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On The Joy of Gaming Podcast, we celebrate video games, the video games industry, and the awesome world of limited physical gaming media. Each episode is hosted by Rich Lepore and Brandon Brino.
Episodes
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Twenty
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Final Fantasy XVI, Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo & more
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we discuss some of the biggest bombshells dropped on the gaming world in the past few weeks, including our insane disappointment in the live-service/looter-shooter nature of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the news that Final Fantasy XVI has dropped the series’ turn-based roots entirely in favor of Devil-May-Cry-5-esque action, the announcement of Elden Ring story DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” and so much more.
We also talk about some of the games we’ve been playing recently, including Octopath Traveler II, Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Atomic Heart, the new Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo, and round out the proceedings with a look at all the newest releases for Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus, and a rundown of everything new and notable coming from Limited Run Games, Fangamer, Super Rare Games and iam8bit. Whew! This is a mega-sized episode, and it’s filled to bursting with video games and strong opinions.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
06:16 - Recent Gaming News
- Release Date Roundup
- Hitman Developer IO Making a Fantasy Game
- Shinji Mikami Leaves His Own Company
- Beyond Good and Evil 2: More Turmoil
- Forspoken Developer Luminous Merged Into Square Enix
- Elden Ring DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” Announced
- Sony State of Play February 2023: Everything Announced
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Gameplay Reveal Impressions
- Final Fantasy XVI Gameplay Reveal Impressions
02:07:34 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner (Limited Run Games, Special Reserve, More)
02:21:57 Rich’s Digital Picks (Xbox GWG and PS Plus Releases)
02:43:02 - What We’ve Been Playing
- Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line
- Octopath Traveler II
- Final Fantasy IX
- Final Fantasy XIV: Online
- Atomic Heart
- Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
- Resident Evil 4: Chainsaw Demo
03:48:32 - What We’re Playing Next / Outro
Friday Mar 03, 2023
Friday Mar 03, 2023
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Nineteen
The Top 10 Best Games for the NES
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we kick off a brand new series called “The Top 10 Best Games (for Every Console)” and the name kind of says it all. In each episode, we will pick a classic video game console and work together to assemble a definitive list of the 10 Best - and most essential - games that we think everyone should play in order to appreciate what that console was all about. And of course, we’re starting with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES): the console that started it all for video games as a mainstream medium.
From The Legend of Zelda, to Super Mario Bros. to Contra and so many more - the amazing collection of games released for the NES ignited our life-long passion for the medium, and many of these games still hold up to this day. So if you haven’t experienced the joy of the NES for yourself, we’re here to recommend the 10 best places to start. And if you are already well-versed in the NES’s catalog, join us for the celebration, and then let us know what games you would recommend as absolute essentials.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction / History of the NES
26:25 - The Top 10 Best Games for The NES
- Individual Top 10 Lists
- Honorable Mentions
- Assembling the TJOG Official Top 10 List
01:42:19 - The Final List is Revealed! (after all deliberations)
Friday Feb 24, 2023
Friday Feb 24, 2023
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Eighteen
February Nintendo Direct and Hogwarts Legacy
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we take a swim through the ocean of gaming riches presented by Nintendo at this month’s February Nintendo Direct. From the announcement of Metroid Prime Remastered, to Pikmin 4, to the latest trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and trailers for so many exciting indie games, there’s A LOT to talk about. We also discuss Rich’s early impressions of the gaming phenomenon that is Hogwarts Legacy, cover Brandon’s final thoughts on Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and conduct our usual tour of all the latest games coming to Game Pass, PS Plus and from various limited physical media publishers including Limited Run Games, Super Rare Game, PlayAsia, and more.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
03:36 - Recent Gaming News
- Release Date Roundup
- Ghost Story Games’ Judas is coming…by March 2025
- Nintendo Switch Passes PS4 and GameBoy in Lifetime Sales
27:27 - February Nintendo Direct: News, New Releases, Trailers and More
01:37:13 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner (Limited Run Games, Special Reserve, More)
01:50:39 - Rich’s Digital Picks (Xbox GWG and PS Plus Releases)
02:12:05 - What We’ve Been Playing
- Hogwarts Legacy (First ⅓)
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VI Reunion (Completed)
03:03:48 - What We’re Playing Next / Outro
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Seventeen
Dead Space Remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, and The Last of Us: Part 1
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we’re back after the winter break and our GOTY episode, and a lot has happened in the game industry since our last regular episode. There’s been some interesting news about this year’s E3 Expo - as well as the Resident Evil 4 Remake and its lack of QTEs - but probably the biggest story of the past few weeks was the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase, where Microsoft shared news on Starfield and Redfall, among other titles. We also discuss the latest releases from Limited Run Games, the newest additions to Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus, and some of the notable games we’ve been playing lately, including the Dead Space remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, TLOU: Part 1 and more.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
04:06 - Recent Gaming News
- Release Date Roundup
- Rumor: Amazon pays 2x for Tomb Raider
- Ubisoft Cancels 3 Games, Skull & Bones Delayed AGAIN!
