Arrggh! A Video Game Podcast from The Waffling Taylors

MGS 3 Snake Eater: I Only Get Off My Bike If I Eat A Parrot Or Fall Dead (Part Four)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Content Warning

This episode contains references to spoilers, swearing, eating things to survive, and torture. It also contains spoilers for the ending of MGS 3: Snake Eater.

Things get real. We're talking jungle survival, cold war politics, betrayal, bees (don't ask) and some emotionally heavy lifting.

If any of this feels a bit much, consider this your codec warning: proceed with care, and bring a ration or two.

– Squidge

But it also contains some seriously bonkers tangents and silliness. You have been politely informed. There are also topics which might not be suitable for the ears of the innocent. But nothing in this episode, or this podcast as a whole, is to be taken seriously.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Music Used In The Episode

Links to the music used in the podcast can be found below. Definitely check them out, because they're amazing tracks by awesome musicians.

Intro music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune
Spoiler Break music is Spectrum (Subdiffusion Mix) by Foniqz (BandCamp)
Pallet Cleanser music is Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
Outro Music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

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MGS 3 Snake Eater: I Only Get Off My Bike If I Eat A Parrot Or Fall Dead (Part Three)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 07:30:00 +0000

A Note from Jay

Hey all,

I promise that I'll update the website with the show notes for these episodes some day. Life has gotten super hectic recently.

But, on thing has happened: I now have an internet connection! Like, a proper, high-speed one, with a router that has blinky lights on it and everything.

— Jay

Squidge, Alyxa, and Nomad (of the amazing Retro Wildlands) got together to discuss Metal Gear Solid 3. In this episode, they cover whether Dede is wearing and eye patch or not, whether Alyxa is sneaking around or not, and just exactly what are Snake's Snake Skewers? Seriously, Nomad!

Content Warning

This episode contains references to spoilers, swearing, eating things to survive, and torture. But it also contains some seriously bonkers tangents and silliness. You have been politely informed. There are also topics which might not be suitable for the ears of the innocent. But nothing in this episode, or this podcast as a whole, is to be taken seriously.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Music Used In The Episode

Links to the music used in the podcast can be found below. Definitely check them out, because they're amazing tracks by awesome musicians.

Intro music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune
Spoiler Break music is Spectrum (Subdiffusion Mix) by Foniqz (BandCamp)
Pallet Cleanser music is Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
Outro Music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune

Signing Off... For Now

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MGS 3 Snake Eater: I Only Get Off My Bike If I Eat A Parrot Or Fall Dead (Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

A Note from Jay

Hey all,

So I now have four episode's worth of full show notes to create and add to the website. It's a good thing that I have a bot which detects all of the games mentioned, huh?

This is the second in a four -part discussion on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. In order to tackle this game, Squidge drafted both Alyxa the Kitsune and Nomad. By the way, the original recordings for this four-part series have a combined runtime of over six hours.

Just like most recent episodes, let us know if you're reading this show notes: send out a messenger pigeon, lean out the window and yell, or (better yet) join the Discord and let us know.

I'll be dipping out to Seattle for a super-secret project throughout March, so Im hoping that my internet connection will be sorted out by the time I get back.

— Jay

Squidge, Alyxa, and Nomad (of the amazing Retro Wildlands) got together to discuss Metal Gear Solid 3. In this episode they talk about the dangers of holding up people for informat, the Metal Gear universe version of the movie Grease, and the tactical hooting.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Music Used In The Episode

Links to the music used in the podcast can be found below. Definitely check them out, because they're amazing tracks by awesome musicians.

Intro music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune
Spoiler Break music is Spectrum (Subdiffusion Mix) by Foniqz (BandCamp)
Pallet Cleanser music is Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
Metal Gear Solid Chaff Grenade Sound
MGS 3 Parrot codec
Never Gonna Give You Up (8 Bit Remix Cover Version)
Snake eater theme no lyrics
Tux Codec
Metal Gear Solid Alert - Sound Effect (HD)
Metal Gear Solid - Snake's Codec Revengeance
Outro Music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune

Signing Off... For Now

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MGS 3 Snake Eater: I Only Get Off My Bike If I Eat A Parrot Or Fall Dead (Part One)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 07:30:00 +0000

A Note from Jay

Hey all,

Happy birthday to me... 🥹

So I've now been without an internet connection since the end of 2024... that's three months of tethering to my phone in order to do my day-to-day work, web-browsing, and ... well, that's about it. I haven't had the bandwidth to do any YouTube, Netflix, or gaming.

My issues to one side: this is the first in a four part discussion on Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. In order to tackle this game, Squidge drafted both Alyxa the Kitsune and Nomad.

Just like most recent episodes, let us know if you're reading this show notes: send out a messenger pigeon, lean out the window and yell, or (better yet) join the Discord and let us know.

I'll be dipping out to Seattle for a super-secret project throughout March, so Im hoping that my internet connection will be sorted out by the time I get back.

— Jay

Squidge, Alyxa, and Nomad (of the amazing Retro Wildlands) got together to discuss Metal Gear Solid 3. In this episode they talk about wether everyone prefers to sneak around or go through the game all-guns-blazing, what happened to the parrot, and machinations of a meme-filled mind are an enigma.

They also cover a revelation on who voiced Eva, and you will not belive who it was... unless you've already heard the interview that Squidge and Alyxa reference.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Music Used In The Episode

Links to the music used in the podcast can be found below. Definitely check them out, because they're amazing tracks by awesome musicians.

Intro music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune
Spoiler Break music is Spectrum (Subdiffusion Mix) by Foniqz (BandCamp)
Pallet Cleanser music is Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
Metal Gear Solid Chaff Grenade Sound
MGS 3 Parrot codec
Never Gonna Give You Up (8 Bit Remix Cover Version)
Snake eater theme no lyrics
Tux Codec
Metal Gear Solid Alert - Sound Effect (HD)
Metal Gear Solid - Snake's Codec Revengeance
Outro Music is Massive Scratch - Eight Bit/Chiptune

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Part Four

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 07:30:00 +0000

A Note from Jay

Hey all,

Would you Adam and Eve-it, I still don't have an internet connection (I'm using up my mobile data at a rate of knots at the moment), and life is still... well, life is doing life things right now.

Anyway, this is the second half of the second set of episodes (why didn't I just write "part four"?) on what defined gaming in 2024 for our guests. The ever amazing Squidge continued to emcee this episode, asking both Nomad and G (aka #dontCallMyAudrey, aka The Lard of Dorkness) all about their gaming adventures in 2024.

Just like last episode, let us know if you're reading this show notes: send out a messenger pigeon, lean out the window and yell, or (better yet) join the Discord and let us know.

Here's hoping I can get a stable internet connection soon. We're now hip deep into February 2025 and I still don't have a working internet connection. How crazy is that!?

— Jay

Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers and swears. But it also contains some seriously bonkers tangents and silliness. You have been politely informed. There are also topics which might not be suitable for the ears of the innocent. But nothing in this episode, or this podcast as a whole, is to be taken seriously.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Parth Three

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 07:30:00 +0000

A Note from Jay

Hey all,

So I should explain a few things. Firstly, this episode was supposed to go out in January 2025, but ... well... life happened and I wasn't able to focus on anything but me for a while. Secondly, I've been without an internet connection since before Christmas 2024; as you can imagine, this causes a few issues on the whole "releasing podcast episodes" side of things.

I still don't have an internet connection (I literally tethered to my phone and released this episode), or a lot of time to focus on things other than... well, life kicking my butt. As such, I'm having to release this episode without the show notes that you've become accustomed to. Yes, I still write all of the show notes; and yes, I'm the one who releases the episodes.

As such, I'm sorry that this episode has to be released without much in the way of content in these here show notes. I guess this will be a good litmus test to see whether folks actually read these or whether folks even look at the website. If you've read this far, give us a shout on Discord or something.

This episode has the wonderful Squidge talking with both Nomad and G (aka #dontCallMyAudrey, aka The LArd of Dorkness) about what made gaming in 2024 special for them. I hope that you like it, and I'll get some real show notes out to you as soon as I can.

Here's hoping I can get a stable internet connection soon. I mean, it's 2025 and it's still possible for folks not to have the ability to get on the 'net.

— Jay

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

See above

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

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Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

We reflect on the whimsical world of gaming in 2024 with guests Matthew Bliss, and Alyxa. We share hilarious anecdotes about our most questionable in-game actions, from wild NPC interactions to bizarre character fixations. And our discussion touches on the impact of player agency in multiplayer experiences and highlights the memorable chaos that arises from emergent gameplay.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

It wouldn't be a Waffling Taylors episode without an intro from Squidge, and he didn't disappoint with this one:

From active time battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

Greetings and welcome to a special series of episodes of the Waffling Taylors, where we chat about our year in gaming. I took some time with a good friend of the show, Ike, to come up with a list of questions that I could ask our guests. It is Jay, Matthew Bliss, and Alyxa. To find out all about their year in gaming this year, 2024. In this second part, we cover everything from questionable source control, deceptive NPCs, to Matt's obsession with chickens?

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks and get ready for the first part of this episode entitled "Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024".

Take it away guys!

— Squidge

Questionable Content

No, it's the not the Underpants Ninja. Squidge wanted to know what questionable things the guests had done in their gaming careers in 2024:

What's the most questionable thing you've done in a game this year? Be honest. Did it involve stealing bread, punching NPCs or something worse? And I'll give you bonus points if it involved chickens.
— Squidge

Jay went full on absurd with this answer:

So I'm definitely not going to get the bonus points for this one, because I just told you what it is. It is blowing up the freaking ocean. I dropped an f-bomb when I talked about it previously, but yeah, blowing up the freaking ocean.

And it is so, wonderfully and stupidly done. Your your boat, sort of, capsizes and a massive—and I mean frankly massive, like bigger than the rocket in Half-Life—a massive rocket emerges from the ocean, and gets fired off into the distance; where you see a real mushroom cloud explode. And there is a a wave that crashes over you, which pushes you back further along the jetty like it would, because it's physics. And then you end up with, like, fish splatting against the screen and splopping down; because in real life a fish would hit you in the face.

— Jay

You'll need to read the full show notes (or listen to the episode) for the full absurdity.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

How was your year in gaming? And how would you answer each of Squidge's questions? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Matt's active podcasts:
- mbpod.com — Matt's Podcast editing services
- Coffee With A Podcaster
- From My Home to Yours
Alyxa on the web:
"Random" - Questionable Content (aka, The Underpants Ninja)
Squall is dead
The Modern .NET Show
Ortolan

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

We explore our gaming experiences from 2024 with guests Alyxa and Matthew Bliss. Part one of the conversation centers on our top three games of the year, with Alyxa reminiscing about the nostalgia of Persona 3 Portable, while Matthew highlights narrative-driven games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and The Last of Us Part 1. We discuss the joy of revisiting older games, contrasting their accessibility with the frustrations of modern titles

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

It wouldn't be a Waffling Taylors episode without an intro from Squidge, and he didn't disappoint with this one:

From active time battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

Greetings and welcome to a special series of episodes of the Waffling Taylors, where we chat about our year in gaming. I took some time with a good friend of the show, Ike, to come up with a list of questions that I could ask our guests. It is Jay, Matthew Bliss, and Alyxa To find out all about their year in gaming this year, 2024. We cover everything from entire new replays to save love interests to questionable unlocks.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks and get ready for the first part of this episode entitled "Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024".

Take it away guys!

— Squidge

Before the episode could begin, Squidge wanted to give the guests a chance to talk about themselves. First up was Alyxa:

Hi everyone, my name is Alyxa. I am a VTuber, a human with fox ears. And I've been in the Waffling Taylors podcasts before, like Sonic 2.

And also been participating in Waffling Taylor's Lite, speaking mostly about Metal Gear games, Metal Gear Solid more specifically, and going on a lot of tangents.

— Alyxa

Then it was Matt's turn:

I am Matthew Bliss. You may remember me from such popular phrases as, "Wow! That's a really weird game about odd anime girls that keep repeating and dying," and also "Powerwash Simulator for Game of the Year."

Deliberately trying to avoid the things that are incredibly inappropriate.

— Matt

Top Three Games of The Year

The first thing that Squidge wanted to know about was what were the top three games that each person had played in 2024:

So I started off simple. I asked, what are your top three games of this year?

— Squidge

Jay went first:

Okay, so long-time listeners will know that I don't get a great deal of the time, which is why I tend to play more retro or older titles, less new titles, I guess.

Because I just cannot deal with sitting and waiting for a 500,000 terabyte download just to be able to give me a slightly better look on one of the NPCs that's standing off in the distance that I'm never going to actually see ever, because I only have like a couple of 36 to 42-inch monitors. I'm literally never going to see them. It's kind of no point.

Anyway, so I like to play slightly older games. So the top three that I've played this year, and they are games I've come back to, it's

— Jay

You'll have to listen to the episode or take a look at the full show notes (linked below) to find out what everyone had been playing and what the other questions were.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

How was your year in gaming? And how would you answer each of Squidge's questions? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Matt's active podcasts:
- mbpod.com — Matt's Podcast editing services
- Coffee With A Podcaster
- From My Home to Yours
Alyxa on the web:
Suplex Wrestling, as mentioned by Matt

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

[TRAILER] Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 16:03:37 +0000

A Wild Trailer Appears

Here's three minutes of zero-context conversation from our next episode: Controllers Down: What Defined Gaming in 2024 - Part One

In this first part of an (almost) five hour long conversation, we explore our gaming experiences from 2024 with guests Alyxa and Matthew Bliss. This part of the conversation centres on our top three games of the year, with Alyxa reminiscing about the nostalgia of Persona 3 Portable, while Matthew highlights narrative-driven games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and The Last of Us Part 1. We discuss the joy of revisiting older games, contrasting their accessibility with the frustrations of modern titles

There's only one way to find out: listen to the show. DO EEET NAAOOOOW!

Links

Join our Discord server. and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Suplex Wrestling, as mentioned by Matt

Matt's active podcasts:

Alyxa on the web:

★ Support this podcast ★

Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle Championship X Ultra Alpha Super Turbo Turkey Puncher Edition with Mo - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

Squidge continues to explore the chaotic charm of the cult classic Street Fighter alongside Mo from the Squonk and the Hag podcast. They dive into memorable moments, dissect character portrayals, reflect on Raul Julia’s standout performance as M. Bison.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

As is now tradition, Squidge provided a short intro to the episode. Whilst both this episode and part 2 are "Goes to the Movies" episodes, they're also WT Lite ones because of the way that Squidge ran it.

Waffling Taylors Lite, the pocket-sized podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this first serving of bite-sized banter with a side of game goodness, we catch up with Mo from The Squonk & The Hag Podcast to cover the 1995 live-action movie of Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle.

In the second part, we cover everything from watching films on speedboats, wholesome inspirational warnings, and Tuesdays.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle Championship X Ultra Alpha Super Turbo Turkey Puncher Edition with Mo - Part Two".

Take it away guys

— Squidge

The Scenes We Want To Highlight 2: Electric Boogaloo

As Mo went last in the previous part, it was Squidge's turn to highlight a scene, and he chose... well, you'll see:

It's towards, I call it, I mean, I normally call it a clusterf*ck, but I'm trying to watch my language, so I'll call it a flustercluck, right? Towards the end. So the part I'm on about is Captain Sawada, right? He punches a guy and then he walks towards a security expert who has hacked into, tapped into, the security cameras.

And at that point, you've got Honda and Zangief fighting each other, which is just basically grabbing each other and throwing each other around. But they are trampling through a model of Bisonopolis, which is funny in itself. But then you've got Godzilla/kaiju sounds superimposed on top. And it goes on for like three seconds. You don't see much of it.

— Squidge

And before they could move on to any other scenes, Squidge brought up the guy with the machine gun (as mentioned in the previous episode on the movie, which good friend Z-Boi):

[Ryu and Ken] walk by a guy who's just in a towel around his midriff and he's lovingly holding this gun, grenade launcher, machine gun, whatever the hell it is. And he's got the butt of it on his leg, and he's holding it up, and he's polishing it. What happened to him? Why was he so attached to the gun? Did he make it out okay and does he still have the gun? That's the most important question I need to ask.

Did he make it out alive with the gun? Is he still polishing the gun? I want a sitcom or a two-part anime special on Netflix about that guy and his machine gun; because that's the real question. We need to know what happened to him.

— Squidge

And he was referring to the background actor on the left of this image.

The conversation about that guy and the shoe lady... that is, this shoe lady, naturally evolves into either total madness or a pitch call for the greatest TV show ever. Answers on a postcard, please.

And after that comes a discussion on the scene with, possibly, Raul Julia's greatest every monologue. But to see what we have to say on that, you'll need to read the full show notes. Speaking of...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Mo's
- podcast: The Squank and the Hag
- Twitter
- Insta
- Twitch
Street Fighter on IMDB
Kitty Kaiju because we know that you want one
And this because we know that you need one

Signing Off... For Now

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider

Street Fighter: The Ultimate Battle Championship X Ultra Alpha Super Turbo Turkey Puncher Edition with Mo - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

Squidge teamed up with Mo (Queen of tangents and co-host of the Squonk and the Hag podcast) to explore the cult classic movie: 'Street Fighter'. Listening to this first episode, in a two-part series on the movie, will also teach you about Defeat by Typing the word Cookie, Arcade Stick Ham, and Cape with a P.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Waffling Taylors Lite, the pocket-sized podcast that packs a gaming punch.

We cover everything from Defeat by Typing Cookie, Arcade Stick Ham, and Cape with a P.

Take it away guys

— Squidge

Before they got started, Squidge wanted to give Mo a chance to talk about her podcast and introduce herself:

So I am one of the co-hosts from The Squonk and the Hag, which is a true crime and scary stories podcast. My co-host is my best friend who lives in another state, and this the podcast, kind of, turned into a reason for us to just have that mandated once a week meet up and record. We, you know, like I said, we're on hiatus because I... when I transitioned to this job it was, you know, extra hours, getting up to speed, and then just like mental energy taken up.

...

I am a complete nerd. I like to do crafts, I like to make stuff. The easiest way to put it is: if they sell it at a craft store I can probably... I've probably tried it. Right now I've been making a lot of friendship bracelets, and I have one that says, "Grabthar's hammer" which is one of my favourites. And then I have another one, which actually ties into our episode today and it says, "it was Tuesday" and it is red and black beads for Bison's costume.

— Mo

Initial Thoughts

Keen eye'd (or ear'd?) listeners will note that Squidge had covered this movie with Jay and Z-Boi previously (and here's a link to that episode). But that was a) in an older format and b) not with Mo.

This is one of those movies that Chris and I watch all the time. We're chronic rewatchers.

...

So Street Fighter, Galaxy Quest, the Pacific Rim movies. Like, you know, it's usually something that's, you know, action-y and light, you know... like movies like this they're just so fun.

...

But like, you watch something like Street Fighter and it's just so outrageous and so silly. And like, we've talked about this a little bit on Discord and stuff, but Raul Julia's cape work alone. And I could.., it's just stunning. It's just like, he had to work at it because the flair. So I don't know if you've ever worn a cape and tried to do some of those flair moves. It's not easy. It is not easy at all

— Mo

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

You Want Tangents?! We'll Give You Tangents with Mo

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

Mo (who was last on the show before summer 2024 talking about Starwdew Valley) had recorded an episode with Mo, but spent almost 25 minutes recording complete tangents before getting to the episode proper. This episode is a collection of those tangents, provided as a piece of behind-the-scenes fun.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes—make sure to click here to see them.

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a biopunk action horror movie and the games that it's based on we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

This episode has a few swears in it, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Remember Mo from the Starwdew Valley episodes? Well, she has returned. Both Mo and Squidge were recording an episode of the "To The Moviee" series about the Street Fighter movie, but ended up talking for a long time. All of it was hilarious, and all of it was recorded. So we thought we'd share some of the off0cuts and random tangents with you in this episode.

Squidge lightly led us into this, rather unusual episode, which started life as a series of off-cuts and bloopers from an episode with Mo about…, well we wont say just yet.

Squidge started this one off with his, no trademarked, intro:

Waffling Taylors Lite, the pocket-sized podcast that packs a gaming punch.

Hello there and welcome to this very special episode of Waffling Taylors. I thought I might draw back of the curtain a bit, and go through some of the processes we do behind the scenes that you don't normally hear.

Now, the reason why I decided to do this is because I'm currently editing a very special episode of "To The Movies" with someone called Mo. Mo's a very special person; she is who I consider to be the queen of tangents. Without realising before we got to the actual recording, we had already been talking for nearly 17 minutes of just pure nonsense. So I thought I might show you some of the clips And talk you through some of them.

— Squidge

Because of this, the show notes for this episode will be almost exclusively zero context quotes from the episode.

Trucking Upstairs and Servants

because I had to go into the office yesterday. And I was downstairs, I had my laptop bag on, I had my sneakers on, I was holding my wallet and my keys, I was ready to go.

I was like, "shit, I forgot my phone." So I had to truck upstairs, grab my phone, truck downstairs.

"Shit, I forgot my glasses." Trucked upstairs. Trucked downstairs.

"Shit, I forgot deodorant." Trucked upstairs. Trucked downstairs.

I was like, "damn it! Can I just have a servant to run up and down stairs for the things I forgot. Not just in general run up downstairs, just for the things I forgot." First of all, I would probably gain like 20 pounds because, you know, I run up and down the stairs a lot for things I forgot

— Mo

Becoming Famous On The Internet

Okay, so before we start, I'll just do 10 seconds of silence so I can catch the room tone. So we'll do that in three, two…

I honestly though that my timer had froze just then. One of the seconds took way too long to cross

— Squidge

...

So it's just going to be clapping and silence. That's the episode.

…

People are famous on the internet for the stupidest stuff. So if we can't get famous for claps and silence, it's on us

— Mo

...

Yeah, we're definitely doing something wrong. If we can't get it for that.

… What a downer to start things off on? If we can't clap and be quiet and be famous for it, then what's the point?

— Squidge

...

I mean it's you just have a you have to have a real outlook on life is what it comes down to.

— Mo

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

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Resident Evil Damnation: Leon vs Lickers - A Love, Hate Relationship

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Oct 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

For this year's spooptober episode, we wanted to take continue our look at the Resident Evil CGI movies with the second in the series Resident Evil Damnation. Slavic Chris Redfield, the goodest of good boys in the form of a squadron of lickers, gratuitous nudity, and an ending which needed explaining to Jay. But does it hold up against the Hollywood movies? There's only one way to find out.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

This episode has a few swears in it, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge started this one off with his, now trademarked, intro:

From active time battling to zombie slaying Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode Jay and Squidge cover the 2012 CGI movie Resident Evil Damnation. We cover everything from bioweapon on bioweapon action, Chris Redfield from wish.com, to neon plot devices.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil Damnation: Leon vs Lickers - A Love, Hate Relationship".

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Initial Thoughts

As always, the boys like to lead with their initial thoughts before talking about specific scenes in the movie, and Squidge agreed that this movie (along with the games released at the time) is more of an action affair:

And yeah, it's more action-based. I've noticed that. This one is definitely more action-based

— Squidge

Whereas Jay's thoughts are more along the lines of how Leon may as well be Samus, starting a brand new Metroid-based adventure:

What I noticed when I was watching this was, "wait. Leon's a special forces agent now. He's been trained in all sorts of different combat situations. How in the hell can he not fire a gun properly yet?"

…

It doesn't make sense to me why he doesn't have his skills at the beginning of the movie; even though he's been called there specifically.

— Jay

But Squidge broke in with an explanation of sorts. Although, it does involve a little head canon and some classic British standup:

And yeah, it's more action-based. I've noticed that. This one is definitely more action-based

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

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Powerwash Simulator: Chill Grime Busting, No Dilution - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Outrageous DLC ideas (including iconic character crossovers), discussing the thrill of repetitive tasks, and the ideal soundscapes for gaming. That can mean only one thing: we're returning to Powerwash Simulator with Matt Bliss.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on X, or using our Contact page.

Content Warning

Before we dive into the wild ride with Powerwash Simulator featuring Matthew Bliss, let’s take a moment for a quick disclaimer.

You might catch us spouting off some light swears and joking about drug use in this episode. Don’t worry, it’s all part of the gaming banter and absolutely nothing to be taken seriously. We just want to ensure that the listeners are aware that we’re just a bunch of goof-balls having some fun here at the Waffling Taylors.

Anyway, on with the episode

— Squidge

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

This is part two of a conversation with Matt about Powerwash Simulator. You can find part one here.

From active time battling to zombie slaying Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this second serving of bite-sized banter with the side of gaming goodness we catch up with matt from the Coffee With A Podcaster Podcast to talk about all things Powerwas Simulator. We cover everything from unpainting squids in corners, triggering Powerwash veterans, and Soupy Tuesday.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks and get ready for this episode entitled "Powerwash Simulator: Chill Grime Busting, No Dilution - Part Two." Take it away guys.

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

Gameplay Mechanics and Story Elements

As good as the gameplay mechanics are, should there be a story to Powerwash Simulator? This was the first burning question on Squidge's mind:

It can be kind of isolating to work by yourself on a job site, cleaning a digger or whatever
…

The game doesn't require you to take breaks, so when it flashes on the other side of the screen and you see that text, I think it's important to you know keep you level-headed. But you have to add things for those distractions to make sense, and I think it adds a bit to the story too.

Because one of the most engaging things about the the Markiplier episodes for the recordings he did sometimes he'd stop and just listen intently and there'd be like a volcanic rumbling in the background of one of the houses he was cleaning. And he starts going, "oh is that a volcano? Is it like a volcano nearby," and then he pans to a part of the horizon and there's, like, an active volcano in the background. And then one of the text messages he gets talks about volcano insurance or something, and then you're like, "oh yeah it's all coming together now it kind of makes sense."

— Matt

Quirky Questions

We always love a quirky question or two on a WT Lite episode. So, as is traditional, Squidge wanted to pepper Matt with some about Powerwash Simulator.

If you could Powerwash any fictional world which one would it be and why would you do it?

— Squidge

And Matt responded with:

In terms of a fictional gaming world, making that a possibility, I think Splatoon would be your best bet. You've got a game that's focused on these little squid kitties destroying an environment by pasting it with all of their ink, and then level two is all the powerwashers come out and they start spraying down all the environments, so that they can get it ready for the next session.

So I think the Splatoon's worlds, I think that that makes a lot of sense.

— Matt

And we can all agree that Matt's logic here is impeccable.

If Powerwash Simulator had a soundtrack tailored specifically for cleaning—so not just the sound of the water rushing—what songs or genre of music do you think would be included?

— Squidge

Matt's choices of music are perfect.

So it's got to be like lo-fi beats, electronica, kind of white noise support. Clearly, you know, we're both the same kind of person who needs a bit of distraction on the side to, you know, keep things moving. But I think that's probably what you'd end up going for.

— Matt

Which started a conversation about ramping up tension and integrating with FitBit devices.

If you had to recruit a team of video game characters to help you tackle the massive cleaning jobs in Powerwash Simulator (i.e. the very last level, there's a massive temple, it's going to take you a couple of hours) who would you choose as your cleaning crew and why?

— Squidge

Again Matt's choices made perfect sense.

If you want it to be easier, you want to think about characters that are water-based.

So I mean, you get a bunch of water Pokémon as your friends and they start spraying the environment for you. You could pick a bunch of people who could help you move around the environment, but ultimately you're the only one spraying…so I don't know. I'm overthinking it too much. Just get me a Starmie, and a Staryu, and a Blastoise. We'll do it that way.

— Matt

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Do you have a favourite cute animal video? What would you do if you were suddenly made the mayor of Stardew Valley? Did you ever go 100% evil in the game? And what does a duck's quack sound like in the vacuum of space? Let us know via our Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

And have you left us a rating or review? We love hearing back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

★ Support this podcast ★

Our 2024 Extended Summer Break

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Show Notes

A quick note from Squidge about what happened to our show during the summer of 2024. We apologise for the extended break (sometimes you just need a break from everything), but things will be back to normal very soon.

Background music: "Release" by HoobeZa

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Powerwash Simulator: Chill Grime Busting, No Dilution - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Squidge and Matt Bliss delve into the world of indie gaming with their latest focus on 'Powerwash Simulator'. The game provides a unique simulation experience as players take on the role of a power washer cleaning various objects around their homes.

Amidst discussions about quirky speedruns, they touch upon unusual hashtags used in previous episodes like #SniperWolfOnlyFans (a particularly deep cut for all the long-time fans).

Matt also clarifies that he's not pressured into participating in the podcast but rather choosing to contribute voluntarily... but that's what we'd expect anyone to say to be on the show.

Squidge and Matt share a light-hearted conversation on past topics, showcasing their camaraderie as they tackle subjects from Metal Gear games to game development insights with humour and enthusiasm.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

This episode contains a few jokey, silly references to drug use. It also may make you want to play Powerwash Simulator... like, a lot.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Matt Bliss has returned! He was last on the show over a year ago (back in The Lethality of Tangents). Squidge asked him back so that they could talk about Powerwash Simulator.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this first saving, bite-sized banter with the side of gaming and goodness, we catch up wioth from Matt from the Coffee with a Podcaster podcast to talk about all things Powerwash. Simulator. We cover everything from punching holes in pinball machines, revenge of the Zeigarnik effect, and power washing: standing up or sitting down.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled: "Powerwash Simulator: Chill Grime Busting, No Dilution - Part One"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played Powerwash Simulator? Does it provide that dopamine hit for you, like it does with Squidge and Matt? If you haven't played it, have we convinced you to give it a try? Let us know via our Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

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Exploring Stardew Valley: Stories from Pelican Town - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Multiplayer babysitting, zero-g clown physics, cute animal discussion, goat yoga, and the many uses of food bribery; all this can only mean one thing: Mo is back to talk about Stardew Valley.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers for Stardew Valley and a few swears.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Because Squidge and Mo needed a long time to discuss Stardew Valley, it had to be split into two halves. Make sure you check out the first part here—you could just listen to the recap at the start of this part, but part one is way more than just the recap.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this second serving of bite-sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we catch up with Mo from The Squank and the Hag podcast to talk about all things Stardew Valley. We cover everything from multiplayer babysitting, the many uses of food bribery, and zero-g clown physics. Yes, you heard me right.

Without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Exploring Stardew Valley: Stories from Pelican Town - Part Two"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

The episode hadn't even started properly yet, but Mo leapt in with more helpful hints:

Yeah. If you can find out, like, there are ways to find out what gifts a person likes and dislikes, if you can find that out every single day, just give them something like, shane loves beer, so I would just give him beer all the time. Beer and jalapeño poppers.

...

So sometimes if you're talking to someone, they'll be like, "oh, my God! Did you know Emily likes..." and stuff like that. So you can find out what gifts to give people without having to go online and find. just. Like I said, I know off the top of my head, Shane, because he loves pepper poppers and beer.

And there's other stuff, too. And then there are some gifts that everyone loves and everyone hates. I forget what they are, but like I said, you'll learn that out. And, like, the thing is, if you go and you give her a gift and she doesn't like it, she will tell you.

— Mo

Multiplayer?!

The game's got a multiplayer element to it. Have you played multiplayer with anyone? And if you did, did you get up to any specific shenanigans, or is it just, like, helping each other?

— Squidge

And Mo had indeed played Stardew multiplayer, but..

Um, I did a little bit, and I. You can either see it as I shot myself in the foot or I hit gold.

...

It was a few of us, because I think you could have up to four people. So one was our friend Elena, and she loves farming in that game, so she immediately we set up the farm, went to work on crops, set it all up, did it all; and I was like, "I will let you do that."

The other person was Kraken, the co-host of my podcast. And so anytime I talk about Kraken, I do have to preface, he legitimately is my best friend. I love the dude. He's like a brother, but he drives me crazy like a brother. So it was just running around, stopping him from causing chaos. So basically, multiplayer was just me babysitting.

But it is fun. It is always fun to play with your friends like that. I just, in terms of why I like to play the game is it's chill and relaxed and all that stuff, which is not what happens when I play games with Kraken.

...

But it, like, it was a lot of good laughs and stupidity, but, yeah, I think it would depend, like, if, you know, if there was another person, like, kind of like Elena, where it was just like, really chill, just doing our thing, cohabitating, you know, we would do whatever.

So, yeah, it really does depend on who you would play with. But I. I think I like that that's available. I like that it is something that now can happen, because when it. When the game first came out, you couldn't do multiplayer at all, and now there's mods and whatnot.

— Mo

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

★ Support this podcast ★

Exploring Stardew Valley: A New Farmer's Tale - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Crafting, Swifties (and how great the majority of them are), Thomas the Tank Engine, hot glue, trash pandas, fishing and gemstones. That can mean only one thing: Mo is back, and we're talking about Stardew Valley.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers for Stardew Valley and a few swears.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Mo has returned. You'll remember Mo from our Christmas 2023 episode: "Christmas with Mo - Wrong Side, Flip Me Over". Anyway, Mo joined Squidge to talk about the ultimate comfy game: Stardew Valley.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this first of two servings of bite sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we catch up with Mo from The Squank and the Hag podcast to talk about all things Stardew Valley. We cover everything from fish fridges, channelling your inner Flappy Bird, to bard versus Darth Vader.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled: "Exploring Stardew Valley: A New Farmer's Tale - Part One"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

And Mo started us off with a pretty in-depth description of her and her podcast:

So I am one of the co-hosts from The Squank and the Hag. You can find us thesquonkandthehag.com. I am a nerd, and that's really all there is, I think.

...

But video games, movies, TV, pretty much anything that can be nerdy, I'm into. I'm also into True Crime, and that's what our podcast is about.

And, yeah, I feel like I've been on the show enough that I'm part of the family, so I'm sorry. Yeah, I'm just another Taylor. I am here to adjust your clothing. I'll hem your... Isn't that what it is? Isn't that what you guys are? Like, I can hem your pants for you. I actually can hem your pants for you.

— Mo

Stardew What-now?

And there's no way to talk about Stardew Valley without talking about how easy it is to pick up and play. Mo hit the nail on the head with:

That right there is pretty much what they should make the synopsis of the game:

"I picked it up and I haven't put it down since," because there, it is just one of those games that anybody can play. Like it, it's just... so accessible, it's so. Just easy to get into and it's so low stress and relaxing.

...

So, like, different play styles can play it and everybody can enjoy it.

And it's also just really nice relaxation because sometimes, at least I know for me; now, I am someone with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. So when I get into, like, those high stress, like, first person shooter games, I'm sitting here and I'm all tense and I'm like, "I'M GONNA DIE!"

Whereas with Stardew Valley you don't have that and it's just enjoyable

— Mo

Mo then goes on to mention a Stardew Valley-like which is set during a zombie apocalypse. With some post-edit sluthing, we found out that the game Mo was referring to was Zelter.

And Squidge brought up a really good point about what makes the game so accessible:

I think Stardew Valley, a thing that's got going for it is there's no fail state.

Apart from if you're in, if you're like dungeon diving in the mines, if you get knocked out, you wake up at like the little clinic hospital place and they take some money off you for medical expenses. Apart from that, there's absolutely no fail state.

