Best TalkRadar Podcasts (2024)

1
Spin-Off Stars - Vidjagame Apocalypse 593 2:16:35

1h ago2:16:35

2:16:35

Astro Bot's trajectory from minor character in a tech demo to the face of the best-reviewed platformer on PS5 inspired this week's Top 5, about platformer mascots who went from secondary characters to headlining their own games. After that, we'll get into Funko Fusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's Mask of Darkness DLC, The Plucky Squire,annou…

1
Dreamcast (Accessories) at 25 - Vidjagame Apocalypse 592 2:52:26

2h ago2:52:26

2:52:26

We just passed the 25th anniversary of the Dreamcast's 9/9/99 US launch, and are marking the occasion with a look at five of the strangest and best controllers and accessories for Sega's ill-fated console. Then we'll dive straight into Astro Bot, PS5 Pro, Warhammer 40k Space Marine II, Yars Rising, the Minecraft movie trailer, and your favorite gam…

1
We Have Gears of War at Home - Vidjagame Apocalypse 591 2:50:09

5d ago2:50:09

2:50:09

All three hosts of Welcome to the Thing - TL Foster, Emmett Watkins, and Jarrett Green - join us this week for a special crossover episode and take charge of our Top 5 to focus on "value versions" of popular big-deal games. We'll also get into Tactical Breach Wizards, Bakeru, Squirrel with a Gun, Concord's rapid demise, the best Zeldas being declar…

1
Star Wars Heroes Created for Games - Vidjagame Apocalypse 590 2:46:57

14d ago2:46:57

2:46:57

Star Wars Outlaws is out (and fun as hell) this week, inviting players to meet Canto Bight street thief-turned-interstellar scoundrel Kay Vess - so we're inviting Chris Baker back to talk about Kay and five other Star Wars heroes who were created especially for videogames. We'll also get into Castlevania Domunus Collection, Nintendo Direct news, an…

1
Damn the Gods - Vidjagame Apocalypse 589 2:25:29

28d ago2:25:29

2:25:29

Black Myth: Wukong is out, and Tony Wilson of Framework has been playing it - but also, Sun Wukong's defiance of Heaven inspired this week's Top 5, about games driven by rebellion against the gods. We'll also get into Dustborn, Arco, reveals from Gamescom's Opening Night LIve, and the "terrible" works of pop culture you'll die on a hill to defend. …

1
Game Movies That Bombed Big - Vidjagame Apocalypse 588 2:28:45

1M ago2:28:45

2:28:45

The Borderlands movie opened last weekend, and we've got things to say about it. It also underwhelmed at the box office, putting it on track to be a major flop - but will it flop as hard as the videogame-based movies in this week's Top 5, all of which lost millions in theaters? While we wait to see, we'll get into The Crush House, SteamWorld Heist …

1
Magazine Memoriam - Vidjagame Apocalypse 587 2:57:31

1M ago2:57:31

2:57:31

Game Informer's plug was shockingly pulled last week, bringing the last of the major US videogame magazines to an unceremonious end. We'll leave it to others to properly eulogize GI, but we'll mark its passing by inviting Dan Amrich and Dave Rudden (both former editors of GamePro and other mags) to talk about five of our all-time favorite game maga…

1
Topical Deadpool Episode - Vidjagame Apocalypse 586 2:25:36

2M ago2:25:36

2:25:36

Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters, and we're so fixated on Marvel's foul-mouthed, fourth-wall-breaking murder-goof that we're going to talk about five games he stars in, and invite the legend Chris Baker - who worked on many of them and made headlines for refuting the "$100,000,000" rumor - to talk about them with us. Then we'll get into Thank Go…

1
Eye of the Tornado - Vidjagame Apocalypse 585 2:38:48

2M ago2:38:48

2:38:48

The recent release of Twisters inspired us to spend this week's Top 5 segment talking about five of the best tornadoes in games, because why not, and we even invited Tony Wilson of Framework to help us talk about 'em. Then we'll get into Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, Veritus, Kunitsu-Gami, EVO 2024 announcements, and the cool stuff you…

