As a special bonus, please enjoy the first episode of my new show, PUPPET MASTERS / CASTLE FREAKS! This is a deep dive into the Full Moon universe of B-movie horror, where my co-host Jarrod Hornbeck and I will be watching and reviewing every movie in this prolific and wild catalog! In this first episode, we cover the original PUPPET MASTER from 198…

As a free bonus, here's the debut episode of my new show CINEMARCADE, with my co-hosts Jennifer Bannister and Justin Wilhelm! If you want to hear more, subscribe to CinemArcade on Spotify, Podbean, or wherever you get your podcasts!By Steve Guntli

Just dropping in real quick to announce a few exciting new projects coming very soon!By Steve Guntli

Our five-year journey has come to an end! This week, we're looking back at Wii Universe with an epic-length retrospective of the series. We're giving our definitive final ranking of all Wii U games, sharing some stats and stories from throughout the show, and generally just trying to fight back the tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you once again …

This is it! After dozens of games and hundreds of hours of gameplay, we've arrived at the VERY LAST GAME in the Wii U catalog! To celebrate this momentous event, we had to bring in some of our favorite guests for one of the most influential games of the last decade! The entire Vidjagame Apocalypse crew (Matthew Allen, Chris Antista, and Mikel Repar…

This week, we're taking a leap of faith with one of the biggest franchises of the last 20 years! Ubisoft's ASSASSIN'S CREED series became a cultural phenomenon when it debuted in 2007, with each subsequent game only getting bigger. We're looking at the two Wii U entries this week: first, we're travelling back to the American Revolution-set ASSASSIN…

The PAPER MARIO series made it's big debut back in the N64 games, and it was one of our highest-rated titles on that entire system. But over the years, the series has lost some of it's luster as it drifted a bit from it's RPG mechanics. PAPER MARIO: COLOR SPLASH may be almost unrecognizable as an RPG, but how does it stand on its own merits? We're …

Crank up your flashlights and keep your cricket bats at the ready, because this week we're travelling to foggy London to take on the zombie apocalypse with Ubisoft's ZOMBIU! This launch game set out to be Ubi's Wii U killer app, and uses the GamePad in some of the most creative ways we've seen so far; do the game's ambitious survival mechanics make…

This week, we've got three of Nintendo's cutest characters in perhaps the most adorable forms they've ever been in! I mean, come on, Kirby is made of clay! Yoshi is made of wool! Toad has a little pith helmet! What more do you need? Lynsey Pennington returns to help us tackle the simple yet charming puzzle adventure CAPTAIN TOAD: TREASURE TRACKER; …

We've reached the very last episode of Bonus 64, and we're closing it out by playing an unheralded Nintendo series with one of our favorite friends and supporters! Elliot Jay O'Neill is back to discuss the KID ICARUS series! From it's origins as one of the earliest NES games to it's long-delayed revival on the 3DS, old Pit has had a fascinating tra…

FIRE EMBLEM. SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI. Two great tastes that taste great together? That's what we're finding out this week as we play the JRPG mash-up TOKYO MIRAGE SESSIONS #FE! This week, we're joined by one of our faves, Vidjagame Apocalypse host Mikel Reparaz, who helps us talk through this ambitious crossover that takes its two fantasy series and ble…

It's time to hack and slash our way through endless hordes with some historically-sourced heroes, because this week we're playing two games in the WARRIORS series! Koei's action series helped the company graduate from stodgy strategy RPGs to epic action, and the franchise has gone from Three Kingdoms-era China to Nintendo's mythical land of Hyrule.…

The cheapie movie-tie in genre thrived on the Wii U, but today we're playing our last batch of low-effort platformers based on cartoons! Obviously, our crappy game correspondent Ailish Collins had to return to help us do justice to games based on SMURFS 2, PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR, and SNOOPY'S BIG ADVENTURE (based on the 2015 PEANUTS MOVIE). Are the…

Pac is Bac, in cartoon form! We're playing PAC-MAN AND THE GHOSTLY ADVENTURES 1 and 2, two games based on the popular Disney XD show that briefly brought Pac-Man to a whole new generation. We're contrasting and comparing both games, plus looking at Pac-Man's brief but lucrative history as a platforming star! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskows…

For those who want a little apocalyptic mythology and head-slicing thrown in with their ZELDA, the DARKSIDERS series is here to answer the call! We're playing both Wii U entries in THQ's slick adventure game series, playing as different Horsemen of the Apocalypse as we carve through hordes of demons, angels, and all kinds of creepy-crawlies in betw…

Hop into the King of Red Lions and hoist your sails, because this week we're playing one of the most beloved games in one of the most beloved series of all time! LEGEND OF ZELDA: WIND WAKER HD is a completely remastered edition of the 2003 GameCube game, featuring a gorgeous native 1080p transition and some subtle but welcome changes to the overall…

We've played a few games featuring Sonic in supporting roles, but this week, the Blue Blur is taking the spotlight with two games that showcase multiple sides of his gaming persona! First, we're playing SONIC LOST WORLD, a 2D/3D throwback to the heyday of the character when the only rule was, "Gotta Go Fast!" Then, we're looking at the TV-based adv…