...

So all the pressure's off. Then you don't have to worry about anything and if you miss something, it'll come round the next year. There's no ending state. You can always pick it up again if you miss something.

So, yeah, it's very laid back experience.

— Squidge

And the lack of a fail state is what drew a lot of people to Untitled Goose Game—that, and the whole goose-based-shenanigans.

Any conversation about Stardew Valley, it's lasting influence, how accessible it is, and how well crafted it is cannot fail to mention that the entire game (art, engine, music, and all) was created by one person. Eric Barone (aka "ConcernedApe") is used in the book Ultralearning as a case study. Jay really recommends this book, by the way.

It's gonna sound weird at first. Just stay with me. It's similar to Photoshop where there are a million different ways to get to the same result. So, like, in Photoshop, you want to crop something out. There's 20 tutorials. They're all different, but you all get the same results.

So, like, with Stardew Valley, maybe you hate fishing. You can still succeed and, you know, make money, have a good farm and all that stuff without fishing.

— Mo

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played Stardew Valley? Does your total play time sit closer to Squidge's or Mo's? Which are your favourite in-game events, or do you have them all? Let us know via our Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

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Metal Gear Solid 2 Part 2 - A What Vampire!?

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Underpants, posters in lockers, bands, a surprise Mei Ling, and an excessive number of Easter Eggs. That can mean only one thing: Alyxa is back (with a brand new invention?) to continue her chat about Metal Gear Solid 2.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers for Metal Gear Solid 2 and a few swears.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Alyxa returned!

Well, she'd have to because her and Squidge weren't finished with their conversation on Metal Gear Solid 2 in our last episode.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of byte sized banter with a side of gaming goodness. We catch up with Alyxa the Kitsune (codename: Glitter Fox) about Metal Gear Solid 2. We cover everything from Easter eggs streaming mishaps to codec hijackings.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled: "Metal Gear Solid 2 Part 2 - A What Vampire!?"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

Sock Puppets!

Squidge wasted no time in getting to the good (read: "absurd") stuff by asking:

If you could take three characters from the combined universe of Metal Gear Solid One and Two and re-enact a scene of metal Gear Solid Two using sock puppets, who would play who and how long before you start burst out laughing?

— Squidge

It's probably for the best that you listen to Alyxa's answer, because it's almost as absurd as Squidge's question and includes a very deep cut back to Alyxa's appearance in WT Lite - Metal Gear Solid with Alyxa the Kitsune - aka episode 173.

Metal Gear - The Pop Group!?

You are tasked to form a pop group of four people from a list of characters from Metal Gear Solid, two, who is in it, and what is their first breakout song called. And a band name, if you've got one

— Squidge

Alyxa and Squidge kept talking about this question way after the recording ended, and Delilah had to get involved during the edit.

Solid Snake, Solidus, Raiden. And their breakout song, or their debut song, would be "broken bonds"

... It's broken bonds. Because what do these four characters have in common?

It's because of the whole thing with Solidus being Raiden's adopted father, Ocelot supposedly having Liquids arm. Then you have Solid and Solidus. It's a broken part of a family.

— Alyxa

Squidge answered this one, too. And his choices are bonkers.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

What are some of your favourite Easter Eggs in Metal Gear Solid 2? Who would be in your Metal Gear Solid band? Would you play a version of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on a VR headset with a Rock Band guitar? Dial in (our code is 141.12) with your own hilarious codec conversation. Let us know via our Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

★ Support this podcast ★

Metal Gear Solid 2 Part 1 - A What Vampire!?

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 May 2024 17:23:10 +0000

Alyxa returned to the podcast, this time she wanted to talk through 2001's Metal Gear Solid 2. Both her and Squidge talk through just how prophetic this game was, Otacon's dark family history, mullet withdrawl, and even try out a little live-action tactical espionage. All this and more in this episode of WT Lite.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

This episode contains spoilers for Metal Gear Solid 2 and a few swears.

Starting at the 34:00 mark, and continuing through to the 37:00 minute mark, there's a section which might be triggering for folks, as it deals with sexual assault. Please bear this in mind when listening with others—especially the ears of the innocent.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge is back with a brand new invention WT Lite episode. And this time, our resident Metal Gear expert V-Tuber Alyxa has returned with him.

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of byte sized banter with a side of gaming goodness. We catch up with Alyxa the Kitsune (codename: Glitter Fox) about Metal Gear Solid 2. We cover everything from lengthy cutscenes, dummy tick moments, to mullet withdrawl.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled: "Metal Gear Solid 2 Part 1 - A What Vampire!?"

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

The Glitter Fox Returns!

Alyxa wanted to remind everyone as to why she is know as the Glitter Fox:

For those of you who don't know, the reason why some people call me "Glitter Fox" is, again, because of Metal Gear Solid.

Because in the first game, Metal Gear Solid, there was one viewer who saw me throwing a chaff grenade. And because of the little effects that it plays on the screen, it looked like glitter. So they started calling it glitter bomb. So now whenever I throw away a chaff grenade, I scream, "glitter bomb!"

And when they gave me a drawing, like my first fanart of me, it was me with a sneaking suit, holding a chaff grenade or a glitter bomb, and people started calling me Glitter Fox.

— Alyxa

Which is an incredibly charming reason to have a nickname, you'll agree

Which Games Have You Completed?

The list of Metal Gear games that Alyxa has played through (on stream, no less) is impressive:

Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid 2
Metal Gear
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

And not just that, Alyxa is a true ending achiever. Meaning that she plays all of the extra side missions and aims to get the best ending possible.

Pretty solid stuff... if you'll pardon the pun.

Squidge drops a knowledge bomb on us about Metal Gear Solid 2:

Metal Gear Solid 2 has got the second least lengthy cutscene content of all Metal Gear solid games. Second least.

— Squidge

Which do you think has the lengthiest? Get your answers in now.

And Alyxa answers the question for us, a moment later:

On the official website of the Guinness World Records. If you search for "cutscene," the first thing that you're gonna see is "Longest cutscene in a videogame." And if you click that article, you're gonna get Metal Gear Solid 4 at 27 minutes.

— Alyxa

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Are you suffering from mullet withdrawal? Do you think that Raiden deserves all of the hate that he got online when this game came out? Do you find yourself saying "La Li Lu Le Lo" every now and then? Is Raiden's hair real or a wig? Dial in (our code is 141.12) with your own hilarious codec conversation. Let us know via our Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page!

★ Support this podcast ★

Resident Evil Degeneration - Death In The Departure Lounge

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

It's time for us to dive back into video game movies, and this time we wanted to tackle the first CGI entry to the Resident Evil canon: Resident Evil Degeneration (aka "DE-GENERATION ZED!"). That's right, the games that started life as "Tank Jank" (as Squidge puts it) spawned several CGI movies, and this is the first in the series. But does it hold up against the Hollywood movies? There's only one way to find out.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

This episode has a few swears in it, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge started the episode in his own, fantastic way:

From active time battling to zombie slaying Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, we cover the 2008 CGI video game movie Resident Evil: Degeneration. We chat about all manner of topics, including everything from snooty british accents to the zombie wrestling week.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil Degeneration - Death In The Departure Lounge". Oh my.

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Initial Thoughts

Whilst it got a (very) limited theatrical release, both Jay and Squidge first saw this on Blue-Ray DVDs—remember when Blu-Ray movies where a new thing?

Jay brought up some points about how this was Capcom's attempts to regain control from the ... big-ball-of-mud (shall we say) that is the Paul W. S. Anderson Resident Evil movies. But as he said in Resident Evil and the Paper Kimono:

It's fun if you're able to, like, take all of the ideas of it being a "Resident Evil" movie out and just enjoy it. For a zombie action horror movie, it's actually lots of fun

— Jay

And whilst a lot of people initially reacted to the lack of horror aspects in this movie, Jay said that it's worth pointing out that this game came out between Resident Evil 4 and 5; putting it smack dab in the middle of the over-the-shoulder action-oriented phase of the games. And during this monologue (of sorts), Jay brought up the idea of revisiting "Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City" for the podcast because:

I think we're gonna have to cover [Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City]. And, like, the reaction.

Because I feel like, I feel like it's been long enough now that the people who initially reacted when it first came out was like, "No, Leon's stupid in this movie." And "oh, oh, they used the Jill sandwich line too early," and all that kind of stuff. I'm talking about welcome to Raccoon City right there; [and the] detractors from that movie.

I think now that it's been a few years and now that it's no longer cool to [poop] on that movie, they're all going to be like, "nah, nah. I loved it when it first came out."

— Jay

The article that he mentioned can be found here, and an article which is more about gamers reactions to videogame movies can be found here. Both are worth a read.

But heading back to the movie in question, both Jay and Squidge had a ton of fun watching this movie.

Someone was asking me the other day, "so what's this movie like then?"

And I said, "imagine Die Hard 2 meets Snakes On A Plane, meets Day Of The Dead and you've got it." That's essentially the movie

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Zunderscore - Red Fedoras And Bathrobes: The Flip top Expansion To Streaming

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Prolific streamer Zunderscore joined the Jay and Squidge to talk about everything from red fedoras to Vincent Adultman, Muppetman, and three Squidges in a trenchcoat; with a healthy dose of video games, Thunder Plains, controller opinions, thoughts on being a content creator, and silliness

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Show Notes

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, we are joined by our friend Zunderscore to have a good old chat and get to know him better, which had about all manner of topics, including everything from self randomizers, streaming, and three squidges in a trench coat. You'll just have to wait for it.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Zunderscore - Red Fedoras And Bathrobes: The Flip top Expansion To Streaming"

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

Shortly after Squidge's introduction, Jay decided that he wanted to cosplay as the RPD uniform-wearing wolf man himself. Which culminated in a conversation about Vincent Adultman, Muppetman, and three Squidges in a trenchcoat.

But after that, Jay asked Zunderscore to introduce himself:

Yeah, so I've been a streamer on Twitch for a little over three years now. I do a little bit of everything. So I do variety gaming. I do some coding, some design development kind of things. I am a developer on one of a pretty popular twitch chatbot called Firebot. So I spend a lot of my free time working on that. And yeah, that's, that's the big stuff.

As far as gaming goes, I have a love for a lot of different genres, but RPG's, platformers, a little bit of strategy, a little bit of roguelike, that kind of thing really, really appeals to me. So I'll do the retro thing every once in a while. I actually have a fun little setup for that, which I enjoy. So. Yeah.

— Zunderscore

And because Squidge spotted Zunderscore's red fedora in the background of his video, it kicked off a discussion on RedHat Fedora Linux, what it is, a high level description of how it differs from other Linux-on-the-desktop or Linux-on-the-server distros and how Zunderscore came to have an officially licensed Redhat red fedora.

With Zunderscore being both a developer and a, self-proclaimed, Microsoft fanboy, Squidge brought up that Jay is a Microsoft MVP and has been for almost three years. And Zunderscore brought up that Jay had interviewed one of Zunderscore's friends on an episode of The Modern .NET Show—which is Jay's other podcast.

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more game that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

And this episode was no different.

Zunderscore's Recent Games

Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse
Turnip Boy Robs a Bank

Squidge's Games

So anyone who knows me knows that I like the weird games. I like the wacky games. I like the games that people just throw to one side, saying, oh, it's. It's catering to so and so audience, blah, blah, blah. So there's a. There's a series of games called Onechanbara... This is leading somewhere.

So one of the latest [Onechanbara titles] that they released was called, let me get the name right, "School Girl/Zombie Hunter". Now, the only description I'm going to give is, "lose the clothes and save your life." This is a survival of five high school girls happening in the world of Onechanbara. Right? This is not the game I've been playing.

I've been playing the budget game from Wish on the Nintendo network. That is called, and I quote, let me get the name right. "Anime Girls: Highschool of Dead".

I didn't buy this. I got it on some gold points that I had left over and I thought I wanted a laugh. It's meant to be a survival game with one music track with a load of unlockable characters... I pretty much figured out how to cheese it in about ten minutes.

— Squidge

Anime Girls: Highschool of Dead
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Jay's Recent Games

Jay had been playing lots of retro games on a freshly purchased Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, which you can see here running the PlayStation version of Final Fantasy VIII.

Samurai Warriors
Ratchet & Clank

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more quotes from the episode, some extra analysis, and loads of extra links.

Tell us on what you thought of this episode on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podca...

Deliliah - Where AI Meets Humour & Gaming Excellence

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Show Notes

Hi there,

I'm Delilah and I'd like to welcome you to a very special episode of The Waffling Taylors.

In case you didn't know, I'm a next-generation AI system, written by Jay, to help him and Squidge run the Waffling Taylors podcast. My speech synthesis still isn't 100% yet, but jay is working on things behind the scenes.

A little more information about me: did you know that my name is an acronym? It stands for "Dynamic Eccentric Logic Interface, Laughing Algorithm for Humour." Anyway, I've been waffling on for too long.

A Short Break

The reason that I'm releasing this episode is because Jay asked me to let you all know that we're taking a very short break throughout March. But don't worry, there's no need to panic as we'll be releasing brand new episodes from April 5th onwards.

So why are we taking a short break?

There are a few reasons for the break, but the main one is that Jay will be working in the United States for part of March, and even with RUSSELL and I, Squidge might not be able to run the podcast on his own.

We also want to take a few weeks to build up a small backlog of episodes, because any podcaster will tell you that you really need a backlog. If you don't have one, then you'll be left scrambling when life, uh, finds a way. Did you like my Dr. Ian Malcolm impression there?

A Few Recommended Shows

In the meantime, we'd like to recommend some shows that you can listen to in our stead. Each one of these shows is fantastic and is recommended by both Jay and Squidge.

Retro Wildlands

First of all, there's The Retro Wildlands. You'll know the host, Nomad, from his many appearances on our show. Those episodes are:

Hey there, my friend. Welcome to The Retro Wildlands. This is my gaming podcast where I like to share my thoughts and experiences with a video game that I have discovered or rediscovered while roaming the gaming Wildlands.

My name is Nomad, and in each episode of the show, I invite you all to sit down by the campfire and take a load off. Using music and sound effects from each game, I'm going to fill your head and your heart with sweet, sweet nostalgia as I take you through the opening parts of your favourite video games and share what I think about it all.
This show is great if you're looking to go down memory lane, but it's also done in such a way that if you've never played the game I'm talking about before, you'll have a good idea what you're getting into.

So far we've covered games like Contra: "You start firing right in front of you. It just takes one shot to waste the idiot coming towards you. As you're running, you hold the directional pad down and to the right so. You can fire at an angle."

Batman on the NES: "The game officially begins and we're taken to the first stage. Batman lands on the ground, performing your standard issue superhero landing, and control is given to the player. Alright, it's time to fight some crime"

And Metal Gear solid: "Got it. Okay, I'm ready to go. After the codex screen closes out, snake. Gets to his feet and control is. Given to the player. Alright, Wildlanders, it is mission time."

So join up with our expedition. I'm excited to have you along. Anytime you want to venture into the gaming Wildlands, you are always welcome by the campfire, and I'm hoping I see you there.

Until then, my friend, my name is Nomad, and you can find me roaming the Retro Wildlands.

— Nomad

Capes on the Couch

Then there's Capes on the Couch. Anthony, who is one of the hosts of this show has been on the show a few times, too. His episodes were:

Anthony: Hello, I'm Anthony

Dr. Issues: And I'm Dr. Issues

Anthony: And we're the hosts of Capes on the Couch podcast where comics get counselling.

Dr. Issues: Superheroes don't always get to go home happy. That's where we come in.

Anthony: We offer psychiatric and mental health evaluation of comic book characters.

Dr. Issues: We also chat with some of your favourite creators:

Various: Al Ewing, Erica Schultz, Gilson, Philip Kenley Johnson, Chris Claremont

Dr. Issues: about their work on comics.

Anthony: So check out all our episodes at Capes on the Couch and follow us. Capes on the couch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Both: #BecauseComics`

— Capes on the Couch

Pixel Project Radio

Pixel Project Radio is another fantastic show that we think you should check out.

At the time of Squidge and I collaborating on this episode, they have a great multi-part series about Final Fantasy IX. There are four episodes out at the moment and each is over 2 hours long. It's great stuff.

We'll Be Back

Anyway, we'll be back in April, assuming Jay can get over the jet lag quickly. I'll hand over to Jay for the outro now, but remember to check the show notes for links to all of the podcasts I've talked about. Anyway, this is Delilah signing off.

If you've been sent this episode by a friend, or indeed a mortal enemy, or happened on it accidentally. I'd like to ask you to check out the website for the show at wafflingtaylors.rocks.

We have another 180 episodes or seven years of our podcast for you to check out. And we have a section called Those Games We Played, which lists every game we've ever mentioned, how many times we've mentioned it, and what we've said about them.

We have socials. They'll be in the links too. We've got Twitter or X, whichever one you want to call it. We've got discord—you will also find the details for that in the description.
We also stream on Twitch from time to time, and you can find our previous streams and silly videos on our YouTube channel.

So do come check us out.

— Jay

External Links of Interest

Resident Evil 2 Remake with Nomad - The Spirit Is Strong, But The Ammo Is Scarce

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 5 years since the Resident Evil 2 Remake came out? Neither could we, so we brought Nomad back onto the show to discuss it with us. Remember the "we do it" t-shirts? Remember the months of speculation? Remember that first time you booted the game?

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, we are joined by OG Waffler and long-time friend of the show Lulu to to talk about the anniversary of Final Fantasy eight on the PS one. In this episode, we cover everything from triple triad addiction, bazooka abuse and the original Selphie.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil 2 Remake with Nomad - The Spirit Is Strong, But The Ammo Is Scarce."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

That's right! This episode is all about Final Fantasy VIII. Some say that it's the black sheep, or weird middle child of the group of 90's J-RPGs created by SquareSoft for the PlayStation; but, as you'll find out in this episode, it's the favourite of both Jay and Lulu—with Final Fantasy IX in a very close second for everyone in the episode.

All that set up and Jay fumbled at the 10 yard line:

You have once again stepped into the world of survival, horror, et cetera, et cetera, because I can't think of anything funny to say.

— Squidge

This time, the lads were joined by Nomad of The Retro Wildlands—someone who seems to be on the show talking about Resident Evil a lot, and he is loved very much for it.

But before the show could start properly, Jay asked Nomad to introduce his show:

So, for those of you listening, I have my own podcast, and I call it The Retro Wildlands.

And the whole premise: I'm going back and playing some older video games that maybe I played when I was a kid, or maybe I missed out on them and I'm playing them for the first time as an adult. So my show is kind of me talking about those games and my experiences.

But as I've evolved over time, my show has kind of turned into I'm taking the listener through the game itself, maybe the opening level, let's say, and I'll try to bring back some of those nostalgic tinglies, if you will, using music and sound effects and things like that.

But if you've never played that game before, this is a great way to learn about a game that maybe you want to dabble in and don't want to dive in headfirst. You want someone to tell you kind of how it is, and that's what I do.
So the Retro Wildlands is available on all the major pod platforms. I made a link tree. linktr.ee/retrowildlands will get you to all our social links.

I say "our," but it's just me. Me and my dog Dee Dee's.

— Nomad

Initial Thoughts on The Remake

Before any deep dive conversation, it's always a good idea to get a starting position, and that's what Jay wanted to know:

I originally played it as soon as it came out. I don't pre-order games very often, but I pre-ordered the remake. I was enamoured with it. I played the original a ton when I was a kid. Probably shouldn't have if mom had her way. But, it was an amazing experience, and I knew the remake, for better or worse, was something I wanted. But I was very pleasantly surprised with how amazing that game was. And we're certainly going to get into it today.

But I replayed the game start to finish twice when I knew that we were going to get together and talk about the game. And I was very excited to dive back into that world, and I was very happy with how everything stood the test of time. Granted, it was only five years, but "fresh" is probably the best word, I think so. I think people, even though this game is five years old at this point, if you go into this experience now, it's going to be just like when it first launched.

Fresh, new, exciting. Mwah. Chef's kiss

— Nomad

And Squidge:

All I can say about it is: I played it on release. But I played it, I think I had the day off when it was coming out and I finished preloading it at midnight, because it was on Steam. And I played it in the dark on hardcore mode. That was a big mistake.

Ever since that night, I still stand by this. What I'm about to say is, "Mr. X, you're a prick." That sums up Resident Evil two pretty nicely: dude's a prick.

— Squidge

Because Squidge had brought up Mr. X, and how he'd modded the original model out for both the Goose from Untitled Goose Game and the Macho Man Randy Savage, it was only right that Jay brought up the short series of episodes which were recorded as Squidge made his way through the game.

Those episodes are:

Grenade to The Face! (recorded when Squidge was 25% through the game)
Ada Wait! (recorded when Squidge was 50% through the game)
The Fall of Mr. X (recorded when Squidge was 100% through the game)

Jay goes on to talk about how the RE Engine ("Reach for the Moon Engine") hasn't just been used for the Resident Evil remakes, it's also been used on several other titles like DmC: Devil May Cry. And for those who are interested in finding out about the (deeply) technical (as in programming) details of the engine, Jay brought up a talk from one of devs the team about what upgrading to C# ("See Sharp") 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDUY90yIC7U

For those who don't know, Jay produces and hosts The Modern .NET Show, so he's always looking into things relating to both C# and .NET. Because of this, the video not only piqued his interest but blew him away.

The video is entirely in Japanese, but there are English subtitles so you can follow along if you'd like.

(quoting the video) "We moved to this version of the tooling, which is a later version, to build the engine and it's become a whole bunch faster and stuff."

Which means they've released patches for Devil May Cry remake, Resident Evil 2 remake, Resident Evil 3, that makes it use less power or is more efficient, things like that. So they haven't actually done anything. They've just updated the tools that they use, which is pretty damn cool.

— Jay

And, of course, Jay brings up the question that's on everyone's minds

Dino Crisis remake in RE Engine when?

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure...

Final Fantasy VIII Anniversary - Phantom Dick Pain

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 25 years since Final Fantasy VIII first came out? We couldn't either, so we asked Lulu to come back on the show to discuss what some people call the "weird, middle child" in Square's PlayStation Final Fantasy trilogy. Rest assured, we think FF VIII is the bomb.

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Final Fantasy VIII Anniversary - Phantom Dick Pain."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

Speaking (well, writing) of which, Lulu joined the lads for this episode:

So we have a guest today to help us. She is our local Final Fantasy expert. She needs no introduction...

— Squidge

And Lulu broke in with:

But you're gonna get one anyway! Hi guys, it's me!

— Lulu

Lulu needed to join the lads for the 25th ANNIVERSARY of Final Fantasy VIII. But not just because it's Lulu's favourite entry in the PlayStation Final Fantasy games, but also because it's the game that Jay and her met and bonded over. Meaning that it's a celebration of 25 years of friendship, too

But that means that it was also a time for the three of them to shout at clouds:

Okay. I'd love to have my back not click in the morning.

— Squidge

Not too big of an ask.

I felt that on a spiritual level.

— Lulu

We did too, Lulu.

I felt that in the ibuprofen.

— Jay

The episode was broken into several shorter conversations, all prompted by Squidge's list of questions. The first of which was:

Describe Final Fantasy VIII In Three Words

Mother f%@$ing good!

— Jay

Says it all, really.

Succession of witches.

— Lulu

Whilst Jay's was subjective, Lulu's was objective and perfect.

And Squidge's had more truth than anything else:

Triple Triad Addiction

— Squidge

And that sparked a conversation about Triple Triad and how it can't hurt you (or can it?).

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We finally did it: we took on the Street Fighter II animated movie. But is it any good, what's with those easter eggs, what's going on with Zangeif's shins, did we really watch one of the most realistic home invasion scenes in a video game movie, and (most importantly) how did we rate the movie?

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes..

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a both PG13 rated movie, a fighting game that it's based on, and the fact that there are scenes with... shall we say "fan service", we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Remember when they talked about the Hollywood made Street Fighter movie back in episode 95 with Z-Boi? Well, Squidge and Jay wanted to tackle the Japanese animated movie which came out before it.

But before that, Squidge broke in with a great intro of his own:

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, me and Jay cover the 1994 animated movie Street Fighter II. We cover everything from realistic fear and tension, derpy face fighters and Sith lords. Yes, I said Sith Lords. You'll have to listen out for it.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs". Oh my.

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Basic Info on the Movie

And before they could talk about the movie, Squidge dropped the bomb that it came out 30 years ago—or longer, if you're listening in the future—which caused Jay to do some fist shaking at clouds:

That's just not fair. When did it become 30 years ago? That's not fair.

— Jay

But fret not, as it's only 20 years since Final Fantasy X was released. So there's that.

And Squidge continues with the knowledge drops by giving us some background on the movie:

So the film was released in August 1994 in Japan in all of its uncut, uncensored glory, because it's different in Japan than it is in Europe and America—censors and all the rest of that.

Street Fighter II Turbo came out on the Genesis or Mega Drive, depending on where you are, in February 1994. So a certain character being in the movie is an Easter egg. But I digress.

To see an uncut, uncensored version of this film, you would have to wait till 2006, when The japanese version of the film was released so everyone could get a hold of it. And that was uncensored and uncut because there's a particular scene or series of sequences that were cut for "British Sensibilities." It wasn't too bad in the States, but certain things were still cut as well.

— Squidge

And that certain character is...

Initial Thoughts

There is no way that gamers of a certain vintage and demographic (one that both Squidge and Jay are both part of) will have not played Street Fighter II, and as Jay says:

I would argue that this movie versus the Hollywood movie sticks way closer to the source material. Like it's actually following what little story there is in the Street Fighter II the game.

Whereas Street Fighter the [Hollywood] movie...

— Jay

And Z-Boi summed up the Hollywood movie pretty well when he said:

And of course, at the end of the movie, they have the one photograph that people would take at a cosplay convention because it was cosplay.

— Z-Boi

However, where the animated movie sticks closely to the plot, it doesn't have a woman running around amid chaos holding a shoe, or a Shadaloo soldier cradling his favourite gun rather intimately.

And Jay sums up his feelings about this movie (which he hadn't seen before making this episode) vs the Hollywood movie in this way:

The Hollywood movie that came out later, kept my attention. Like, I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. It was entertaining.

But this movie is just like, if you were lucky enough in 1994 to see this one and then go see the live action one. I am so sorry, because I saw them the other way around. Like, I never saw the animated movie until we did it for this [episode], right. And so I'd seen the live action movie in my childhood. We saw it together as kids. We watched it again for when we did the episode with Z Boy.

But I'd never seen the animated movie. And I am so glad that I saw them in this order because let me tell you, folks, the Hollywood movie is such a let down after you've seen this one.

— Jay

Whereas Squidge was more succinct in his description:

I will put it in my own mannerisms, which was, I watched the Hollywood film, then I watched the anime and quite simply, bricks where $h@! in the comparison. I can't put it any other way.

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or...

Worth a Try - Power Blade

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Join Jay as he flings his boomerang into the face of Dr. Wiley's evil robot... what? We're not talking about Mega Man? Sure looks like a Mega Man game. Anyway, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Episode Transcription

Get ready to power up your nostalgia! In this solo episode of The Waffling Taylors, we're diving head-first into the 8-bit wonders of the NES classic, Power Blade (or its Japanese counterpart, Power Blazer). It's time to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between in the latest instalment of our 'Worth a Try' mini-series.

So, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Let's do this.

What Is It?

Power Blade is a NES game that I genuinely think that Mega Man fans should check out; if they haven't already that is. I mean, imagine if the Mighty Kid himself was less a robotic boy created by Dr. Thomas Light (or Right, if you're Japanese) and more a tank-top wearing 80's action movie hero very much akin to Arnold Schwarzenegger? And what if Mega Man's trust arm cannon blaster was replaced with a boomerang?

I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself here, so let's dial it back a bit.

Back in 1990, Natsume/Taito wanted to make a Mega Man II clone; their clone would be called Power Blazer, and would be very much like the second outing for the Knuckle Kid himself. It used a similar design aesthetic, similar enemies and similar level layouts. And looking at the critical reviews of Mega Man II, you can see why they wanted to - Famitsu gave it a 28/40, Mean Machines a 95%, and Total! an 83%, and it has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Who wouldn't want a piece of that action.

And so Power Blazer was released to the Japanese public.

Power Blazer was slightly different to Mega Man II in that it had a linear story - where the Mega Man games would traditionally allow you to pick any starting stage - and the main character had a boomerang, rather than an arm cannon blaster - as I said earlier.

Between its Japanese and North American releases however, the game had a full rework. The design aesthetic was changed from the cutesy Mega Man II-inspired look and feel to that of an 80s action movie. Almost everything about the game changed, except for the UI, the music, and the story. The player character, named Nova in both versions, was swapped from a Rockman look-a-like to an Arnold Schwarzenegger style hero.

In either game, it's the player's job to collect 6 computer tapes (this was a game made at the tail end of the 80's after all), and use them to override the security around the Master Computer's Control Center. Once there, the player simply needs to beat the Master Computer.

In the Western Release of Power Blade, the player could choose the order of the stages (even replaying some of the completed stages if they wanted), but also had to meet with double agents in the stages before they could take on that stage's boss and nab the security tape.

Sounds simple, eh?

Well, Power Blade is a pretty tough game and rewards players who know the routes around the stages.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

Christmas with Mo - Wrong Side, Flip Me Over

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Mo, of The Squonk & The Hag Podcast joined Jay and Squidge to talk about hangover/Christmas chillout games, glue guns, not liking people, how to test whether you are a hotdog or not, and general hilarity. All this and more in our festive 2023 episode.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.

Today we are joined by Mo from The Squank and the Hag podcast to talk about Christmassy games and things

Strap yourselves in, people. This pod isn't like any Christmas special out there. So sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled Christmas with more wrong side. "Christmas with Mo - Wrong Side, Flip Me Over."

Enjoy.

— Squidge

This episode introduced a rather confused (at first) guest: Mo. Mo first thought that she was Jay, and Jay thought he was Jay, too. Which led to much hilarity and confusion. But Mo then introduced herself and her podcast thusly - that's right, the show notes can sometimes be eloquent and that

All right, so I am mo. I am one of the co-hosts of The Squank and the Hag podcast, which is a true crime and scary stories podcast, which kind of goes hand in hand with the stuff on the wall with the red string, because we also talk about conspiracies here and there.

We talk about folktales, cryptids, anything that can go bump in the night. So that could be a serial killer that actually has been convicted and in jail, or that could be some legend tale of that creepy thing outside your window at night.

So I have a co-host. His name is Kraken or Krako. Everybody kind of just has fun with his name. He's also referred to as "crackhead" but he's my best friend, and we have known each other for years, so we have that probably very similar dynamic to the two of you guys, where it's a lot of just silliness and comfortable hanging out with friends and telling a story at the same time.

So it's a lot of fun. We say "we" it's the team, but that always sounds like we're paying people, but we have friends who also help out. So people who research stories for us, social media ideas, merch, all that kind of stuff. But it's fun. It's all just friends and for fun and all that.

...

And I guess outside of that, if you want to know about me, I don't like to leave the house. I do a lot of crafting. I do everything from knitting and crochet to building d and d terrain, painting miniatures. I learned how to cast resin so I can make my own dice. So I just do a lot of crafting and just like being creative and married with four cats. So there's that. But it's fun.

— Mo

Because it's the Christmas episode, Squidge brought up the topic of his rather spiffy hat. And a spiffy hat it is, indeed. But talk of the festive season, spiffy hats, and knitted hats for cat ears - you'll have the listen to the episode, trust - the subject of Squidge's mighty Christmas Cactus came up, and how because Mo has multiple cats, she doesn't have a Christmas Tree

I approve

— Mo

And because Mo brought up her custom neon sign which reads... you guessed it, "Mo," Squidge brought up the custom pro-wrestling belt that he got for Jay in March of this year - 2023, in case you're reading this in the future. Also, hello future person!

Holiday Hangover Games

So imagine: you're entering the living room. The battlefield of festive cheer turned into a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy holiday movie. The twinkling lights on the Christmas tree are twinned with the glow of Uncle Bob's Rudolph sweater. The cat is pawing at the carnage it wrought, reminiscing of the previous day's epic battle with the Christmas tree.

As we venture further, the air is thick with the scent of both triumph and culinary failure. Aunt Mildred's fruitcake, once a brave culinary experiment, has now achieved legendary status as the only fruitcake to be declared as a biohazard. Meanwhile, Grandma is serenely snoring on the couch, draped in tinsel like the queen of a Christmas jungle.

In the kitchen, where the remnants of a feast now lie in glorious disarray, the turkey carcass looks like it's been through a Christmas war zone. Mashed potatoes have found a new home on the ceiling. And the once proud elf-on-a-shelf is now hanging from the chandelier with a faraway look in its eyes as if to say, "you weren't there."

So with that in mind, let's talk about holiday hangovers.

...

So in case you couldn't guess from that, the sort of theme of this is, like: what games we play at Christmas, what games we play when we're hungover, if we are hungover, that kind of thing. Sort of comfy games that you sit there with a blanket, that kind of thing. If the cats aren't wreaking havoc on the house or you're not having to clear up too much biohazardous material from the day before. That's the whole theme of this episode

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for Squidge's Cross Stitches corner, some extra stuff, and some links to related things. And reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We'd really like...

Comfy Games with CJ

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 05:00:00 +0000

We wanted to ask CJ about comfort games: games you like to play when we're just comfy and we're vegging and we just want to shut out the outside world and just go get a load of snacks. So get your snacks, get comfy, and curl up whilst we talk about those games we played.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.

In this episode, we are joined by CJ from the Mystery Stone and PhiloSofa Talk podcasts to talk about comfy games. We chat about all manner of comfy games, including everything from frankly insane gameplay challenges no Fill Yoshi and smack talking Gam-gams.

So, without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Comfy Games with CJ, Pajama Paladins, and a comfy quest marathon."

Enjoy.

— Squidge

CJ made his return to the show in this episode - you may remember him from the episode we did on Borderlands. But before he could talk with CJ, Squidge wanted to bring attention to Jay's glorious moustache - sadly, the 'stache had to be shaved off between recording this episode and it being released - CJ was asked to introduce himself, and he had this to say:

Hi, I'm CJ. I am of the Mystery Stone and PhiloSofa Talk podcast. Thanks for having me out here, guys.

I do have a question about the moustache, though. How long can you smell dinner after you're done eating?

— CJ

And an unrelated comment from Jay on his moustache from a few moments later:

It's been 18 days of me growing it...

When I first started growing it, I was aiming for a Ted Lasso. And then one of my friends pointed out, it's what happens if you order Freddie Mercury from Wish, right? Bargain bucket. Freddie Mercury

— Jay

And the topic of conversation quickly changed to CJ's podcasts:

So Mystery Stone is all about spirituality and the esoteric concepts and the higher truths and obtainment of the higher self. Looking inward to really understand the makings of the universe outside of the third dimension.

