Join two friends as they explore the past and present of the Metroidvania genre of video games.
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Doctor Aloysius Freeman and Professor Allela Freeman present hidden figures in the American story. As the initial sparks of the American Revolution catch flame, Jupiter Nameless is a man between worlds. On the one hand, he has access to all the wealth, wisdom, and privilege of Monticello, home to Thomas Jefferson, who is something of a mentor and patron for Jupiter. On the other hand, Jupiter is Jefferson’s slave. When a common errand suddenly goes awry, Jupiter finds himself facing somethin ...
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A companion podcast to the 10-episode C-SPAN television series, Books that Shaped America, produced in partnership with the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress created the Books That Shaped America list to explore key works of literature from American history that have had a major impact on society. The 10 iconic books featured in the series have provoked thought, won awards, led to significant policy changes, and are still talked about today. In this companion podcast, you can lear ...
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1
Lost and Crowned (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown)
42:09
42:09
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Time stands still while the hosts discuss Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Ubisoft, 2024, Switch / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X/S) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/sieclYqnVCY if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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The hosts tug at the threads of destiny in Timespinner (Lunar Ray Games, 2018, PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Switch / Xbox One) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/9btAd9SQbbk if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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The hosts play with schoolyard toys in Animal Well (Shared Memory, 2024, PC/ PS5 / Switch) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/IzV3eU3FPwY if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment. #podcast #metroidvania #gaming #videogames #animalwell
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1
Rebel without a Boss (Rebel Transmute)
1:08:28
1:08:28
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The hosts try to form a symbiotic relationship in Rebel Transmute (Evan Tor Games, 2024, PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One)We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/x74soKJxX7E if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.#podcast #metroidvania #gaming #blasphemous
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The hosts flagellate themselves for the myriad sins they committed in Blasphemous (The Game Kitchen, 2019, PC, Switch, PS4, XBox One) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/uw43EPRdENk if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.#podcast #metroidvania #gaming #blasphemous…
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1
An Overwhelming Surplus of Darkness (Absence of Light)
48:56
48:56
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The hosts search blindly in Absence of Light (Koala Symphony Studios, 2024, PC)Check out Koala Symphony's other work at https://www.youtube.com/@koala.symphony We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/v3quAGTkRpM if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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The hosts practice every religion all at once in Knytt Underground(Nifflas, 2012, PC / PS3 / PS Vita / WiiU).We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/C1Bp74GYOmw if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.#podcast #metroidvania #gaming #knytt #knyttUnderground
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The hosts delve too deep and too greedily in Chasm (Bit Kid, Inc., 2018, PC / PS4 / PS Vita / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch).We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/mtFM0ay2X3U if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.#podcast #metroidvania #gaming #chasm
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Beginnings are formed when something else ends, A skin that was torn, with healing, now mends, The scars of our past are now etched in stone, A map to the future when trav’lin’ alone. A home without peace makes a child want to fight, A life spent in shadow won’t recognize the light, Though gray skies may gather, seek shelter from the storm, Just ri…
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1
Spelunk and Spelunkerer (Spelunker 2: Yūsha e no Chōsen / A Hero's Challenge)
45:45
45:45
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45:45
The hosts keep their virtue intact in Spelunker 2: Yūsha e no Chōsen / A Hero's Challenge (Now Production, 1987, NES). We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/UVYjyFKsZvI if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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1
Chapter Five: "Rather What’s Left Of Our Hands"
41:14
41:14
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Who deserves salvation when the dead assault the living? The Fall of Monticello has begun, and the blight runs rampant across Jefferson's estate. As the survivors regroup and fortify, Jupiter must hatch a plan to get everyone out. But not all of them will make it. Support the show CAST & CREW Aloysius, Jupiter Nameless - Eric Austin Allela, Fiona P…
