Podcasting With Power: A Nintendo Podcast

The BEST & WORST Video Game Openings | Deep Dive

Last week, Jordan revisited Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and remembered something important: even incredible games can have ROUGH openings! This week’s Deep Dive explores the best and worst video game openings we've experienced. We break down what makes an intro unforgettable, why some games lose players before they even begin, and the design choices that separate a perfect hook from a painful slog. From overlong tutorials and constant interruptions to instant immersion and unforgettable first moments, we compare the openings that worked on us… and the ones that absolutely didn’t. Time Codes: 00:00:00 Jordan Revisits MGSV's Painful Opening 00:06:43 Giving Players Agency (Modern Zelda/Minecraft) 00:17:27 Too Much Tutorial (Twilight Princess/Skyward Sword) 00:26:07 Teaching Organically (Mario/Portal) 00:32:27 Setting The Tone Quickly (Metroid Prime/Resident Evil) 00:40:33 Slow Starts (Okami/Pikmin/Banjo Tooie) 00:46:49 Ending on a High Note (Halo: Combat Evolved) Subscribe to Podcasting With Power for more Nintendo discussions, news, and deep dives! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwithpower Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podwithpower.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podwithpower Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podwithpower

This New Nintendo App Uses YOUR Photos To Make Games | Nintendo News Recap

Nintendo just announced Pictonico!, a bizarre new mobile game that creates playable minigames using your real-life photos! On this week's Nintendo News Recap, we take a look at Nintendo latest mobile effort, and decide whether or not we think this has legs, or if this is just another weird experiment. We also cover the latest teases and leaks from Nintendo's ongoing collaboration with LEGO, as well as some sets that about to be sunset. We'll also tell you the latest about the new Prologue Demo for The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, and we round up reviews for Nintendo's latest release: Yoshi and the Mysterious Book! Quick Headlines: Tomodatchi Life is April's best-selling game, a new feature for Alarmo, Pokemon short Dragonite and the Special Delivery gets an English dub, the weird way Pragmata gets an FPS boost on Switch 2, Marvel Cosmic Invasion's DLC characters, Yoshi on Nintendo Music, and Nintendo attending Gamescom 2026. Time Codes: 00:00:00 Opening 00:11:12 Pictonico!, Nintendo's New Mobile Game 00:16:36 LEGO Donkey Kong Tease, Pokemon Leaks, and Retiring Sets 00:22:56 Second Adventures of Elliot Demo Details 00:28:28 Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Review Roundup 00:32:27 Tomodatchi Life, Pokemon dub, Nintendo at Gamescom 2026 00:41:38 Out This Week Subscribe to Podcasting With Power for more Nintendo discussions, news, and deep dives! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwithpower Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podwithpower.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podwithpower Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podwithpower

Does Nintendo Want You to Skip Old Games? | Deep Dive

With new entries constantly arriving in long-running franchises, many players feel pressure to “catch up” before jumping into the latest release. But should you actually have to play older games first? From Zelda and Splatoon to the broader culture of gaming backlog anxiety, this episode explores the growing feeling that playing games can sometimes start to feel like homework. We ponder whether or not EVERY game should be a valid entry point for new fans, and why Nintendo sometimes pushes us to revisit older games and sometimes locks them away ahead of a sequel. We also discuss where we think a new Zelda fan should start for the first time today, and why Zachary is playing Splatoon 2's campaign in 2026! What do YOU think? Do you prefer starting from the beginning of a series, or jumping into the newest game? Time Codes: 00:00:00 Opening/Zachary is Playing Splatoon 2 00:12:38 Should EVERY Game be an Entry Point? 00:20:24 Splatoon Raiders, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem 00:27:24 Where Should a New Zelda Player Start in 2026? 00:34:13 Does Nintendo Want You to Skip Old Games? Subscribe to Podcasting With Power for more Nintendo discussions, news, and deep dives! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwithpower Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podwithpower.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podwithpower Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podwithpower

Switch 2 is About to Get More Expensive | Nintendo News Recap

After months of speculation, Nintendo has finally announced a price increase for Switch 2. On this week's Nintendo News Recap, we detail what this means for fans and when they'll see this new price tag on store shelves. We also take a lot at Nintendo's 2026 financial data and discuss how this increase impact the second year of Switch 2. Before that takes effect though, we'll tell you all about a "Choose Your Game" bundle you can save some money with this summer! We'll also show you the SN Operator, a SNES cartridge adapter for PC, and Leon Must Die Forever, the new survival mode added to Resident Evil Requiem! Quick Headlines: Zelda Movie's New Release Date, Mineru's Construct amiibo is Almost Here, Super Mario Galaxy Movie Physical Release, Takashi Tezuka's Retirement, 5 New Games Added to Virtual Boy Classics, Dragon Quest Creator Teasing DQ12, eBay Rejects Gamestop's Bid, Sega's "Super Game" is Cancelled, Layoffs at MercurySteam, My Nintendo Store's New Name, and Man Arrested After Threatening Nintendo HQ Time Codes: 00:00:00 Opening 00:10:33 Switch 2 Price Increase 00:13:59 Nintendo's 2026 Financial Report 00:23:06 "Choose Your Game" Switch 2 Bundle 00:25:51 SN Operator Brings SNES to PC 00:31:47 Leon Must Die Forever Mode Added to RE Requiem 00:36:31 Zelda Movie/amiibo, Tezuka's Retirement, Virtual Boy Classics, and More 00:51:12 Out This Week Subscribe to Podcasting With Power for more Nintendo discussions, news, and deep dives! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwithpower Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podwithpower.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podwithpower Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podwithpower

Resident Evil Requiem Is One of the Series’ Best | Deep Dive Review

For this week's Deep Dive, we *finally* break down Resident Evil Requiem after spending months with the game on both Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. We discuss our overall impressions, where Requiem ranks among the best Resident Evil games, and why its characters, performances, atmosphere, and gameplay left such a strong impression on us. We also compare our experiences across platforms, with Jordan playing on PC and Zachary playing on Switch 2. In the spoiler section, we dive deeper into the story, major character moments, and the ending, while also discussing where the series could go next. (And yes, we suffered a power outage midway through recording, but we ended up doing a longer episode because of it!) Time Codes: 00:00:00 Resident Evil Requiem Impressions, Gameplay, and Experiences 00:25:52 Jordan's Power Outage/More Impressions, Character Differences, and Technical Performance 00:39:44 FULL SPOILERS (Character Analysis, Ending, Future of RE) 01:11:01 Final Thoughts/Is Requiem the Best Resident Evil? Subscribe to Podcasting With Power for more Nintendo discussions, news, and deep dives! Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/podwithpower Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/podwithpower.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.com/@podwithpower Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podwithpower