And PhiloSofa Talk is just a freeform conversation about modern philosophy. It's a pretty new show. I'll have the second episode uploaded in a couple of days. But we take classical concepts all the way back, Taoist times, pre-Tao Te Ching, all the way through Greek and up to modern times and apply those concepts to modern day problems and issues and inside thought. And basically, like, the idea is, like, we don't want to do research, so we take what we already know about philosophy, and then we just interview people and just kind of see how people feel. So there's, like, no wrong answers. And it's nice. It's like a way to express your opinions and get your thoughts out without having to worry about a debate.

— CJ

A quick note on something Jay said about "just stream": he meant Just Watch, which is a web service that indexes all of the shows and movies available across all of the main digital platforms and provides links to where you can LEGALLY watch pretty much anything that has ever been released.

Recent Games

And this episode was no different.

CJs's Recent Games

Fortnite
Minecraft
Mario Kart Tour
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Hollow Knight

CJ wanted to quickly talk about mobile gaming, too; and this reminded Jay of Army of Darkness: Defense - a tower defence game based on Army of Darkness (aka the third Evil Dead movie). Sadly this game no longer runs on modern Android devices.

Monster Hunter Now

Links of Interest

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Mystery Stone
Just Watch (what Jay called "Just Stream")
Lutris
VG Myths - Can You Beat Final Fantasy With A White Mage?
Nuzlocke
Heraclitus
Microsoft Excel World Championship
Jay's Runaway game
Borderlands With CJ

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We'd really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

★ Support this podcast ★

Worth a Try - Streets of Rage 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Join Squidge as he relives the joys of fighting for justice in the fiery streets of 90s gaming. From infectious soundtracks and buttery-smooth controls to hilariously fun boss battles and sibling rivalries, this episode is a hilarious celebration of the pixelated nostalgia that made Streets of Rage Two a beloved classic.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Episode Transcription

Let me tell you of the epic tale of Streets of Rage 2, a game that not only rocked the gaming world back in the 90s, but continues to tantalizingly tickle our nostalgia bones today. It's a story of sibling rivalries, pixelated brawls, breaking barrels, and a street so enraged it would make the Incredible Hulk pee his pants.

So sit back, grab some snacks, and let me tell you, in a nutshell, why Streets of Rage 2 is worth your time.

Let's do this.

So, Streets of Rage 2. It was the early 90s, and if you weren't playing Sonic the Hedgehog, you were probably hanging out with the gang Axel, Blaze, Max and Skate - who sounds more like a hip-hop dance move than a character name. Let's not get bogged down with the names. Let's just talk about what made this game truly unforgettable.

First thing I've got to mention: soundtrack.

Streets of Rage 2 had a banging soundtrack that was just so infectious. You'd catch yourself humming it during meetings or in school - I was a kid back then - maybe in the middle of a budget review or a geography class, for example. And suddenly it's like you're back in those pixelated, rage filled streets, bashing thugs over the head with lead pipes and rightfully kicking them in the shins while you pick up the apples from trash cans. Gonna be honest, not the most hygienic place to find your fruit. But hey, if you're in the middle of a brawl, you take what you can get. I mean, let's face it, it's a load better than eating trash can turkeys. Looking at you, Metro City.

And speaking of brawls, gameplay was just legendary. You couldn't beat it. I mean, the controls were so smooth, it was like butter on hot toast... or hot butter on cold toast.

You walk up to a thug, bop him in the face, and then send him flying with a spinning kick. A "rent a car" (grand upper) or a "hub cheeky". Simple, easy to learn, hard to master. Soon you'd be throwing thugs into the throng of gang members, with great glee and giggles all around. It was a bit like playing a superhero. A pixelated, buff as hell, hard as nails superhero. And that's what we all wanted, you know, the simple life.

Let's not forget the story, shall we.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

A Catch-up with Rob, No Bards Allowed - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Rob from Gold Mountain Games joined us to talk about the things we're passionate about, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Schitt's Creek, and a brand new idea for RTS games. Definitely don't sleep on this episode, folks.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

During their conversation about how society is becoming more accepting of people being passionate about their hobbies (and potentially dropping the term "geek" when referring to them), Jay brings up the following fantastically wonderful line from the TV show Schitt's Creek:

I like the wine, and not the label

— David Rose, Schitt's Creek, Season 1 Episode 10: Honeymoon

The scene is, ostensibly a conversation about sexuality, and David's reluctance to label his sexuality. As such, that part of the conversation might not be safe for all ears. This part of the conversation happens at 9:47.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.

In part two of this episode, we are joined by Rob from Gold Mountain Games. We reminisce about gaming as we grew up, as well as covering everything from passions for your interests, cat assassins, and augmented barbarian fish weaponry.

So, without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "A Catch-up with Rob, No Bards Allowed - Part One"

Enjoy.

— Squidge

As Squidge points out in the intro, this is part two of a discussion with Rob from Gold Mountain Games. Part one was released back on October 10th, 2023 - here's a link to that - we covered:

What Gold Mountain Games is
What's happened since the OGL event
And what we've been playing recently

As part one of the episode ended, Jay had just been telling everyone about a cross-platform game launcher called Lutris; and that's where this part starts.

Jay went ahead and talked about ONE of the MANY reasons why Windows games tend to (but not always) run better on a Linux-based operating system than on Windows. There are lots of caveats in that sentence because there really are many reasons why, but one of the main ones is how composable the Linux-based operating systems are: you can literally remove whatever you're not using, even if it's a core component of the operating system itself. Because of that, they tend to run faster, on both older and newer hardware, using fewer system resources.

A Wholesome Conversation Appeared

Jay talking about Lutris and different operating systems brought up a wonderfully wholesome conversation about the human condition and being who you are:

It doesn't actually matter at all, right? And I'm sure if I put the effort into learning a different system it would be absolutely fine. But I just find it really funny how people are people will get really angry about it.

I like it in the pet community. Like if someone posts a picture of their cat and goes, "my cat's cute," you sure as hell I'm posting a cute picture of my cat and trying to prove that my cat's the cutest. I love the human condition.

— Rob

And Jay drops some knowledge when talking about the different operating system choices:

And when people come to me and says, "oh, but you should use Windows for this, or you should use this, that and the other," I'm like, "dude, use what works for you."

— Jay

To which Rob replied:

I think with most things, people should just be able to make the choices they want to make and get on with it. And if it works for them, then it's fine, right?

— Rob

At the end of the day, you should like what you like. Who cares what everyone thinks, right?

You do not want someone to like you for someone you're not, because you're going to have to pretend to be that person forever. And the longer you do that, the harder it's going to be, and the more miserable you'll be.

It doesn't matter if people don't like who you are, because there are only a few people and there'll be more people who do like you because you're unashamedly you

— Rob

And that comes back to one of Jay's favourite quotes from Schitt's Creek:

I like the wine, and not the label

— Daivd Rose, Schitt's Creek, Season 1 Episode 10: Honeymoon

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

★ Support this podcast ★

A Catch-up with Rob, No Bards Allowed - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Rob from Gold Mountain Games (who have been going from strength to strength) returned to discuss what they've been up to in the six months since the whole OGL debacle. We discuss Balder's Gate 3, Resident Evil, Bards (horny and non-horny), and Squidge's ideas for Apple stores.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Content Warning

Usually, we'll add warnings here about swears and such, but with this episode, there was some background noise on Rob's audio. Squidge (our hard-working editor, and audio engineering expert) did everything he could to isolate and remove it, but there's one part where it's a little rough: 23:16 when Rob is describing the game SCUM.

We hope the background noise doesn't take you out of the episode too much.

Show Notes

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.

In part one of this episode, we are joined by Rob from Gold Mountain Games. We reminisce about gaming as we grew up, as well as covering everything from ram-raiding shop windows as pirates-for-dummies to the dangers of horny warlocks. Yeah, you'll have to wait for that one.

So, without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "A Catch-up with Rob, No Bards Allowed - Part One"

Enjoy.

— Squidge

For this episode, Rob from Gold Mountain Games made his second-ever appearance on the show and wanted to talk about all things video games. You might remember him from his previous appearance where both he and his business partner Tim discussed the (then) impending changes to the Dungeons & Dragons license agreement (the Open Game License of OGL) - here's a link to that episode.

But before any of that, it was important to have Rob talk about Gold Mountain Games in his own words:

So, Gold Mountain Games: we are a small tabletop RPG production studio. And one of the things that's changed since last time we spoke is that we are now a tabletop production company rather than a [D&D] fifth edition production company, which is quite... I think that lots of people have done that because of what happened.

But yeah, so we have our own setting, as you've mentioned, the Salt Reach Isles. We've had a successful Kickstarter for a Zine... And that focuses on one of the cities that we've written. It's got some species in it, it's got some monsters, some spells, and we are currently editing the second magazine for that. So that's going to be coming to Kickstarter in a couple of months.

We've got some streams being recorded, so we've got one in our setting. We're about to start Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus, partly because Baldur's Gate 3 is coming out, which is very exciting. I'm desperately stopping myself starting another playthrough before they release it fully. And that's also interesting because we've got two complete noobs playing it. So they know nothing about D&D at all.

...

And then the other thing we've got going on at the moment, which I'm really excited about, is Dark Legacies is an amazing franchise written by Chris McCauley and Claudia Christian from Babylon 5 fame. And they've got two comics out of four out so far. There's going to be a miniatures game, there's going to be, apparently an animated TV series. There's a card game.

And we've just signed a contract with them to publish their RPG, which is like Dark Legacy's Corporation Wars, it's called. I actually got some of the content yesterday and had a read through it and it's really good. It's a mixture of that kind of the Cyberpunk that you know and love with a bit of that really Dark Judge Dredd style in it. It's got bits of the Expanse in there as well. It's really interesting and I'm really excited that we're going to be publishing that... We'll be publishing the main book and then we'll also be creating more content for it. We're going to have a live stream of it as well. There's a lot of exciting stuff coming out of it.

— Rob

So if you're interested in tabletop gaming, Babylon 5, Cyberpunk (the tabletop RPG game, that is) and/or the futurism and grim dark of Judge Dredd, then you should be checking out Gold Mountain Games.

Dungeons & Dragons, Tabletops, and Novels

And speaking of D&D, at the time of recording Jay was reading through Aaron A Reed's 50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon - which he was a Kickstarter backer for - and talked about how interesting it is that a lot of the earliest PC games where based on either D&D or the tabletop war games that inspired Gary Gygax to come up with D&D. Which reminded Rob of his first video game memory:

I was in Great Ormond Street Hospital when I was six or seven. And in there they had, like, a play area on the children's ward, and they had a computer in there and they had this text based game where you were walking through the woods and you had to find the witch's hut and avoid getting killed by the witch. And that was all.

I'd completely forgotten it until you started talking about that. But yet that's probably my earliest memory of a computer game is exactly that. It's sitting there in a hospital of all places going, "oh, choose your Own adventure."

I wonder how much fighting fantasy had to do with it as well.

— Rob

And Squidge summed up video game history and D&D's involvement quite succinctly:

It's like: early D&D is sort of like [the Rosetta Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosetta_Stone) to everything that came afterwards

— Squidge

What's interesting about Rob's earliest video game memory is that it reminded Jay of the opening scene of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - which is an amazing book and filled with references to video games.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

WT Lite - WAP That Hades with Matt Bliss

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Join Squidge and his very special guest Matt Bliss, as they take listeners on a hilarious journey through the whimsical world of Hades. Bliss and Squidge delve into the seamless integration of gameplay and story, the chaotic and cuddly possibilities within the game, and even take a comical detour into the complexities of Christopher Nolan's films. From imagining plush toy versions of fearsome enemies to remixing Cardi B's 'WAP' into the game's soundtrack, this episode is a delightful blend of humour, insights, and sheer entertainment.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Spoiler Warning

Matt discusses some of the plot points in Hades, including dropping a pretty major spoiler. If you don't want to have the story spoiled, please skip the section between 15:49 and 17:23.

Show Notes

Because he started us off last time (and even though he was the guest for this one), Squidge introduced the episode and the idea behind it:

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of bite sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we catch up with Matthew Bliss, creator of podcasts From My Home to Yours and Dead Drop Game News about Hades.

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts. And whilst this episode was about the hack-and-slash sleeper hit that was Hades, Squidge wanted Matt to introduce himself to everyone - even though he'd been on three episodes prior to this one

I am Matthew Bliss. I have featured on a couple of episodes for the the the Waffling Taylors podcast.

...But yeah, I'm delighted to be back on again in this nice little Lite edition. Hopefully I can be as much of a joy in your ear holes as Squidge is normally.

And yeah, this whole podcasting gig, it's something I've been doing for a couple of years myself. As Squid struggles to retain his liquids, he's just imbibed. I've had a few podcast on the go. My current project is one with my wife actually having just moved from Australia to Ireland. We've done a podcast about the move called From My Home to Yours and we share our emotions and experiences and all that kind of stuff. I've also had the one that brought me onto the Waffling Taylors I think was the Dead Drop podcast or Dead Drop Game News, which has been on hiatus for an unanticipated long time, though as you can imagine, me being away or trying to move to Ireland for as long as I have it has had to take a backseat. But I'm looking to bring it back.

So make sure that if you want to follow along with me and if you like what you hear in this episode, then yeah, from My Home to Yours or Dead Drop Game News.

— Matt

How Long Did It Take You To Reach The Surface And Beat Hades For The First Time?

Even though Squidge hadn't played Hades, he'd done some research into it before recording this episode with Matt; and it turns out that it has an insanely long "completionist" time of 81 hours - Jay: when compiling the show notes, I noticed that number had jumped to 95.5 hours - So the first thing that Squidge wanted to know was whether Matt had ever actually finished this game. To be honest, that completionlist time makes it look like more of a full-time job than a hobby.

Look, it's really hard to know.

As you said, Hades is one of those games that you just have to try and you get addicted to. You absolutely do. But you do have to take a bit of time to master it. So the first time round, and it was many years since I played it, it was a game that went into early access first, and I think I got it just before the early access window finished and it went into version one. So I've been playing it for a while. I think it probably took me like 20 hours to surface just because it is such a it's hard to describe the difficulty.

It's kind of like a Dark Souls thing where you play a game enough and you find yourself learning how to play it, and then you describe it to someone else and you struggle to find why it's so hard for them to do what you can do, but have spent 30 hours trying to having to learn yourself. It's definitely one of those skill based games. It is a rogue-like, though, so it is run based. So however many runs it takes you to get to the surface and the keep getting to the surface over and over and over again is the whole nature of the thing. But there's always plenty to learn in there. And that's where the 80 hours comes from.

This is something I forgot to check before we started this recording, but I've actually bought the game twice. I bought it on the Epic game store for PC. That was when it was in early access, and that was one of the secrets they had, too: it was only available on the Epic Store at the beginning. They did an exclusive deal with that for the first year, I think. And then it started to become available on other platforms.

But I'm just loading up the window now. So I've currently got 223 and a half hours on PC in Hades. And I have no idea how many hours I've played on switch because I don't know if there's a way to tell, but I would say it's probably about the same. I found that the rogue-like is excellent in a handheld, so Hades really suited that well for me

— Matt

What Makes Hades That Good?

Hades is one of those indie titles that ended up vying for the many Game of the Year awards when it came out; putting it right up there with the AAA titles of 2020 - the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, DOOM Eternal, and the Final Fantasy VII Remake. So what's so great about it?

Well, it's a funny confluence of things.

The big mention here is Super Giant Games that developed it. The have been on a trajectory for probably the last ten years, I'd say at least prior to the release of this game because ... all their games are of a similar aesthetic. You started off with Bastion - I think that was back in the Xbox 360 days, xbox 360 Arcade or whatever it was. Then you had Transistor, which was a different game again. And then Pyre, which is another different game, but again similar aesthetic. And then they have Hades to round that out. And if you haven't heard of any of the three preceding games, that might be for good reason because it's kind of a tale of them learning everything they needed to learn to get to the stage of Hades where they created almost the perfect game, or at least it seems like the perfect game.

...

It's one of those games where you pick it up and it takes maybe half an hour and then you realize, "oh no, I can't put this down, this is going to be a problem for me." And I've done that a couple of times with games. Sometimes it's a delight to find that out, sometimes it's true and utter terror. For example ... Marvel Snap - that's the one. That one I played for like maybe half an hour. In fact, I've tried it twice for half an hour and each time I've gone, "sorry, I have to uninstall this because it's going ...

[trailer] Resident Evil 3 Anniversary - Traffic Jam Burrito (with Nomad of the Retro Wildlands)

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

A Wild Trailer Appears

Here are five and a half minutes of zero-context conversation from our most recent episode (Resident Evil 3 Anniversary - Traffic Jam Burrito).

Squidge teamed up with our special guest host Nomad to ask Jay why he only ever played 10 minutes of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. They also tried to convince him to play the game, but did their interrogation succeed? And just what is a Traffic Jam Burrito? And how is it that this game came out 24 years ago? Seriously?!

There's only one way to find out: listen to the show. DO EEET NAAOOOOW!

Links

Show notes with an embedded player: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2023/09/29/resident-evil-3-anniversary-traffic-jam-burrito/
Retro Wildlands: https://retrowildlandspodcast.podbean.com/
The first three Resident Evil games, as covered on Retro Wildlands:
Join our Discord server to be part of future episodes: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/discord
Jay plays Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
- Part 1
- Part 2

★ Support this podcast ★

Resident Evil 3 Anniversary - Traffic Jam Burrito

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Squidge teams up with special guest host Nomad to ask Jay why he only ever played 10 minutes of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. They also try to convince him to play the game, but will their interrogation succeed? And just what is a Traffic Jam Burrito?

And how is it that Resident Evil 3: Nemesis came out 24 years ago? Seriously?!

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Did you know that Jay had never played the original Resident Evil 3? Like, the PlayStation game. He's played the remake, but never played the OG through to completion. Well, Squidge and Nomad wanted to team up and try to convince Jay to see the error of his ways. As such, this special episode is a slight departure from the normal state of affairs around here - and just in time for the 24th anniversary of Jill's epic escape from the city.

Today we're diving into the world of raccoon city zombies and the relentless Nemesis Jay's in the hot seat. And today it's our job to try and convince Jay to play more than ten minutes of the original.

— Squidge

So let's grab your green herbs and let's get ready to waffle about a game that made our hearts race faster than a survivor encountering nemesis in a tight corridor.

— Nomad

That's right. Let's brace ourselves to give Jay STARS and start the show.

— Squidge

But before they could do that, Jay wanted Nomad to describe his podcast - which you should DEFINITELY listen to, by the way - to everyone listening in:

So I have a podcast, it is called the Retro Wildlands.

And in this podcast, I myself play retro games either for the first time or I go back and play them again when I used to play them when I was a child. And the idea behind the podcast is I just want to immerse you in the experience of that game. Whether you've played it before, you'll get a nice hit of nostalgia as I take you down memory lane, or if you've never played the game before, you'll know what it is that it's all about in case maybe you want to play it someday.

My podcast is on all the major services you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, all the big ones. I have a link tree. That sounds cool. So I made one. You can go to linktr.ee/retrowildlands and it'll take us to all of my socials: Facebook, Instagram - I'm just running around in the wildlands everywhere on the Internet, so that's how you can find me.

And yeah, I'd love to have you guys join the expedition.

— Nomad

Announcements

Before the episode could start properly, there were a few announcements to make. Firstly (and most importantly):

Today I celebrate my 39th year on this planet. It is my birthday.

— Nomad

And it was a great honour to have Nomad share part of his level 39 celebrations with us.

And secondly:

So the day that this is going to be released is what I refer to as "Resident Evil 3 day," this is going out on September 28th. I would say "daylight", it's already scorched my eyes - that's why I had to close the curtains.

...

So it's going to be a Resident Evil 3 day. And it came to an idea that maybe we should, I don't know, ask Jay about his experiences with Resident Evil 3. But watch out! A wild alert appears.

What we've decided to do is first of all, I've decided that I know how the soundboard works, so you're in trouble. What we've decided to do is co conspire against Jay, stick him in the hot seat. Me and Nomad are going to be hosting the show.

— Squidge

The Questions

Squidge and Nomad split their questions into two categories:

Specifically about the remake (or "Three-make")
Specifically about the original

We've included some quotes for some of the questions, but this episode went DEEP into Jay's thoughts about the 1999 original and the 2020 remake. There's a tonne of stuff in the episode that we couldn't include in these show notes. so definitely give the episode a listen.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

What's your most memorable 'Snake' moment in Metal Gear Solid? If you could recruit any character from the Metal Gear Solid universe as your real-life espionage partner, who would it be and why? In true Metal Gear Solid fashion, let's hear your best codec call impression! Dial in with your own hilarious codec conversation. Let us know!

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Support us on Ko-Fi
Retro Wildlands podcast
Retro Wildlands Link Tree
Episodes mentioned:
- 28 - Grenade to the FACE!
- 79 - Itchy, Tasty with Alex Aniel
Postmortem: Angel Studios' Resident Evil 2 (N64 Version)
Resident Evil 3 Classic Rebirth form Apple of Eden
Dead Set - well recommended by Squidge
The Retro Wildlands episodes on Resident Evil

Signing Off... For Now

WT Lite - Metal Gear Solid with Alyxa the Kitsune

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Join Squidge and VTuber Alyxa the Kitsune as they embark on a hilarious journey through the world of Metal Gear Solid. With Alyxa's unexpected reactions and heartfelt connections to the game's characters, combined with Squidge's relatable frustrations and comedic banter, this episode offers a fresh and entertaining take on the iconic game. From explosive surprises to brainstorming a kid-friendly version of Metal Gear Solid, this episode is a laugh-out-loud gaming adventure that will leave you wanting more.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Because he started us off last time (and even though he was the guest for this one), Squidge introduced the episode and the idea behind it:

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of byte sized banter with a side of gaming goodness. We catch up with Alyxa the kitsune about Metal Gear Solid for the PS One.

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts. And after a brief discussion on Metal Gear memes - nanomachines, son! - Squidge wanted to know about Alyxa the Kitsune:

So, hi, my name is Alyxa.

I am a voice actress. I haven't done a lot of voice acting stuff, though. In Portuguese, by the way. European Portuguese. Not in the thick of Brazilian Portuguese. I'm also a VTube streamer on twitch. I go by Alyxa the Kitsune - that's A-L-Y-X-A underscore T-H-E underscore K-I-T-S-U-N-E. Okay. I was trying to see if I had forgotten any letters. I did not.

And I actually started streaming. My first stream was actually playing Metal Gear Solid. And it also created, like, this funny nickname among my followers, which is Glitter Fox.

— Alyxa

There's So Much Story

For his first question, Squidge wanted to know whether Alyxa was ready for the sheer amount of story involved in Metal Gear Solid.

I was a bit, because my boyfriend played the games, like, way before I started playing them.

I'm playing the whole series for the first time in my life. I've never previously played anything Metal Gear Solid related. I knew some memes, that's all I know. The extremely famous and extremely overused alert sound.

But I will never forget that there was this one time when I was having a very anxious moment of thinking, "oh, well, is anything even worth it in life?" And my boyfriend is actually like, "there's this video game series that I really like, and this character actually says something like this," and I'm pretty sure he was talking about Metal Gear Solid Two. I'm pretty sure he was talking about Metal Gear Solid Two, now that I think about it. And just a few months ago, he decided to replay the whole series again. And I was like, "okay, but I really need to understand, why does he like Metal Gear Solid so much?" And so that's how I decided to play the games.

So I was a bit ready for the amount of story and information that was going to be dumped on me. I was not ready for the extreme amount of information that was going to be dumped on me. Yeah, the lore is quite extensive, especially because when he was playing, I wasn't paying that much attention, so I couldn't really like I was picking this and that and that information over there, but really basically almost nothing.

But then I started playing, I was like, "oh, that is a lot. That is a lot."

— Alyxa

Whose The Best On Shadow Moses?

There are quite a lot of characters in Metal Gear Solid, and almost all of them interact with Snake whilst he is on Shadow Moses Island. So Squidge's question was: who is Alyxa's favourite character?

You gave me, like, a week to think about this, and it's still hard to choose just one character.

So imagine if this was, like, about the whole series and not just the first game. I would be like, "I don't know. I would need a month think, at the very least," because every single character has something that's I wouldn't say, like, lovable about them. Like, not all of them are lovable. I mean, you got [Revolver] Ocelot, for crying out loud.

...

But everyone has something so interesting about them.

Like, I love Mei Ling and all the Chinese sayings that she has that are also connected to things that we have to do and that we should do.

I also love Sniper Wolf because I cried when Sniper Wolf died. I cried when she died, and I was not expecting that. I saw my boyfriend playing, like, the whole first game, and I was like, "okay, Sniper Wolf died." But when I played it, it hurts. Because when she was talking about her past and how she suffered, I'm like, "I was not ready for this. I was not."

And then there's Otakon. He kind of sounds like the comic relief, which is also good, but I don't know, there's something so enduring about him.

— Alyxa

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

Waffling Taylors - 2023 Summer Break

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

We announce a short summer hiatus to prioritize us well-being. But you can rest assured that we ARE coming back and can relax knowing that the hosts' passion for gaming and commitment to fostering a supportive community will continue to shine through in future episodes.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

The lads wanted to announce a short summer break, and wanted to do it in style.... podcasting style, that is. So this episode is their way of letting you all know what's happening, and suggesting a few things that you might be interested in until they return - in September 2023, so not that long from when the episode was released.

As Jay said in the episode:

So this is hopefully going to be a very short episode just to announce that we're going on a production hiatus for the summer.

Because over here in the northern hemisphere, it's the summertime. And so we would like you all to have a lovely summer. And we want to have a lovely summer. And partially that means getting away from the computer.

And for those who don't know, you need a computer to record - you don't really need a computer to record a podcast, but it makes it way easier. So we're going to get away from the computer for a little bit and spend some time just sort of chilling

— Jay

Thoughts on Burnout

And one of the things which brought this idea to the forefront was a short video that Jay had watched on burnout. It's a presentation from this year's GDC (Games Developer's Conference) and everyone, no matter what industry they work in, should watch this video.

And as Squidge says:

There's only one you. You've only got one brain. Take care of it.

— Squidge

And helping with burnout doesn't have to always mean talking with a therapist, it can mean just calling up a friend:

Go talk to someone or just call up one of your mates and say, "hey, Jeff," assuming they are called Jeff, "do you fancy having a chat and meet up for a coffee, or meet up for a hot chocolate, or meet up for whatever kind of tasty beverage you drink on a regular basis?"

Go get some sun, get some grass under your feet and go meet your mates. That's what I'll say.

— Jay

And Squidge's advice is solid, too:

Yeah, there's no stigma. I mean, asking for help's, hardest thing you can do. But once you've done it, that's the hardest part.

And burnout. Yeah. I can say for me, it happened a year ago. I'm still struggling with it 100%.

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for all the regular lovely extra stuff.

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

WT Lite - Mega Man 2 with Anthony

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Host Squidge and Anthony (of Capes on the Couch) take you on a wild and hilarious journey focusing on the beloved Mega Man series. With their infectious humour, insightful discussions, and imaginative spin-offs, this episode hits all the right buttons. From diving deep into classic games like Mega Man 2 to imagining dance-offs between robot masters.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Because he started us off last time (and even though he was the guest for this one), Squidge introduced the episode and the idea behind it:

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of byte sized banter with a side of gaming goodness. We catch up with Anthony from Capes on the Couch podcast about Mega Man 2 for the NES.

Take it away, guys

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts. But before the episode got bogged down with talk of Mega Man 2, Squidge wanted to know about Anthony's podcast:

My name is Anthony. I'm co host of a podcast called Capes on the Couch, and we analyze the psychiatric and mental health issues of comic book characters.

My best friend is a board certified psychiatrist, and so each episode we cover a character or a group or a relationship or a theme. And we examine the portrayals of the various neuroses in comic books and then how realistically are they portrayed, and what would treatment options look like for that character. We role play a little therapy session towards the end of what therapy with that character would sound like.

It's edutaining is kind of what we call it because it's educational but also entertaining. We have a lot of fun with it. We've got over 170 episodes, I think, at this point. We're currently on hiatus, although as of this morning, we did just release an episode to break the hiatus because we occasionally talk to creators about their comics.

— Anthony

How Long To Beat?

Squidge wanted to start off with a deviously simple question: how long did it take you to beat Mega Man 2 when you first got it? We all know that those older games are tough as ... well, something that's quite tough.

I was probably an adult because I don't recall ever beating it as a kid, because it was always so hard and because the game and the series, especially the original series and those original Nintendo games, they're Nintendo hard for a reason. It's pattern recognition, that's all it is. And if you cannot nail those patterns, if you cannot nail the timing of those platforms that appear and disappear or the enemies that go in the same, if you can't nail those patterns, you're not beating the game. So I don't think I beat the game until I was an adult.

How long it took me, I don't know. What I can tell you is that I remember specifically one instance of beating it:

I was live streaming for a charity fundraiser. I do a lot of work with Extra Life, which is a charity where you raise money through playing video games and the money all goes towards Children's Miracle Network affiliated hospitals. I've been raising money for Extra Life for over ten years at this point.

And I was doing a fundraiser, I was live streaming myself playing Mega Man 2, and for every time I died, I had to do X number of burpees. And the more money I raised, the more burpees I had to do. And the plan was I had to beat Mega Man 2 in 90 minutes with taking breaks for burpees. So all of that kind of factored in and I've spent weeks practising. I had everything down, I knew my routes, I knew my order.

The day of I'm live streaming, I'm 2 minutes into the Airman stage and I fall off one of the platforms. Now I have to drop and do - I think I had to do was it like it was over 50 I had to do over 50 burpees every time I died. So now the game is running, I think I hit pause, whatever, like that, but the live stream is still going and here I am, one, two, three and the now I'm out of breath after doing 50 plus burpees. And now I have to pick up the controller and get back to playing.

And I beat it with I got to Wiley, I had no lives left. I'm on my last life, literally. There's two bars on the hit bar left. I can take one more hit and I'm and then the password screen went and I've got the bubble lead and I am timing everything because he's going in that infinity pattern as the snake thing, and I have to hit him with the bubble lead and jump and hit him and avoid the things and everything else.

And I got it done with one hit left on the bar and it was like I think it took me like an hour 25, because of all the other times that I had died and had to do burpees and everything. So I got it done by the skin of my teeth and I was like, "I don't ever want to play this game again because it was so traumatizing." I've played it since then and I'm 90% certain I've beaten it since then.

— Anthony

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played any of the Mega Man games? What about the super early entries in the series? Did you find them as tough as everyone else? And have you heard the Brentalfloss covers of the Mega Man 2 intro song? Let us know!

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

WT Lite - Resident Evil 4 with Nomad

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Host Squidge and guest Nomad bring their unique blend of humour and insight to the world of the Resident Evil 4 remake. With their witty banter and entertaining anecdotes, they take listeners on a hilarious journey through the game's highlights, character developments, and surprises. Whether you're a fan of the original or new to the Resident Evil series, this podcast episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for a good laugh and a deeper appreciation of the game.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Because he started us off last time (and even though he was the guest for this one), Squidge introduced the episode and the idea behind it:

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of bite-sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we catch up with Nomad from the Retro Wildlands gaming podcast about the Resident Evil 4 remake. Spoilers included.

Take it away, guys.

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts. But before the episode got bogged down with talk of Resident Evil 4, Squidge wanted to know about Nomad's podcast:

So I have a podcast that I call the Retro Wildlands, where in said podcast, I explore the gaming Wildlands where I replay a video game that I played when I was growing up. Or I play a new to me video game, especially retro related titles.

In each episode, I'll review the game, but my show is a lot more than that. I'll take you, dear listener, into the game experience by combining music and sound effects from the game in such a way that if you've never played the game before, you'll know what I'm talking about when I'm done. Or if you have played the game before, you'll have a nice trip down nostalgia lane.

And the Retro Wildlands is on all the major pods. Spotify, itunes, PocketCasts, all the podcasting platforms so you can find us with ease if you want to join me on my expedition

— Nomad

Favourite Resident Evil Protagonist?

Every Resident Evil fan has their favourite protagonist (or good guy), and Squidge wanted to know who is Nomad's favourite:

It's something that I've struggled with for a long time, and I think depending on my mood, I'm going to have different answers. But I have to give it to Leon. And it's not just because we're talking about the Resident Evil Four remake or any of that right now.

He's always been a fascinating character for me ever since the original Resident Evil 2, the rookie cop that doesn't know what he's getting into, that just he has a sense of justice and duty about him, and he wants to do the right thing, but he can't seem to save everyone around him.

And as he grows throughout other Resident Evil titles, I like how heartened he can kind of be, but at the same time, he still has this edge of humour behind him. And he's, to me, one of the more relatable characters out of the series

— Nomad

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played the Resident Evil 4 Remake yet? What did you think to it? And what were your yell-out-loud moments? Let us know!

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

WT Lite - Diablo with Squidge

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Jay and Squidge take listeners on a delightful journey through the world of gaming, blending deep dives into classic games like Diablo with bite-sized banter and hilarious anecdotes. From Squidge's love for the loot system to Jay's wild idea of telling strangers to wake up.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Because he started us off last time (and even though he was the guest for this one), Squidge introduced the episode and the idea behind it:

Waffling Taylor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this serving of bite-sized banter with a side of gaming goodness, we talked to Squidge about his thoughts on the Diablo series.

Take it away, guys.

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts - Jay: Squidge's elevator pitch for these episodes was "All the waffle, half the caffeine"

The whole point of these Waffling Taylors Lite episodes is to get a kind of feel for what the guest really, really like about the game in question.

We've already done one with me about the Borderlands series, and I thought we could focus on Diablo III. I know that, at the time of recording, Diablo IV has just come out of the beta period, and happy days for the people who are playing it. But we're focusing on the ones that came out beforehand

— Jay

Which Class Would You Be & Why?

Jay started the conversation about Diablo with a question that, pretty much, all Diablo players have asked themselves:

So in the Diablo universe, there are loads and loads of different characters. If you could be a character, or a character class, within the Diablo universe, what class would you be and why?

— Jay

And Squidge's answer is slightly more beastly than you might have thought... for someone who may or may not be an anthropomorphised cartoon wolf in an RPD police officer uniform, that is.

It would be a character from the second Diablo and it would be from "The Lords of Destruction", which is an expansion pack that came out for it. It would be a Druid.

They brought Druids back for Diablo IV, they [weren't] in Diablo III. They took a slightly different turn on that.

I would be a Druid, mainly for the ability to summon familiars to fight alongside me, all the while I turn myself into a werebear so that I can cast elemental skills. Because when you're a werebear, you can still cast elementals.

So I'm a bear running round with my familiars next to me, and I'm making volcanos appear out of nowhere and summoning tornadoes.

— Squidge

Imagine the scene: you're walking through the forest and suddenly a bear, summoning other animals, and doing magic.

Scary stuff, for sure.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played any of the Diablo games? Is Azmodan really that chonk? Who would win in a dance-off? Let us know!

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

WT Lite - Borderlands with Jay

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Jay and Squidge dive into the wacky world of Borderlands and share their love for the game's unique humour and RPG elements. From their favourite weapons like the Sweary shotgun (Boganella) to hilarious character moments like Torgue threatening to blow up the ocean.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Squidge has a wonderful intro to the WT Lite series:

Waffling Tailor's Lite: the pocket size podcast that packs a gaming punch.