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A storm gathers near, regardless of place, A tempest is toss’d in each brothers face, The birth of a land is the birth of the storm, The weather is cold and the war is too warm. Derry Down Down Hey Derry Down The front marches forth in both weather and war, Each battle is fought, though there isn’t a score, But more than their lives are lost in the…
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1
"The Words of Cesar Chavez" with historian Miriam Pawl
35:53
35:53
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Born in Yuma, Arizona, César Chávez began his working life as a manual laborer. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Chávez moved to California to join an organization that helped laborers register to vote. This week's guest is historian Miriam Pawl. He later began organizing strikes among farm workers, calling for better pay and working conditions. Chá…
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A word from our sponsor. Support the show CAST & CREW Aloysius, Jupiter Nameless - Eric Austin Allela, Fiona Pratt, Gertrude Redd - Kate Piatti Lillian Method, Carmela Kaine, Veronica Delmonaco - Hannah Schooner Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Arch Porter - Ryan Knowles Other roles played by the cast. Original Music Arrangements - Jackie Prest…
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1
Chapter Four: "We Tumbled Dice Many a Time"
27:15
27:15
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When it all starts to come apart, do you save yourself, or does honor demand you help others? The blight breaks loose, and now Monticello's fine, polite tapestry is unraveling. With life on the line, new alliances form and old bonds are tested. Support the show CAST & CREW Aloysius, Jupiter Nameless - Eric Austin Allela, Fiona Pratt, Gertrude Redd …
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1
"Free to Choose" Milton & Rose Friedman with Prof. Mark Skousen
28:59
28:59
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Milton Friedman was a 1976 Nobel Prize-winning American economist and advisor to President Ronald Reagan and conservative British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, among others. This week, a conversation with his friend and a Professor at Chapman University, Mark Skousen. In 1980, Friedman partnered with his wife, Rose, to create a 10-part televisi…
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Music Featured in Chapter 3: It Damned Sure Aint' From Cheating At Craps 'Twas summer, and softly the breezes were blowing, And sweetly the nightingale sang from the tree. At the foot of a hill, where the river was flowing, I took in the sights that all lay before me Flow on, waters blue, flow on thou sweet river, Thy banks, purest stream, shall be…
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The hosts let the cat out of the bag in Gato Roboto (Doinksoft, 2019, PC / Xbox One / Nintendo Switch). We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/K90U5PGS3tU if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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1
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston w/ Prof. Gary Richards
24:15
24:15
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Zora Neale Hurston brings to life a Southern love story that explores race, gender roles, and identity, which influenced African-American and women's literature. In this episode, we speak with English Professor Gary Richards of The University of Mary Washington. The book is considered a classic of the Harlem Renaissance. Learn more about your ad ch…
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1
Chapter Three: "It Damned Sure Ain't from Cheating at Craps"
26:23
26:23
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What's one to do when disaster looms, but everyone around you is too slow to see it? Jupiter and Jefferson maneuver against each other, and Franklin, Kaine, and Fiona try to keep pace. All the while, the blight is loose in Monticello's slave quarters. In short order, fine wine isn't the only red that will spill tonight. Support the show CAST & CREW…
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1
"My Antonia" by Willa Cather w/ Historian Richard Norton Smith
24:31
24:31
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Willa Cather's novel, My Ántonia, evokes the Nebraska prairie life of her childhood and pays tribute to the spirit and courage of immigrant pioneers in America. Historian Richard Norton Smith discusses Cather's works, including My Antonia, which was written in 1918. The book tells the story of a girl who arrives on the frontier as part of a family …
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Music featured in Chapter 2: That Means You're Still Alive Why come ye hither, fugitives, Your minds what madness fills? In our valleys there is danger, And there's danger in our hills. Oh hear ye not the singing Of our voices wild and free? Full soon you'll hear the ringing Of the rifle from the tree. READ Full Lyrics READ: Chapter Two"That Means …
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1
The Life of Mark Twain w/ Professor Matt Seybold
35:27
35:27
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Our guest this week is Elmira College Professor Matt Seybold, who shares insights and introspections into the life of Mark Twain. Named among the great American novels, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has been known internationally since its first printing in 1884 and remains popular yet controversial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…
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1