We're joined once again by one of our top-tier Patreon supporters to bring you a special bonus episode! Scott Burger returns to discuss WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH, a beautiful and unique game from Giant Sparrow that attempts to tackle issues you rarely see explored in video games. This is a game about death, family, trauma, healing, and mental ill…

It's time to strap some guns to your feet and get real sexy, because this week we're playing the wildly over-the-top action epic BAYONETTA series! From the creators of DEVIL MAY CRY, BAYONETTA features a hypersexual heroine, a gleefully nonsensical plot, and some of the best action gameplay around. Thanks to a nice bonus disc included in the Wii U-…

We're back once again for the first in our last batch of Patreon-funded bonus episodes! Our Wonder Red-tier Patreon supporter CJ Baker returns to discuss his entry into the Kirby series, the exceptional SNES game KIRBY SUPER STAR! This 1996 classic packs a ridiculous amount of value into it's simple cart, demonstrating the pink puffball's elasticit…

We've got a quadruple-dose of cartoon-based games this week, and like those sexist Happy Meal two-packs, we've got options for boys and options for girls, although really the best option might be neither. First, we're playing two games based on the Cartoon Network action series BEN 10 OMNIVERSE, about a young boy who can transform into 10 different…

The XENOBLADE series has been kicking around in some form or another since the late 90s, but it's only recently that it has ascended to a Nintendo-blessed blockbuster franchise. This week, we're playing the Wii U-exclusive entry in the series, XENOBLADE CHRONICLES X, which takes on more of a spacefaring sci-fi aesthetic with faster combat and big h…

Sharpen your blades and join us as we play what may be the goriest game on the entire system! NINJA GAIDEN is one of the rare series to innovate the action genre in two completely different eras, on the NES and on the original Xbox, but Ryu Hayabusa's star has dimmed a bit in recent years. Today, we're playing his one and only entry on the Wii U, a…

How are we gonna do an episode about a game we already did an episode about? It's easy when it's MARIO KART 8. The biggest game on the Wii U (and on the Switch, for that matter!), there's always something new to discover. But at it's core, MARIO KART is all about getting together with your good buddies and having a race, and we've brought two of ou…

This week, we're putting away childish things... after we're done playing with them, of course, because we're knocking out the last of our toys-to-life games! After the wild success of SKYLANDERS, everyone wanted in on the plastic-figurine-as-game-pieces craze, and these two games are the most prominent rivals to Activision's pioneering series. Fir…

It's time for us to cut a rug with Ubisoft's mammoth dancing series JUST DANCE! We're playing through more games than we've ever attempted in one episode, a whopping NINE games in the venerable series that span the entire lifecycle of the Wii U! It's a lot for two clumsy boys to tackle on our own; luckily, we're joined by dancer, teacher, and owner…

It's party time... for the last time. We're playing the last round of generic party games, and we're looking at arguably the high point and the low point of the genre on Wii U. Of course, it's not a proper party without Dan Reese, and he joins us as we sort through some inscrutable minigame collections. First up, it's the bafflingly-titled, hilario…

Prepare to get splatted, because this week we're playing SPLATOON, the most successful original IP on the Wii U! We're talking all about the history of this squid-filled delight, and how Nintendo brought their own unique spin to the arena shooter genre! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski Logo by Corinne Kempen Theme song: "Truck" by The Oct…

This is it! The very last batch of sports games we will ever play on this show! We're delving into a wide range of sports today, but luckily we've got our old favorite Josiah Coolidge back in the studio to provide his expert insight! We're closing out sports by revisiting the MADDEN franchise with MADDEN NFL 13; then we're hitting the lanes with BR…

This week, we're looking at game adaptations of a couple of Disney TV favorites! Bad game aficionado Ailish Collins returns to help us play PHINEAS AND FERB: THE QUEST FOR COOL STUFF, based on the hit show about two inventive brothers and their summertime adventures. Then, we're heading back to the 80s with the remastered version of DUCKTALES from …

The brothers are back! This week, we're playing two of the premier games for the Wii U: the side scrolling throwback NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. U and it's standalone spin-off NEW SUPER LUIGI U! We're gonna dive deep into some of Mario's most successful and beloved games of all time, plus take a look back at that most iconic of times, the Year of Luigi! …

This week, we're busting out a couple more minigame collections, with a couple of revitalized classics in the mix. WII SPORTS CLUB is an HD remake of the original pack-in game WII SPORTS, which had the benefit of online play but the detriment of an odd release model. RABBIDS LAND sees the RAYMAN enemies taking the limelight with a MARIO PARTY-style…

This week, our top-tier Patreon supporter CJ Baker returns to talk about the excellent 2017 remake WONDER BOY: THE DRAGON'S TRAP! The WONDER BOY series was the flagship franchise of the Sega Master System, and despite never being a bit hit in the U.S., it has grown a huge following around the world. We look back at the fractured history of the seri…