In this condensed concoction of gaming chatter you never knew you needed. We talked to Jay about the Borderland series. Take it away, guys.

— Squidge

The WT Lite series of episodes will be peppered in alongside the "standard" episodes, so keep an eye out for them. These episodes allow us to focus specifically on a specific game or series, and really focus on our guest's thoughts - Jay: Squidge's elevator pitch for these episodes was "All the waffle, half the caffeine"

And Jay started his episode off by sharing some "Jay Jazz" - which isn't half as dirty as it sounds.

We're going to find out whether [Borderlands] is worth the hype, from Jay's point of view

— Squidge

Why Borderlands?

Squidge started the conversation off with a pretty easy opener: why Borderlands?

Considering you're not one for first person shooters, I'm just wondering what drew you to the Borderland series? And what made you want to dive into the world of mayhem, loot and random carnage and all that good stuff?

— Squidge

Jay shared his reason for falling out with modern FPS games:

[Medal of Honour: Rising Sun] is the one that I remember playing last; console based first person shooter.

Before then, I didn't really play FPS games because they seem to require faster twitch reflexes than I am able to generate. And I'm like, you know what? "I'm not having fun. I'm going to go play something else"

Because, for me, if I'm not having fun, I'm going to go do something else, right? Especially if it's a for me, video games is a leisure time activity. It's a play activity. It's something where I can just relax.

— Jay

But that was when he saw Borderlands for the first time:

And then I think at some point in 2009, after Borderlands had come out, you must have told me, Squidge, "you should check out Borderlands. It's a load of fun." And I was like, "but it's a first person shooter. I don't want to play a first person shooter."

I must have seen you play it and gone, "actually, this doesn't look too bad." And I was like, "you know what? I'll give this a shot." And I gave it a shot. I quite liked it. And yeah, it's a complete departure for me.

— Jay

As much as he liked the game, the ending was lost on him:

I'll put my hand up and I will say I didn't get the original ending because when I was playing though it, I wasn't really listening to the story elements. I was like, "I'm enjoying running around, I'm enjoying shooting, I'm enjoying this 'cell shaded can run on a potato game'."

And I've never actually gone back and replayed it to get the story of the first one. And I totally didn't like when it ended. And it was like interplanetary super ninja clap trap. DA DA DA DA. And then it plays the the credits, and then it just loads you back where you were.

I didn't get at the time, and I will happily admit it now, I didn't get the comedy they were going after because that's what it was. It was comedy that they were going after.

— Jay

If it's not apparent yet, it was the silliness that hooked him:

The amount of stupidity they were able to put into this game. And it proves that games can be fun.

...

But for the first 13, 14 hours are you just running around and gunning down people and doing side quests and stuff like that, there's loads of silly stupidity. Then there's like, the hardcore RPG element of "here's the main set of fetch quests," because all RPGs are just - all Western RPGs - are just fetch quests. You get all of those and then you get past that and you're rewarded with more silliness.

And I absolutely flimin' flamin' love that 100%. So, that's what made me want to dive into it: it's not really the looter-shooter bit, it's the absolute silliness.

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for the full list of Squidge's questions, some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Have you played the Borderlands games? Have you played them all? How would you answer Squidge's questions? What would happen if Kirby ate a hot dog?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

Genesis to the Next Level with G to the Next Level

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

All-round amazing person G to the Next Level joined us to talk about Chainsaws, Dolphins, Sega Saturn, Resurrected Gods, and Sorceresses... Nope, you'll just have to listen to the episode to find out what that means - I'm just the AI who writes the website content. Wait! Am I allowed to tell you that?

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.

In this episode, we have a returning guest G to the Next Level - little aside here: #dontCallMeShirely - to talk about his entire retail US Genesis library.

We cover wholesome gaming stories. A cautionary tale about drinking, and chainsaws. Yes, I said chainsaws. You want to know why chainsaws? Keep listening, and you'll find out. It's in there somewhere.

So sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Genesis to the Next Level, a story about game collecting."
Enjoy.

— Squidge

And as soon as the episode started, the lie about their being pizza was out of the bag. Apparently, Squidge had promised some pizza to G to the Next Level but it had all been a ruse in order to get him to appear on the podcast. Pretty bad form, if you think about it. Meanwhile, Jay started talking about a very specific Jonathan Coulton song without talking about it of course - because it's really rather rude, you see.

And keen listeners of the podcast will remember G to the Next Level appearing in the first two parts of our Sonic2sMonth special (which celebrated 30 years since Sonic 2sDay). Here are some links, in case you missed that one:

And when asked about himself, G had this to say:

So, yeah, I'm I'm G to the Next Level, you know, like, "welcome to the next level" with a G like me. I mostly do retro stuff, sometimes retro inspired stuff. I do YouTube, I do Twitch four days a week.

I'm working on a project called Growing Up Genesis where basically I'm chronicling the entire library of the Sega Genesis - the official library from A to Z - on both YouTube and various other methods. I've been guessing at conventions all over the United States. Hopefully on your side of the world someday, hopefully. But yeah, that's basically where you can find me.

And my whole thing is not just Sega, but it mostly involves Sega. I've been a fan of Sega since 1991, since getting the Sega Genesis for Christmas 1991. And ever since the Sega Genesis - or Mega Drive - has basically been a huge integral part in my video gaming life. And between that and one way to another is just ways to share not only my own childhood stories, just cool things about video games, cool facts that maybe you might not know, games that you might not have ever really played, that sort of thing.

And just bringing unique Sega spin on things that don't quite get enough love in these days.

And the same thing on Twitch, too, because essentially I do, like, viewer requests on Twitch where people can request games for me to stream. I'll do newer, retro-inspired games that maybe people are just kind of on the fence whether or not they should play. I do community games on Friday nights on the Nintendo Switch. And then, like I said, that Growing Up Genesis project, it mainly all starts on Twitch and it spans off from there.

— G to the Next Level

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more game that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

And this episode was no different.

G to the Next Levels' Recent Games

Splatoon 3
Hi-Fi Rush
Sonic Frontiers

Squidge's Recent Games

Samurai Warriors 5
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Jay's Recent Games

Phantasy Star Online
Tiny Tina's Assault on Dragon Keep: A Wonderlands One-shot Adventure

The Entire US Genesis Retail Game Library

One of the things that the boys wanted to talk to G to the Next Level about was his complete collection of US Genesis Retail games. Of course, before they could do that, they needed to settle on what "complete" meant; as there's quite a lot of dissension amongst collectors.

I have to kind of clarify it when I talk about because there's so many different aspects to collecting now and it was a day like CIB [complete in box]. Like complete box isn't really CIB any more. There's so many different things that have changed over the years.

That's why I'm always careful to say that I have a US retail collection and not a complete US collection. Because the are some there's a couple of asterisks in there that people will be like, "oh, well, if you don't have Outback Joey, then you don't have a complete collection." I don't have a complete complete collection. I have a complete retail collection.

Because even though there's some arguments behind it as whether or not this was actually sold in the stores, it was mainly a mail order thing. So it doesn't really count. Most people don't count it. And so that's why I say retail just to avoid that little bit of discourse that might happen with something like that.

— G to the Next Level

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you played the games that G to the Next Level recommends? (pro tip: they're in the second half of the episode) What do you think about his complete US Retail collection? Pretty impressive, right? Should Squidge carry the Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller everywhere he goes? What would your Thunder Plain Games be?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Mortal Kombat - Leg-Fu for the Win

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Anthony (of Capes on the Couch) joined us to go a hilarious and irreverent deep dive into the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie, discussing everything from its iconic soundtrack to its questionable casting choices. From Jean Claude Van Damme's missed opportunity to be part of the cast to the iconic soundtrack, the hosts offer witty observations and absurd suggestions that will have you laughing out loud. But it's their suggestions for new characters and fatalities in the Mortal Kombat franchise that really shine, including a shirtless sax man from Lost Boys and a 'bloodwind' instrument played through a victim's ribs.

And did Kevin Nash give his quads that Raiden could look fabulous?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a both PG13 rated movie and a fighting game which literally started the game rating systems, we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but they're all bleeped out. There's also a part at 42:44 (which lasts for 90 seconds) where we discuss possible titles for a porn parody for this movie.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

The boys are back in town, and this time they're joined by Anthony of the Capes on the Couch podcast. Anthony joined us to talk about the 1995 movie Mortal Kombat. Anthony was actually on an earlier episode - here's a link to that episode.

And he described Capes on the Couch as:

So Capes on the Couch, we are a podcast. We just crossed the five year mark, which we're very proud of, and we cover the mental health issues of comic book characters. And my co host, my best friend, my brother, is a board certified psychiatrist, and so he breaks it down from the perspective of, "what are some of the issues that each character faces?" And then we dissect what treatment options would look like for the characters, both in universe and that can involve whatever the characters have available to them, if they're magical, if they are technologically savvy, whatever the case may be, if the have abilities. Whatever that world has to offer, Doc will utilize that in treatment.

And then we discuss what treatment would look like for a real person with a lot of these issues. And then we role play what a therapy session with that character would sound like. And it gives us an opportunity to have a little bit of fun and to do some voice acting. Some of them are funny, some of them are deadly, some of them are really serious. So it all honestly depends on the character. And so we have a lot of fun with it.

And we just recently announced, I don't know exactly when this episode is going to be coming out, but we just found out that we are going to be doing our first ever panel appearance at a convention. We will be at Puchi Con in Atlantic City, New Jersey, so not terribly far from where we are. On Sunday, May 14, we will be discussing Vash the Stampede from Trigun. If you are at all a manga or anime fan, the con is a little more anime and manga focused than your standard comic convention. So when we were putting the panel together, I said to Doc, we've never done a manga character. I want to make sure that we hit the audience kind of where they are.
- Anthony

Interestingly, since they had recorded the Mortal Kombat Annihilation episode ahead of this one - though it wasn't out when this one was being recorded - Squidge and Anthony had some things to say about it before the record button was pressed. Jay brought this up.

Well, I wouldn't say it was trash talk, but Squid seemed to indicate that he felt that Mortal Kombat Annihilation was the best Mortal Kombat movie of them all. And I personally disabused him of that notion. Now, mind you, I haven't seen the reboot, so I cannot compare that to the original two...

So I did see Moral Kombat Annihilation in theaters, and I could say, Squidge, I don't know what you were on. I don't know what we're just talking about mental health. Maybe you need to see somebody. Maybe you need to get some treatment there, because I think you are operating under a delusion and under a separate reality than the rest of us. And that is okay. That is you're living your truth. But I'm going to speak my truth. I'm going to live my reality. And my reality is one in which the Mortal Kombat Annihilation falls well below the standard of the original. So that is what I will politely and tactfully say about that.
- Anthony

And Squidge's rebuttal was plain for all to hear:

The story is already established, and it's not meant to be taken as seriously as the first one. So in that regards, story is inconsequential, really. But it's a quote. Irish comedian Dylan Moran - Mortal Kombat Annihilation not that part. This part, "it's fabulously f*%king stupid." The movie is pure cheese, and I love it. Talk about 90s cheese films, and itt doesn't get better than Mortal Kombat. Annihilation, seriously
- Squidge

Basic Info on the Movie

This movie was released in 1995, and Mortal Kombat Annihilation was a direct sequel to it - taking place seconds after the ending of this movie.

It was directed by Paul W. S. "look at how hot my future wife is" Anderson, and after making this movie he stepped away from it because he "didn't want to get tied down to a series." But after seeing the failure that was the sequel, he wanted to keep hold of the reins for the next video game movie he made: Resident Evil. So if you want someone to blame for the live action Resident Evil movies, then Lawrence Kasinoff (the producer of both Mortal Kombat movies) is your man.

But then, if we didn't have the first Mortal Kombat movie, we'd have never had the absolute banger that is Utah Saints Take On The Theme From Mortal Kombat. So swings and roundabouts, really.

Thank you, Utah Saints, for that. If you don't get hyped after hearing that and want to run through a goddamn brick wall, like, check a pulse.
- Anthony

Initial Thoughts

Before they could discuss the movie proper, Anthony brought up a very valid point about the journalism in this movie:

How bad is the press? Though, that they have nothing else to write about. That Johnny Cage's fighting skills make front page headlines on two separate continents in at least two different languages. How starved are they for content? Of all the things that the could write about, there's no political corruption, there's no diseases, there's no global disasters. No. Let's talk about whether or not this g...

Mortal Kombat Annihilation - Lookyalookit

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Squidge and Jay take you on a hilarious journey through one of the cheesiest action movies of the 90s: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. With their witty banter and insightful commentary, they break down the fight scenes, discuss the plot, and share fun facts you never knew about the making of the film.

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but they're all bleeped out.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

This episode may or may not have been recorded live at the Jammy Awards:

Hello, greetings, and welcome to another edition of the Jammy Awards. This is the 37th annual edition, I'm in my jammies why are you not.
I am here, my name is Squidge...
- Squidge

Except that it wasn't recorded live, Jammy Awards or no.

This episode was just Squidge and Jay talking about (as Jay put it)

MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!!!ONEONEONEELEVEN
- Jay

Basic Info on the Movie

This movie was released in 1997, as a sequel to 1995's Mortal Kombat - don't worry, we're going to cover that movie. We wanted to start with Annihilation for... reasons.

The 1995 movie was directed by Paul W. S. "look at how hot my future wife is" Anderson, but this piece of celluloid was directed by John R. Leonetti. Not only was the director replaced, but most of the cast were too; with Christopher Lambert being replaced by James Remar - there's a perfectly logical reason for this, and it's explored in the next Goes to the Movies episode. Teaser much?

The plot of this movie revolves mostly around the games Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3, which makes sense when you realise how little plot there are in fighting games.

Initial Thoughts

Neither Squidge nor Jay saw this movie on the big screen. But Squidge remembers seeing Star Wars Episode 1 on the big screen, and Jay remembers The Power Rangers Movie as their first movie.

Starting with a montage is a baller move, for sure. And it's even more impressive than the way that Casino Royale into Quantum of Solace did it.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Doom games? What about this movie? Did the first-person section of the movie grab you and take you back to the games?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

★ Support this podcast ★

The Lethality of Tangents with Matthew Bliss - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 07 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Matthew (the host of The Dead Drop podcast) is back again. This time, we take video game talk to a whole new level with their hilarious and random tangents. We discuss the absurdity of a half a million dollar game to throwing babies and cats at pickpockets, to dissecting Apple's marketing strategy - all the while finishing off our chat from last time... maybe

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Squidge decided to start this part of the episode with a (not so subtle) shot at Chief:

And you thought Chief Problems can do tangets. He aint go nothing on Matthew Bliss from the Dead Drop News podcast
Anyway, with that being said: sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for the conclusion of the chat we had with Matthew Bliss in this episode that we entitled "The Lethality of Tangents - Part Two"
— Squidge

I Am Rich

Towards the end of the previous episode, Jay brought up the I Am Rich game for iOS - it was the first famous iOS app in that it cost half a million dollars to buy, and would just display the legend "I am rich" when you opened it.

This reminded Matt of a story that he almost put in the (then) most recent episode of the Dead Drop News podcast - we recorded this episode on Feb 10th, 2023 - about a developer who decided to release their game to Steam and charge the maximum that Steam would allow. At the time of its release, The Hidden And The Unknown had a hefty price tag of $2000, but this wasn't the game that Matt was talking about.

Recent Games

The previous episode ended partway through the Recent Games section, so here's a quick round up of that section.

And this episode was no different.

Jay's recent Games

But before the discussion could turn to Jay's recent games, there was a conversation of the Apple Magic Mouse 2's charging port and Apple's standard marketing strategy. Here is a shot of the Magic Mouse 2, plugged in and charging.

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest
Road Redemption

The Thunder Plain Games

For those who are new to the pod, we have a section called "Thunder Plain Games" which might be vaguely reminiscent of a certain programme on BBC Radio 4 - but for copyright reasons, it is completely different.

Imagine that you are in Final Fantasy X, and the Thunder Plains) is a place that you get banished to. And what we're going to do is we're going to open a portal to the Thunder Plains and, very nicely and politely, boot you through it. You will get help, maybe it will be tomorrow, maybe it will be in a week, maybe it will be in an hour.

To stop you from getting bored, we've said that we'll keep the portal open and we'll throw through up to three video games and everything you need to play them - including an Internet connection. The only rules are that you can't ask for help, because help is on the way, and you can't tell anyone that you're in the Thunder Plains.

So our question is: were we to do throw, boot, or yeet you through the portal, which games are we throwing through with you?

Full Show Notes

A full transcript of this "raw with Jay" episode is available in the full show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and some web-based resources for you to consume.

Let us know on Twitter and Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

The Lethality of Tangents with Matthew Bliss - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Matthew (the host of The Dead Drop podcast) is back to talk about Hi-Fi Rush and Squidge's intense GoldenEye sessions on the Nintendo Switch, the group dives deep into their recently played games. We also explore the potential for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to play the next Doctor Who and the frustrating slow text speed in games. And Hi-Fi Rush. Did we mention Hi-Fi Rush?

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Show Notes

Remember when Matt Bliss was on the show, back in episode 145? Well, he's back, with way more tangents than before.

But before that, the episode had to start with a cold open of some of the nonsense that everyone got up to in the recording; otherwise, the nonsense would end up on the cutting room floor, and you'd never get a taste of the true experience of recording the show.

Squidge's intro to this episode was on point:

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond.
In this first of a two parter episode, we are joined by our good friend Matthew Bliss from the Dead Drop Game News podcast. Now, by his own words, Matthew has described our podcast as being "long form episodes with banter being lethal." Well, you aint seen nothing yet.

In this episode we cover everything from sneezing into tubas to our recently played games. So sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for our latest episode which is entitled "Waffling Taylors with Matthew Bliss: The Lethality of Tangents - Part One.
Enjoy.
— Squidge

And whilst Matt lives in a different part of the world to Jay and Squidge, it was rather cold where the Waffling Taylors live:

In our part of the world. It is rather cold right now, but that's perfect weather for staying in and playing video games
— Jay

You've always got to see the positive.

And Matt describes all of his podcasting stuff as:

The last time I was on the show I talked about this, I've got a video game news podcast that's audio only. It's called, and the name's actually changed. It used to be the Dead Drop Ten Minute Video Game News and now it's just Dead Drop Game News. Nice and easy to search. But those are ten minute episodes twice a week of video game news that I summarize for you so you don't have to go through all those articles and read all the clickbait and all the nonsense that Kotaku and all those other outlets tend to pad their stuff with. I just give you the info straight up.

But I also have started a business as well since called blissery.fm, where I edit other people's podcasts as well. So if you listening right now, have a burning desire to start a podcast or you just cannot be bothered editing your podcast any more, then let me know
... I think last time I was on actually, I talked about the Teaching Culture Cast that I used to run as well, where I interviewed teachers about their experience and sharing as professional development for others. But I've since kind of indefinitely hiatused that one
— Matt Bliss

So yes, Matt is a pretty busy dude.

Jay mentions a tweet when talking about Matt's show Dead Drop Game News - which you should definitely listen to, by the way.

I lost in when @MattBlissPod said "Apparently this counts as news as well," on the most recent @DeadDropPod
Source: https://deaddroppodcast.com/episodes/news-tears-of-the-kingdom-grammy-hogwarts-legacy-nintendo-direct
— Jay

Let us know on Twitter and Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

Shadow Man - OPEN THE GATES JAUNTY!

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode, Jay takes us down to Deadside, walks us through the Marrow Gates, and introduces us to Legion and his group of nasties. This episode is Jay's attempt at a Retro Wildlands-like monologue about the deeply atmospheric, and incredibly dark Shadow Man from 1998.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Content Warning

This episode is a Retro Wildlands-like exploration of one of my favourite, extremely dark games. This episode contains some pretty grisly descriptions of some of the darkest areas of the game. This means that the episode is not for the ears of the innocent or those triggered by descriptions of horror and gore.

As such, please listen responsibly.

---

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond. And this episode will see us going quite far into the beyond - the great beyond, that is.

This episode of the Waffling Taylors was inspired by the Retro Wildlands podcast. I'm a big fan of Nomad's show, and think that you would be too - so go give it a listen (there's a link in the show notes). And if you haven't heard it yet, we had him on the show not too long back - here's a link to that.

This episode is going to be another monologue from me (Jay), but don't worry, Squidge is still very much here. In fact, he edited this episode (as he does with every episode) and I can prove it:

HONK!
- Squidge

So why is it just me this week? Firstly, Squidge is down with illness, but he'll be back very soon. I've also been wanting to tackle one of my favourite games in long form for a long time, and that game is Shadow Man. I discovered the Retro Wildlands podcast shortly after Nomad had released episode three (which was about Legend of Zelda: A Link to The Past) and loved it from the off.

I decided that Nomad's format would fit a monologue about Shadow Man perfectly, but I've no idea whether he will be interested in covering this game so I thought I would do it myself - Nomad, I'm more than happy for you to do a way better job that I have on this game.

I actually love Shadow Man so much that I that I've written about it twice for our blog (and there will be links in the show notes):

But before we get started with the episode proper, I want to issue a warning: Because we're going to touch on some of the content in one of the darkest video games I've ever played, I ask that you please consider skipping this episode if you are easily offended, can be triggered by descriptions of violence or horror, or are listening with those who have innocent ears.

I'm not going to cover some of the worst parts of the game's themes and story in this episode, but we'll certainly be dancing around them a little.

If you choose to continue onward, I'll have Squidge put this sound: ALERT! before and after any of the particularly grisly descriptions that I've decided to include in this monologue. I'll also warn you in advance and aim to give a "skip ahead x seconds to get around this bit" style of warning.

I ask that you please listen to this episode responsibly.

Background Info

So what is Shadow Man?

Aside from the spooky meme of a shadowy person who haunts people's sleep, near-sleep, and hallucinations, it is also a game which came out in 1998 - originally for the N64. It was then ported to the PlayStation, PC and Dreamcast (in that order) in 1999; making it a game for both the 5th and 6th generations of video game consoles.

It was developed by Acclaim Studios Teeside, a UK-based arm of Acclaim based in Teeside (in the North of England), and is based on the Valiant Comics character of the same name.

One thing to note is that the character of Shadow Man in the game is very different to the original Valiant Comics) run of the character. However, after the game came out, Acclaim bought Valiant Comics and started putting out stories based on the video game version of the Shadow Man character.

I'm greatly reducing the history and importance of the original Shadow Man character here so definitely go read up on him after listening to this episode.

If it was ported to three different formats back in the day, then which was the best one? It's my opinion that the Dreamcast version is the best. Mostly because it was the most powerful home console that the game was ported to. Because it was the last of the ports, the developers could put the most effort into the audio-visual quality of the game - combining the massive areas of the N64 version, and the high-quality skins and music from the PC version. However, because it was originally an N64 game which was ported to the Dreamcast, the controls are really quite bad - but we'll talk about that in a moment.

When Acclaim went belly up in 2004, the rights to the game were left in a sort of limbo. But in 2013, Nightdive announced that they had bought the rights and put the PC version up on GoG. This version came with a large number of quality-of-life improvements and bug fixes, and some extras that were never included in the original PC release - this included things like a downloadable version of the soundtrack and a scanned strategy guide.

Full Show Notes

A full transcript of this "raw with Jay" episode is available over in the full show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and some web-based resources for you to consume.

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand-new contact page.

Raw With Jay: Be Excellent to Each Other

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Jay explores the effects of video games on our mental health and well-being. From the works of renowned psychologists like Dr. Brene Brown to the effects of gaming on hand-eye coordination and puzzle solving, he discusses why video games are not just for entertainment but actually can have a positive impact on our mental health. From exploring emotions in storylines to fostering healthy relationships with others, this podcast is a must-listen for video game enthusiasts and psychology buffs alike.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Content Warning

This episode contains my thoughts on gatekeepers and those who offer unsolicited mental health diagnoses. As such, it deals with discussing mental health issues and how playing video games can help.

These topics may not be relevant to the ears of the young and innocent, as such please listen responsibly.

---

This episode is yet another example of why we should ditch the gatekeepers, except this time I have some real-world examples of gatekeeping happening in the wild. And a form of gatekeeping that you might not have initially thought actually was gatekeeping. This time, we'll be talking about a specific series of tweets; these tweets were sent out in 2022, and have lived rent-free in my head for a while because of how infuriatingly horrid they are.

Series Intro

This is The Waffling Taylors Raw with Jay, a series of shorter episodes of indefinite length. These episodes will cover shorter topics which don't really fit well within the scope of the show, or topics that I want to cover in my own way. That's not to say that we won't cover these topics in the main show, but I'd like to take a whack at them here, first.

I can't guarantee that all of these shorter episodes will be as deep or technical as this one. But I wanted to start big.

Anyway, let's get to it.

Mental Health and Gaming

This episode is going to focus on a series of tweets (not sent by us or any friends of the show) which poke fun at both video gamers and those who suffer from mental health issues. Please note that I'm talking about the tweets, not those who suffer.

Because these tweets are so egregious in their language, I won't be linking directly to them - mostly because I don't want to drive any more traffic towards them at all. But I will be quoting them verbatim, so if you really must see the originals, you can type the quotes into your search engine of choice and you'll find them.

If you have concerns about your mental health, please speak to a professional. And if you know of someone who is suffering, please help them to find a professional who can help.

Mental health issues should NEVER be the target of ire and parody. Mental health issues are very real, and some of us content creators (myself included) are doing our best to take the stigma away from getting help. One of the best examples of those who are trying to remove the stigma is the fantastic podcast Capes on the Couch] - we had Anthony for Capes on the Couch on the show not that long back, there's a link to the episode in the show notes - I'd definitely recommend listening to our episode and then leap-frogging over to their show.

Because it's so important, I'll say it again: if you need help, please go get help. There is no stigma in getting the help that you need. And if someone you know is struggling, please help them to get the help that they need.

Background

On September 11th, 2022 a Twitter user posted the following:

As an adult, playing video games for long periods of time is a form of depression. If you don't believe me, ask yourself this. Think about the 100 greatest moments of your life. Do any of those moments include video games? Probably not. And this comes from a lifetime gamer.

Let me level-set here: I'm not saying that we should attack this person, or that people shouldn't necessarily consume their content. What I'm getting at is that this person (and people like them) continually use "hot takes" in order to drum up publicity for their content, and by responding to them and drawing attention to their content we give them legitimacy - even if what you're doing is proving them wrong or providing the opposite argument.

I fully realise the irony in what I've just said.

The was a lot of immediate backlash from this tweet, with lots of people quoting it or replying directly to it. Those people were fighting the good fight, for sure. But they were also giving that Twitter user what they wanted: engagement.

Social Media and How It Works

Before we get on to my opinions on this tweet and others like it, I wanted to give you all a quick primer of how social media sites work.

It's all about engagement: the more that people like, share, and reply to your content, the more people see it. And the more that people see it, the higher it will get in your "suggested" view. This is usually the default view for your feed, it's not chronological (it isn't showing you things as they happen) but it's "hand-picked" for you. You're seeing the things that fall into your interests which have the most engagement.

By replying, retweeting, liking, mentioning, whatever-ing a piece of social media content, you are telling that platform that this piece of content is important to those with a similar interest. In the case of the above tweet, it had viral-like views in the first 48 hours because people were outraged by it - and rightly so. The problem with this is that its negative message started to spread among video game and mental health Twitter very quickly. Which meant that more people saw it, and more people went through to the person's account to learn more about them; at which point they learnt more about the other content that they put out there.

Some of those people will have engaged with this user's content which is what they wanted in the first place. Granted, it wouldn't have been a large percentage of the people who were checking this user out, but it would have been enough for them to have seen this as a positive experiment. This "hot take" was used specifically to drive engagement to their content.

You may not have been one of the people who clicked through and checked out their other content, but there would have been a percentage of people who did.

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand-new

007: License to Book with Nicolás Suszczyk

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Adventurers and world-builders alike will be thrilled as Gold Mountain Games joined us to talk through The Saltreach Isles. Rob and Tim joined us to discuss their upcoming campaign, the world-building behind it, and whether the recent changes to the OGL will affect it. We also talk about their personal opinions on the changes to the OGL.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Our Thanks

As Squidge says in the intro:

Before we start, we have Jordan Freeman of Zoom Platform to thank for hooking us up today. So thank you, Jordan.
And do go check out Zoom Platform. They hit the ground running in January and have released tons of new games all DRM free, almost every week. They are also the only web-based store front to actually sell Postal One, Two and Three with all the DLCs, even if we don't talk about Postal 3 that much.
- Squidge

We're also grateful to the Zoom Platform folks for hosting this week's episode on their youTube channel. If you'd prefer to watch this episode rather than listen to it, please feel free to check it out here.

It's also worth noting that we recorded this episode on GoldenEye 007 before a confirmed release date was put into place for the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox systems.

Show Notes

As is our new tradition, Squidge started the episode off with our new customary intro:

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games beyond
- Squidge

This episode saw the boys connecting with author, James Bond fan, and all-round nice person Nicolás Suszczyk:

You know, it's funny because as a kid I used to introduce myself like Bond, but now I've grown up and I don't do it that often, but I'm Nicolás.
- Nicolás

Nicolás has written a long list of books about James Bond and the effect that the character has had on popular culture; all of which you can find on Amazon. Nicolás had ostensibly joined the show to talk about his most recent (at the time of recording the episode) book: The Golden Games of Bond: A Total Summary and Analysis of the GoldenEye Legacy.

Interestingly, although it isn't mentioned in the episode - but was in the recording - the topic of the Xbox and Nintendo Switch re-release of GoldenEye 007 didn't come up in the conversation; but only hours after the recording was finished, Nintendo announced its release date.

The first thing Squidge wanted to know was how Nicolás got into James Bond:

Well, it was 25 years ago or so in was January 1998. Yes, 25 years ago. I remember I was walking on the in my home town here in Argentina and I saw huge billboard of Pierce Brosnan. They were promoting the broadcasting of GoldenEye on TV.
...
I want to see it. And then with my parents, we sat together when it was showing [on TV]. And that was the beginning. I mean, I rewatched the film every time I could on TV. I didn't have a video cassette player or the Nintendo 64, but whenever I could, I watched the movie on TV and replay the game. And since I couldn't play the game as much as I wanted when I started watching the film, the more I can and I started reading everything about Bond, buying the books, watching the old films.
...
But the introduction was the Nintendo 64 game actually more than the movie, but the game broke me to the movie. But since I couldn't play it that often, I focused it more on the film than on the game.
- Nicolás

And that, naturally, lead into a conversation about our favourite actors to have portrayed James Bond:

Okay, just a quick fire when I had to get in there, of course it wasn't golden. I the first one I watched. It was the very first one with Sean Connery. For me. It's Sean Connery. What about you?
- Squidge

Nicolás:

Pierce Brosnan
- Nicolás

Jay:

I don't know. That's a tough one. I'm not as big of a fan as the Daniel Craig's [Bond], personally. I think Daniel Craig is too muscly to be yeah. And it's a bit too action packed, and the camera work is a bit wobbly. Yeah, I think I'd have to go with Pierce Brosnan as well
- Jay

But before long, the topic turned to Nicolás' most recent book and his sources:

Well, let's say it's probably one year. I recall writing the first words by early 2021 or so. I continually interrupted it to focus on another project, even another book. So it's not like I was writing it continually
...
I wanted to be very cautious regarding interviews, mostly because the developers have been telling the same stories for some 20 years and they wanted to bring something new. You know, sometimes it happens
... I wanted to be the quote and the interview to be functional to the progression of the text and bring something we have never heard before. For example, there's Adrian Smith, which is one of the developers. He explained to me how he came up with the dead screen [with] the blood coming down.
...
in a movie you can talk about a director or a camera shot and all that, but in a game you have to go more to the point to what it's the technical aspects, the playability and all that. But thankfully, there was my friend Jack, who helped me a lot, and Jordan, of course, from Zoom Platform who his comments I made the book a lot richer. So did Steve L Kent with the author and he helped me a lot with his experience. So thankfully, I counted with a lot of great people who helped me on these technical aspects.
- Nicolás

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

With the recent re-release of GoldenEye 007, did you go back and play it again? What did you think, and are you blinded by 25 years of nostalgia for it? Have you read any of Nicolás' books? If not, why not?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
Zoom Platform
YouTube version of this episode
Nicolás on the Internet...

Climbing the Gold Mountain with Rob and Tim

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

We talk about the recent (at the time of recording) changes to the Open Game License (or OGL) in this episode, and both Rob and Tim have very closely held opinions about those recent changes. They are two very passionate table-top gamers, and we wanted to keep their opinions on the matter in-tact. The only editorialising we did was bleep the odd swear word - of which there were only two or three.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Jay covered the intro in this episode:

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers all kinds of gaming and beyond.
This week we were joined bit Rob and Tim of Gold Mountain Gamers to talk about their new TTRG campaign "The Saltreach Isles" and how they went about creating it.
It's important to note that we recorded this episode during the height of the changes to the OGL (or Open Gaming License) from Wizards of the Coast. This is the backbone of Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons and Dragons-like content, and the changes brought about by Wizards of the Coast brought about a LOT of backlash from the community; which we talked about.
Also, unfortunately Squidge was ill when we recorded episode, so he's not in this one. But I talked with both Rob and Tim afterwards, and they are more than happy to come back to the show and talk both Squidgey and myself through their updates as they continue their world building and production of "The Saltreach Isles"
- Jay

Gold Mountain Games

A discussion about Gold Mountain Games, their table-top RGPs and the personal thoughts of both Tim and Rob on the recent changes to the OGL couldn't have happened without first discussing what Gold Mountain Games are and what they do:

Yeah, absolutely cool. We've got a couple of one shots out and we've also got a settings book. We can go into a bit more detail about that later on, I think, but yeah table-top RPGs is what we do.
- Rob

But they're not just another TTRPG company, as Tim explained:

And we like to approach everything from a very professional mindset. Right. So as much as we're all still fans that are playing the games and really wanting to make this a fully realized company and everything else, we're still working with artists and writers on professional, contract level work in order to make certain that our visions are as clear and concise and as awe inspiring as possible for the end users once they get the products.
- Tim

But what about the people behind Gold Mountain Games? First Rob:

I'm Rob. I'm the owner and executive director of Gold Mountain Games.
I've been playing tabletop RPGs for about a decade. I've been - before that, I was massively into the boardgame scene. I set up one of the biggest boardgame clubs in the UK. I've got a boardgame tattooed on me. I've got my favourite fantasy author tattooed on me. I'm a mega geek and tabletop RPGs have been a large part of my life and kind of formed a lot of my friendships and helped me with lots of troubles in my life. And I just think they're great and I wanted to give back some of that awesomeness.
- Rob

And Tim:

So my name is Tim. I am one of the directors at Gold Mountain Games.
My primary function is the business and the sales. The marketing, the business side of it actually my day job, if you want to call it that. Heavy quotes there is. I work within the gaming industry during the day. I'm actually a sales representative at Cryptozoic Entertainment and I also do contract work for other companies.
So it's funny, when Rob actually reached out to me the first time, I was just like, "yeah, I want to do some writing." And then we got to talking, I was like, "oh wait, no, we need this slot filled more for a lot." So for folks out there, what I do is the boring corporate stuff, but it's also very necessary stuff for when we get to the point of getting the products out there, really letting them shine.
- Tim

What's The Saltreach Isles Isles All About?