Chapter Two: “That Means You’re Still Alive”
27:37
27:37
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How can one explain the impossible to those unwilling to hear? On the run from the blight, Jupiter has a surprising reunion, followed quickly by an even more surprising encounter. As Jupiter navigates a tense new situation, Jefferson welcomes Ben Franklin and his apprentice, Fiona Pratt, to Monticello. Wine and conversation flow freely, but somethi…
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"The Common Law" by Oliver Wendell Holmes w/ Historian Stephen Budiansky
29:08
29:08
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Our guest this week is historian Stephen Budianksy, who shares his insights into the late Justice's life and work. After serving in the Civil War, during which he was wounded, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. became a scholar and jurist, eventually rising to the U.S. Supreme Court after being nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt. While practicing la…
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Music Featured in Chapter 1: For The Return of Jupiter When you're down and alone, all others left Your heart ravaged through, your hopes bereft Your energy low, your soul downtrod Your body entombed beneath the sod Left all alone, now he must die Down among the dead men Down among the dead men Down, down, down, down Down among the dead men let him…
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The hosts dress up and pretend they're pretty princesses in Pseudoregalia (rittzler, 2023, PC).We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/z7_oxRMYiVI if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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Life of Frederick Douglass w/ Prof. David Blight
36:37
36:37
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Our guest this week is Pultizer-Prize-winning Yale Professor David Blight. He expounds on the life of Frederick Douglas, when he learned to read and write, and his relationship with President Abraham Lincoln. Born into slavery in Maryland, Frederick Douglass went on to become a writer, orator, statesman, and key leader in the abolitionist movement.…
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How does the simple transport and sale of a dead slave’s corpse turn into a death-defying flight for freedom? Easier than you might think. Doctors Aloysius and Allella Freeman turn back the pages of time, taking you to revolutionary era Monticello, where Jupiter Nameless—favored servant and protege of Thomas Jefferson—suddenly finds himself a hunte…
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1
Journals of Lewis and Clark w/ Author Lanny Jones
22:23
22:23
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Our guest this week is author, historian, and magazine editor Lanny Jones. He is the author of "William Clark and the Shaping of the West. His latest work is Celebrity Nation. Shortly after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore and map the newly acquired territory and to s…
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James Madison, Alexander Hamilton & John Jay "The Federalist Papers"
33:53
33:53
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Colleen Sheehan, Arizona State University Professor, discusses the early life and times of the Federalist's three authors. She explains how their lives challenged their writing and thinking. Plus their lasting legacy today. In September 1787, the newly drafted Constitution of the United States was sent to the states for ratification. Responding to …
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1
Prologue: Monticello Letters of Correspondence
2:21
2:21
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With special permission from Thomas Jefferson’s estate, we reproduce here for the first time a wonderful trove of correspondence from the days immediately leading up to the Fall of Monticello. This group of letters gives us insight into the minds and dealings of Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin in the days prior to their harrowing adventure on Jef…
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"Common Sense" by Thomas Paine (1776) w/ Professor Richard Bell
28:43
28:43
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28:43
Richard Bell, a University of Maryland history professor discusses Thomas Paine's life, and what led him to publish Common Sense. Common Sense written by Thomas Paine is a 47-page pamphlet advocating for independence from Great Britain, it was published in 1776. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…
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The hosts play with powerful magnets and smash rocks together in Islets (Kyle Thompson, 2022, Switch / PC / Xbox One / Xbox Series X & S) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/GJZ9X7Em9T4 if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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A companion podcast to the 10-episode C-SPAN television series, Books that Shaped America, produced in partnership with the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress created the Books That Shaped America list to explore key works of literature from American history that have had a major impact on society. The 10 iconic books featured in the seri…
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1
A Rusting Stone Gathers No Moss (Rusted Moss)
1:06:47
1:06:47
