit yes, it's so funny. I hope it's. This is gringy as that.

Speaker 1:

That's what I want out of this now like at some point, like it just better be. I just I don't know why you wouldn't the Mario movie, like I also see like sights, like a talk, who keep bringing up how, like the story was underwhelming. I'm like what do we, what are we doing here?

Speaker 2:

What do you know?

Speaker 1:

I'm like as an author. As an author, I think it like if you wanted to critique it, sure, but like that's, that's all. Just leave it there, dude, it's fine. It was a good time. I enjoyed myself, didn't you Like?

Speaker 2:

come on, yeah it is beautiful to platforming game.

Speaker 1:

It's not supposed to have an elaborate. Even with Mario Wonder they're like another pretty flat story. I'm like dude Bowser does some stuff. I gotta go through some levels, like that's the fun. I'm here for it.

Speaker 2:

Let's not complicate it Dude, the idea that people want. People just aren't able to like. You got to be able to compartmentalize your games, man. You like it's like a platformer. Be happy about the gameplay and then you know you got. You're like open-world story game Like I. Yes, you're allowed to be a little upset about Starfield story, but not fucking Mario's and I don't even mind Starfield story.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, it's been fine. I got so subtract or sidetracked it by the Crimson Fleet stuff. I like never even unlocked the powers or did the stupid floating temple orb thing people.

Speaker 2:

That is. It is wack dude, it's like, it is whatever. It's just like. Why did you make this mechanic so tedious?

Speaker 1:

And also like how are you coming up with all these good ideas? And then you're like dude, we need something. They're like how about the same floaty orb time thing? A bunch of times People love it and it's like who? Yeah, loves this I haven't even gotten the one yet. So I Dude, I got so sidetracked it by the Crimson Fleet stuff of being a double agent that, like I was all I was all all over the place doing nonsense.

Speaker 2:

Oh man, Do you fired up that? You fired up that BC man? Oh, I guess you could do I'm trying to get some. I started some cyberpunk too In my downtime.

Speaker 1:

I I'm on sale about Black Friday, cuz it never I've been waiting for it to drop below half off and it just hasn't and now with the different stuff. I'm guessing that I'll just wait until the next time it does and I'll buy it on the box because it's looking awesome dude dude.

Speaker 2:

I think we're gonna have to send that this coming year.

Speaker 1:

That's definitely in the forecast, but all right, I guess you know. As we wrap it up here. Do you even want to tease some potential, or do you need some days to marinate on what your next game will be, cuz it is your selection. Collector boy.

Speaker 2:

It is. Yeah, I've been, I've been thinking about doing, I've been thinking about having to send the messenger dude, that game takes 10 to 15 hours to beat, which means probably 20. You know, that is that, so that that might be it. Otherwise I don't know. Super Mario RPG is tempting but I don't really want to run out and buy that right now. I don't know, let me, let me think a little bit. But I'll have something on the 15th. I'll drop for everybody.

Speaker 1:

I was playing the messenger and it was kicking my butt absolutely. So I guess I will need that Because it gets grinding. It's hard.

Speaker 2:

That's about midway through. It definitely gets a lot more difficult and the bosses are tough. It's one of the. I mean it's that's that type of game, man, it's, it's, it's. It can be hard, but it's rewarding when you when you get it, you feel great yeah. Another one down. Thanks everybody for tuning in, Checking us out. Check out our old stuff here for our new stuff. You know I'll write us in the discord.

Speaker 1:

Follow us on social media back baby.

Speaker 2:

Oh, oh dang, he's some nasty. I cannot believe they brought dude. I knew it. I always knew they would never play. Why they always do that? Why is that? Why is that their deal?

Speaker 1:

It's really weird, makes no sense get yourself a big rib.

Speaker 2:

Send us a picture of your big rib when it comes out everybody.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, quit acting like you're better than it All right, peace.

Speaker 2:

This is the Triforce of wisdom link the evil wizard.

Speaker 1:

Ganon has the Triforce of power. Whoever gets both try forces will rule this land forever.

Speaker 2:

You must help me link. Hey for you, zelda, anything Job hero. Hey, excuse me, princess.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Alex

Host
Head Shot

Luke

Host