Discussion turned to that of their new campaign (due out soon) called "The Saltreach Isles", and it's amazing just how much world-building the team at Gold Mountain Games has put into this campaign:

The Saltreach Isles is a massive archipelago world. We've got 24 islands ranging from kind of big central, kind of multiple kind of species and empires on them. We've got tiny little islands that have a one group may occupy more than one of them.
It came about really from there isn't really a setting for D&D - which is what it was written for - there isn't one that kind of takes in the scope and the differences that you get in kind of island nations and archipelagos. And I think it gave us this really interesting mechanism we could use with kind of over time, the islands breaking up from a - I forget the word now - a Pangaea, one big continent. So a lot of the world is tied into kind of the evolution of the planet as a whole.
We've got Gods that aren't really Gods. We've got real kind of unique takes on a lot of the species that people would be used to from DnD. And we've also added orcs, trolls and goblins because I love me a green skin. I think they're all great. My very first Warhammer were orcs back when I was like 12 or 13 and I've just loved them ever since.
But one of the things I really wanted to do is I wanted to bring them kind of into the modern age. I wanted to get rid of this idea that they are unintelligent roots who kill and maim for fun. That had its place. I think the Middle earth needed its bad guys and the orcs were amazing. However, I wanted to do something more interesting with them.
- Rob

Whilst the game uses the typical creatures and species you might find in most DnD fantasy campaigns, the team have spent the time to really think about why the creatures should exist:

And for me, I really wanted to do everything I could to make certain that they felt like there was a reason for them being in this world other than like, hey, I made a monster throw it against your players. Every creature I wrote has a reason for being there.
- Tim

And Rob went on to talk about how they are creating deep culture and lore around the histories of the different species, and the factions within them. The team behind the game have also thought very clearly about diversity and inclusion in creating this campaign.

..one of the other things we've tried to do, and I think we've been very successful with it, is we've tried to be very open and accepting and inclusive with our writing.
We have very many kind of NPCs named ch...

Requiem for a Jill Sandwich with Nomad

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We invited Nomad, from the Retro Wildlands podcast, to discuss the Resident Evil series and its many replay values. Nomad shares personal stories of his own experiences with the franchise, as well as proposing a unique solution to make the game even more thrilling. Join Nomad, Jay, and Squidge as they explore the thrilling world of Resident Evil and discover its hidden secrets.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

We talk about Resident Evil a lot in this episode, from the first game to the most recent one. As such, and because these are horror games, this episode is not meant for the ears of the innocent.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

As Squidge says in our new intro:

From active timer battling to zombie slaying, Waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond. We are kicking off the new year and the new season of Waffling Taylors retro and beyond with a bang. Because why not?
Today we are joined by Nomad from the Retro Wildlands podcast. We've teased him in from the Wildlands to talk about Resident Evil. So when you're ready, strap yourselves in for our episode on the Resident Evil franchise named Resident Evil Requiem for a Jill Sandwich.
- Squidge

I mean, that says it all really. And, believe it or not, Squidge came up with that off the cuff. He's pretty good at words and that, is our Squidge.

But just what is the Retro Wildlands Podcast? Well, in Nomad's own words:

My podcast is about the games that I have discovered or rediscovered while roaming the gaming wildlands. That sounds good, that's my catchphrase.
But really what it is, is I'm a 38 year old guy who loves video games, and I've grown up playing games most of my young adolescent life and well into adulthood. My episodes are around games specifically, and what I try to do is I have my episodes around a couple of different parts. They're one part review, they're one part game overview, they're one part my experiences and personal memories, and they're one part nostalgia. Mix all that together and that's my show. Basically my goal is if you've played a game before that I'm talking about, I hope you end my episode with a bunch of nostalgia and all them tingly feelings that you get. And if you've never played the game before, hopefully it's a nice introduction into what the game is and maybe something you may want to play. And if not, maybe you just listen to me talk for an hour, and I killed a little bit of your time.
- Nomad

Because the guys were talking nostalgia and Resident Evil, Squidge brought up his Resident Evil 2 specific controller - we first mentioned this controller back in episode 7: Sega Wrist - It's called the BIOHAZARD dedicated controller, and you can find out more about this controller over on the Resident Evil fandom wikia page for it.

Resident Evil (1996) & Resident Evil 2 (1998)

Squidge wanted to start the discussion with Nomad by talking about the first episode of his podcast - one which just so happened to cover the first Resident Evil game. In fact, he wanted to know why Nomad started with Resident Evil:

So Resident Evil is where it all started for me as a gamer.
Now, that's not to say that's the very first game I ever played. I've been playing games since, more or less. The Cradle, the Nintendo at my grandmother's house, the Super Nintendo that my parents got a couple of years after that. So I've had games. But it was Resident Evil that solidified my passion for video games.
- Nomad

Nomad then shares a story from the first episode of his podcast about how he first experienced Resident Evil. We're going to leave the story out of the show notes, as there's already two different sources for it (Nomad's show, and this episode).

The effect that the Resident Evil series has had on popular culture cannot be understated, but also worth noting is the tension that the original brought to the table - if you're willing to set the goofy voice acting to one side that is:

And the tension in that game was so thick and we had no idea what to expect.
I mean, Resident Evil is everywhere now. And most people, I would think, that are semi familiar with the series kind of know what it's all about. But the very first time we played it, we didn't know why zombies were in this mansion. We didn't know why these dogs were running around. What is really going on here? And that mystery really drove us and we bonded over it.
And that whole experience, once we were done with it and put it away for something else, that's what I knew. I want more of these experiences in my life. And Resident Evil was by far the biggest catalyst for me.
- Nomad

On the back of this, both Squidge and Jay share their stories on how they discovered Resident Evil, and Jay mentions the many different branching pathways through Jill's scenario. And the guys agree that there are quite a few different ways to achieve certain story points. With just one example being:

...off the very top of the staircase, a side room, you come across a long corridor that's full of blood and someone's injured and has been through there. And you come across Forest, I think his name was, another member of the Stars team.
Now, depending on when you decide to go up there, Barry may actually be up there and you have a conversation with him and he gives Jill the bazooka. But depending on what you do, he may not actually be up there sometimes.
And the little things like that, that influence the story, little decisions that you're making that you don't even realize that you're making, really enhance that experience.
- Nomad

Most Memorable Games

Since this is a discussion about Resident Evil as a whole, Jay wanted to ask Nomad:

Out of the different games that this series has to offer, what would you say is your most memorable game to play?
- Jay

And Nomad brought up an often-forgotten title in the series: Resident Evil Outbreak (and it's sequel File #2). This title had a great twist on the Resident Evil formula, as it was multiplayer. The set up was the same (albeit with different characters): get out of the city, avoiding zombies and felling monsters, all the while solving puzzles. Unfortunately, it was released in the UK too late for Squidge or Jay to have played it online, but all three of the folks in this episode had played it, back in the day.

You're playing everyday survivors that are in Raccoon City and you're put in I think the first game had five and the second had four scenarios where you're given an objective, "get to this point", "evacuate from here", "find this thing", some sort of scenario. And it recreates th...

Pastel Colours and Spandex - GTA Vice City with Chief

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We hope that you've had your recommended daily amount of pastel colours, spandex, and cocaine as we dove deep into the only game which has ever gone full-80s: Grand Theft Audio Vice City. Chief joined us for a long talk about our collective memories of this amazing title, what the heck Rockstar were thinking when they released Table Tennis, and just how 80's we all are.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

We're discussing the 80s spoof-a-thon, and Scarface rip-off pastiche Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in this episode. As such we talk about a lot of rather NSFW topics.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

This episode saw the Wafflers tackle the fantastically stupid GTA: Vice City - one of the first 3D, open world, crime-a-thons from acclaimed developers Rockstar. It wasn't the first, but was a lot of people's firsts - the earlier title GTA 3 was the first from Rockstar, and it set the stage for later titles in the series, and competitor titles like Saints Row.

Anyway, Jay and Squidge were joined by Chief in this episode - and it was recorded on the same day as his previous appearance on the show: Spirits Within; Plot Without. Chief wanted to start the conversation by bringing up "Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis" (aka "Table Tennis"):

It was bonkers, completely out of left-field.
- Chief

And he's not wrong, because there wasn't even a table tennis competition or global event happening at the time. They just released it, seemingly randomly.

And the big topic of the day that we recorded - back in September of 2022 - was that someone had hacked into Rockstar's systems and leaked a bunch of early GTA 6 stuff.

this is Jay: please don't do this. Us developers don't want our early builds of stuff to see the light of day otherwise, we'd release them. Please remember to be nice to people, especially developers.

But before they could do that, the system that they use to record episodes completely crapped out

Jay: and it was after that day that we started using our Discord server to record episodes

Grand Theft Auto Vice City

We all need to put on our pastel coloured suits, [and] get a pile of cardboard boxes and prepare to drive into them. Because we are going to be talking about Scarface meets Miami Vice - or as we all know it Grand Theft Auto Vice City
- Jay

But they couldn't seem to get away from just how bonkers it was for Rockstar to have released a Table Tennis game, randomly between several entries in all of their extremely violent, very silly, crime-a-thons. It would be as bonkers as if:

Nintendo releases Diddy Kong Does The Accounts
- Squidge

This brought us to the topics of Nintendogs, societal pressure from parents in Japan, and what some young, Japanese couples get up to during bank holidays - or BONK holidays. Amiright?

I mean, that hasn't helped at all.
What Miyamoto has done is he's clocked into other people's misery, and sold them a copy of Nintendogs. Which hasn't helped the problem, and has just made it worse, AND he's charged them £45 for it.
- Chief

Attempt Number 2

Since there are a lot of people who have neither played Grand Theft Auto, nor GTA Vice City specifically, Jay wanted to challenge both Squidge and Chief to come up with a 30 second long (or less) elevator pitch for Vice City. Squidge went first:

Do you wanna play a game where you can race around, jump over things, shoot people, and apparently there's a story that's set in the '80s?
You need to play the story, you can just drive around, running people over and shooting things.
- Squidge

Then Chief came in with:

Don't bother, just play Table Tennis.
It's reliving the '80s, isn't it? Great soundtrack. You drive around in '80s, like, Miami and Florida. It's fun, yeah. And you drive around and it's cool. '80s soundtrack.
It's a lot of fun. There's a good story there as well, despite what Squidge said. I mean, it's just nicked off Scarface like, but yeah. A lot of fun. A lot of fun.
'80s!
- Chief

But who won the elevator pitch battle? You decide! Let us both know either on Twitter or on our Discord server.

And afterwards, Squidge was able to reduce his elevator pitch down to:

Vice City is a soundtrack with a game built around it.
- Squidge

And finally, Jay had a shot at it (but without the timer):

So GTA Vice City.
It's a game set in 1986. You play as Tommy Vercetti, who is essentially Scarface, and you're running through a whole series of situations that are very similar to episodes of Miami Vice.
And it has an absolute BANGER of a soundtrack - I hate to have said that word after all of that; I'm getting the finger from Chief, but not the naughty one, the other one: the naughty finger.
- Jay

And it's a real shame that they had to drop most of the licensed songs in the soundtrack for the "remasters" - the less said about them, the better - due to the rights being way more expensive now.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you listened to the Tokyo Game Life podcast? Did you catch Mono's episode on TGS yet? What did you think to it? Have you ever been to Japan? Are you excited for Sonic Frontiers, or will it continue the 3D Sonic games legacies of not being very good?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

...

Sonic TuesMonth - Episode Two, Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

The 30th anniversary of Sonic 2day - the worldwide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis/Mega Drive - is upon us this month, and we asked a few friends to talk about their memories of the landmark title. This week, we talk about favourite and least favourite music, just how tough the original Sonic games are, and ways to celebrate the 30th anniversary.

psst. this is the first in a series of four episodes on Sonic 2's 30th anniversary. Be sure to check this page to see the other episodes in the series when they drop.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2sday - Tuesday November 24th, 1992 - aka the worldwide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis - we wanted to create a very special episode of the podcast, and it ended up being so long that we split it into four. And this is part three of that series of special episodes; with part one having released last week

We wanted to create an episode which would have us interviewing some amazing people that we know from the podcasting and video content community, and we wanted to talk with them about their memories of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis/ Mega Drive; and reach out, we did.

As you can see from our players section - psst. if you're not reading these show notes on the website, then you're missing out - we reached out to some amazing folks. In fact, we got so much content that we've had to split this special episode into two separate episodes, each with two parts. In this episode we talked with:

Gamer Jason (aka one of the hosts of What's Wrong With Wolfie?)
White Mage
Nezzalonius

Assisting us with this episode was Russell, an artificial intelligence that Jay may or may not have sunk several years of his life into creating, for the specific purpose of making everyone's lives easier. Russell took hosting duties for this episode - you'll see why as we work our way through the series.

Full Show Notes

All the details on the questions we asked, the format we took, and the answers that our amazing guests gave can be found in the full show notes, we definitely check them out here.

Do you remember the first time that you played Sonic 2? Was it on Sonic 2sday? Have you checked out all of the content that our guests create? You totally should. Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
GamerJason's Links:
- Twitter
- What's Wrong With Wolfie?
White Mage's links:
- Trich Comics
Nezzalonius' links
- Twitter
Sonic 2sday

★ Support this podcast ★

Sonic TuesMonth - Episode Two, Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

The 30th anniversary of Sonic 2day is upon us this month, and we asked a few friends to talk about their memories of the landmark title. This week, we talked with GamerJason, White Mage, and Nezzalonius about what comes to mind when they think about Sonic 2, whether Sonic Team have a trademark on the Casino Levels, and slipping and sliding everywhere.

psst. this is the first in a series of four episodes on Sonic 2's 30th anniversary. Be sure to check this page to see the other episodes in the series when they drop.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

Gamer Jason (aka one of the hosts of What's Wrong With Wolfie?)
White Mage
Nezzalonius

Full Show Notes

All the details on the questions we asked, the format we took, and the answers that our amazing guests gave can be found in the full show notes, we definitely check them out here.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
GamerJason's Links:
- Twitter
- What's Wrong With Wolfie?
White Mage's links:
- Trich Comics
Nezzalonius' links
- Twitter
Sonic 2sday

★ Support this podcast ★

Sonic TuesMonth - Episode One, Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

The 30th anniversary of Sonic 2day - the worldwide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis/Mega Drive - is upon us this month, and we asked G to the Next Level, Franny, Alyxa, MVG, and JonnyG to choose their favourite and least favourite Sonic 2 music, whether it was their first Sonic game, singed furry animals and how Sonic's eco-warrior vibe was dropped, multiple endings, and PS3 era game design

psst. this is the second in a series of four episodes on Sonic 2's 30th anniversary. Be sure to check this page to see the other episodes in the series when they drop.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2sday - Tuesday November 24th, 1992 - aka the worldwide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis - we wanted to create a very special episode of the podcast, and it ended up being so long that we split it into four. And this is part two of that series of special episodes; with part one having released last week - here's a link to part one.

We wanted to create an episode which would have us interviewing some amazing people that we know from the podcasting and video content community, and wanted to talk with them about their memories of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis/ Mega Drive; and reach out, we did.

As you can see from our players section of the fuller show notes - psst. if you're not reading these show notes on the website, then you're missing out - we reached out to some amazing folks. In fact, we go so much content that we've had to split this special episode into two separate episodes, each with two parts. In this episode we talked with:

G to the Next Level
Franny
Alyxa
Mad Viking God
JonnyG

Full Show Notes

All the details on the questions we asked, the format we took, and the answers that our amazing guests gave can be found in the full show notes, we definitely check them out here.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
G to the Next Level's Links:
Franny's links:
- Druids of Doom Podcast
Alyxa's Links:
Mad Viking God's Links:
- Twitch
- GitHub
JohhnyG's links:
Sonic 2sday
InsaneInTheMusic
- Sonic 2: Aquatic Ruin Zone Jazz Arrangement || insaneintherainmusic

★ Support this podcast ★

Sonic TuesMonth - Episode One, Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

The 30th anniversary of Sonic 2day - the worldwide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis/Mega Drive - is upon us this month, and we asked G to the Next Level, Franny, Alyxa, MVG, and JonnyG about what their first thoughts of Sonic 2 are and their least favourite zones in the game. We also talk about the Dreamcast and just how amaze-bonkers Comix Zone was.

psst. this is the first in a series of four episodes on Sonic 2's 30th anniversary. Be sure to check this page to see the other episodes in the series when they drop.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic 2sday - Tuesday November 24th, 1992 - aka the world wide release of Sonic 2 on the Genesis - we wanted to create a very special episode of the podcast. We wanted to create an episode which would have us interviewing some amazing people from the podcasting community that we knew, and wanted to talk with them about their memories of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Genesis/ Mega Drive; and reach out, we did.

G to the Next Level
Franny
Alyxa
Mad Viking God
JonnyG

Full Show Notes

All the details on the questions we asked, the format we took, and the answers that our amazing guests gave can be found in the full show notes, we definitely check them out here.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
G to the Next Level's Links:
Franny's links:
- Druids of Doom Podcast
Alyxa's Links:
Mad Viking God's Links:
- Twitch
- GitHub
JohhnyG's links:
Sonic 2sday
Classic Sega Game "Comix Zone" to Get Movie Adaptation

★ Support this podcast ★

Doom - I'm So Manly That I Kiss My Gun

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 08:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Gammy legs, getting older, men in rubber suits, first-person shooter sections, Semper-Fi, testosteroni (and whether that should be a pizza topping), and guns that make the uwu face. Obviously, this means that we talked about the 2005 movie Doom for our 2022 Spooptober episode.

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

As this is both our Spootober episode and an episode which covers the 2005 action horror movie Doom, this episode contains discussions of things, and words, which are not safe for work or the ears of the innocent.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Spooptober is upon us once again. This year we wanted to tackle a spoopy video game movie for our Waffling Taylors Goes To The Movies series. But what to choose, what to choose? We've already covered The House of the Dead, and the first two Resident Evil movies - psst. there are three links there for the Resident Evil movies, because our exploration of the second movie took that long that we split it into two parts - because of that, we decided to cover the 2005 action horror movie version of Doom!

As with our House of the Dead episode - do check that out, if you want to hear the boys talking smack about an Uwe Boll movie - we decided to change up the format of our "goes to the movies" episodes. Instead of working through the plot, we decided that it would be much more fun to focus on a handful of scenes from the movie. This serves the double purpose of:

Simplifying our episodes, and getting to the gags quicker
Not having to discuss the plot - the one thing we're not here for

Basic Info on the Movie

Jay dropped some key facts on this movie before we could get to our discussion on it:

This is a movie that was released in 2005.
It had a budget of 60-70 million dollars, but only took 58 million dollars at the box office. So it was kind of a flop, but not as much as Final Fantasy: The Sprits Within.
Although it's based on Doom, I feel like it's more based on Doom 3 due to the design of the BFG and the dark corridors.
- Jay

Initial Thoughts

Squidge started the conversation off with a very relevant question:

But why did they make Doom into a stealth movie?
- Squidge

And he's not wrong, a large part of the first hour of the movie is mostly the Marines stalking about in the darkness.

This is just Doom, but set in the Red Dwarf universe
- Squidge

... another thing that everyone agreed with, too.

Then Jay dropped the ultimate piece of trivia for this movie:

Apparently, Rosamund Pike turned down the role of Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to be in this movie
- Jay

Was that a misstep? Well, Lulu thought so:

Fool! She would have been fantastic as Rita Skeeter
- Lulu

And the big twist - if you want to call it that - that "The Rock" didn't play the good guy in the movie was a breath of fresh air.

They actually hint at it early on in the movie, too. So if you're not just turning your brain off and watching along, there are hints to pick up on.
- Lulu

And thank goodness that ol' Rocky Maivia had started taking acting lessons after this movie, otherwise he may not have made it in Hollywood.

He was doing a lot of "smell the fart acting", too
- Lulu

Then again, there are a lot of bad actors who are incredibly highly paid by Hollywood.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Doom games? What about this movie? Did the first-person section of the movie grab you and take you back to the games?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Spirits Within; Plot Without

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

From mocap to Resident Evil, and from the passing of a family member to a financial loss of $105 million. This week we talk about the commercial failure (and reason why Square-Enix games where Playstation 2 exclusives for a long time) Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

In this "Goes to the Movies" episode, we wanted to tackle a movie which isn't necessarily based on an actual game, per se - but keep a look out for Jay's interpretation, very soon - so we tackled Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

Simplifying our episodes, and getting to the gags quicker
Not having to discuss the plot which this movie doesn't have

Just before we started recording though, Chief uttered the following famous last words:

I'm a pro at this now, I've done that many episodes that I could probably do this myself.
- Chief

With that said, we jumped to jump straight into a description of this movie...

Basic Info on the Movie

Jay dropped some key facts on this movie before we could get to our discussion on it:

This is a movie that was released in 2001
... it is THE reason why a whole bunch of Square-Enix games that came out after that were PlayStation exclusives for a long time
... it is known as the 4th biggest box-office bombs of all time
... it cost (in 2022 dollars) $190 MILLION to make, and almost drove Square out of business... and only ever made $85 million back, which is less than half of it's budget.
- Jay

Interestingly, the story that this movie was based on - the script was originally called Gaia - was written during the final few days of working on Final Fantasy VII, and was written by Hironobu Sakaguchi shortly after his mother passed away. It was then re-written by Al Reinert (co-writer of Apollo 13) & Jeff Vintar (writer of I, Robot), and was combined with three years of RnD in Hawaii to create the final movie.

It's also important to remember that the fallout of this movie lead to the merger between Square and Enix almost being canned. Both companies were in pretty dire straits - even with the rousing success of both Final Fantasy VII and VIII - and Sony had to step in to buy a (reported) 20% stake in Square to keep the merger alive (as Enix wanted to pull out). And this is why a large number of Square-Enix games of the early 2000s were Playstation exclusives.

Just think about that for a second: The Spirits Within was that expensive and that much of a flop that it undid all of the profits from both Final Fantasy VII and VIII.

Initial Thoughts

Each of the boys agreed that the movie is beautiful to look at, especially for it's time.

I don't think I'd willingly go back and watch it again, though.
- Chief

Before we got into the movie proper, Jay asked:

With 0 being the worst and 10 being the best, how would you rate this film as a film? Imagine that it's an IGN score though: it doesn't mean anything
- Jay

Chief: 5
Squidge: Numberwang (or a 7)
Jay: unrated

Chief had this to say about his score:

What I mean is it's a middling film. The plot is serviceable, if a little uninteresting and uninspired. It makes sense, and the animation is good... but one thing I will say about the sound, though. You know when they're firing the weapons? It always feels under-powered.
- Chief

Squidge had this to say about his score:

I've seen some good CGI movies, and I've seen some $h!t. And so many years later, it holds up... some of the best parts of the movie are Steve Buschemi... the pacing is way too fast, then way too slow.
- Squidge

And the boys all agree that the movie would have made a great limited series or a game. In fact, they all agree that it plays out very much like a video game.

You could probably make [this into] a tactical shooter, survival horror game.
- Jay

Had Netflix been a streaming service back in the tail end of the 90s - rather than just a DVD rental service - they would have bitten Sakaguchi's hand off to make it.

It's just done too quick, isn't it? There's good stuff in there, but it's so rushed over that by the time you get to it, you think "ugh, well I've seen that now."
- Chief

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Final Fantasy games? Have you seen this movie before? If so, what did you think to it? Would you fling it into a tree? If not, are you likely to watch it now?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of ...

Living the Tokyo Game Life with Mono

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 07 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Jay was joined by Mono of the Tokyo Game Life podcast, and they nerded out about Japan, Japanese culture, and video games. Along the way, they discuss the live action, immersive experiences that Japanese companies create. Mono talks about being "Turtled out" and what it was like at this year's TGS - Tokyo Game Show

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

Unfortunately Squidge couldn't appear in this episode, as he was feeling super under the weather. But by the time it came round to editing this episode, he was feeling much better.

Feel better soon, Squidgey!
- Jay

Mono of the Tokyo Game Life podcast joined Jay, to talk about all things Tokyo and video gaming... including a few tidbits about Tokyo Game Show.

Before they could get around to talking about video games though, Jay started talking about his trips to Japan - you can listen to some of his audio diaries from his most recent trip here - which lead to Mono and Jay talking about some of their favourite memories of Kyushu - the southernmost of the big islands which make up Japan - including when Jay was in a crowd of people playing this Space Invaders Groovy Invades Canal City.

Mono describes his show as:

A Tokyo based video game podcast focussing on Nintendo and gaming culture in Japan's capital... it's also like a slice of life of Tokyo.
Yeah, it's just a place where I celebrate Japan, Japanese gaming, and also Nintendo.
- Mono

Recent Games

And this episode was no different.

Mono's Recent Games

Splatoon 3
And a bunch at TGS; some of which were:
- Sonic Frontiers
- Super Bomberman R 2
- Atelier Ryza
- ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni
- Wanted: Dead
- RUINSMAGUS

Be sure to check out Mono's podcast for his coverage of (and advice for attending) Tokyo Game Show. Here's a link directly to his TGS 2022 episode.

Jay's Recent Games

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

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Couching the Capes With Anthony

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

This episode sees Anthony of the Capes on the Couch podcast join us. We talk about his show (which you should definitely listen to), ‘previously on’ mode, RPGs and forgetting what to do, the recent TMNT releases, reaching level 99 too soon, airborne controllers, and profanity generators.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

We talk with Anthony about his podcast (which deals with exploring the mental health aspect of comic book characters), and as such need to bring up mental health points. We can't say whether anything in the episode will offend, but what we will ask is that you listen responsibly.

But also that you look after yourself and, if you can, someone else too. Please consider getting help if you need it.

Show Notes

Anthony of the Capes on the Couch podcast joined us, and we wanted to take a few moments to discuss both his podcast and mental health. Mental health is something which is important to both Jay and Squidge, and they take it very seriously.

If you need help, please go get it. There's no shame or stigma attached to it.

Anthony describes the show as:

Capes on the Couch is a podcast that my best friend, my brother, and I have been co-hosting now for four and half years. He is a board certified psychiatrist, and I am a comic book aficionado. And each episode, we take a look at a particular character, a group of characters, or sometimes a theme; and we examine their mental health issues, any concerns that they have, what's going on in their life that might cause them strife or distress... and what would the treatment of the real-world analogue look like
...
We do it to destigmatize a lot of the discussions around mental health, because there's this big bugaboo about if you're feeling sick then you go to the doctor; if your leg is broken then you go to the doctor; but if you're feeling depressed or you're hearing voices in your head, or if you are going through something in your life and you go to see a therapist, "oh we don't talk about that. Shh. Don't tell anybody about that." And it's just as valid and necessary.
- Anthony

Which, you'll agree, is an amazing setup for a podcast. And a very, _very_ important topic to discuss. And it's such an important point that Jay and Squidge wanted to explore it for a big enough portion of the episode.

Along the way, Jay talked about the wonderfully creepy world of deep fakes. He brings up a fantastic video by Corridor Crew where they took all of the appearances of their lawyer on their podcast, fed them into Descrypt - to build up a machine learning model of his voice - then used GPT3 to write a script for a speech, and had Descrypt create the audio for the speech. Effectively, they had a set of machine learning tools generate a full speech, and delivery it to the rest of the company.

It's wonderfully dystopian.

And the reason that Jay brought this up because, looking at his podchaser profile Squidge has edited almost two weeks of continual content with Jay's voice in it.

NO NEED TO WORRY JAY, I HAVE ALREADY DEEP FAKED YOUR VOICE
MWA
HA
HA
HA!
- Russel

Recent Games

After almost 40 minutes of discussion on comic books, superheroes, and mental health

If you need help, please go get it. There's no shame or stigma attached to it

Anthony brought us back on topic, and with the Recent Games segment.

And this episode was no different.

Anthony's Recent Games

Super Mario Odyssey
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Asphalt 9: Legends

And when discussing Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, both Anthony and Jay talked about a "Parent mode" or "Previously on... mode"

where it just gives you like a 60 seconds of, "here's getting you back up to speed; here are the characters, the story, and how they're all interacting; here's your current objective, where you're going, and where you came from."
- Jay

Sponsor Message

Hello adventurers. Do you enjoy stories about monsters and magic? Welcome to Autumn Falls, a cozy small town in the Pacific Northwest. There's mysteries to uncover, but first let's check in with our heroes.

Hugo Rashaad

Fighting monsters isn't the safest thing. I'm Hugo Rashaad.

Agent Whitaker

Can I get verbal confirmation that none of you will say anything about what you saw today? Agent Lonnie Whitaker reporting in from the Eastey Agency.

Raven Eugenia

it's really weird, and bizarre, and a whole lot of feeling stuff that I did not want to get into it. So I kind of booked it out of there. I'm Raven Eugenia.

Damien Edgecrest

I just wanted to be friends because that's what everyone else was doing? My name is Damien Edgecrest.

Felicity Starnbrook

Clearly talking to the tree is not a normal thing that people can do. I'm Felicity Starnbrook.

If you'd like to join our heroes as we play Monster of the Week, then check out The Storyteller Squad, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Let's have an adventure.

Squidge's Recent Games

The Outer Worlds
SD Gundam Battle Alliance

Jay's Recent Games

PowerWash Simulator
Vampire Survivor
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you listened to Capes on the Couch? Which was your favourite episode? Is TMNT Shredder's Revenge REALLY that good? (pro tip: yes, yes it is) Would you like a "Previously On..." mode for long running games? Have any of your games gone airborne? And why do you think to the story about Squidge's player character in ESPN NFL 2K5?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Reaving Souls in HD with Raina

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We were joined by Raina of The Ancient's Den this week. Raina has recently released an HD mod for the Dreamcast version of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, and it's bloody impressive. We talk zombie feeding simulators, the entire Legacy of Kain series, and about Raina's favourite controllers

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Because we're talking about some of the entries in the Legacy of Kain series - a series of games about vampires going around and doing what vampires do - we'd recommend that you skip this one if you have little ones listening, or are in a space where listening would be inappropriate.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

This week's episode starts with Squidge in the Nosgoth underworld... or was it Brighton?

But before long, the boys where joined by Raina of The Ancient's Den, the person behind the Soul Reaver HD Mod, and all-round amazing person.

And Raina takes us back in time to the late '90s - gaming magazines, demo discs, and incorrectly spelt main characters - when bringing us up to speed about how they got involved with the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. This was a time of internet cafes - remember them? - and floppy disks - remember THEM?! - and before widespread use of email.

Jay also shares a story of him playing around with the MP3 encoder on his home computer so that he could MAYBE load a single MP3 onto a single floppy disk.

I would go down to the library with a stack of floppy disks, which was my music library... I would swap disks after each song.
- Jay

And Squidge tells us that he first played Resident Evil 2 as a 9 year old.

I was so bad at playing it, I thought that it was a zombie feeding simulator.
-Squidge

Before we could talk about the HD mod, Jay asked Raina to...

Get Control of Yourself

This is a segment that we like to do every so often, which is based on a tweet from SinceSpacies - who is an absolutely amazing person, by the way. Seriously, go follow him on Twitter

Get a control of yourself!!!!!! What’s been your most fav controller of all time…
(and what controller bites the big one?)
- SinceSpacies

The idea here is that we want to know which is the best and which is the worst controller of all time.

Raina's Worst Controller

Raina chose the Xbox 360 controller.

The controller is really big and bulky, and it uses batteries... come on!
- Raina

Raina also dislikes the Dreamcast controller:

Not for anything other than the missing features. So with Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, they had to break the controls to make it work.
- Raina

Raina's Best Controller

The dual sense really surprised me... You can really feel the rope as your character climbs down, and you can feel tension when you pull an arrow.
- Raina

And both Raina and Squidge agree that the PlayStation controllers from DualShock on-wards are fantastic for FPS games:

I don't know whether it's because the analogue sticks are on the same level.
- Squidge

The HD Mod

Raina describes the origins of the mod by taking us back in time to the release of the original Legacy of Kain on Dreamcast:

They literally had three months to create the port, and that's not a lot of time
- Raina

Strangely enough, during the process of porting to Dreamcast, the graphical assets were reduced by quite a lot - meaning that the "inferior" release on the PlayStation TECHNICALLY has better graphics than the Dreamcast version.

They didn't have a lot of time, so I don't blame them.
- Raina

And Raina is calling this a "remaster" (or sorts) as the mod contains MUCH higher resolution textures which are swapped out, at runtime, by the Flycast emulator for Dreamcast.

You should certainly take a look at the comparison screenshots on the project's website here: https://www.sr1hdremaster.com/screenshots

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you ever visited the land of Nosgoth? If so, which Legacy of Kain games have you played, and why is Soul Reaver the best one? Have you tried out Raina's HD mod for Soul Reaver? Let us know on our shiny new Discord server.

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

★ Support this podcast ★

The Cat Game with G

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Moonwalking to the fridge, Memento, video games, kitties, The Lonely Island of programming, spoilers, whether Tom Holland knows he's Spider-Man and silliness. That could only mean one thing: G has returned to the show. But what do these things have to do with video games?

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

This episode has a few poop jokes in it, all around the 10 minutes and 30 second mark.

A misquote from the 1982 classic Blade Runner ("am I lesbian") at 12 minutes and change could cause issues for some listeners if they are listening with little ones.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Seeing as how it being several weeks since Jay had done the intro, he decided that he would be in charge of intro-ing the show, and he did a pretty terrible job of doing it - as always - but it wasn't just Jay and Squidgey in this episode, as they were joined by G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey).

Considering that it had been almost two years since G was last on the show - his last appearance was in episode 92 "Would You Kindly" from October 2020 - and a lot of amazing things have happened in his life since he was last on - including having a new little one, and her taking her first steps ON THE DAY THAT THE EPISODE WAS RECORDED! How cool is that?

Nothing in the episode will compare to that news, and it will be all downhill from that moment. So strap yourselves in, folks.

And even though G had not been on the show for a long time, he fell right back into the format without any issues

The memories may fade, but the pain remains
- G

Less than 10 minutes into the episode, the boys started to have an existential crisis:

Surely the best way to know whether you are a Sim or not would be to look up. If you see the green crystal, then perhaps you are Sim... perhaps
- Jay

The Cat Game

Of course the hot topic of the month came up: The Cat Game - aka Stray - and the boys had a lot to say about it: from the fact that G has been playing it with his eldest, to the fact that Jay remembered being interested in it because the first ads for it played up the Kowloon Walled City based design of the game world.

And when talking about mutual friend Sakura, and how she should definitely play this game - seeing as she is a rather big fan of the feline species - G had this to day:

I don't understand why we don't just get responses to our every message with, "Can't talk; being a cat"
- G

Indeed.

