The three finest minds in video games plumb the depths of our listener-submitted Question Hole, dredging up all manner of holiday cheer, the Floridafication of America, and the return of Seaman.
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SHOW NOTES:
Barbara Walters
20/20
1: Tradegood asks, what is the best video game to play on a first date? (03:04)
New Super Mario Bros.
Overwatch League
Love Letter
2: Kiko B asks, aside from jumping and running, what are the most important verbs in a platform game? Are there any that don’t get the attention they deserve? (06:28)
3: Breadytodie asks, which is the better racing game series: Initial D or Wangan Midnight? (07:34)
Initial D series
Wangan Midnight series
Motohiro Kawashima
Yuzo Koshiro
Densha de Go! series
4: Goonbag asks, what's the most shame you have ever experienced playing a video game? (08:48)
Duke Nukem Forever
Call of Duty series
5: Hobart Painsborough asks, why do so many games lie to the player when they say “press any button to continue” when in reality “any button” does not, in fact, allow you to continue? (11:23)
6: A small rabite asks, is the Mana series the most mismanaged Square-Enix franchise? (12:43)
Mana series
Final Fantasy series
Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring
Parasite Eve series
7: LeFish asks, who is the coolest videogame character whose design is family friendly or specifically aimed towards kids? (13:27)
Sonic the Hedgehog
8: Tom Arrow asks, I recently noticed while playing the Dreamcast that a bunch of these games feature an arcade-style race against the clock mechanic. What was the deal with that? (13:43)
Sega Dreamcast
Eighteen Wheeler: American Pro Trucker
Crazy Taxi
Hydro Thunder
Jet Set Radio
Sega Rally series
Tony Hawk Pro Skater
Sega Saturn
Virtua Fighter series
9: Connrrr asks, can playing a video game be a form of puppeteering? (15:48)
10: Michael from Cyprus asks, it was Alain Badiou I think that said ” Most people resort to the certainty of misery than the misery of uncertainty.” What two Video Games ultimately answer to the two paths? (16:27)
Alain Badiou
Harvestella
11: LowGuppy asks, what video game most needs a sequel subtitled “On the Beach?” (17:55)
Dragon Age series
Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball
Death Stranding
Greendog: The Beached Surfer Dude!
Normy's Beach Babe-O-Rama
WildStorm
12: Spencergifs asks, what is the best video game that is not played with a controller, mouse and keyboard, or arcade stick (19:19)
Before Your Eyes
Groove Coaster
Taiko Drum Master series
Arkanoid
Tempest 2000
Pong
It Ain't Over Till The Fat Neighbor Sings
13: Rice_9 asks, when looking at a new game online, do you watch the video, read the copy, or look at screenshots first? (21:39)
14: Why Why asks, how do you make destructible items fun to destroy? (22:01)
Iron Soldier
Earth Defense Force series
Age of Empires series
15: Psinuxie asks, what are some later games that figured out design fundamentals? (23:29)
Super Mario Bros.
Resident Evil 4
Dr. Jekyll Mr. Hyde
Alien: Resurrection
Quake
Duke Nukem 3D
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
GoldenEye 007
Batman: The Video Game
Street Fighter series
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds
Fortnite
Batsugun
DonPachi
Minecraft
Black & White
16: Dustin asks, what was a favorite multi-disc game for you? (26:36)
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Koudelka
Lost Odyssey
Blue Dragon
Shenmue
Grandia
Metal Gear Solid
Devil May Cry 2
17: BluntForceMama asks, is GTA 6 late to the party regarding Florida culture? (29:18)
Grand Theft Auto VI
Florida Man
18: Anonymous asks, how do one’s actions in the human realm affect which video game world you go to when you die? (30:39)
Sonic the Hedgehog
One Piece
19: Anders Matsen asks, what specific elements make up a “hang out game?”
Ryū ga Gotoku / Like a Dragon / Yakuza universe
VR Chat
Final Fantasy XIV
A Short Hike
Infinity Nikki
Legend of Zelda series
20: Will Heydt Minor asks, is the world ready for Seaman 2? (35:36)
Seaman
Seaman 2: Pekin Genjin Ikusei Kit
Deadly Premonition
Tamagotchi
21: Kyle Karesh asks, what game series is better to play in chronological order rather than release order? (37:54)
Legend of Zelda series
The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia
Ryū ga Gotoku / Like a Dragon / Yakuza universe
22: Cara Esten asks, what video game would make the memory of a traumatic event worse? (38:49)
Tetris
Hideo Kojima
23: Dilson asks, what makes in-game lore compelling? (39:22)
Mass Effect series
Warlords
Yuji Naka
Girl's Garden
NieR
Dragon Age series
Pac-Man
Secret Level
Fallout series
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Assassin's Creed series
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Astro Bot
Credit Report (52:00)
Recommendations and Outro (52:37):
Brandon: Do what you can
Frank: Help those around you
Ash: Keep hope alive
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Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.