- Marvel’s Avengers to be Delisted
- Resident Evil 4 Remake Drops QTEs
- Game Industry Layoffs
- 343 Will Keep Developing Halo
- Xbox and Bethesda Direct Announcements
- E3 Won’t Include the Big 3
01:01:23 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner (Limited Run Games, Special Reserve Games, PlayAsia, More)
01:25:38 - Rich’s Digital Picks (Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus Releases)
01:44:02 - What We’ve Been Playing
- Dead Space Remake
- The Last of Us: Part 1
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VI Reunion
02:08:40 - What We’re Playing Next / Outro
Friday Feb 10, 2023
Friday Feb 10, 2023
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Sixteen
The 2022 Game of the Year Awards (GOTY 2022)
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we celebrate the best video games of 2022 by sharing our individual favorite games of the year, as well as some honorable mentions, a few disappointments, and our overall thoughts on the year in gaming. We then combine our lists together like Voltron to create the definitive TJOG list of the Top Ten Best Games of 2022. And in the process, we take a few deep dives into games we both played this past year, including Horizon: Forbidden West, Sam Barlow’s Immortality, and much more.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction / How we Make the List
05:50 - The Best Games of 2022 / Discussion Begins
17:30 - Deep Dive 1: Sam Barlow’s Immortality
43:27 - Deep Dive 2: Horizon: Forbidden West
01:52:43 - Honorable Mentions
02:08:54 - The Final List: TJOG’s Top Ten Best Games of 2022
Friday Dec 23, 2022
Friday Dec 23, 2022
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Fifteen
The Callisto Protocol, Telling Lies and God of War: Ragnarök (Late-Game Impressions)
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we discuss some of the biggest releases of the season, including one of the most anticipated new games of the year, The Callisto Protocol. As the early reviews have indicated, this is not a perfect game, but Rich has rolled credits and we have a discussion about what this game actually is - and what it’s not. Quick Spoiler: It’s not Dead Space. We also discuss the much lauded FMV title Telling Lies from Sam Barlog, and offer our late-game impressions of God of War: Ragnarök in advance of our final review discussion next year. And as always, we run down the latest releases on Game Pass and PS Plus, discuss what’s new in limited-edition physical media, and cover recent gaming news from around the industry.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
05:00 - Recent Gaming News
- James Gunn and Peter Safran take over DC Cinematic Universe
- The Ziff Davis layoffs Impact IGN
- Microsoft Raising Prices on First-Party Titles
- Microsoft vows to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo for 10 Years
- The FTC is suing Microsoft over Activision Merger
30:11 - Brandon Presents: #ForeverPhysical
44:47 - Rich’s Digital Picks (Game Pass and PS Plus)
1:02:38 - What We’ve Been Playing
- The Callisto Protocol
- Telling Lies
- God of War: Ragnarök (Late-Game Impressions)
1:57:50 Closing Thoughts / What We’re Playing Next…
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
Thursday Dec 15, 2022
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Fourteen
The Game Awards 2022 Post-Show: Reactions to the Winners, World Premieres and Announcements
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we recap gaming’s biggest night - The Game Awards 2022 - with a complete post-show wrap-up. We start by talking about our thoughts on the event in general, including the various game developers, actors, musicians and other awesome people from around the video games industry that were a part of the show. Next, we discuss the winners of the 25 biggest awards, and see who won our predictions competition from last week. And finally, we walk through the unbelievable list of world premieres and announcements we experienced throughout the night, including Judas, Hades 2, Death Stranding 2, Armored Core VI, Bayonetta Origins, Earthblade, and so many more.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction / Overall Thoughts on The Game Awards 2022
16:50 - The Winners in Each Major Category (and who won our predictions competition?)