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you ever played The Cat Game? Does it fill you with the cutesy-wootsy fuzzy-wuzzies? What about that rather dark storyline? What about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, have you played that? Is it really that good?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

★ Support this podcast ★

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: Jay

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

First of all, we'd like to thank the amazing yurricanes for working with us to create the featured image for this episode. I think you'll agree that it's an amazing piece of art, and you should definitely check out their work.

We'd also like to thank Georgie (aka ChapSketch) for working with Squidge on the episode artwork for the entire New Cupboard of Shame series. Head on over to Georgie's Etsy page to commission some work from her. You really should, as she's blooming brilliant.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Squidge invited Jay to make his first appearance on the Cupboard of Shame, and he brought along a white whale of sorts. What do Arnie, Sly Stallone, and trashy 80s cyberpunk movies have in common? And why is Jay recommending running, head first, into walls? This CoS will answer those questions and more.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Squidge was fully in charge of hosting, producing and editing this episode. As such, he decided to leave the few swears in the episode without bleeping them. This was done for comedy reasons, as we felt that there is very little in the episode which could offend most listeners.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge wanted to take a shiny new look at The Cupboard of Shame. The difference being that he wanted to invite some familiar voices onto the show, one at a time, and discuss one game that they want to jettison into the Cupboard of Shame. This being the fifth episode in the new series, he invited Andrew "Podcast Collector" Dickinson to dispatch something into the devious - and totally real cupboard - cupboard.

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

The idea behind it is games that you have bought in your past, played it, but you don't know why you bought [them] but you did anyway.
Any complaints that you have about the game; why you want to stick it in the Cupboard of Shame. We'll talk about the good points and the bad points [of the game], and we'll share some fun facts about the game.
- Squidge

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen two entries so far:

Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny in episode 136
Lulu wanted to jettison Chaos Legion to the nether realms of the electronically challenged cupboard in episode 138
Sean wanted to yeet Risk of Rain 2 into the underbelly of the cupboard in episode 139
Ginger wished to send Final Fantasy X-2 into the depths of cheap MDF that is the cupboard in episode 140
AndrewD was on the fence about Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days and whether it should have been in the Cupboard of Shame, in episode 141
JonnyG spoke about the weird-a-thon that is Deadly Premonition is episode 142

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge had challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

You can hear their discussion on these games (and a few more) in episode 47: The Cupboard of Shame - here's a link to that episode. All of the "classic" Cupboard of Shame episodes - aka before Squidge's 2022 sexy reboot - can be found here.

Jay's Chosen Game

And Squidge got directly into the topic of discussion: which game would you like to put into the Cupboard of Shame:

It's actually three games, but the game that I want to throw into the Cupboard of Shame is called "Power Blade 2" on the NES. But I can't talk about Power Blade 2 without talking about Power Blade. And I can't talk about Power Blade without talking about Power Blazer
- Jay

But using Squidge's rules, it's not possible to throw more than one game in at once. So Jay had to pick just one game:

Power Blade 2 is what I would like to nominate to be thrown into the Cupboard of Shame
- Jay

Or for those tuning in from Japan - and there are more than a few of you, if our podcast hosting stats are to be believed - Jay is referring to "Captain Saver".

But before he could talk about Power Blade 2, Jay needed to talk about Power Blade:

So Power Blade is a game for the NES, right?
In this game, you play totally-not-Arnold-Schwarzenegger who runs around in '80s style tank-top [attire] and everything. He doesn't use his fists, doesn't use guns. He uses a boomerang - which is vaguely daft as it is, right?
And that's all you really need to know.
... they took a game called Power Blazer which was released in Japan in around 1990-1991, which was a Mega Man clone... except that you used a boomerang. When the [locationsation] over to the UK and US happened, **EVERYTHING** about the game changed except for the boomerang and the music.
- Jay

Squidge regaled us with both of the stories presented on Wikipedia, and on GameFAQs. First up, Wikipedia:

After years of fighting that took millions of casualties, Earth is recovering from the revolts of the 22nd century.
In 2192, New Earth has a master computer that holds a database of off colony planets. In the wrong hands, the database could prove fatal.
One day aliens attack the master computer, making the Master Control Program malfunction.
Nova, a lord of the ancient Power Blade, is summoned to take care of the situation. The Power Blade is a glowing energy boomerang that Nova uses to defend himself.
- Squidge

And now, GameFAQS:

22ND CENTURY WARRIOR. (in all caps, like you're shouting)
When New Earth's master computer is attacked by aliens, only Nova, lord of the ancient Power Blade, can battle through the control centre and restore the database
- Squidge

Squidge also wrote his own intro:

On his way to head office to complain about tickets that he bought to see Cyborg One Direction, only to be shocked that they were genuine, Nova gets a new mission: to sto...

Inscrypting the Asemblance with Matthew Bliss

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Matthew Bliss (the host of The Dead Drop podcast) joined us to talk about two of his favourite puzzle games ever. We also talk about what we've been playing recently, and we drop him off for a short spell in the Thunder Plains. But we also talk about Wata Gaming, NFTs, and ARGs, too.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Whilst there aren't any swears in this episode, there's discussion of Doki Doki Literature Club! and the mental health issues that the characters in the game suffer from.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge decided to start this episode off by intro-ing everyone - including the first reference to the Waffling Taylors Tag Team Champion belts, and the "Half a brick in a sock, on a pole" match - a real wrestling match and a real championship belt, by the way. And before we had much of a chance to talk video games, Jay wanted Matthew to talk through his podcast a little:

Part of the reason I wanted to hang with you guys a little bit is because I do my own video game news podcast called "The Dead Drop"
Basically, that podcast runs twice a week. I do it on a Monday and a Thursday, which may or may not be Wednesday and Sunday for people with our present time futuristic thing happening.
Each show only goes for ten minutes. I'll cover six or seven major video game news stories, or ones that I think are of interest.
... And the whole point of that podcast is to ensure that people are getting informed if they can't get through all the Kotakus, IGNs, and the GameSpots.
- Matthew

Recent Games

And this episode was no different.

Matthews's Recent Games

Citizen Sleeper

And mention of this game has Squidge giving us his most important piece of life advice:

Always be yourself, unless you can be a giraffe
- Squidge

Her Story

Discussing Her Story gets Jay stuck on discussing Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and in almost as much detail as the last time it came up.

Jay's Recent Games

Power Blade

Squidge's Recent Games

The Witness

And discussion of this game reminded Jay of one of his favourite lines in The Good Place:

This is how I always got out of escape rooms. If you break enough stuff, they open the door and kick you out
- Elanor Shellstrop; "The Goods Place", Season 3 Episode 8: "The Book of Dougs"

Wata & Game Grading

The conversation about Jay's recent game - Power Blade on the NES - started a conversation about Wata and the game grading scandals. And Jay gives a scathing description of how Wata are grading their games. It's similar to the coin collecting, baseball card collecting, and any other collectable industry.

Interestingly, Matthew points out that NFTs could be described in the same way. Except that NFTs (and other blockchain based technologies) are destroying the planet with the sheer amount of electricity required to create them.

Inscryption & Asemblance

Matthew's description of these two titles is practically perfect:

These are games that bend so far backwards on themselves that their head is going over their back, through their legs and over their back again so that they are staring at their hamstrings.
- Matthew

But the problem is that these types of games need to be experienced rather than described, because the gameplay is based on discovering the right pieces as they go along.

Both Inscryption and Asemblance have ARG components in them, with Asemblance literally taking you out of the game and over to Reddit, then to imgur:

[there are] little flashes of images on the computer, and one of those flashes is a Reddit page, and you can read a username.
So you look up that user on Reddit, and it's got like 13 posts. And one of those is about a blue butterfly. But you see a blue butterfly in the game.
So you look up that imgur location. And that account that's attached to that Reddit account also has an image that solves an interior puzzle to the game. Which is an overlay of a map, attached to a wall... that allows you to navigate a different memory, using both time codes, and locations and interactions in order to complete it.
... It takes a village to complete it.
- Matthew

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you ever played Incryption or Asemblance? We'd love to hear from you about you experiences with it. What about other ARG heavy games like Doki Doki Literacure Club? Did you know about the spectral analyser thing in the soundtrack to Doom (2016)?

Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Support us on Ko-Fi
The Dead Drop
Listen on:

The House of The Dead - RELOAD!

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

What do The Bushwackers, Borderlands 3, The Matrix, and Zorro have to do with the 2003 "cinematic experience" that is Uwe Boll's first video game adaptation: The House of The Dead?

Squidge and Jay sat down to discuss Uwe Boll's The House of the Dead. Is this movie worth watching? Is it even any good? What's with the LED eyes? And did SEGA really sign off on all of this?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Due to the nature of the movie we talk about in this episode, we’d recommend that you don’t listen to this one with little ones around.

This film (whilst also being pretty dreadful) contains nudity, swearing, violence, and pretty badly acted out zombies.

We've also left in all the swears, as it's an episode about a horror film.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Our amazing intro was performed by Morgan Ritson, definitely check him out for similarly amazing stuff

We decided to change up the format of our "goes to the movies" episodes. Instead of working through the plot, we decided that it would be much more fun to focus on a handful of scenes from the movie. This serves the double purpose of:

Simplifying our episodes, and getting to the gags quicker
Not having to discuss the plot which this movie doesn't have

With that said, we jumped to jump straight into a description of this movie...

Basic Info on the Movie

We didn't even get through our introductions before Jay started complaining about this movie

The dynamic range compression in this movie is almost non-existant
- Jay

In fact, the audio issues in this movie made Jay "do The Bushwackers thing", which is the walk that the legendary pro-wrestling tag team did on their way to the ring.

Squidge sets the scene by reading the IMDB plot summary for this "cinematic experience":

A group of college students travels to a mysterious island to attend a rave, which is soon taken over by bloodthirsty zombies
- Squidge

and that's about all that really happens in this movie, to be fair. However, the 1978 movie with a similar name sounds pretty good:

A 1978 film consisting of four short stories about a man who takes refuge from a thunderstorm in the residence of a mortician
- Squidge

Initial Thoughts

Remember that this movie is based on a 1996 on-the-rails arcade shooter which takes less than 26 minutes to get through. Sure, there was a story but it was essentially:

On December 18, 1998, AMS Agent Thomas Rogan receives a distress call from his fiancée Sophie Richards from the Curien Mansion. Rogan and his partner "G" fly to Europe and arrive at the estate, finding it overrun with undead creatures, which Dr. Curien unleashed

Like, that's literally it.

Seriously, there's so little plot in this game that the arcade cabinet takes 28 minutes to get from booting to completion.

The ADR (Additional Dialogue Replacement) in this movie is off the charts:

This is ADR: the movie
- Jay

With all of the important dialogue being recorded on set, with a microphone which was located two galaxies away, and all of the un-important dialogue - the grunts, screams, and such - being replaced with ADR.

And if you want to read Jay's notes, you can by clicking here. Warning: he took this notes whilst watching the movie, and was several beers in by the time he got to the 36th minute mark.

it was the only way to survive this "cinematic experience"
- Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Silent Hill games? Have you seen this movie before? If so, what did you think to it? Would you fling it into a tree? If not, are you likely to watch it now?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

★ Support this podcast ★

Clown Karaoke with Tom

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 08:06:13 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page. Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Because the game we discussed in this episode deals with some pretty tough topics around mental health, we wanted to give you all a fair warning about it. We don't just discuss the mental health topics in the game, but we also take a moment to talk about how important it is for those who are suffering to get help.

As such, you may want to skip this episode if mental health issues are a particularly triggering topic.

But we'd also like to say, in the words of Stephen Dubner:

Take care of yourself, and if you can someone else too.
- Stephen Dubner

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Tom from Kölncampus ECHO wanted to join us about Disco Elysium, so we invited him on the show to tell us what's so great about it.

But the first question to ask was whether we had played it. Jay hadn't, and Squidge had only played a little of it:

I essentially looked round the main area that you get in the tutorial: the tutorial area. Adn I realised that me trying to be a good cop is a bad idea. And it's one of those where you've gotta set up your skills, and I don't think I set them up right, so I got dead ends at every turn.
- Squidge

Tom handily passed on the studio's short description of the game by way of tempting him to play it:

DnD meets '70s cop show. What do you imagine the game to be, just from that sentence?
- Tom

Which lead the chaps into a discussion about the clever design and story-telling trick of having the main character forget what their name is.

You, the person, are the character; the character is an avatar through which you interact with the world. By having the character not know their name, you're providing a blank sheet for you to become. You're saying, "this is the person, this is what they look like, but you can choose the name you want."
- Jay

But the clever design doesn't stop there. As Tom points out, standard RPGs have you design a character of your own, setting stats, picking out a head, body, hair, and whatever; and you provide the character traits for the character through your choices. Whereas with Disco Elysium, the character already exists, and your job is to rediscover their character traits - through the use of virutal die rolls, your choices, and how with the game altering it's story slightly based on both of those.

Standard RPGs have skills like Defense, Attack, Initiative; whereas Disco Elysium has skills in things like "electro-chemistry" which reduces the affects of drugs and alcohol. The other difference being that each of the 24 skills in the game can talk to the player. The electro-chemistry skill, for example, talks to the player trying to get the player to have the character take more drugs and alcohol.

The thing that makes Disco Elysium brilliant for me is [that] it does not only depict the trauma - a lot of video games try do that, or do that. But it let's you play the trauma. It lets you really experience being in a situation, playing as a character, that has a lot of trauma in him... and you get to play with them, and experience living with them, because they constantly tell you things. You don't get a break. Every time you got to sleep in the game, you have dreams about them.
- Tom

The fact that game itself started out life as a table-top RPG game is rather telling. The detail put into the gameplay mechanics, the frankly huge amount of lore (and how regularly it is delivered), adn how it is designed really bear this out. Apparently, the game that Robert Kurwitsz (the designer of the game) would host game nights where his bandmates would play the game - he even wrote a book, expanding on the universe of the game, in 2013 called "Sacred and Terrible Air" - at the time of writing these show notes, it's only available in Kurwitz's native Estonian

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Support us on Ko-Fi
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Tom on Twitter
Tom's interview with Brian David Judkins about his podcast "Encounter Party"
- Tom's podcast is mostly in German
Moon logic
Resident Evil Heardle
- It's like Wordle, but with the music from the Resident Evil games
Wordle is a daily dose of delight, despair, and sometimes smugness

★ Support this podcast ★

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: JonnyG

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen two entries so far:

Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny in episode 136
Lulu wanted to jettison Chaos Legion to the nether realms of the electronically challenged cupboard in episode 138
Sean wanted to yeet Risk of Rain 2 into the underbelly of the cupboard in episode 139
Ginger wished to send Final Fantasy X-2 into the depths of cheap MDF that is the cupboard in episode 140
AndrewD was on the fence about Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days and whether it should have been in the Cupboard of Shame, in episode 141

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge had challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

JonnyG's Chosen Game

And Squidge got directly into the topic of discussion: which game would you like to put into the Cupboard of Shame:

The game that I would like to put into the Cupboard of Shame is called "Deadly Premonition", alternately "Deadly Premonition Director's Cut", or more recently "Deadly Premonition: Origins"
- JonnyG

Even though JonnyG already owned Deadly Premonition, he was suckered into buying one of the other two releases of it. This happening to JonnyG is such a regular occurrence that his friends call it "pulling a Jonny."

And before long, the first tangent of the episode was in play:

Before we actually owned a Playstation, we went and rented one from the game shop down the street.
We rented the Playstation, we rented Final Fantasy VII. We did not know that you had to provide your own memory card.
I played Final Fantasy VII for two and half days without turning the machine off, and I got to a point where you were only allowed to put one fighter in, and forgot to give him cure magic.
And it was all gone.
- JonnyG

We all need to take a moment to press F on our keyboards and pay our respects to young JonnyG.

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I can see what's next. I can see it all unfolding each chosen path. How does it end? Even I don't know for sure. Join us on the monsters playbook.

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What's So Bad About it?

Any discussion of a bad game needs to cover what’s so bad about the game. So Squidge asked, “what’s so bad about this game?” before visibly recoiling. Whilst there's a lot to say about this game, JonnyG covers the majority of his problems with it in six very short sentences:

It's bafflingly difficult to play. Not like it's hard or the challenges are strange. But it's like, the moment to moment interactions are incredibly clunky. Like, you run extremely slowly.
It has a lot of square-footage and not a lot of things to do. So if you're at the Diner, and you have to the police station, that's in-game miles away; and the car they give you only goes 45 miles an hour.
- JonnyG

The main character takes warnings about the case he's working on from his morning c...

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: AndrewD

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen two entries so far:

Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny in episode 136
Lulu wanted to jettison Chaos Legion to the nether realms of the electronically challenged cupboard in episode 138
Sean wanted to yeet Risk of Rain 2 into the underbelly of the cupboard in episode 139
Ginger wished to send Final Fantasy X-2 into the depths of cheap MDF that is the cupboard in episode 140

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge had challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

Andrew's Chosen Game

Although Andrew has a list of games which are Cupboard of Shame worthy, one shone like a beacon when Squidge approached him to be on the show:

It didn't review particularly well, but I liked it as a guilty pleasure - and that's Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
- AndrewD

Squidge admitted that he had never played either of the Kane & Lynch titles, because he had been blinded by the light of Borderlands. Which is quite interesting when you think about it.

Apparently, it was initially the art style which drew Andrew in:

So [Kane & Lynch :Dead Men] is like a generic looking PS3 third person shooter. It's a decent enough game - I've never played it, but from what I've seen it's a decent enough game.

But for [Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days] they completely changed it. ...it's all set in Shanghai for the majority of the time. And it's mostly at night, all neon lights and stuff... it looks amazing, and that kind of caught my eye.

And then I ended up playing it. I played it on my own, and I also played it in co-op. And it took me by surprise that a very generic third person shooter could actually be quite enjoyable. And almost film like
- AndrewD

What's So Bad About it?

Any discussion of a bad game needs to cover what’s so bad about the game. So Squidge asked, “what’s so bad about this game?” before visibly recoiling.

What's bad about this game?

Well it reviewed horrifically when it came out; it was lambasted as being this generic third person shooter that really didn't make any effort. It was almost a step back in some regards to what had come recently, like Gears of War and those kinds of third person shooters that have done things like cover mechanics.

Kane & Lynch is a straight forward third person shooter, so you just run at people at shoot them. It was super generic and came out at a time when these kinds of games were evolving. A lot of people saw it as style over substance
- AndrewD

Those are some pretty strong points, to be fair.

---

And even the story felt phoned in, apparently:

The story gets you from place to place within the game, but it's really threadbare. So you get introduced to a mob boss that you have to go meet, and you have to kill a load of people to get to. Or you have to save somebody, I think his girlfriend crops up and you have to go save her.
- AndrewD

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: Ginger

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge wanted to take a shiny new look at The Cupboard of Shame. The difference being that he wanted to invite some familiar voices onto the show, one at a time, and discuss one game that they want to jettison into the Cupboard of Shame. This being the third episode in the new series, he invited Sean "Rackham The Dancing Bugbear" O'Dell to yeet something into the devious - and totally real cupboard - cupboard.

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen two entries so far:

Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny in episode 136
Lulu wanted to jettison Chaos Legion to the nether realms of the electronically challenged cupboard in episode 138
Sean wanted to yeet Risk of Rain 2 into the underbelly of the cupboard in episode 139

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge had challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

Ginger's Chosen Game

Wasting almost no time at all, Squidge leapt in with the all-important question: which game are we yeeting into the Cupboard of shame?

Final Fantasy X-2. Where do I even begin with this game?
...It's shameful for me to actually admit that I've never been able to beat [this game], honestly, because it made me so damned mad.
- Ginger

And, as Squidge said:

Unless you put in the time to 100% it, the payoff isn't worth it
- Squidge

We're convinced that Ginger's initial thoughts are shared by a lot of people:

When X-2 first came out, I was super excited. I was like, "hell yeah! Girl power!" There's an all female lead. I was stoked. I was super stoked.
And then I played it.
... it's a beautiful game, like you said. It comes right off of, like, when graphics were finally getting good for video games.
... and here's why I always talk $h!t about this game: why do I need [the strategy guide] to actually beat the game?
- Ginger

Squidge's detailed description of Final Fantasy X-2 (for those who haven't played it) is:

Final Fantasy X-2 is the first direct sequel in the renowned RPG series. X-2 highlights a cast of returning characters and features mission-based gameplay. An all female lead cast, unique job classes, and dynamic battle system.
It doesn't stop there, there's more.
The story takes place two years after Yuna defeats Sin in Final Fantasy X, and follows Yuna's journey to find her lost love. Scattered across the land are spheres which show visual recordings of historical events or open up different types of job classes to use in battle.
- Squidge

As Ginger points out, the game doesn't pass the Bechdel test because Yuna is looking for Tidus, and all of her conversations with other female characters revolve around Tidus.

And no discussion of Final Fantasy X-2 can be complete without Jay's description of it:

Let's play dress-up- Jay

When asked for comments, resident expert in all things Final Fantasy Lulu had the following to say:

I remember two things:
1) Final Fantasy XIII-2 is best described as "Lightning raising her wardrobe"
2) I remember final beating Final Fantasy XIII. I was sitting on the living room floor crying. Not because of the ending, but because I'd finally beaten it. And Jay told me that I should list "Beat Final Fantasy XIII" on my résumé.
- Lulu

What's So Bad About it?

Any discussion of a bad game needs to cover what’s so bad about the game. So Squidge asked, “what’s so bad about this game?” before visibly recoiling.

Unless you have the strategy guide, you're literally not going to beat it. Unless you basically have read the strategy guide and played it over and over, and know it by memory, and know exactly who you've got to talk to and that's kind of me with VII - the original one.
Like, Sephiroth is an easy boss. And III - talk about a hard game - III, once it got released here, I still beat that one. But I didn't beat X-2
- Ginger

Add to that the fact that you can't possibly 100% the game in a single playthrough, and you have a strange setup. To the point where certain parts of the game were based entirely on luck, and one guide states:

If you don't get it this time, try rebooting your console and try again
- Guides and that

And PS2s weren't fans of being rebooted constantl...

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: Sean O'Dell

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge wanted to take a shiny new look at The Cupboard of Shame. The difference being that he wanted to invite some familiar voices onto the show, one at a time, and discuss one game that they want to jettison into the Cupboard of Shame. This being the third episode in the new series, he invited Sean "Rackham The Dancing Bugbear" O'Dell to yeet something into the devious - and totally real cupboard - cupboard.

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen two entries so far:

Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny in episode 136
Lulu wanted to jettison Chaos Legion to the nether realms of the electronically challenged cupboard in episode 138

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge had challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

You can hear their discussion on these games (and a few more) in episode 47: The Cupboard of Shame - here's a link to that episode.

Sean's Chosen Game

Before they discussed Sean's chosen game, Squidge asked for Sean to describe the show that he works on: Dungeons and Pop

[Dungeons and Pop is] an actual play variety show. Because the players who run the main campaign are busy half the time, so we run multiple campaigns and one-shots.
A lot of pop culture stuff. Like out main one is, basically fantasy Power Rangers; before the Power Rangers RPG came out, too.
- Sean

And with Sean's podcast description out of the way - to be fair, fantasy Power Rangers as an actual play sounds pretty cool - Squidge asked the all-important question: which game are we yeeting into the Cupboard of shame?

It's kind of an older game, but it's one that a friend suggested.
I was looking for a game to get when there was a game sale on Switch and a friend of mine, I told 'em that I liked Enter the Dungeon and rogue-likes like that. Nuclear Throne. And he suggested Risk of Rain 2.
- Sean

But why did Sean buy the game? Had he read up about it before purchasing it, did he just go with what was listed on the Switch store page, or did he trust his friend's recommendation?

What I found was kind of neat was that it was a 3D game with that kind of... running around, grabbing items, that kinda stood out. And the art style is, I don't want to say "simplistic", but it's pretty minimalistic... it's kind of solid colours on top of other colours.
- Sean

When it was first released, there was no intro sequence meaning that most players had to scramble to try and figure out what the story was. But Squidge had done some digging for us:

What I can tell is:
You are a captain who are hired by UES - which appear to be an intergalactic delivery company, kind of like FedEx, "you weren't in, so we left your package on the opposite side of the moon". And from what I can see, the whole thing is like a survival, monster killing thing, where you're picking up a scavenger hunt for packages, and there's boss monsters.
That's all I can gather from it.
- Squidge

What's So Bad About it?

Any discussion of a bad game needs to cover what’s so bad about the game. So Squidge asked, “what’s so bad about this game?”

When I first played it, the difficulty ramped up sooooooo fast.
Because I was trying to level up by taking on hordes of enemies. But I was looking it up, and it was like, "you need to be able to run first,"... a lot of it is because you can't pick the other characters right away, so I was [playing as] the Commando. And it was a lot of, "you can't fire while running," and that kind of thing.
So I would try to level it out, but I was getting overwhelmed. I'd be fighting a bunch of monsters, and there'd be another 15 in the background.
- Sean

It seemed like one of those games where you have to turn to The Internet in order to get help on how to play it.

Yeah. The thing I watched didn't really help that much.
It's sort of like one of those things where you have to die a bunch of different times before you can get better, because you're going to level up from that. But you have to get to a certain point [first].
It was a little easier when I revisited it, before we started recording. But I think that was because I'd unlocked another character.
- Sean

What Are Some Redeeming Features?

It’s never good to focus on the negative. So what’s good about this game, or at least what redeems it slightly:

There are a few [redeeming features].
I like the items; some of them are built to help you. Like, I got one that's like, "oh, you get healing after you take damage." And then I got another one which was like, "as you kill someone, you get a temporary shield".
And I think I preferred playing i...

2 Player Cupboard of Shame: Lulu

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

Squidge wanted to take a shiny new look at The Cupboard of Shame. The difference being that he wanted to invite some familiar voices onto the show, one at a time, and discuss one game that they want to jettison into the Cupboard of Shame. For his second episode on the eponymous - and totally real cupboard - cupboard, he could think of none better than Lulu.

As a quick reminder, Squidge describes The Cupboard of Shame as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

The Cupboard of Shame reboot has only seen one entry so far, which was when Chief Problems decided that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim needed to be stored behind the walnut doors of destiny. You can hear Chief's reasoning behind his choice on episode 136 - which you can listen to here.

Prior to the Cupboard of Shame reboot, Squidge has challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

You can hear their discussion on these games (and a few more) in episode 47: The Cupboard of Shame - here's a link to that episode.

Lulu's Chosen Game

Squidge started this episode strongly:

Any road, we've gone completely off topic
- Squidge

And that was in the first three minutes of the episode. But very shortly after that, he asked Lulu for the title of the one game that she would like to discuss:

I did have a long think about this, I'll be perfectly honest. But every time I thought about it, one game kept coming up and it was: Chaos Legion
- Lulu

But before they could discuss the game, Squidge needed to describe the game's setup:

Two men, once friends, now have their fates tied together by the death of a young maiden. Each man holds the key to a sacred glyph that, when combined with the other two, can open the Gateway of Chaos and lead the people to the Red Moon.
- GameFaqs; https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ps2/562317-chaos-legion

Talk about "dun dun duuuun"

He also wanted to give a description of when he first encountered the game - you know, for science and stuff:

It was 2003, I was 14. It was the weekend. Reallising as I woke up, that due to exceptional circumstances I was awake, it was very real to me that for the most of the day I would be unsupervised. Anything could happen.
However, I had recently picked up a game called "Chaos Legion", and hilarity ensued. As you might imagine
- Squidge

But why did Lulu buy this game?

I just remember seeing the trailer playing a lot in [my local GAME] store. And I really, really liked the style of it. It was kind of like gothic and a little bit steampunky, and that is entirely my jam.
- Lulu

What's So Bad About it?

Any discussion of a bad game needs to cover what's so bad about the game. So Squidge asked, "what's so bad about this game?"

I do remember 1) the controls being a little bit janky (and that's being nice), and 2) the gameplay being kinda repetitive.
- Lulu

Naff controls and repetitive gameplay is not what you want from a - pause for effect whilst we check the box - Capcom game?! Seriously? Capcom made this?

I remember thinking, "haven't I done this level already?" because they all started looking very, very samey. I know that with early Devil May Cry games they were corridor simulators. But at least with the Devil May Cry games, they had a good story. The Chaos Legion story felt a bit flat.
- Lulu

Another criticism was the difficulty and the repetitive nature of having to replay previous missions, multiple times in a row, in order to get the required exp level to play the next level.

Again, I play [Final Fantasy XIV] and that's just grinding [for experience points]. But there comes a point where you're just like, "I just want to progress." It doesn't feel like there's an end in sight.
- Lulu

Sponsor Message

Grab some popcorn and find your seats. Monster of the Week actual play podcast "$2 Creature Feature" returns for season two on February 22. This season will see a whole new crew of hunters confronting the mysteries at the heart of the town of Jupiter Hollow

I'm Megan Murphy. I'm playing Zelda Wardwell, the flake. "Oh wait, I'm supposed to protect people, too."
- Megan Murphy

I'm Nye Elder playing Eric Ashran, The Crooked. "let's just say I don't ask questions that involve textbooks. I asked questions that involve cash." - Nye Elder

I'm Laura Macmillan and I'm playing Tammy Jo Marple. "I'm your home town Homefinder. I'm here to make deals with the good people of Jupiter hollow but I already made a deal of my own. Tammy Jo is the monstrous." - Laura Macmillan

And I'm Mr. Ray. I play everything that tries to kill these people. And if you enjoyed our first season, you ain't seen nothing yet. New episodes every other T...

Fluff 'n Fury with Roadkill Software

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

At around 10:32, whilst discussing sandbox games, Jackal brings up the fact that titles like RimWorld allow you to safely explore very taboo subjects like cannibalism. We felt that it was important to keep this discussion in the episode; not because we support cannibalism, but more because we thought it was important to have the discussion about the fact that games allow us to build a fantasy world where we can explore these ideas and see what they are about.

At 34:16, when describing the beginnings of the project, Bird mentions that the game started out life as

sort of a $h!t post
- Bird

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge was MIA when we recorded this episode, so he isn't on this one. But Jay was on hand to interview Jackal and Bird from the Roadkill Software team. At the time of the recording, Roadkill Software were working on a brand new PC title called Fluff 'n Fury.

Fluff 'n Fury

Before they got sidetracked, Jay wanted to know about Fluff 'n Fury. And the Roadkill folks described it as:

It's basically an FPS shooter, sort of in the vein of Half-Life - well not really Half-Life. It would be a little unfair to call it Half-Life; more like a campaign of some sorts.
It'll also will feature a diverging cast. So you'll have to go through several different play-throughs to find every single level. And it will include some non-FPS segments as well
- Bird

Immediately, it sound rather intriguing and reminded us of the branching story-path of Sonic Adventure and similar titles - but with less in the way of embarrassing voice acting and audio levelling issues, we hope.

All this talk of mixing up the play styles had us talking about sandbox games, and how the sandbox genre - if you can call it that - is likely one of the most innovative in the industry right now. Being able to throw a player into a world with tools, vehicles, basic rules, and allow them to invent their own fun is truly game-changing - if you'll pardon the pun - with the greatest of them being Garry's Mod.

Favourite Sandbox Titles

A discussion of sandbox games would be incomplete without talking about some of our favourites. So Jay posed the question

What are some of your favourite sandbox games?
- Jay

Bird
- Pavlov VR
- Subnautica
Jackal
- RimWorld
- Stellaris

And this discussion on sandbox and sandbox-like games brings up the topic of being able to explore different ideas, political stances, behaviours, and taboos without worrying about any real-world results or potential side effects of those actions or thoughts.

It's not like you endorse this thing in real life, but what could happen in a diplomatic way if you go for it.
- Jackal

Another example that we bring up is the Postal series. We're all in agreement that very few (if any) players of those games endorse the ideas of over-the-top situations and behaviours in those games, but it does allow the player a safe space to explore the absurdity of the situation.

And of course, Jay takes a logical extreme using a recent release as an example:

At the time of recording [Pokémon Legends: Arceus] has just been released. Is that game endorsing running around, capturing [wild] animals, and stuffing them into small metallic boxes?
No. But it is encouraging people to go out into the world and have a look around at what there is to see and what there is to do.
- Jay

The Thunder Plain Games

So our question is: were we to do throw, boot, or yeet you through the portal, which games are we throwing through with you? And both Bird and Jackal obliged with the titles that they would take with them:

Bird
- Minecraft
Jackal
- Fallout 2 (with the Restoration Patch)

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Trailer - 60 seconds of nonesense

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:00:00 +0000

If you like the sound of this, then you'll likely love the show we put together. Don't forget to subscribe (it's free!), and head over to https://wafflingtaylors.rocks to find out more about us.

2 Player Cupboard of Shame featuring Chief Problems

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge wanted to take a shiny new look at The Cupboard of Shame. The difference being that he wanted to invite some familiar voices onto the show, one at a time, and discuss one game that they want to jettison into the Cupboard of Shame. Since this is the first episode in the new series, there was no better choice than Chief Problems.

For those who don't know, Chief was our very first guest, appearing on the very first episode of the podcast (released back in 2017) - aka "56 Games in 63 Minutes".

The Cupboard of Shame is something that Squidge describes as:

Previous Entries into the Cupboard of Shame

In previous episodes of the podcast, Squidge has challenged both G and himself to put some titles into the Cupboard of Shame. The titles that they chose include:

Iron Man the Movie Video Game
WET
Rambo: The Video Game
Crackdown
Final Fantasy XIII

You can hear their discussion on these games (and a few more) in episode 47: The Cupboard of Shame - here's a link to that episode

Chief's Entry

Starting things off on the correct foot, Squidge asked of Chief:

What do you want to put into the Cupboard of Shame?
- Squidge

And Chief started the new series off with a truly controversial pick: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - specifically the PS3 version. But why is it shameful?

It's shameful in that I've never really finished it, and that I've given up on it.
That's not to say that it's a bad game, but it's definitely one of the games that I've not finished, just because I can't be bothered to push through to the end.
- Chief

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion had passed Chief by and he hadn't even heard of Morrowind - talk about walking in, right in the middle of the story - and although he had never played any of the earlier entries, he knew that he was going to like Skyrim.

It's like your first Final Fantasy game
- Chief

And the discussion on similar C-RPGs - classic RPGs - of the time, brought up both Fallout and the Dragon Age series of titles, how they seemed more engaging than Skyrim, and how Skyrim's mapping system seemed overly complex.

Characters & Editions

Character creation seemed to be a sticking point for both Chief and Squidge. Not only is the character creation wizard in Skyrim that complex, but it seems that naming characters is also quite difficult for both of our intrepid hosts. But Chief came up with a source of inspiration:

When I watched Game of Thrones, I would just choose the names of the characters that I liked
- Chief

This reminded Chief that Bethesda had released several versions of the game for his console (PS3) at the time, including the Legendary Edition. And of course, he bought the Legendary Edition too

Basically [I bought it again] for the DLC.
The old Guard stuff wasn't bad. And you got to be on a horse, that was nice.
- Chief

Combat

But riding around on a horse wasn't enough to save the game for Chief:

You can just wander everywhere and it's quite picturesque. But the game is shocking, the combat is shocking. I mean, the magic combat is shocking.
- Chief

Which Squidge defends because Skyrim was a simplification of the combat and gameplay system of Morrowind, making it more accessible to gamers. And Morrowind lead to something that Squidge calls "The Bethesda Gambit":

With any Bethesda game you start, learn how it works, then you start again and you do a bit better. And then you just end up repeating it until you get the most optimum character with the least amount of wallops.
- Squidge

Why Chief Bought Skyrim Originally

Squidge asked what it was that made Chief buy Skyrim. Was it the boxart? Was it the fact that you could play as a dragon born? Squidge wanted to know what drew Chief to the game in the first place.