1
Dormant Sports Games Due for a Comeback - Vidjagame Apocalypse 584 3:12:36

2M ago3:12:36

3:12:36

This week's launch of EA Sports College Football 25 marks the return of the NCAA Football series after an 11-year absence, so TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing joins us to talk about it and five other long-dead or dormant sports franchises that we'd love to see come back. Then we'll get into Anger Foot, Yeah! You Want "Those Games," Right? So Here …

1
Parody Games - Vidjagame Apocalypse 583 2:08:42

2M ago2:08:42

2:08:42

Games that are pure parodies - ones that (mainly) target a single game from a competitor to emulate and lampoon - are relatively rare for a lot of reasons, but we scraped together enough to make them the subject of this week's Top 5. After that, we'll look at The Case of the Golden Idol's Xbox debut, the Xbox Game Pass price hike, 3DS's Puzzle Swap…

1
You're a Shark - Vidjagame Apocalypse 582 1:56:20

3M ago1:56:20

1:56:20

We're heading into the 4th of July weekend, when Americans traditionally celebrate Jaws' 1975 attack on Amity Island, so this week we'll (finally!) look at five games where you get to play as a bloody great shark. Then we'll talk about Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, The First Descendant, Nintendo's anti-scalper strategy, and the characters you'd like to ses…

1
2024's Best Games (So Far) - Vidjagame Apocalypse 581 2:46:10

3M ago2:46:10

2:46:10

We're halfway through another year, so we've grabbed Brendan Hesse to help us take a look back through the past six months and pick out our five favorite games from 2024 so far. Then we'll get deeper into Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, rumors around upcoming additio…

1
Helfpul Creeps - Vidjagame Apocalypse 580 2:26:33

3M ago2:26:33

2:26:33

Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdree is out at last today, and we've got Tony WIlson of Framework on to talk about his experience with it - but first, we're going to talk about five DEEPLY suspicious. wildly creepy NPCs who actually proved trustworthy in spite of setting off alarm bells in our heads. Plus we'll talk about the Nintendo Direct reveals — i…

1
From B-Tier to Only-Tier - Vidjagame Apocalypse 579 3:22:30

3M ago3:22:30

3:22:30

This week, we delve into news from Summer Game Fest, Xbox Games Showcase, and Ubisoft Forward — but not before inviting Chris Baker on to talk about five "lesser" ports of A-list games that suddenly became the only versions after the "real" games got canceled. We'll also take a look at Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Selaco, and the pop-culture ico…

1
Icons Without Defining Games - Vidjagame Apocalypse 578 2:47:14

4M ago2:47:14

2:47:14

The incredible Godzilla Minus One is now on Netflix, so Anthony Abatte joins us to talk... not about Godzilla games (which range from "pretty good" to "abysmal"), but about Godzilla and other cultural icons who have videogames, but not ones that really capture their essence the way, say, Arkham does for Batman. Then we'll touch on Killer Klowns fro…

1
Road War - Vidjagame Apocalypse 577 2:20:38

4M ago2:20:38

2:20:38

The release of Furiosa over the weekend got us all fixated on Mad Max again, so we're starting off this week's show with a look at five desert-drivin', raider-fightin', wasteland-survivin' games that owe their existence to George Miller's legendary film franchise. Then we'll get into The Rogue Prince of Persia, MultiVersus' official launch, the Jus…

1
Guided by Voices - Vidjagame Apocalypse 576 2:33:11

4M ago2:33:11

2:33:11

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is out this week, and new guest Trone L. Dowd reviewed it for Inverse — but first, we'll talk about five other games where you're hounded (and often guided) by voices in your head. We'll also get into XDefiant, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, Arctic Eggs, Ghost of Tsushima on PC, Jason Voorhees coming back in multiple ways, a…

1
Underused Features - Vidjagame Apocalypse 575 1:51:49

4M ago1:51:49

1:51:49

There's a whole bunch of new releases to talk about this week, including surprise hits Animal Well and Crow Country, but first we've got a Top 5 debate about features that - despite being inarguably awesome - don't seem find their way into very many games. Then we'll get into Little Kitty, Big City, Dread Delusion, Mullet Mad Jack, and the Assassin…

1
Early Access Success - Vidjagame Apocalypse 574 2:22:55

4M ago2:22:55

2:22:55

Hades II's surprise Early Access launch this week got us thinking about other games that found success with unfinished builds and community enthusiasm, so we invited TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing on to talk about five of them. Then it's on to first impressions of Hades II, as well as Puppet Master: The Game, Microsoft shuttering studios, Helldi…