Can you dig it? This week, we're playing two hit indie games that center all around the moving of dirt! Firstly, we're playing TERRARIA, a 2D MINECRAFT clone that is one of the 10 best-selling games of all time! Then, we're playing STEAMWORLD COLLECTION, a compilation of two games, STEAMWORLD DIG and STEAMWORLD HEIST, that might just become your ne…

We've played a lot of LEGO games on this series, and today we're fitting the final bricks into place! Neal Crow returns to the show to help us talk about a random roundup of LEGO games. First, we're playing the fast and funny cop comedy LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER. Then, we're playing three movie adaptations, one based on Peter Jackson's THE HOBBIT trilog…

This week, we're checking back in with the MARIO PARTY series, and making an appearance at an amiibo Festival as well! Corinne Kempen joins us as we play MARIO PARTY 10 and ANIMAL CROSSING: AMIIBO FESTIVAL, two board game-style adaptations of Nintendo characters that take very different approaches to the genre. Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Cisk…

This week, we're embracing our inner hackermen as we play Ubisoft's ambitious, expensive spectacle WATCH DOGS. This open-world game lets you take control of the city of Chicago from your smart phone, allowing you to hack everything from ATMs to security cameras to traffic lights. There's an impressive amount of game here, but does this high-profile…

We're back on our fitness grind, and this time we chose NOT to play them on the hottest day of the year! First, we're getting tone with Ubisoft's YOURSHAPE: FITNESS EVOLVED 2013, and then we're dancing around the globe with ZUMBA FITNESS WORLD PARTY! Listen now to lose a guaranteed* five pounds! (*not a guarantee) Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody C…

This week we're gathering up a few odd little games that don't quite fit in anywhere else, but darn it they'll always have a home with us! First, we're playing the bare-bones arcade port TANK! TANK! TANK!, which promises three times the tanks of the average game. Then, we're playing RUNBOW, a fast-paced, stylish platformer/racer which supports up t…

The MONSTER HUNTER games are some of the most popular in the world, but the learning curve can be intimidating for new players. Luckily, we've brought in a ringer to help us explain the many working pieces of hunting monsters! Garrit Manker from the Co-Hops podcast comes by to help us parse through the complex and beautiful world of Capcom's multip…

As a special treat for you, we have a new bonus episode courtesy of one of our top-tier Patreon supporters! The great Scott Burger returns with another dizzyingly complex and smart game, the indie roguelike COGMIND! Made by just one programmer over the course of several years, COGMIND casts you as a newly-sentient robot trying to escape a research …

This week we're witnessing an iconic team-up that took an event as big as the Olympics to manifest! Mario and Sonic set their differences aside long enough to share billing in the MARIO & SONIC series, taking them to various Olympic games to compete in mini-game versions of real-life Olympic events. This time, we're talking about the games for the …

We're saluting those about to rock this week with GUITAR HERO LIVE! GUITAR HERO was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that spurred most everyone to drop money on colorful plastic guitars, but a glut of sequels and imitators overwhelmed the market. LIVE is Activision's attempt to revitalize the series, with a new play style, a live stage show aestheti…

We're assembling heroes this week in every sense of the word! This week, we're closing the loop on both BATMAN and MORTAL KOMBAT by playing some games that highlight the best of both. First, the NetherRealm-developed fighting game INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, where DC heroes and villains throw down in a MK-esque battle royale! Then, we're checking bac…

Our good friend Elliot Jay O'Neill is back for another bonus episode! This time, instead of discussing a particular game, we're diving deep into amiibo, Nintendo's answer to the toys-to-life craze! Unlike SKYLANDERS, amiibos are more free-floating, working with several games rather than having one platform built around them, and this has helped the…

We're revisiting a couple of classic game shows this week! It's been a while since we played JEOPARDY and WHEEL OF FORTUNE on the Nintendo 64; how have the games changed in the interim? Ailish Collins returns to help us spin that wheel and question those answers! And she may have underestimated Steve's propensity for trivia... Hosted by Steve Guntl…

This week we're cracking into one of the biggest series of all time, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Activision's CALL OF DUTY! The series has been dominating sales charts and online bandwidth for years, but for those of us who tune in and out of the series, is there still anything to recommend from the earlier generation? We'll find out this we…

We'd planned to make this an all-Dreamworks episode, but just because the Penguins couldn't make it, that's no reason to stop the party! Ailish Collins joins us this week as we make a hard pivot from animation adaptations to misbegotten party games! We played THE CROODS: PREHISTORIC PARTY, a minigame collection based on the hit movie; we follow it …

We're travelling to magical, anime-inspired worlds this week! Firstly, we're taking flight with RODEA: THE SKY SOLDIER, the oft-delayed action game from the creator of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! Then, we're looking at SHANTAE: 1/2 GENIE HERO, a breakthrough Kickstarter success that finally gave the plucky, hair-whipping heroine her first proper hit! Get 2…

Get ready to experience the brutality of nature... in the most adorable possible way, of course. This week, we're playing PIKMIN 3, which for a long time was considered THE reason to own a Wii U! This third chapter in Shigeru Miyamoto's strategy/action hybrid adds three new astronauts, two new varieties of Pikmin, and tons of new abilities, locatio…