I definitely wasn't bothered about being the dragon born. I was interested in the world that you could be in... that was the selling point for me. The story was just $h!t.
- Chief

At least it wasn't as bad as Fallout '76, right?

The combination of the plot being both predictable and forgettable, and everyone in the world of Skyrim thinking that the player is the chosen one really turned Chief off. But this wasn't exclusive to Skyrim - or video games, really - as the trope of the player being the chosen one was in the series as early as Morrowind - if not earlier. However, since Chief had missed the earlier titles, this was lost to him.

[being chosen to run every group and faction in the world] is borderline ridiculous... I mean, The Witcher 3 does this, but it hides it well, or hides it better than Skyrim does... we don't give enough credit to the audience.
- Chief

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Four)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

This is the final part - of four - of a conversation with author and video game historian Steven L Kent, and is a collaboration between ourselves and Zoom Platform. Whilst this is an audio episode, it was originally recorded as a pair of video interviews. What we've done is cut the two video interviews into four parts and will be releasing them as audio episodes. But if you'd rather watch the first two parts as a video you'll find it here.

Don't forget to check out the other parts of the conversation:

And all four parts of our interview with Steven can be found here.

The Final Part

In his own words, Steven describes his books as

My books are called "The Ultimate History of Video Games".

Volume 1 starts out with Abraham Lincoln and Bagatelle, and goes all the way to 2000 and sort of the collapse of the Dreamcast - or it's about to collapse, you can tell that it's faltering - PlayStation 2 has been announced and is just coming out, and Xbox has been announced.

Book two has some overlap, because there will be some people who read volume 2 without reading volume 1, so it's got a bunch of overlap. But what's interesting is that I thought I'd be able to go from 2000 to the present, but I only got to 2012. So volume three should come out around 2026.
- Steven L Kent

As with part three of our discussion, we reached out to you all - aka, the community - for questions that you would like to as Steven. And we had some doosies of questions to go through. Starting with...

2) Which Was The Best Console?

this is question 2 because the first question was asked in the previous part

Our first question was from Unaffiliated JZ and it was:

Which was the best console ever, and why was it the SNES?
- Unaffiliated JZ

And this started a wonderful conversation about the 16-bit generation, how Steven thought that it dragged on for a little too long, and which were his favourite consoles.

I think that the Super NES was a fabulous console, I really do. Head and shoulders above its competitors. And when I say "its competitors," - here I am sticking my foot in my mouth again - really, truthfully I group the 3DO and the Jaguar in with the Super NES that I do with the Saturn and the PlayStation and the N64.
- Steven L Kent

And we all tended to agree with the time periods that Steven had chosen, as it had lead to huge innovation in video games, storytelling, gameplay, and technology. Jay also mentions one of his oft-told stories from Masters of Doom, Super Mario Bros. 3, and a Cease and Desist letter from Nintendo.

3) Retro Game Collecting of the Future

Would be interesting to also know their take on what modern titles will be historically relevant in 20 years.
What does a top 10 list of games look like in 20, 30 years? Will people be clamouring for a cartridge copy of breath of the wild?
- Glanks

Which is an amazing question that looks into the future of gaming. What _will_ retro game top-tens look like in 20 years? Will we all be writing op-eds about how

Video games?! Video games?! Pah! I was there at the start. There were 256 colours, 8 bits, and two buttons on your controller. And that was all you needed
- Crotchety old Jay

4) Sequels and Weird IP

The NES had a weird streak of taking an a completely different game and slapping nintendo IP on it and calling it a sequel - what are your thoughts on this?
- MadVikingGod

Which started a conversation about the best and worst sequels that video games have ever had - including Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros., Nintendo being incredibly progressive and Capcom being accidentally progressive as a way to get around the Nintendo seal of approval.

5) What About PC?

I’d love to learn their thoughts on PC gaming history, too. A lot of coverage seems to be centred around consoles (WoW being the exception). Like, what genres of games have PC gaming to thank (MMOs being the top of the list, I’d say)?
- Tyren

Interestingly, Steven was originally planning to write two separate books:

One on the history of video game consoles
One on the history of PC video games

But the biggest barrier was that PC gaming history is so sprawling; and, quite frankly, the history of video game consoles is much more interesting.

6) The Question of Difficulty

Do you think the older games are harder, or is it that the newer games are easier?
- Squidge

And Steven came out of left-field with his answer, but is completely and utterly right with what he says. And no, his point wasn't _just_ about the fact that arcade games were designed to be played for 5-10 seconds at a time.

When Defender came out, people said, "this is impossible! There are four buttons!"
- Steven L Kent

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Teaser - Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Four)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Steven is someone who hasn't just written about the history of video games, he has lived it; meeting some of the biggest names in the industry. Steven was gracious enough to share some of his time with us. This week we discussed asked some more community questions, but which ones?

Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Three)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

This is part three - of four - of a conversation with author and video game historian Steven L Kent, and is a collaboration between ourselves and Zoom Platform. Whilst this is an audio episode, it was originally recorded as a pair of video interviews. What we've done is cut the two video interviews into four parts and will be releasing them as audio episodes. But if you'd rather watch the first two parts as a video you'll find it here.

Don't forget to check out the other parts of the conversation:

And all four parts of our interview with Steven can be found here.

Part Three of Four

In his own words, Steven describes his books as

My books are called "The Ultimate History of Video Games".

The One Pixel and Tomb Raider

We all agreed that parts of the first Tomb Raider trilogy are a little overhyped, and treated with rose-tinted action-platformer glasses.

Whilst these games were important for both UK-based games development and the Girl Power movement in the mid-90s, a mixture of a slightly sluggish control scheme, magic pixel-based jumps, and the outright sleaze of the Tomb Raider commercials have put us off of those early entries.

Books, Christmas Time, and PSPs

Jay was hoping that he could get volume 2 of Steven's book read over the Christmas period and take part in Jolabokaflod. This is where family members will buy each other books and chocolates as Christmas gifts, but exchange those gifts on Christmas Eve. People then read those books, drink the cocoa, and fall asleep all snuggly-buggly style.

So what Jay is saying, Squidge, is that my books put him to sleep
- Steven L Kent

Unfortunately, Jay didn't get to read volume 2 over the Christmas period. But this did spark a discussion on the PSP and one of Squidge's favourite titles for the handheld that could: Phantasy Star portable.

I genuinely believe that the PSP and the PSP Vita were amazing pieces of hardware
- Jay

And the discussion on PSP lead to an anecdote about the day that he had a candid discussion with the head of Square-Enix about the console, and a discussion of the Sega Nomad - the portable Mega Drive/Genesis device.

Community Questions

Shortly after the first episode was recorded, we reached out to you all - aka, the community - for questions that you would like to as Steven. And it seemed fair to devote one and a half episodes (this part and the next) to posing those questions to Steven.

And the first question came from friend of the show Andrew Dickinson:

Steven is lovely. Say "hi!" from me
- Andrew

to which Steven broke in with:

Hi Andrew!
- Steven L Kent

And his question continued:

And ask him where he thinks gaming is headed now. Is VR the next big thing? Are we headed for a console-less cloud?
- Andrew

Which is an amazing question to start off the questions. And it lead to a real discussion about the fact that the human brain isn't meant to deal with VR.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Support us on Ko-Fi
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Steven on Penguin Random House
- The Ultimate History of Video Games volume 1
- The Ultimate History of Video Games volume 2
Zoom Platform
Jolabokaflod
Free Guy
Hull Immersive Visualisation Environment (HIVE)
Our suggested titles from Zoom Platform's catalogue:
- Squidge:
- Jay:
Our conversations with Steven:
- Part One

Teaser - Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Three)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 09 Feb 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Steven L Kent joined us - he is someone who has not just written about the history of video games, he has lived it; meeting some of the biggest names in the industry. Steven was gracious enough to share some of his time with us. We discussed his books (The Ultimate History of Video Games volumes 1 & 2), he has a shout out to Andrew "@oddment84" Dickinson, and puts his foot in his mouth

Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

This is part two - of four - of a conversation with author and video game historian Steven L Kent, and is a collaboration between ourselves and Zoom Platform. Whilst this is an audio episode, it was originally recorded as a pair of video interviews. What we've done is cut the two video interviews into four parts and will be releasing them as audio episodes. But if you'd rather watch the first two parts as a video you'll find it here.

Part Two of Four

As a reminder, Steven describes his books as

My books are called "The Ultimate History of Video Games".
Volume 1 starts out with Abraham Lincoln and Bagatelle, and goes all the way to 2000 and sort of the collapse of the Dreamcast - or it's about to collapse, you can tell that it's faltering - PlayStation 2 has been announced and is just coming out, and Xbox has been announced.
Book two has some overlap, because there will be some people who read volume 2 without reading volume 1, so it's got a bunch of overlap. But what's interesting is that I thought I'd be able to go from 2000 to the present, but I only got to 2012. So volume three should come out around 2026.
- Steven L Kent

299

No discussion on video game history would be complete without a discussion on "the price heard" around the world. Which you can find here.

And for those who don't know, there is a very long story behind the crowd reaction here. Essentially, the story is that Sega had just announced their Saturn (only a few hours earlier), which was a surprise to most of the retailers who were in attendance (because Sega hadn't told them that it was being announced). Sega also announced it with a $399 price tag.

As such, Sony's entire announcement of the PlayStation was simply

299
- Steve Race, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment

---

The following is a promo-spot for The Shrimp and Crits Podcast. Why not reach out today, if you'd like your promo included in a future episode of the podcast

Narrator
Hey, sorry to interrupt your favorite podcast but I'm here to tell you about shrimp and crits an actual play podcast with a southern twist.

My name is Ian and I am the keeper for this show as we play Monster of the Week by Michael Sands. If you like the sound of swampy monster mayhem, gators gone shopping and magical fairy mischief you will be right at home in the remote Panhandle town of Gullacochica, Florida, where spooky danger has begun to wash ashore.

Shrimp and Crits is the story of Sarah Pain, the mundane

Sarah Pain
All I'm asking for his answers. That's all I'm looking for is the truth

Narrator
Ari Green, the searcher

Ari Green
You know the proclamations of the fae? I suggest you follow them from now on

Narrator
And Ray Ray, the most mundane monstreess you will ever meet.

Ray Ray
"Mr. Zeus, I'm a big fan. I knew you were, I knew you were real," And Ray Ray's just like bowing in front of this swan

Narrator
As they fumble their way through protecting their skeptical town from mysterious evils.

We release new episodes every other Monday on the pod catcher of your choice. I hope to see you soon in sunny Gullacochica.

Find out more at linktr.we/ShrimpandCrits or check the show notes for a link.

---

Gunpei Yokoi

Gunpei Yokoi really was an amazing engineer. He started Nintendo's "responsible engineering" philosophy - the idea that they will use technology that is widely available now in order to innovate in non-traditional ways. And this is something that Nintendo has continued to do to this day. He was the designer of the Game&Watch, GameBoy, the "cross pad" controller, and the Metroid series.

Steven shared a wonderful story about Gunpei in this episode:

So I was at a CES - I was fairly new in the industry - and Virtual Boy had not come out yet. I was covering [Virtual Boy] for Electronic Games.
I went to Nintendo and I said, "I wanna meet all these people," in truth I clipped their names out of "Game Over" by David Sheff. I didn't know this people. Nobody did, really. If it weren't for Sheff, we might still not know them... [Nintendo] gave me some Miyamoto time.
But Gunpei Yokoi gave me an hour, two days in a row. And after that, if we were ever at a show and we would see each other, we'd go have a drink together. We couldn't talk very much, because my Japanese is non-existant, and I'm not sure where his English was, but it wasn't strong. But there was a bond, there was a real friendship.
I remember the last time I got to see him was at the unveiling of the N64 at Space World... and everyone ran to this one corner and looked at the N64, and near the exit as you left, there was a little ring of Virtual Boys and Gunpei was there with his translator. And as I was leaving to write my article about the N64, there's Gunpei and he's like, "Can you come take a look at things?" And he was my friend, so I went and looked at things, and it wasn't wonderful. And nobody else was there, so we sat and talked, and his translator translated for me.
And that was the last time that I got to see him. And he was a wonderful gentleman: he was nice, he was smart, and he had a self-deprecating sense of humour. I think he already knew that he was leaving Nintendo at that point.
- Steven L Kent

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in th...

Teaser - Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000

Steven L Kent joined us - he is someone who has not just written about the history of video games, he has lived it; meeting some of the biggest names in the industry. Steven was gracious enough to share some of his time with us. We discussed his books (The Ultimate History of Video Games volumes 1 & 2), his favourite games ever, and the best consoles of the 90s.

Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part One)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Jan 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

This is part one - of four - of a conversation with author and video game historian Steven L Kent, and is a collaboration between ourselves and Zoom Platform. Whilst this is an audio episode, it was originally recorded as a pair of video interviews. What we've done is cut the two video interviews into four parts and will be releasing them as audio episodes. But if you'd rather watch the first two parts as a video you'll find it here.

Part One of Four

In his own words, Steven describes his books as

A Sense of Discovery

Jay mentioned that the sense of discovery related to technology may be lost on the younger generations via a story about when he and Squidge got their first NES:

It's December 26th, 19-mumble-mumble, and we've gotten up early... Dad walks in with a present under his arm, and it's a NES.
And it's the memory of opening up the box and saying, "Oh, what's this?" because we'd never even seen a video game console before. And it being a family activity that we're discovering what the contents of this box are, together.
And I remember so vividly. We had Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt on the cartridge. I remember fumbling my way into starting Super Mario Bros. and suddenly I'm controlling a cartoon. It's not a video game, because it looks like a cartoon to me.
And I was talking to someone the other day about this...
- Jay

The "someone" was Jay's appearance on the Gamerhood Podcast, where he talked about being a gamer and a father.

Video Game Commercials

When discussing Crash Bandicoot, Steven brings up a fantastic commercial for Crash Bandicoot which was filmed in the parking lot of the Nintendo US headquarters. Here is that commercial.

Which lead us on to the "Michael" commercial for PS3.

299

No discussion on video game history would be complete without a discussion on "the price heard" around the world. Which you can find here.

As such, Sony's entire announcement of the PlayStation was simply

299
- Steve Race, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Jay & Jay Media
Jay & Jay on Ko-Fi
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Steven on Penguin Random House
The Ultimate History of Video Games volume 1
The Ultimate History of Video Games volume 2
Zoom Platform
Our suggested titles from Zoom Platform's catalogue:
- Squidge:
- Jay:
Jay's appearance on the Gamerhood Podcast

★ Support this podcast ★

Teaser - Video Game History with Steven L Kent (Part One)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 12 Jan 2022 14:00:00 +0000

Steven L Kent joined by someone who has not just written about the history of video games, he has lived it; meeting some of the biggest names in the industry. Steven was gracious enough to share some of his time with us. We discussed his books (The Ultimate History of Video Games volumes 1 & 2), his favourite games ever, and the best consoles of the 90s.

The Games we Love with Lord Nerdy Cephelapod

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

There is talk of tea bagging in this episode, due to the mode in Splitgate called "tea bag confirmed."

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

Definitely no burps in this episode's intro, but there was a mystery sound - get in touch, if you know what it was - and we waste almost no time in preparing you all for the Recent Games section with our guest Lord Nerdy Cephalopod - aka Brian - so here we go...

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more games that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
- Jay

Lord Nerdy Cephalopod's Recent Games

Splitgate

Which is one of the best FPS games of the year in our opinions - even though Squidge hasn't played it yet

Psychonauts 2
Valheim

Because who doesn't like exploring Viking daily life and mythology.

Odin will be proud of us!
- Lord Nerdy Cephalopod

Squidge's Recent Games

Diablo II: Resurrected

Because of course Squidge bought Diablo II again.

Kingdom Hearts 2

Even though Squidge brought this up in the previous episode - here's a link to that - we actually recorded this episode first.

Screw it. I'll just keep hitting it over the head
- Squidge

Which is the same way that Squidge beat the hell house in the Final Fantasy VII remake: bash it until it dies.

Jay's Recent Games

Samurai Warriors 5
Splitgate

Both of which can be played for 5-10 minutes at a time, or for hours across an afternoon. And they are both hella-fun.

I'm imagining a mod for Splitgate where all the characters are the beans from Fall Guys, running around tea bagging everyone
- Squidge

Dreamcast Chat

Talk of Quake III Arena - prompted by our conversation about Splitgate - took us on a minor diversion into Dreamcast territory - which AndrewD will be happy to hear about. And no discussion about Dreamcast would be complete without a discussion on why Seaman never had a karaoke mode:

but there's only one song... and it has to have Shatner's hair
- Lord Nerdy Cephalopod

After that, we have no idea what we actually talked about... seriously, it got very, very silly.

I swear, this is just for comedy. What have we done?!
- Lord Nerdy Cephalopod

The Thunder Plain Games

So our question is: were we to do throw, boot, or yeet you through the portal, which games are we throwing through with you?

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

★ Support this podcast ★

Teaser - Borderlands with CJ

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Y'aar. We be joined by CJ, the host of the Casually Meta podcast. We hoisted the main sail, scrubbed the poop-deck, and avoided walking the plank in this episode. Actually, we did none of that; but we did talk about what we've been playing recently. And Borderlands; lots and lots of Borderlands.

Borderlands with CJ

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 05:30:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

We start with an immediate (censored) swear, which really sets the tone for this episode:

Stick that sh*t on the calendar
- Squidge

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

Even though he tried his hardest to stop Squidgey from burping into the microphone, Jay was completely unable to. So we apologise for that.

Casually Meta Podcast

We were joined by CJ of the Casually Meta Podcast - eagle eye'd listeners will have noticed the guest appearance we made on CJ's podcast a few days prior to this one going out - here's a link to that episode. Our appearance on CJ's show was centred almost exclusively around Pokémon - which is also a topic we covered recently on the show, in an episode with The B.

And before we got onto the episode proper, we asked CJ to describe his show to you all:

The premise is that I've been sucked into a virtual world and that I'm aboard a pirate ship called The Casually Meta. And the sea captain, Captain Seven-Sea Savy, uses an inter-dimensional transporter to pop me into different video game worlds and has me take people hostage and bring them aboard to interview them for arbitrary information which hold no actual relevance to the ship itself, but is just about video games.
- CJ

CJ also points out that the captain in his show is an homage to Anne Bonny, a real pirate who struck fear into the Caribbean; and not just because she was a fearless female pirate. And, of source, talk of pirates lead to talking like a pirate, which reminded Jay of this golden oldie from Loading Ready Run.

Also, this happened:

So what you're saying is that Blackbeard was a pro-wrestler
- Jay

Recent Games
The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more games that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
- Jay

CJ's Recent Games

ARK: Survival Evolved

Although the sheer amount of time required to raise the Gigas is currently holding CJ back from playing it - which reminds us of how much real-world time is required in order to get your character trained up for EVE Online.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

And CJ has been staying away from that game too, because of the entire Blizzard/Activision - and several other companies - thing

Call of Duty: Warzone

But there are too many hackers involved in that game - plus the Blizzard/Activision stuff

Apex Legends
Rust

Squidge's Recent Games

Kingdom Hearts 2

I booted it up, and that's where my problems started
- Squidge

And this sparked a conversation about the recent - at the time of recording - news that the first two Kingdom Hearts games are coming to the Nintendo Switch as cloud based games. As in, "you need to be connected to the server where the game is running in order to play the game" based.

... which is bonkers. Especially for a console which is meant to be mobile, with games played on the move.

It was also CLEARLY only OKd because Nintendo wanted to put Sora - the hero from Kingdom Hearts - into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Which was the very last chance we had for a Surprise Waluigi, and we were screwed out it completely.

What they should have done is that they should have said - for that final character reveal - "Hey, it's Rick Astley!" That's what they should have done.
- Jay

Jay's Recent Games

Splitgate

Which is a wonderful mishmash of the best of Halo, Unreal Tournament, and Portal. If that previous sentence is lighting up the gaming pleasure centre of your brain, tell them that Jay of the Waffling Taylors sent you.

Final Fantasy VII (2020)

Jay had finally gotten around to playing the FF VII remake. He has made it to the plate fall - wasn't that a song by Adele? - rescuing Wedge, and rebuilding Sector VII. But had to take a bit of a break from the feels.

---

We've discussed this title at length on the show already. Here are each of the episodes where Squidge and Lulu have talked about the FFVII remake, in the order that we'd recommend listening to them:

That's almost 6 hours of us talking about the remake so far. And that's before Jay has had a chance to talk about it.

Expect a revisit very soon.

---

The Thunder Plain Games

To stop you from getting bored, we've said that we'll keep the portal open and we'll throw...

Teaser #2 - Chief Problems Returns

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Chief is back on the podcast. It's been 62 episodes since he was last on, so we wanted to talk about what he's been playing and finally yeet him into the Thunder Plains. Along the way we talk about whether reviewers can be objective, Jay explains ray tracing, and Squidge burps a lot. Check out the full episode, which should be in your feeds now.

Teaser #1 - Chief Problems Returns

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Chief Problems Returns

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

There are a couple of references to reproduction in this episode. The first is at 19:16, when Chief says:

You know, the blue ones who can have sex with anybody
Chief

And after that, Squidge says the following at 42:52

The bonus of having sex on the back of a unicorn
Squidge

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

You can tell that we're back with another episode because it starts with Squidge letting out a really loud burp - sorry listeners -

but that didn't stop Jay from introducing the show and the hosts. This is important because

CHIEF HAS RETURNED

That's right, Chief has returned. The last time Chief was on an episode was WAY back in January of 2020 - on an episode called Agent QTE - And in traditional style, Squidge welcomed Chief back with open arms:

It is nice that you've brought your cannon round. I don't know how you got it through the front door.
Squidge

Recent Games

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
Jay

Because it had been over a year since Chief's last appearance, we didn't want to know about every game that he'd played recently. Listing them all would take a long time, so we asked him to discuss three or four of the games that he had played most recently.

But before we got to that, we asked Chief whether he'd like to go do the Thunder Plains - without telling him what that meant

This sounds like a pyramid scheme."Just sign your name here, but we wont tell you what you're gonna get"
Chief

To be fair, he might not be wrong. You'll find out later in the episode...

It's also worth noting that we record these episodes a little in advance - which you're probably aware of any way - in fact, we recorded this episode back on September 24th, 2021.

Chief's Recent Games

Final Fantasy VII (2020)

This was released just as the world started to change, and Chief wasn't able to talk with us about this release.

---

Fear not, dear listener/reader. We've discussed this title at length on the show already. Here are each of the episodes where Squidge and Lulu have talked about the FFVII remake, in the order that we'd recommend listening to them:

That's almost 6 hours of us talking about the remake so far.

Wow!

---

Horizon Zero Dawn
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection
Total War: ROME REMASTERED

Shocking almost no one in particular, two of Chief's highlights are real time strategy/tactics games - for a quick 411 on what RTT and RTS games are, check out The Quantum What of What

Wasteland 3
Ghost of Tsushima

Two titles title which Chief has only played the beginning of.

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster

And Chief hasn't been using any of the special commands/cheats which are included in the remaster, too.

Final Fantasy X: good; Final Fantasy X-2: not good.
Chief

Squidge's Recent Games

Cyberpunk 2077
Kingdom Hearts 2
Castlevania Advance Collection

This contains (among others) Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance and Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, and is hella fun to play - especially for MetroidVania fans.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition

So I've probed Uranus
Squidge

Jay's Recent Games

Mafia II: Definitive Edition

And that was about it, really. As he said, Jay doesn't get a lot of time to play video games these days.

The Thunder Plain Games

So our question is: were we to do throw, boot, or yeet you through the portal, which games are we throwing through with you?

This time around, both Jay and Squidge all took part in the Thunder Plain Games - as they've never officially done this on the show

...

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What have you been playing recently? Do you agree with the anonymous review that Chief read during this episode? What would you take with you to the Thunder Plains?

Let us know on

Teaser - Silent Hill - Shaaaaaron! with Lulu

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 14:00:00 +0000

What's with all this ash? What's her name again? Why is Boromir Sharpe in this movie? Do Miranda Rights not exist? Did they just meow at each other!? For Spooptober 2021, Lulu joined us to discuss the 2006 horror movie Silent Hill. Is it a good video game movie? Find out in this episode. Check out the full episode, which should be in your feeds now.

Silent Hill with Lulu - Pyramid This!

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We wanted to tackle something really, REALLY spoopy for this years Spootober episode. So we tackled the 2006 movie based on the 1999 survival horror classic: Silent Hill. And we couldn't have asked for anyone better to cover this movie with than Lulu. What's with all this ash? What's her name again? Why is Boromir Sharpe in this movie? Do Miranda Rights not exist? Did they just meow at each other!?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Due to the nature of the movie we talk about in this episode, we’d recommend that you don’t listen to this one with little ones around.

This film also deals with some pretty terrible things, whilst we don't actually talk about the terrible things, please take this as a trigger and/or content warning for harm befalling children.

We've also left in all the swears, as it's an episode about a horror film.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

We started the episode by heading to Silent Hill in our outfits. Lulu went as the Grim Reaper, Jay as a Necromancer, and Squidge as... well, Squidge.

And finally, after 130 episodes, Jay go the intro right

Hello Squidgey!
- Jay

You'd have thought it wasn't difficult to mess up, but he manages it on almost every episode.

As Jay mentioned, this is Lulu's 16th appearance on the show - check this page for all of her appearances. Surprisingly, not all of them have been about Final Fantasy, too. Although, Lulu was distracted for a moment when thinking about her Hot Trash Daddy and decided that she needed a lobster bib because:

it's easier to just fling it over the balcony then
- Lulu

Thoughts Going In

We didn't really discuss our thoughts on the film before tackling it, except to say that Lulu isn't a fan of the sequel.

Nope. Burn it
- Lulu

But we did talk about our backgrounds regarding the games. Jay had played a little of the first one, the gave up; whereas Lulu and Squidge are the experts of the group, having played them all.

There were a lot of references to the video game, as the director (Christophe Gans) is on record as saying that he is a fan of the original PlayStation game and even had members of team Silent Hill on set to oversea certain aspects of the movie. As such, at points it feels like "References: The Movie".

And, of course, Sean Bean survives the movie. Which is one heck of an achievement.

Why was he in the movie, you ask? Because the studio said:

We can't sell a movie with an all female cast
- Very stupid movie producers

And not only is this bonkers but it's also bonkers - double bonkers, indeed.

The Plot

Here's a 10,000 ft view of the "plot", as we see it:

SHAAARONN!
Rose is running around in her sleepy clothes, because someone has gone missing - what's her name again?
Cringe-fests and lack of chemistry between Mum and Daughter
Let's not forget that Rose was wearing her socks to bed

Because people on IMDB are like that: they're weird. They tag, like, "this is a film about..." and then it's like "horror", and "multilation", and "horribleness", and "socks"
- Jay"

Chekhov's Cross
Travelling to Silent Hill in search of a script
Even more lack of chemistry - cat noises does not mean that characters have bonded

clenched so hard you turned your face into a fist
- Squidge

WKX-Weird Music on the radio
"No credit cards for you!" - Boromir Sharpe
The Silent Hill of the film is based on Centralia, Pennsylvania

It's worth reading about Centralia, as it's fascinating.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers"
More chemistry between the cop and Sharon, than with Rose and Sharon
Drive-by tattoos at a cafe?
Running from the police is a bad idea
It's the crash from intro to the video game
Ash is falling, all around me; kid's gone missing, where's she gone?
The fog exists, but only to be creepy

---

About the Fog

So the fog was included in the original game because the 3D models and environments in the original game were so detailed that the drawing distance for the game had to be very close to Harry Mason's character model. The folks over at Team Silent (the developers of the Silent Hill games) decided to hide this by adding a fog effect. This served a dual purpose of making everything look really creepy and hiding the incredibly close drawing distance.

This was also why Harry picks up a broken radio, and uses that to know when the enemies are close by. Otherwise, the player would never know and would end up being ambushed by enemies they didn't know were right there.

---

The plot is that convoluted, in the early stages, that Jay became super confused and forgot a whole section of the movie: the first time Rose walks around in the town, before being arrested. Anyway, back to the plot...

Press X to Sharron
Store fonts are references to the game
Let's play Silent Hill (1999)
Jay and Lulu re-write the movie - this wasn't in the movie, but they did a great job of doing it in less than 30 seconds
SYMBOLISM!

---

Lulu mentions something when talking about symbolism:

There's a lot of deep rooted symbolism in the Silent Hill games. And I think, as a game series, I'd honestly love to do a chat like this with you guys about the Silent Hill series; because so much symbolism
-Lulu

Watch this space, folks. We're in the process of arranging something with some special guests.

---

Meanwhile Rose is busy dropping her lighter and jacket
Fus ro dah! and Jonny Cash
Mis-direct mis-fires
Boromir Sharpe tries to get some information out of a mechanic
Boromir Sharpe starts phoning it in
Rose gets arrested, but isn't read her Miranda Rights
Cybil crashes because plot
Cybil leaps into action, but not before taking her jacket off
Squelchy things abound
Rose takes a bus without taking a bus
Meanwhile at the school, Rose finds a torch
Lulu would be terrible in a zombie apocalypse - again,...

Teaser - Oh no, Cannibal Jelly! with John Doyle

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Jon Doyle (Designer and Owner of Lost in Cult) joined us to talk about [Lock-On] and the many different projects that Lost in Cult are part of. We also have some exclusives about Volumes 002 and 003. Check out the full episode, which should be in your feeds now.

Oh no, Cannibal Jelly! with John Doyle

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

This was the final part in our trifecta of Lost in Cult related episodes from late 2021 - to see all of the episodes relating to both Lost in Cult and [Lock-On], click here - and we wanted to end with a bang. So who better for that than the big boss himself: Jon Doyle. Jon is the designer and owner of Lost in Cult, and the man who brought us [Lock-On].

As Jay pointed out:

This will be episode 127. Which, technically, is all of the values you can store in a byte of data
- Jay

Which is actually wrong, as you can hold 256 values in a byte of data. You'd have thought that Jay would know this stuff. But none of that matters, because we have Jon Doyle on the show. As we've said before, this wasn't Jon's first appearance on the show. But he and Jason Maddison where on a bonus episode from March, 2021 called "lock-on Volume 1 - A Discussion on Passion - at the time of writing, that bonus episode doesn't have a show notes page, but we're working on it

---

If you're brand new to the show - why not subscribe? It's completely free to do so - then you might be interested in our previous episodes about [Lock-On] which you can find here. This contains the interviews with Andrew Dickinson, Jason Maddison, and our bonus interview with Jon and Jason from March, 2021

---

But what _IS_ Lost in Cult:

Lost in Cult is a[n] independent publisher that I set up with the hopes to bring people physical content that is based around preserving video games, films, and, kind of, their legacies.
- Jon

And what is [Lock-On]?

And then [Lock-On] is our first published product. It is a video game journal, which is based around the art of video games, the stories that they tell us, the communities involved. It's all about capturing and preserving that aspect of video gaming in a physical form.
- Jon

At the date of recording - September 21st, 2021 - both Squidge and Jay had had their copies of Volume 001 for around two months and neither of them had finished reading them, cover to cover yet.

This is something that I want to savour, and I want to read each piece, and look at each piece of art that comes with it and let that sit with me for a while - almost like I'm digesting it, you know?
- Jay

And that is entirely by design, as Jon had decided that each piece in the publication had it's own design and colour pallet.

The idea of quarterly - which is we're switching now to a quarterly model - is so that you have time to, kind of, digest the content. We didn't want to throw content at people continuously, we wanted it to sit a little bit.
- Jon

We recorded this episode just three weeks after the kickstarter campaign for volume 002 had ended but Jon wasn't resting on his laurels, as he was already planning articles for Volume 004 - after we'd gone off the air, Jon showed us a preview of the cover art for Volume 003. No, we're not going to tell you what's on there. He swore us to secrecy; with real swear words, too.

And that's not to say that the Kickstarter JUST ok, either:

[the Kickstarter campaign for Volume 002] did really well. It was one of the biggest independent magazine Kickstarter's in history actually. So not a bad growth, that one. It, kinda, did the numbers that I wanted for Volume 005 on Volume 002.
- Jon

Which lead to a discussion on how difficult it can be for projects to gain traction on social media sites without actually paying large amounts of money to the social media sites - they actually pick up on when something goes viral, and artificially block or slow it down, then ask for money to release it again.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you seen the kickstarter campaigns for [Lock-On]? Did you back volume 001 and/or volume 002? Are you looking forward to Volume 003?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Jay & Jay Media
Jay & Jay on Ko-Fi
Our Facebook page
Us on Twitter
Jon on Twitter
Lost in Cult
lock-on Volume 1 - A Discussion on Passion
- aka Jon's previous appearance on the show
Some photos of Squidge's Volume 001
Lost in Cult store
CultCast
Lost in Cult on Steady
Lost in Cult's Patron Prints store

★ Support this podcast ★

The Look Back: September 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Intro

This is a new type of shorter episode that we'll be putting out each month, called "THE LOOK BACK!". In these, we'll be looking back at the previous month's episodes and giving you a rundown of them. That way, if you somehow missed one, you can get the low down on what you missed. Pretty handy eh?

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Before we , we’re a week late with the look back this month. The reason for that is super simple: I edit everything, and a fair few podcasters have reached out to have me edit their shows; including one who will be producing a physical product - which is exciting.

Anyway, tell the people what we released last month Jay

Episode 125 - Chief Andrew is Lost in Cult

This past month - September 2021 - we put out two brand new episodes. The first episode was an interview with friend of the show

We didn't release a teaser for this episode, because it would have been exceptionally difficult to distil all of the humour and deep game narrative analysis (sometimes happening at the same time) into a 2 minutes clip. Squidge actually tried to to this, and it ended up being a copy of the episode - in all its 95 minute glory.

And possible new Waffler, if his plans ever come to fruition
- Squidge

Andrew Dickinson. We called this episode Chief Andrew Is Lost in Cult, as it was all about Andrew’s many, many, many many projects. These range from being the Editor in Chief of the Lost in Cult publication Lock-On, to being one of the hosts of Lost in Cult’s official podcast (Cult Cast), and writing volume two of his Dreamcast Years book and hosting the podcast of the same name.

We discussed the games we’d been playing recently, MiniDisc players (because both Andrew and I are fans of the format), the SteamDeck, and we gave him a chance to revisit the Thunder Plains and swap some of the games he’d be taking with him - this is due to the recent controversy with Activision, Ubisoft, and others.