1
Beautiful Flops - Vidjagame Apocalypse 573 2:42:59

5M ago2:42:59

2:42:59

Great reviews don't always mean great sales, and this week, we invite Phil Keeling of Pixel Lit for a look at five games that were critical darlings, but commercial flops. Then we'll dig into Stellar Blade, Pools, Indika, Another Crab's Treasure, the return of Net Neutrality, and the games you think perfected their series' gameplay. Question of the…

1
Nailed It! - Vidjagame Apocalypse 572 2:30:04

5M ago2:30:04

2:30:04

Plenty of sequels improve on a formula or reinvent it entirely, but how many really perfect it? This week, Tony Wilson of Framework joins us for a debate about which five sequels nailed what their predecessors were goinf for, turning classics into masterpieces. Then we'll get into Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, Sand Land, Tales of Kenzera: Zau,…

1
Trapped in Hollywood - Vidjagame Apocalypse 571 2:25:30

5M ago2:25:30

2:25:30

The Fallout TV series is out, it's great, and it's making us think of other, less-fortunate game-to-movie/TV adaptations - the ones languishing for decades in development hell, continually changing hands only to fade into obscurity. We'll look at five of the most striking examples this week, after which we'll get into Harold Halibut, Children of th…

1
Drain the Main Vania - Vidjagame Apocalypse 570 2:06:22

5M ago2:06:22

2:06:22

Super Metroid turns 30 in the US on April 18, so we're celebrating the genre it kick-started by inviting Brendan Hesse for a debate-style Top 5 about the best Metroidvanias. Then we'll get into Season 1 of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Star Wars Outlaws, The Rogue Prince of Persia, and your favorite videogame x brand cross-promotions. Que…

1
Legends of (Weird) Localization - Vidjagame Apocalypse 569 2:38:49

6M ago2:38:49

2:38:49

Localizing games from Japanese to English (or vice versa) can be a delicate process, and sometimes yields results that are strange enough to become cultural phenomena on their own. This week, Greg Moore joins us to look at five famously weird localization decisions, after which we'll get into Freedom Planet 2's console release, (still more) Dragon'…

1
Beloved Jank - Vidjagame Apocalypse 568 3:01:33

6M ago3:01:33

3:01:33

"Janky" can mean a lot of things in the context of games, but this week - hot on the heels of Dragon's Dogma 2 - it means weird, faintly shoddy-feeling fun, and Jarrett Green joins us this week to talk about five games that are arguably beloved because of their jank. We'll also talk (a lot) more about Dragon's Dogma 2, plus Alone in the Dark, Marve…

1
So Far, So Far Away - Vidjagame Apocalypse 567 2:22:37

6M ago2:22:37

2:22:37

The right music can make an already memorable moment unforgettable, and this week Tony Wilson of Framework joins us for a look at five games that expertly surprised us with unexpected musical moments, elevating their stories in the process. Then we'll get into Rise of the Ronin, Alone in the Dark, the newly greenlit Sims movie, State of Unreal 2024…

1
Father of Dragons - Vidjagame Apocalypse 566 2:50:11

6M ago2:50:11

2:50:11

Akira Toriyama passed away at 68 on March 1, leaving behind a rich legacy of iconic manga, anime, and (largely dragon-themed) videogames. To mark his passing, we're joined by TL Foster of Welcome to the Thing for a look at five game franchises to which he lent his talents, after which we'll get into Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, Contra: Operati…

1
Tag Teamin' - Vidjagame Apocalypse 565 2:19:27

7M ago2:19:27

2:19:27

This week is bookended by Ufouria The Saga 2 and WWE 2k24, both of which let you switch characters on the fly by tagging in partners - so with help from Emmett Watkins Jr., we'll count down five games that had some of the coolest character-swapping mechanics. Then we'll dig into Unicorn Overlord, Balatro, announcements from the Xbox Partner Preview…

1
Trilogies With Great Middles - Vidjagame Apocalypse 564 2:08:33

7M ago2:08:33

2:08:33

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is out, and being that it's the middle entry in a trilogy, we've invited Brendan "The Crawl" Hesse to talk not only about the game (he finished it), but for a a debate-format Top 5 about other trilogies with fantastic middle entries. We'll also get into Pacific Drive, the Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, news from the Poké…

