KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

It may only be about five years old, but The Last of Us: Part II is quite easily one of the greatest games of all-time. Thus, it not only deserves its own episode of KnockBack, but a seven-ish hour one, the longest show in Last Stand history to date. Divisive even before it came out -- but absolutely dripping with style, message, and storytelling -- TLoU2 is a tale about endless violence and cyclical revenge, the kind that you simply can't back away from. The deeper Ellie and Abby fall into their timeless feud, the less they gain and the more they lose. But they just can't help themselves. They refuse to. It's at the heart of what makes this game so incredibly great, and perhaps what makes it so very controversial, too. There's little else to say, other than that the Brothers Moriarty wanted to give love to one of gaming's most phenomenal adventures. Click play for the result... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

In 1992, Final Fantasy V came to Super Famicom in Japan, but in the west, the seminal JRPG would remain a mystery for years. In 1999 (via PS1!) English-speaking audiences would gain access to the game for the first time (unless you played fan translations via emulator, of course), and since then -- whether on GBA, PC, phones, or more recently modern consoles -- FFV has always held an interesting place in the pantheon of great Final Fantasy titles. Is it as monumental as IV, VI, or VII? Not at all. But it's still extremely special in its own right, an adventure predicated on a robust jobs system that would later help inspire the likes of Final Fantasy Tactics, jobs utilized by a small core group of protagonists that stand the test of time (and pull at your heartstrings, too). For KnockBack's triumphant return, we thought we'd get back into the Pixel Remasters where we left off, and needless to say, we've got a lot to go over. So get in your airship, or on your chocobo, or whatever mode of transportation speaks to you most, and join us for another old-school chat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

When a movie invokes our obscure hometown of Brookhaven, Long Island, you know we have to give that film the proper KnockBack treatment. Dagan's been smitten with Alex Garland's 2015 directorial debut Ex Machina recently, and in a strange twist-of-fate, I (Colin) have actually seen this flick, a relative rarity. Dag and I both sat down to watch it again, though, and deliver this episode of KB to you today on the tail-end. Garland's AI-focused film may be nearing its decade mark. Yet, it's somehow jumped the boundary from sci-fi to reality in the 10 or so years that have elapsed since its release. AI is no longer some future hypothetical what-if; it's happening before our very eyes. And there's no doubt that Ex Machina has a lot to say about the subject: Its creation, its development, and its very essence and nature. Can robots ever be alive? Perhaps it depends on what being alive even means. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

It's been a while since we've covered a game on KnockBack, so we thought we'd return with a bang. Long-requested as a target of our show, The Lost Legacy is a peculiar 2017 release that fits somewhere between an expansion and a full game, and it doesn't star Nate and Sully, but rather Chloe and Nadine, an interesting pairing to be sure. Made quickly by a spin-off Naughty Dog team and received well upon launch on PS4, The Lost Legacy may have represented the most conspicuous gap in my (Colin's) history with PlayStation, but that's no longer the case. Did Dagan and I like the game, though? We did, of course... and we have a ton to say about it. So please join us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

PJ returns to KnockBack to talk about all things skateboarding. Long Island's favorite skate rats chop it up about Tony Hawk, Supreme, injuries, favorite tricks and the infamous 'vert button'. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]