55:43 - World Premieres and Announcements
02:01:33 - BONUS: Every Game Releasing in 2023 (that we know of)
02:08:48 - Closing / Social Media
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
Wednesday Dec 07, 2022
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Thirteen
The Game Awards 2022 Preview - Predicting the Winners and World Premieres
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we discuss gaming’s biggest night - The Game Awards 2022 - previewing each of the event’s major categories and nominees, and making predictions on who will win, who will lose, and what big surprises and upsets could be in store. We also talk about some of the notable snubs among this year’s categories, and lay odds on which big announcements and “World Premieres” we might see throughout the night. After all, Geoff Keighley did say that he “hasn’t felt this good about a show in a while” so expectations are high, and we’ll be back on our next episode to discuss everything that happens.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
03:14 - Quick Hits - The Callisto Protocol and Analog Pocket
25:14 - The Game Awards 2022 Preview
- Categories, Nominees and Predictions
- GOTY
- Best Game Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score/Music
- Best Audio Design
- Best Performance
- Games for Impact
- Best Ongoing Game
- Best Indie Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Mobile Game
- Best Community Support
- Best VR/AR Game
- Innovation in Accessibility
- Best Action Game
- Best Action/Adventure Game
- Best RPG
- Best Fighting Game
- Best Family Game
- Best Sports/Racing Game
- Best SIM/Strategy Game
- Best Multiplayer Game
- Best Adaptation
- Most Anticipated Game
- Potential Announcements and “World Premieres”
02:13:21 - Closing Thoughts / What’s Next on the Podcast
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
Thursday Dec 01, 2022
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Twelve
God of War Franchise Retrospective (2005-2022)
On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we continue our God of War: Ragnarok Celebration, this time taking a trip down memory lane with Kratos as he murdered his way through hordes of Greek and Norse Gods, and somehow found his way into our hearts. From its introduction in 2005 with God of War on PS2, through three console generations (including PSP, PS3 and PS4), and up to the present day with God of War: Ragnarök on PS5, we trace this franchise’s storied history, and discuss the various changes - both in-game and behind the scenes - that made this franchise one of the most fascinating epics in all of gaming.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
01:16 - God of War Retrospective
- First Era (Greek Mythology)
-
- God of War (PS2) - 2005 (Dir. David Jaffe)
- God of War II (PS2) - 2007 (Dir. Cory Barlog & David Jaffe)
- God of War: Betrayal (Mobile) - 2007
- God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) - 2008 (Ready at Dawn)
- God of War Collection (PS3) - 2009 (Remastered Collection of God of War I & II, later ported to Vita in 2014)
- God of War III (PS3) - 2010 (Dir. Stig Asmussen); Remastered on PS4 in 2015
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta (PSP) - 2010 (Ready at Dawn)
- God of War: Origins Collection (PS3) - 2011 (Remastered Collection of PSP games)
- God of War Saga - 2012 (Remastered Collection of God of War I, II & III, and digital codes for the PSP games)
- God of War: Ascension (PS3) - 2013 (Dir. Todd Papy) (Prequel to entire series)
- Second Era (Norse Mythology)
-
- God of War: A Call from the Wilds (text-based game playable through Facebook Messenger) - 2018
- God of War (PS4, 2018) (Dir. Cory Barlog)
- God of War Ragnarök (PS4, PS5) - 2022 (Dir. Eric Williams)
01:34:11 - Closing Thoughts / What’s Next on the Podcast
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
Thursday Nov 24, 2022
The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Eleven
God of War: Ragnarok Celebration - Game Review, Part 1
On this episode of the (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we kick off our God of War: Ragnarok Celebration, which will span three episodes and feature a multi-part review of the game, as well as a complete retrospective of the God of War franchise. For this first episode, we discuss the early sections of the game, and offer our impressions of what’s changed, what has stayed the same, and how it feels to re-join Kratos and Atreus in the Nine Realms in an effort to avert Ragnarok. We will also go into very early story spoilers, but there will be a clear SPOILER WARNING to stop listening at that point if you aren’t as far along yet in your journey. PLUS: The latest video game news, Brandon’s Physical Games Corner, Rich’s Digital Picks, and more.
Run of Show:
00:10 - Introduction
019:01 - Recent Gaming News
- Release Date Roundup
- Remedy Announces Control 2
- Nintendo Switch IndieWorld Showcase Announcements
- More Drama Surrounding Disco Elysium Developer ZA/UM
- The Game Awards 2022 Award Nominees
58:05 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner
1:13:57 - Rich’s Digital Picks
- Game Pass and GWG
- Playstation Plus
1:39:48 - God of War: Ragnarok Review (Part 1)
2:50:29 Closing Thoughts / What We’re Playing Next…