1
Dead for a Decade - Vidjagame Apocalypse 563 2:15:56

7M ago2:15:56

2:15:56

2014 was a big year for series swan songs, when a number of once-huge videogame franchises launched what would end up being their last installments (as of this writing 10 years later, anyway) - so this week, we pay tribute to five of our favorite series that have now been dead (or at least dormant) for a decade. Then it's on to Mario vs. Donkey Kon…

1
Under the Black Flag - Vidjagame Apocalypse 562 2:06:52

7M ago2:06:52

2:06:52

Skull and Bones is out this week, so we're reinventing one of our earliest Top 5 topics and debating the best-ever pirate games! Will your favorites find swashbuckling glory or be keel-hauled into ignominy? Then we'll get into Helldivers 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and the villains…

1
You Had A Stew Going - Vidjagame Apocalypse 561 2:49:50

7M ago2:49:50

2:49:50

Beloved actor Carl Weathers passed away last week, and TL Foster joins us to help pay tribute with a look at five games Weathers either appeared in, or that included the characters he brought to life. Then we'll get into Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Foamstars, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo, Disney buying a stake in Epic, and the fig…

1
The Tekken Expanded Universe - Vidjagame Apocalypse 560 2:32:00

8M ago2:32:00

2:32:00

Tekken 8's launch has us captivated this week, so Anthony "BruceWayneBrady" Abatte joins us to talk about it — and about five of the fighting-game series' most noteworthy spinoffs. Then we'll get into the PlayStation State of Play news, the simultaneous reveal and cancellation of an unproduced Deus Ex, and your favorite games that rip off other gam…

1
Sequels By Any Other Name - Vidjagame Apocalypse 559 2:09:11

8M ago2:09:11

2:09:11

We're continuing to play with format this week, starting with a non-traditional Top 5 about sequels that went by completely different names. Why's it non-traditional? We don't even start with a set list, and debate to decide it right there on the show! Then we'll delve into a slew of new releases including Palworld and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealt…

1
Re-Rebooted - Vidjagame Apocalypse 558 2:26:06

8M ago2:26:06

2:26:06

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is out this week, and we're all big fans! Before we dig into it on the show, though, it also inspired this episode's (traditionally formatted) Top 5, about series that have gotten more than one reboot over the years. Then we'll talk about Billy Mitchell settling with Twin Galaxies, GameStop backing off NFTs, and the…

1
8 Is Great - Vidjagame Apocalypse 557 2:01:02

8M ago2:01:02

2:01:02

With Tekken 8 launching in a matter of weeks, this week's Top 5 pays homage to other series that managed to hit at least eight games (and kept the number somewhere in their titles) - but with a twist, as we continue to experiment with new Top 5 formats. This week, we combine a trivia contest and a debate over which games should be included... to, u…

1
2024's Most Anticipated Games - Vidjagame Apocalypse 556 2:16:57

9M ago2:16:57

2:16:57

Let's start off 2024 right: With a look at five games we're especially looking forward to in the next 12 months! Then we'll get into the Polymega retro console (and Mikel's nearly four-year wait to get one), the 14,000 games Steam added in 2023, the first human being to "beat" NES Tetris, and your personal Games of the Year for 2023. Question of th…

1
Apocalypse Gaiden - Game of the Year 2023 - The Ordering (Teaser) 27:56

9M ago27:56

27:56

If you've been following along the last few weeks you should know our top 10 games of 2023. What you probably don't know (unless you're a Patreon subscriber) is how we arrived at the final order for our list. Every year we record a Patreon-exclusive episode where Mikel, Matt, and Chris duke it out to decide on the order of our top 10. Patrons have …

1
Our Top 10 Games of 2023 (Part 2) - Vidjagame Apocalypse 555 2:35:32

9M ago2:35:32

2:35:32

The wait is over! We continue with the second half of the GOTY countdown we started last week, and reveal our Top 5 Games of 2023! We've once again invited a rotating panel of guests to help out, including Jesse Cox, TL Foster, Tony Wilson, Brendan Hesse, Ryan Harig, Steve Guntli, and Jorge Albor. Did your favorite game make the cut? Listen and fin…