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The hosts betray their siblings to prove how much they love them in Rusted Moss (Faxdoc, Sunnydaze & Happy squared, 2023, PC) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/p_QUztrVQmY if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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The Revolution begins this Halloween. Visit PaleColumbia.com Support the show CAST & CREW Aloysius, Jupiter Nameless - Eric Austin Allela, Fiona Pratt, Gertrude Redd - Kate Piatti Lillian Method, Carmela Kaine, Veronica Delmonaco - Hannah Schooner Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Arch Porter - Ryan Knowles Other roles played by the cast. Origin…
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The hosts loot an alien planet for cash in Brain Breaker (Hiroshi Ishikawa, 1985, Sharp X1)Thanks to longsun_zhao (translator) and leina (patch creator) from the romhacking.net forums for the English translation patch. You can find the English translation patch for yourself at https://www.mediafire.com/file/4wvmv3xd7vbzs2j/brainBreaker.zip/fileWe'r…
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The hosts shake their booty and turn into beasts in Shantae (Wayforward, 2002, Game Boy Color / Nintendo Switch / PS4 / PS5) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/aplUmqyYnw8 if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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The hosts get drunk on fame and ruin a press conference in The Knight Witch (Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team, 2022, PC / Switch / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/-x_sLrIvNn0 if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.…
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1
Kirby & The Adequate Looking Glass (Kirby & the Amazing Mirror)
47:13
47:13
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The hosts reflect on their experience in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror (HAL Laboratory, 2004, Game Boy Advance)
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The hosts dive deep to find out if it is in fact better down where it's wetter in Aquaria (Bit Blot, 2007, PC / Mac / Linux / iOS / Android)The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook episode referenced is an interview with Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol of Moon Studios.
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1
Record of Loss (Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth)
39:49
39:49
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The hosts reminisce about the good old times in Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth (2020, Team Ladybug, PC / PS4 / PS5 / Xbox One / Xbox Series X/S / Nintendo Switch)
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The hosts read poetry written by AI in Haiku the Robot (Mister Morris Games, 2022, PC / Switch) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/udSUzUnKt1U if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.#podcast #metroidvania #gaming #haikutherobot #videogames
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1
Metroid Ones & Zeroes (Metroid & Metroid: Zero Mission)
1:12:30
1:12:30
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The hosts experience digital déjà vu in Metroid (Nintendo, 1986, NES) and its remake Metroid: Zero Mission (Nintendo, 2004, Gameboy Advance) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/X8bfqGNzw0I if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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Astalon Tears of the Pants (Astalon: Tears of the Earth)
1:03:41
1:03:41
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The hosts huff and puff up the stairs instead of using the elevator in Astalon: Tears of the Earth (LABS Works, 2021, PC / Xbox One / PS4 / Switch) And for some reason make a lot of comparisons to Final Fantasy X. Apologies for some bad audio near the beginning, we had to salvage what we could of Tom's audio when both redundant recordings had issue…
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Can Banjo be a Metroidvania Tooie? (Banjo-Tooie)
58:50
58:50
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58:50
The hosts learn about the Birds and the Bears in Banjo-Tooie (2000, Rare Limited, N64). We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/MJtGBemECbg if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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Ori and the Shortsighted Tree (Ori and the Blind Forest)
50:45
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50:45
The hosts accidentally commit infanticide trying to get their own children back in Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios, 2015, PC / Xbox One / Switch) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/BgJyi2o-QXY if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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In the Land of the Unsighted, the One-eyed Man is King (Unsighted)
1:05:14
1:05:14
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The hosts lose sight of the big picture in Unsighted (Studio Pixel Punk, 2021, PC / Nintendo Switch / PS4 / Xbox One) We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://youtu.be/TmoYnqD87Sk if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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1
Legacy of the Wiseguy (Legacy of the Wizard)
59:21
59:21
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The hosts get the whole family together to go dragon slaying in Legacy of the Wizard / Dragon Slayer 4: The Drasle Family (Nihon Falcom, 1987, MSX). We're also on Youtube (audio only)! This episode is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK5RXvr4qAE if you'd prefer to listen there or leave a comment.
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