7 Minutes

Description: With the launch of Nintendo Switch 2 right around the corner, we sat down to share our thoughts on the last eight years of Nintendo Switch. In this episode, we discuss what our initial thoughts of the Switch were when it was announced and whether our thoughts on the console were changed for the positive or negative once we got our hands on it. We also look back on how it changed the industry, our personal playing habits, and Nintendo as a company. And finally, we share our favorite Switch games and where the Switch ranks for each of us compared to all of the previous Nintendo systems. Spoiler warning for the first hour or so of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introductions and what Angie's been playing (Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) 8:54 - What Robert's been playing (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Doom: The Dark Ages) 14:19 - What Dom's been playing (Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, South of Midnight) 25:01 - What Zack's been playing (Assassin's Creed Shadows, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Final Fantasy V's Four Job Fiesta, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt) 37:27 - Nintendo San Francisco 53:38 - Our feelings at launch and how they changed over time 1:07:33 - How Switch affected Nintendo, our habits, and the wider industry 1:37:07 - Our favorite games 2:17:16 - Where Switch stacks up compared to past Nintendo consoles

Robert and Angela just spent the last week at this year’s GDC. Between the fun and experimental games and the general excitement of the conference, there was an underlying sense of reservation and unease about where the industry is headed. It was most palpable in some of the sessions they attended, particularly on the state of PC and console games, AI, and games preservation. In this episode, Robert and Angela lead Zack and Dom in a discussion about their takeaways from these sessions. The group covers how the industry is having to grapple with the dangers of AI, the very real risk of the loss of games and gaming history, and how gamers’ changing behaviors — and developers’ continued tone deaf decisions — have the industry standing at a crossroads (or possibly even a precipice). Timestamps 0:00: Introductions and what Dom's been playing (Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lies of P, Split Fiction) 11:01: What Robert's been playing (Princess Peach: Showtime!, Super Mario RPG, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker) 20:23: What Angie's been playing (Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Hello Kitty Island Adventures) 38:38: What Zack's been playing (Rise of the Ronin, Dynasty Warriors: Origins, Avowed, Pillars of Eternity, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Hi-Fi Rush, Cocoon, Chants of Sennaar, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Assassin's Creed Shadows) 1:00:13: GDC coverage, starting with Day of the Devs highlights (inKonbini, Out of Sight, Ultimate Sheep Racoon, Star Fetchers, Demonschool, Super Farming Boy) 1:21:31: GDC itself and highlights (Spirit X Strike, Mononoke No Kuni, Big Hops, The Bustling World) 1:39:34: GDC session discussion, touching on topics from the following sessions: * The State of PC and Console Games in 2025 * Game AI Summit: The Human Cost of Generative AI * Preserving the Past for the Future: A PlayStation Case Study * Capturing Game History Bits by Bits

Another year has come and gone, and the four of us invested some serious time into gaming this year. But what was the best of everything we played? In this episode, we come together to discuss our top-five games of 2024 and our honorable mentions. With a wide variety of genres across all major platforms making the cut, our end-of-year wrap-up was a fun one to hash out. Timestamps 0:00 - Introductions. 2:16 - What Angie's been playing. 13:34 - What Zack's been playing. 18:14 - What Dom's been playing. 22:15 - What Robert's been playing. 35:39 - Angie's honorable mentions (Animal Well & Little Kitty, Big City). 42:09 - Robert's honorable mentions (Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, Castlevania Dominus Collection, Ace Attorney collections) 45:42 - Dom's honorable mentions (Hellblade 2, Minishoot' Adventures, Balatro) 50:04 - Zack's honorable mentions (Black Myth Wukong, Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail) 1:01:13 - Angie's #5 (Otxo) 1:05:49 - Robert's #5 (TMNT Splintered Fate) 1:09:14 - Dom's #5 (Persona 3 Reload) 1:13:08 - Zack's #5 (Dragon's Dogma 2) 1:17:31 - Angie's #4 (Rise of the Ronin) 1:23:58 - Robert's #4 (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) 1:32:17 - Dom's #4 (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown) 1:38:31 - Zack's #4 (Rise of the Ronin) 1:46:28 - Angie's #3 (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth) 1:50:47 - Robert's #3 (Rise of the Ronin) 1:53:39 - Dom's #3 (Astro Bot) 1:56:06 - Zack's #3 (UFO 50) 1:58:30 - Angie's #2 (Yakuza Kiwami) 2:02:57 - Robert's #2 (The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom) 2:07:47 - Dom's #2 (Black Myth Wukong) 2:14:55 - Zack's #2 (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth) 2:20:34 - Angie's #1 (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door) 2:23:56 - Robert's #1 (Astro Bot) 2:29:45 - Dom's #1 (Kunitsu-gami: Path of the Goddess) 2:34:54 - Zack's #1 (Devil Blade Reboot)

2024 has not been a good year for gaming. With thousands of people laid off and counting, multiple studio closures, and one flop AAA release after another, the industry is facing a crisis that it doesn't seem to understand how to contend with. We discuss our thoughts on the implosion of Ubisoft — one of the worst offenders in this mess — the unbelievably embarrassing failure of Concord; the lukewarm response to the unveiling of the PS5 Pro; the most recent layoffs at Activision Blizzard; and California's attempts at making consumers more informed about what they're really paying for when buying digital media. Timestamps 0:00 - Introductions. 2:00 - What Angie's been playing. 12:51 - What Robert's been playing. 21:43 - What Dom's been playing. 30:21 - What Zack's been playing. 51:08 - Concord, Star Wars Outlaws, and other recent smash hits. 1:21:29 - Consumer opinions may meet deaf ears, but consumer behavior cannot be ignored. Featuring special guest $700 discless PS5 Pro. 1:32:59 - California AB 2426.

What are your "sliding doors moment" games, the ones with an outsized effect on your taste and even on your life? That's the question we confront in this episode, taking turns examining the paths that brought us to where we are today. Less wistfully, we also lament the state of the industry at length. Timestamps 0:00 - Introductions & what we’ve been playing 41:14 - Recent events, mostly layoffs and studio closures 1:24:48 - What does the future look like for Sony? 1:20:42 - The games that shaped us