1
Our Top 10 Games of 2023 (Part 1) - Vidjagame Apocalypse 554 2:17:01

9M ago2:17:01

2:17:01

A fantastic year for games is nearing its end, which means it's time for us to look back at the past 12 months and anoint our top 10 games of the year in a discussion so big, we had to split it into two shows. This week, we're joined by a rotating panel of guests including Tony Wilson, Brendan Hesse, Chris Baker, Steve Guntli, Woody Ciskowski, Jorg…

1
2023's Best Remakes and Remasters - Vidjagame Apocalypse 553 2:24:32

10M ago2:24:32

2:24:32

The game industry thrives on remaking and reviving classic hits from the past, and as another year winds down, Tony Wilson of Framework joins us to talk about five of our favorite attempts to resurrect and repackage old games this year. Then we'll get into the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and your favorite DLC of 2023.…

1
2023's Best DLC - Vidjagame Apocalypse 552 2:24:49

10M ago2:24:49

2:24:49

We're in the last weeks of 2023, which means it's time for us to look back and talk about the best experiences from the year that was. This week, TL Foster rejoins us to kick things off with a chat about our five favorite pieces of DLC this year, after which we'll get into Batman Arkham Trilogy's arrival on Switch, the first glimpse at Amazon's Fal…

1
Warrior Chefs - Vidjagame Apocalypse 551 2:24:35

10M ago2:24:35

2:24:35

Happy (American) Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend! This week, we invite Anthony "BruceWayneBrady" Abatte on to talk about action games with chef protagonists, after which we'll get into Super Mario RPG Remake, Small Saga, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, a roundup of Black Friday game deals, and the games that defined the PS4/Xbox One generation for you. …

1
Happy Birthday, Last-Gen! - Vidjagame Apocalypse 550 2:36:54

10M ago2:36:54

2:36:54

PS4 turned 10 this week, and Xbox One is about to do the same in a few days, so we devoted this week's Top 5 to the games that - for us - defined the console generation that spanned 2013-2020. Then we'll dig into The Game Awards nominations, Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, Backpack Hero, Remnant 2: The Awakened King, and your picks for the Triforce of a…

1
Game Adaptations That Ignored the Game - Vidjagame Apocalypse 549 2:21:40

11M ago2:21:40

2:21:40

The announcement of a live-action Zelda movie inspired us to return to the ever-giving well of videogame movie and TV adaptations - specifically five that don't have a whole lot to do with their source material. We'll then explore Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Spirittea, hcelebrate the long-overdue official announcement of G…

1
Hot-Swap Heroes - Vidjagame Apocalypse 548 2:36:42

11M ago2:36:42

2:36:42

Alan Wake 2 is out, and because both it and Spider-Man 2 feature two heroes you can swap between, we decided to dedicate this week's top 5 to dynamic duos you can switch out on a whim. Then we'll dig deeper into Alan Wake 2 (of course!), the Five Nights at Freddy's film, Jusant, Thirsty Suitors, Call of Duty Modern Warfare III's campaign, Atari buy…

1
Sanity Systems - Vidjagame Apocalypse 547 2:37:29

11M ago2:37:29

2:37:29

As another Spooptober nears its end, we close things out with five games that will drive you mad, MAD... like, as a gameplay mechanic, with sanity meters and in-game hallucinations. Then we'll dig into the past week's bumper crop of new releases, including Mario Wonder, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and Slay the Princess; look at the reveals from Xbox's P…

1
Scario Mario - Vidjagame Apocalypse 546 2:11:33

11M ago2:11:33

2:11:33

We're still in the middle of spooky season, but with Mario Wonder and Sonic Superstars filling this week with color and cheer, we combined cute with creepy and got a top 5 about some of the biggest scares that Mario ever dragged us through. Then we'll get into Wizard With A Gun, Hellboy Web of Wyrd, Skull Island: The Rise of Kong, Best Buy phasing …

1
Grim Grinning Ghosts - Vidjagame Apocalypse 545 2:23:40

11M ago2:23:40

2:23:40

We enter our second week of Spooptober™ with a look at how the happy haunts of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion have been portrayed in five different games — one of which turns 20 in a few days. Then we'll marvel at Forza Motorsport and the Robocop: Rogue City demo, scratch our heads at the PS5's strange new modular makeover. and hear about the abandon…

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