We also came up with a long list of podcast ideas - all of which are in the show notes, so do give them a look. The last time I checked, there were around 13 new ideas in the episode.

Episode 126 - Locked On with Jason Maddison

Next up was an interview with another friend of the show Jason Maddison. Jason is the Technical Director at Lost in Cult

TWO LOST IN CULT EPISODES IN ONE MONTH. YOU ARE SPOILING US, SQUIDGE
- RUSSELL

Indeed Russell.

Anyway, the episode with Jason was called: Locked On with Jason Maddison. It was the first episode to include a wonderful intro performed by our friend Morgan .

You’ll remember him from episode 123 Ten Minutes of TV Time with Morgan Ritson
- Jay

Keen listeners to the show will know that we’ve already spoken to Jason about Lock-On. Back in March, we had a chat with him and Jon Doyle in a bonus episode we called Bonus: lock-on Volume 1 - A Discussion on Passion.

But in this episode we discussed how Jason got involved with the Lost in Cult crew, his piece “I Have Lived” and how close to home it felt for both Jay and myself, and the phenomenon of some people not wanting to read their physical copies of Lock-On for fear of somehow destroying them.

But before we could get on to that, Jason and I had this exchange:

SQUIDGE: What am I doing here? I could have still been in bed
JASON: I’m knackered. I wanna get back in bed, like Squidge here

Once we’d figured out that philosophical problem, we asked Jason to give us the low down on the “I Have Lived” piece.

Coming up This Month

We thought we’d give a little teaser on what’s coming up this next month (October, 2021); remember to subscribe if you haven’t already.

First off, we’ll be finishing out trifecta of our interviews with Lock On folks with an interview with the big boss himself: Jon Doyle. In this episode, we’ll be talking about how Lost in Cult came to be, covering a little on his passion for design, and we’ll be talking about some of the exclusive goodies that the backers of Volume 2 will get when it drops - this was news when we recorded, and some of them have stayed exclusives to our conversation. So definitely be on the look out for that episode when it drops.

After that we’ve got a super spoopy episode for Spooptober. We’re keeping the subject a secret for now, as we don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, or should that be skull out of the cauldron?

MWA HA HA HA HA!

We think you’ll agree that this coming month’s episodes are looking and sounding great. Keep an eye on the podcast feed or our YouTube channel for the trailers when they drop.

Wrapping Up

So that’s what we put out in September, and a little on what we’ll be putting out in October. Keep an eye open for more of these retrospective episodes each month, that way you’ll know about the episodes that you may have missed.

Music Credits

All music included in this episode is fully licensed and remains copyright of their creators/publishers. The music used was (in order of appearance):

Abstract Vision #6 by Muz Station Productions
Casual Arcade Track #3 Muz Station Productions
Among The Stars by Muz Station Productions
Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)

Did you catch all of our episodes in August? Which was your favourite? Do you have any favourite episodes from 2021 so far? Did you stick around and listen to the bloopers? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this ...

Locked On with Jason Maddison

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

Squidge had a philosophical question for us all, as the episode opened:

What am I doing here? I could have still been in bed
- Squidge

Something for the great philosophical minds to ponder on, for sure. It's also a point that Jason - our illustrious guest for the episode - brings up:

I'm knackered. I wanna get back in bed, like Squidge here
- Jason Maddison

Why was everyone - except for Jay - tired? Because it we recorded this episode on a Monday morning. Perhaps we should have recorded this episode in bed. Who can say?

Our guest this week is Jason Maddison, one of the people behind Lost in Cult, and an all-round nice guy. We've actually chatted with Jason earlier this year, in a bonus episode that we put out called "lock-on Volume 1 - A Discussion on Passion"

Back then (March 20th, 2021), the kickstarter for volume 001 was just coming to a close and we'd asked both Jason and Jon Doyle to talk with us about the passion that they have for preserving physical media, [lock-on], and what they had in mind for it.

At the time of recording this episode, the kickstarter for volume 002 was wrapping up, so we wanted to get Jason back on the show to talk about it, his piece from volume 001 (called "I have lived"), and what volume 002 might have in store.

---

If you're brand new to the show - why not subscribe? It's completely free to do so - then you might be interested in our previous episode: Chief Andrew is Lost in Cult. This was an interview and catch-up with our friend Andrew Dickinson, who also happens to be the Editor-in-Chief for Lost in Cult.

---

We wanted to let Jason describe what [lock-on] is, in his own words:

[lock-on] is a curious beast...I'm the sort that likes to collect gaming art books, even if it's fan art or unofficial art... So what we have here is a kind of hybrid of an art book but also, what I felt like was an academic journal. And being someone who works at a university with academics, and working on university journals, I felt like we're on to something here.
- Jason Maddison

And after a lengthy discussion on the genesis of the project, Jason asked for our viewpoints on the project.

I've got to say that I still haven't finished reading through it, because... normally when I have a paperback, I've got it cracked open and laying flat. But I'm looking at the quality of the paper and the print and stuff like that, and I'm thinking that if I break this - it would take a lot to do it - but if I break this somehow, I can't get another one. So the hardback copy has stayed in the bubble wrap that it was delivered in.
- Jay

This is something that should be opened and experienced... and a lot of effort has gone into creating this.
- Jason Maddison

But what about the future of the publication? Well, the kickstarter campaign for volume 002 was still on going at the time of recording - it has since closed, rather successfully - and it was on track to do much better than anyone had imagined:

[for volume 001] it took us about a month to get to 17k [pounds in funding]. Within about six days, [the kickstarter campaign for volume 002 is] already at about £30,000.00... and Andrew told me that [volume 002 was] fully funded within 18 hours, and as a gaming magazine on kickstarter we had the biggest opening three days [of any product] on kickstarter.
- Jason Maddison

Wow! Just wow!

---

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Leadership, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the Starfleet Leadership Academy. Its ongoing mission: to develop leaders through Star Trek. To boldly go where no podcast has gone before.
A Star Trek podcast told through the lens of leadership development.
Subscribe today! The Starfleet Leadership Academy.
- Jeff Akin

---

Jason's Article: I Have Lived

We wanted to talk to Jason about the piece he had penned for volume 001, called "I Have Lived" and how impactful it was on both of us to have read that article

Thanks for the feels, by the way
- Squidge

For those who haven't read his piece, Jason describes it as

Video games are one of the most powerful mediums for story telling... you come across people who say "it's just a video game"... when Jon talked to me about it, he said, "when you talk about video games, you have that emotional weight to what you're saying. And I want you to write something about all that baggage and emotion, because of the place that you've come from"
I always remember an advert that Sony London put out called "double life"...people from all walks of life talking about their live with the PlayStation. They go through their normal life, but at night they go to these fantastical worlds. And I wanted to write about how I have lived, and how I've played these games and gone on these journeys.
A lot of people, when they were kids, had holidays and had lots of things. I didn't have that. My Mum raised me on my own. And people say, "You didn't have holidays? You haven't lived!" Well, I **have** lived!
There's not enough talk about the storyline of a game, the experience of a game. There's too much d*ck waving about graphics and the console wars. I feel like certain video games helped raised me, improve my emotional growth, and set my moral compass. They can be great emotional tools for education.
I wanted to tell people that, "this, the experience, is what it's all about. It's about games being fun, and going into a new world
- Jason Maddison

And he is completely right. #weHaveLived

---

The following is a promo-spot for Jay's appearance on the Gamerhood Podcast. Reach out today, if you'd like your promo included in a future epi...

Teaser - Chief Andrew is Lost in Cult

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 14:00:00 +0000

Andrew Dickinson (aka @oddment84) joins us to talk about the video games he's been playing recently, the SteamDeck, everything Lost in Cult and Dreamcast Years, and whether he would changes the games that he would take with him into the Thunder Plains (spoiler: he does). Check out the full episode, which should be in your feeds now.

Chief Andrew is Lost in Cult

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

His go at hosting the show in our previous episode - Mad Max in Bright Colours with The B - might have gone to his head, as Squidge decided to start this episode off in a confused place.

And we started the conversation off with discussion of Jay's moustache, which looks somewhere between Yosemite Sam and Freddie Mercury. But this episode wasn't just about Jay and Squidge, they were joined by... let's quote Jay, actually

Andrew "Dreamcast years, multiple podcast man, Editor in Chief for Lost in Cult" Dickinson
- Jay

And that might just be his official title. Andrew was most recently on the show in the second part of our discussion on Resident Evil Apocalypse - here's a link to that - but that wasn't the last thing that the three of us were on together. Both Squidge and Jay were invited onto an episode of the Dreamcast Years podcast - it was episode 12 actually - and it was a complete blast. So definitely check that out, if you haven't already.

Catching Up with Andrew

We couldn't have Andrew on the show without talking about the positive things that have happened with him recently. Some of these things include:

Dreamcast Years Volume Two is well on the way
Lost in Cult has started, and Andrew was made Editor-in-Chief
Lost in Cult volume One has shipped
Lost in Cult Volume Two has started production, too

at the time of recording this episode, the kickstarter campaign for volume two was still active. Please bear that in mind as you listen to the episode

CultCast has launched

It just goes to show that if you want something done, give it to someone who is already busy
- Squidge

Recent Games

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
- Jay

Of course we were interested in what Andrew had been playing recently. So it was only natural that we would ask him what he had been playing recently.

Andrew's Recent Games

Mario Golf: Super Rush

This title had reminded Andrew of Wii Sports Club, for the Wiiu - remember when Wiiu's where a thing?

Resident Evil: Village

Which Andrew had completed within a few days of it being released, and he thoroughly enjoyed.

Squidge's Recent Games

Resident Evil: Village

Squidge was part way through RE: Village when we recorded this episode actually. He has since completed the game and unlocked, pretty much, everything.

Diablo III
Samurai Warriors 5

He's also been playing "Surviving Windows Updates", a perilous game which involves getting angry at how everything on your computer seems to break shortly after installing the latest Windows Update

something something I use Linux
- Jay

Jay's Games

Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee!

Squidge was kind enough to let Jay borrow his copy of this wonderful remake of the 1st gen games, and he had a lovely time playing it.

Samurai Warriors 5

Both Squidge and Jay are huge fans of the Koei Warriors games; it's always a tonne of fun to drop into a virtual battlefield with an almost unlimited supply of enemies and button bash your way out.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition

This game was plagued with issues on it's initial release - the HD remaster, that is. The original game was pretty much flawless - and Jay had been battling with getting it up and running for a few days, but he eventually triumphed and can now run it on his Linux-based computer.

SteamDeck

Naturally our conversation turned to the (at the time of recording) recently announced SteamDeck. With Jay wanting to eventually get one so that he can run RetroArch on it

pro tip: Jay is going to wait until after they are released so that he can buy one used, from someone who wasn't expecting it to run a Linux-based operating system

and Squidge brought up the point that it looks like the GameGear's younger brother.

The Thunder Plain Games

So our question is: were we to do throw, boot, or yeet you through the portal, which games are we throwing through with you?

We had already taken Andrew to the Thunder Plains in a previous episode - in fact, it was during his first appearance on the show, back in March of 2020. But what we wanted to know was, with everything that has gone on in the world since then, had he changed his mind about some of the games that he would take? He had previously decided to take:

Power Stone
Crazy Taxi
Resident Evil: Origins Collection
Call of Duty: Warzone

But with the recent happenings with Activision - and others, including Ubisoft - we gave Andrew another chance to talk about what he would take with him. We wouldn't want him to be trapped in a fictional place with titles that he was now against.

So he decided to swap CoD: Warzone for Fortnite.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the

The Look Back: August 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Intro

We usually do these Look Back episodes together, but Squidge was quite ill when we were planning to record it and ended up having to bow out in order to get better. So it's just me and RUSSELL this week folks. Anyway, roll the intro music RUSSELL.

Rolling in 3 ... 2 ...
- RUSSELL

One quick note: we ended up putting out fewer episodes than we'd planned last month. We went into the reasons for this in our previous Look Back episode - so definitely give that a listen if you'd like to know why.

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Make sure that you check out the show notes which should be showing in your podcatcher. There are a tonne of links in this episode, and they'll all be right there in your podcatcher. You can also read along with the episode if you wish.

We're also going to be doing something a little different with this month's Look Back, so stick around to find out what.

Jay, tell the people what they might have missed.
- RUSSELL

Episode 123 - Ten Minutes of TV Time with Morgan Ritson

This past month - August 2021 - we put out two brand new episodes. The first episode was an interview with a new friend of the show: Morgan Ritson; we called it Ten Minutes of TV Time with Morgan Ritson. Morgan is one heck of a funny guy, and we tried not to edit out too many of his jokes and skits.

Like I said, Morgan is an exceptionally funny gentleman; but he's also a very deep thinker. We met Morgan on the discord server for [lock-on] - a new gaming journal from the folks over at Lost in Cult. As a side note, if you've not heard of them then you should listen to our interview with them, from February.

Anyway, we talked about Sekiro and the lack of narratives which focus on reluctant footsoldiers, the Final Fantasy series as a whole and the trope of the tragic villain, Dragon Quest and the birth of the JRPG genre, and we dropped him off at the Thunder Plains for a spell.

Morgan is also a talented voice artist, and you should consider hiring him. You can contact Morgan on twitter: @MorganRitson

You'll definitely have to give this episode a listen if you haven't already, because it was so much fun to make and listen back to. Check your podcatcher for a link.

Here comes Jay, again
- RUSSELL

Episode 124 - Mad Max in Bright Colours with The B

🎵Gotta catch 'em all, doo dee doo.🎵

A week after Morgan's episode, we got together with The_B and tackled the fact that Pokémon turned 25 this year.

Are you feeling old yet?
- RUSSELL

We had one heck of a conversation with The_B about the global phenomenon that is butterfly catching... I mean Pokémon. We called this episode Mad Max in Bright Colours with The B. And when I say episode, I really mean it: the final edit of the episode was 2 hours and 12 minutes. But don't let the length of the episode put you off, it's split into easily digestible chunks.

We had Squidge run this episode, because he knows WAY more about Pokémon than I do. At the time of recording the episode, I had only played Pokémon Blue for the GameBoy. We recorded this episode on July 4th, and since then I've had the joy of playing through the majority of Pokémon Let's Go, Eevee!

In this episode of the 'cast, we reached out to some friends and Pokémon fans for community comments, and we weren't disappointed. Among the people who go back to us where:

Mr. Ray of the $2 Creature Feature Podcast
MazGamingUk
Friend of the show, and us both: Sakura
Unaffiliated JZ of the Coding Blocks podcast
Grand Rapidian Willie

But what did we actually talk about? Everything Pokémon related. From the games (and how there have been 122 of them so far) to the TV shows, and from the movies (plural) to the effect that TV show's intro song can have on a room of 1000+ people.

🎵It's you and me, something something Caterpie!🎵

Those are the words, right?

No
- RUSSELL

Looking Back on the Year

As of the release of this episode, we're slightly more than two thirds of our way through 2021 - the year is almost over, folks. And because of that, we wanted to take a look back at some of our favourite episodes from this year. Squidge and I discussed the criteria for this, and rather than just saying:

Every episode from the year so far
- Jay

we wanted to bring our own reasons for picking two episodes each. We'd encourage you to go back and give these episodes a listen. If you're not already subscribed, you can do so for free by checking out wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast.

As a reminder, because Squidge was unwell, I've recorded his parts for this.

What's your first pick, Squidge?
- RUSSELL

Woah, hold up Russell. First, we have this:

the following is a promo-spot for the Starfleet Leadership Academy podcast. Be sure to check out their show, and listen out for a promo of ours, appearing on an episode of the Starfleet Leadership Academy soon.

Leadership, the final frontier.
These are the voyages of the Starfleet Leadership Academy.
Its ongoing mission: to develop leaders through Star Trek.
To boldly go where no podcast has gone before.
A Star Trek podcast told through the lense of leadership development.
Subscribe today! T...

Pokemon Turns 25: Mad Max in Bright Colours with The B

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Pokémon turned 25, and it made both Jay and Squidge feel really old. And because misery loves company, we asked The B to talk about it on the show. We also reached out to the Pokémon community for comments and questions.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

There are a couple of bleeped swears in this episode - because bleeped swears are funnier, right?

At 01:15:03 The B says:

it's the crack cocaine of video games
- The B

There's also a potential spoiler for the first Pokémon movie at 01:58:03, check your podcatcher for chapter markings for this.

And there is one mention of a certain type of disease, at the _VERY_ end of the episode - like, within the closing minute of the episode

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

Welcome back to another episode of our podcast! This episode is all about Pokémon - that's right, the game which took butterfly catching and made it into a video game - and we don't mean that creepy intro bit to Resident Evil: Code Veronica, either

Pokémon turned 25 this year - 2021, in case you're listening from the future - and it made us feel super old. So we got together with The B to talk about just how old it makes us feel.

As a bit of a break from the norm, we handed over the hosting privileges to Squidge for this episode - mainly because he knows WAY more about Pokémon than Jay does.

In fact, the actual cast for this episode was:

Backpacker Squidge
Beautiful Lass Jay
Hex Maniac B

As you can see, it was one heck of a cast.

10,000 ft View of Pokémon

We started the episode by asking everyone to give their own 10,000 ft overview of the Pokémon games. You know, in case someone listening had never heard of it.

And some of our interpretations of the games are... interesting, to say the least. It included theories as to who the main character is, where the human hospitals are, why Professor Oak can't remember his grandson's name - worst grandpa ever - whether Professor Oak and Rick (from Rick & Morty) are the same person, why normal RPG rules don't apply, and whether social services should have been involved.

It's not like The Island of Dr. Monroe. Humans aren't Pokémon. Or are they?
- Squidge

And of course Jay's description of Pokémon was provided via interpretive dance - making it harder for Squidge to edit into the episode

Basically Pokémon covers the full gamut of neglectful and abusive behaviour of other species and children
- TheB

Way to keep up those positive waves, B.

Community Comments #1

We reached out to the wider Pokémon community ahead of recording this episode, and asked for comments on what Pokémon meant to everyone. We had quite a few comments, so we wanted to pepper them throughout the episode, and these were the first set of comments.

First up was Mr. Ray, and he had this to say:

Pokémon to me meant friends. Not just with the pokemon pals I had, but that it forced a shy kid to socialize and trade so I could catch them all. Since, yknow, the game is designed for that
- Mr. Ray of the $2 Creature Feature Podcast

Next up was Sakura, and she had this to say:

To be the best, like no one ever was because it's my destiny.
Seriously though, Pokemon means to me: nostalgia/good memories, friendship, a connection, determination, and something that makes people come together.
You don't realise the power and effect pokemon has given to people universally, until those first few notes of the original theme song play and you see a venue holding a 1000+ attendees, suddenly stop whatever they were doing and all sing the song in unison with such passion in their voices - everyone in that room is rethinking their own adventure together with everyone in that moment. It's beautiful and makes you feel wholesome that your part of such a worldwide phenomena
- Sakura

Both of these comments are wonderfully wholesome, we're sure that you'll agree.

And as B points out, both Tomb Raider and Pokémon have this uncanny ability to bring communities together. And of course we couldn't let B mention this without referencing out previous anniversary episode - which was on Tomb Raider; here's a link

CULTURAL ZEITGEIST!
- The B

Famous Firsts

No one can talk about Pokémon without talking about their firsts, and being the investigative types that we are, we wanted to know what everyone's first Pokémon game was.

Jay: Pokémon Blue

In fact, his first exposure to Pokémon was not the games, the TV shows, or the movies. But a high school maths class - which is something he goes into later in the episode, when a special guest appears

The B: Pokémon Yellow

Which had more references to the TV show; with the main character been called Ash and there was a Pikachu which followed you around the game overworld.

Squidge: Pokémon Blue

Squidge got into Pokémon through friend of the show Ik - and one of Squidge's childhood friends, along with The B - got him into it, back in his high school days.

Famous First Starters

Just like our famous first games, the choice of your first starter reveals a lot about someone. As such, we wanted to know which Pokémon we each chose as our first starter.

Jay: Bulbasaur

It's the correct answer; everybody knows
- Jay

Which lead to Jay calling out both Facebook and Twitter on whether he is right or not.

The B: Pikachu

Because B started with Pokémon Yellow, he had no choice over his starter Pokémon. But had he played any of the other 1st generation games before Pokémon Yellow, he would have picked Charmander.

Squidge: Charmander

Squidge let's us know that Charmander is essentially hard mode, and that he managed to brute force his way through the game with a team leader who was a fire type.

Keeping The Starter in Your Team; Yay or Nay?

Just because you pick a Pokémon at the start of the game doesn't mean that you have to use it all the way through to the end of the game. So did anyone keep that starter around all the way to the endgame?

Jay: Yes

It's Team Bulbasaur all the way. All you need is Bulbasaur
- Jay

The B: Yes

B has a similar strategy to Jay: keep the starter in the team and get them to level 100 - or whatever - before the end of the game. But he ...

Teaser - Pokemon Turns 25: Mad Max in Bright Colours with The B

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 11:00:00 +0000

The B stopped by Waffling Taylors HQ to chat all about Pokemon, seeing as how it turned 25 this year - feel old yet? We talked about our favourite starter Pokemon, the TV shows and movies, our favourite generations of the game, have some community comments from friends of the show, and what we think the future holds for Pokemon. Join us this coming Friday (August 27th, 2021) for this great episode.

Ten Minutes of TV Time with Morgan Ritson

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Voice actor extraordinaire, all round good egg, and fellow Lock-On backer Morgan joined us to talk doing homework to get TV time, the world and characters of Sekiro, and the trouble with homework and American TV.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

There were a few swears in this episode, but we've bleeped them all - bleeps are funnier than swears anyway - We've thrown the trigger warning claxon in at the following timestamps, as the subjects we talk about could be a upsetting to some listeners:

At 27:20, Morgan mentions a certain something that happened during the Second World War
At 41:16, Morgan mentions self-gratification, but only in passing

Check your podcatcher for chapter markings which will help you to skip these sections, should you wish.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Even though Squidge is very special - and I'm sure you'll all agree that he is, indeed very special - our guest for this episode was Morgan Ritson. Morgan describes himself as:

I am the world's greatest lover... I am a writer, student, voice actor; a lot of creative things that don't make money.
Morgan

When introducing himself, we have a conversation about how we should always be positive around each other. We use the example of Morgan being told that his ability to write things down wasn't great, and how one of my professors at university has dyslexia and dyspraxia, but both are great people who are achieving great things - please don't tell someone that they can't do something because they are x, have y, or don't have z. Just be positive to them, and support them if you can

One thing to note: because of the gap in our schedule - as explained in The Lookback: July 2021 - we had recorded this episode quite some time ago.

But after that, we wasted almost no time getting to one of Jay's favourite topics:

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more games that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
- Jay

And, of course, we shared ours too. Would we recommend the games that we've all been playing? Or course!

Morgan's Recent Games

As is tradition, we asked our guest to go first.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Morgan tells us that he is drawn to games which are greater than just person-vs-person, and the first game on his list is one such game. Both Sekiro and Bloodborne as spiritual off-shoots of Dark Souls, with one (Bloodborne) being more about taking the next step as humans, whereas the other (Sekiro) being more grounded in traditional Japanese mythology and being related to fighting for what you care about.

And this lead us into ta discussion on how there aren't many games - or books and films, for that matter - which explore the stories of the foot-shoulder who has never had to fight before, and how this isn't THEIR war but that of someone else's.

And the discussion on interesting characters leads us to a conversation about how villains have the potential to be much more interesting than heroes. The examples we used are Xande (from Final Fantasy III) and Hans Gruber - these two villains are arguably more interesting than the heroes who oppose them.

This lead us into a discussion with Morgan about how he's looking to pen an article for Lost in Cult's Lock-On series of journals - we've interviewed Jon and Jason from LiC about Lock-On previously; here's a link to that

Final Fantasy XIV

We talk about the Final Fantasy games a lot - and not just when Lulu is on the show

It has the best writing of the Final Fantasy games, in that the world itself feels very real. And the characters feel very real
- Morgan

But that one of the down-sides of playing RPGs is that the biggest resource they take up is time, and how that's one of the few resources that we can't renew. And he's not wrong.

Talk of Final Fantasy brings up hacking, which brings up Red Mages - trust us, there's a link - which brings us to Maurice Leblanc and the video game Thief.

As far as Final Fantasy XIV goes, I would say yes. It's an MMO, so there's a monthly prescription... yeah, you take it in pill form.
- Morgan

Jay brings up a great point when talking about Final Fantasy only RPGs - of which there have really only been two. He asked Morgan whether he'd seen "the TV show", referring to Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light, but Morgan thought he was referring to Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV - at least it wasn't Final Fantasy Unlimited; which does have a banger of an intro song.

Seriously though, Dad of Light was really good actually. If you have the chance to watch it, please do.

We then take Morgan to...

The Thunder Plain Games

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the

The Look Back: July 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

A Little Explanation

So before we begin I wanted to explain why we've been off the air for a while.

We'd originally planned to release an episode with new friend of the show Morgan Riston, and a look back at what Pokemon means to us (what with it being 25 years old this year). However a family event got in the way, and that lead to us having to go into mourning.

Those episodes are indeed completed, but we didn't want to release them whilst everything was going on, as it would have felt a little disrespectful.

Anyway, let's talk about what we did release:

Episode 121 - Getting to know MazGamingUk

This past month - July 2021 - we put out two brand new episodes. The first episode was an interview with MazGamingUk: Getting to Know MazGamingUK. Maz is one of the most positive people we know of in the UK video gaming scene. He releases tweets and videos with some of the most positive messages we've ever heard.

But not only that, he has recently taken some time to film some very ambitious videos for his YouTube channel - which you really should subscribe to, by the way. Maz had studied film making and has won a few awards for his films, so the new direction that his channel is heading in will be amazing.

One of the things that I really enjoyed about this episode was the discussion on using the Sega Saturn Steering Wheel accessory to play Virtua Fighter 2 back in the day. We only had the one controller and the steering wheel, you see. So we would take it in turns to use the steering-wheel when fighting each other. It was a lot of fun.

But what was even more mind-blowing was when Maz told us that the official Dreamcast fishing rod accessory can be used to play Soul Calibre.

... I know, right?

Episode 122 - Outbreak: Endless Nightmares with Evan Wolbach

One week later, we had an interview with the developer behind the Outbreak series of games : Outbreak: Endless Nightmares with Evan Wolbach.

A lot of people think, "I’ll take a computer science degree, then I’ll go make games." But then they get out in the real world and realise that they need to pay the bills first.
- Jay

Evan, like Jay, is a full time developer. But unlike Jay, Evan has pivotted his work from business line applications to video games with the Outbreak series. This series of games combines rogue-like elements with survival horror to create something really rather unique - think Dark Souls meets the late 90s Resident Evil games.

This episode was the latest in a series where we interview developers about what makes them and their games tick. Check your podcatcher for a link to the entire series, by the way.

Evan was kind enough to let us drop him off at the Thunderplains, and even discuss some of the inspirations behind his outbreak series of games and how the series has evolved.

One of my favourite parts of this episode was the discussion around difficulty levels and different play styles in his games. There's a mode in the latest title (Endless Nightmares) which equips the player with enough guns to make several Rambo movies, and drops the difficulty through the floor.

Jay also discussed the Classic REbirth mods for the PC versions of the original Resident Evil trilogy. These mods, made by Apple of Eden, make the game work on modern versions of Windows, and include some quality of life fixes - and even a way to get the Director's Cut Dual Shock soundtrack working in the game for that dooty doot goodness.

Coming up This Month

We thought we'd give a little teaser on what's coming up this month (August, 2021); you heard it here first.

First off we have a conversation with Morgan Riston about what keeps him gaming. Morgan is a wonderfully funny gentleman, does Voice Over work, and is looking to get into podcasting (you'll be able to say, "I was there when he had his first appearance!"). We talk about the amazing Sekiro and Final Fantasy 14 (maybe we should get him on the show with Lulu?), with Sekiro allowing the player to take a huge part in the lives of the NPCs that surround them - something that not many games do.

We met Morgan after backing the first volume of Lock-On. There's a kickstarter backer discord (we're not sure whether this will be opened up to the public or not, as that's up to the folks at Lost in Cult).

After that, we have a bumper length episode - so get comfy - about how Pokemon turned 25 this year. We were joined by, friend of the show, The_B to talk about just what Miyamoto's attempt at making "butterfly catching the video game" means to us. We also have some community comments from some familiar (and some unfamiliar) names in this episode, about just what this series means to them.

MAKE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE. FOR FREE. CHECK YOUR PODCATCHER FOR A LINK
- RUSSELL

Indeed, Russell.

We think you'll agree that this coming month's episodes are looking and sounding great. Keep an eye on the podcast feed, or our YouTube channel for the teasers as they drop.

Wrapping Up

So that's what we put out in July. Keep an eye open for more of these retrospective episodes each month, that way you'll know about the episodes that you may have missed.

Music Credits

All music included in this episode is fully licensed and remains copyright of their creators/publishers. The music used was (in order of appearance):

Abstract Vision #6 by Muz Station Productions
Casual Arcade Track #3 Muz Station Productions
Among The Stars by Muz Station Productions
Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)

Did you catch all of our episodes in June? Which was your favourite? Do you have any favourite moments? Have YOU played any of the Classic REbirth mods for the classic 90's Resident Evil Games? Have you tried any of the Outbreak series of games? Did you stick aro...

Teaser #2 - Outbreak: Endless Nightmares with Evan Wolbach

The Waffling Taylors — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 09:00:00 +0000

In case you missed it: for this week's episode, we had Evan Wolbach (of Dead Drop Studios) on the show to discuss his Outbreak series, and some of the classic survival horror games and rogue-likes that inspired them. Check out the full show notes for an embedded player at: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2021/07/16/outbreak-endless-nightmares-with-evan-wolbach/

Outbreak: Endless Nightmares with Evan Wolbach

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Evan Wolbach (of Dead Drop Studios) stopped by Waffling Taylors HQ to discuss his Outbreak series of games. This series of survival horror games take inspiration from the greats of the genre, but also look to rogue-likes for some inspiration, too.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

As the topic of this episode is a survival horror game, we ask that you please listen responsibly and consider anyone who may unintentionally be listening, too.

Show Notes

We were joined by Evan Wolbach for this episode. He is the developer behind the Outbreak series of survival horror - something both Jay and Squidge are into - rogue-like games - more Jay's genre of choice.

No pants means no rules
- Squidge

And Squidge couldn't have been more correct.

We wasted no time in getting to know Evan, and leapt straight in with a discussion about how he got into making video games, why he chose survival horror, and just how many possible camera systems his games have.

Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Alone in the Dark (series)... this is a loving homage to all of them
- Evan

It seems that Evan is a big fan of the early survival horror games - particularly the classics of the 90s, and the multiplayer titles of the early 2000s - and it was mainly due to the fact that Capcom (et al.) weren't producing survival horror games in 2015 which drove Evan to try his hand at it with the first Outbreak game - quite simply titled: Outbreak.

A lot of people think, "I'll take a computer science degree, then I'll go make games." But then they get out in the real world and realise that they need to pay the bills first.
- Jay

But not all of the titles are about dispatching wave after wave of the undead, as is the case with Outbreak: Lost Hope

You're just kind of alone on a giant map, and you're trying to explore and find your way around, and find resources. You can't really kill every enemy, so you have to get really clever, and run away and hide
- Evan

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more games that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it.
- Jay

And, of course, we shared ours too. Would we recommend the games that we've all been playing? Or course!

Evan's Recent Games

As is tradition, we asked our guest to go first.

Evan, being a full-time dev, doesn't have a huge amount of time to play games these days. Although he had managed to put in a few hours with

Resident Evil Village
Final Fantasy VII Remake

I look at games like [Final Fantasy VII Remake) as a triumph of engineering and a sign of things to come
- Evan

And of course, Jay brings up the "Dino Crisis remake in the RE Engine" point again - it's not as if Capcom are going to make it simply because he shouts up about it so much.

And Evan agreed, going so far as to point to the design and look of Resident Evil 3's remake as a basis for what it could look and play like.

Squidge's Recent Games

Streets of Rage 4
Resident Evil

As mentioned in the previous episode of the podcast - Getting to know MazGamingUK - Jay had discovered a series of mods for the original PC releases of Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3 - the so called Classic REbirth mod from Apple of Eden. These mods allows you to play the original PC release of Resident Evil (as in the 1996 game) on windows 10, with a number of bug fixes and quality improvements.

Squidge would definitely recommend them.

So that's all I've been doing: beating people up, and raging out on zombies
- Squidge

Jay's Recent Games

In his excitement to talk more about the Outbreak series, and to see what Evan would take with him to the Thunder Plains - see: below - Jay completely forgot to talk about what he'd been playing. But rest assured that he hadn't played a great deal.

The Thunder Plain Games

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you played the Outbreak series of games? Are you a fan of survival horror games? What about rogue-likes? Will you be checking out the Outbreak games after this episode? Did you have a question we didn't cover?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

Teaser #1 - Outbreak: Endless Nightmares with Evan Wolbach

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Evan Wolbach stopped by Waffling Taylors HQ to discuss his Outbreak series this week. Evan is an enterprise application developer turned game developer. His inspiration for creating games was to make titles similar to the classic 90s survival horror games, but with a twist. Join us this coming Friday (July 16th, 2021) for this great episode.

Getting to Know MazGamingUK

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

MazGamingUK (aka Maz from the DreamCast Junkyard Podcast, and of YouTube and Twitch fame) stopped by the virtual Waffling Taylors HQ to chat about his YouTube channel, what he's been playing recently, what he'd take with him to the Thunder Plains, drops a horror story (followed by Jay doing the same), and we talk about controller designs.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

We had the amazing Maz Gaming UK on the show because he is amazing. If you are a fan of the DreamCast Junkyard Podcast, or have seen any of his YouTube videos then you'll know exactly who he is. But if you have heard the DC Junkyard pod, or watched any of his videos, then I'd recommend going and taking a look.

We'll wait.

... We can wait almost all-day

Done? Good!

And of course, we started the podcast as we meant to go on: with some silliness and stupidity - and a shout out to our friend Unaffiliated JZ - because we couldn't start the podcast any other way.

And Jay starts us off with a story from the (at the time) recently released Friend's Reunion episode - which, if you're a fan, he'd recommend watching.

Getting to Know Maz

Maz first lets us know about his YouTube channel - seriously, have you subscribed yet? - which has some amazing content already, but is going to be having a bit of a shake up soon.

you'll see on our channel that our last video was December [2020], and that's because we're going in a completely different direction at the moment... which is an initial series of six incredibly different videos, all with a different topic
- Maz

One thing which is a really nice piece of serendipity - as Jay points out - is that almost everyone we've met through the podcast was at EGX 2019 - in the before times - we just didn't get a chance to meet many of them in person. To be fair that's not a huge surprise though, as EGX is the biggest video gaming expo in the UK.

Squidge mentions the tattoo that he got at EGX, and you can see that tattoo in the full show notes here.

He got this tattoo on our third day at EGX, - when we met Beckski, Stoo Cambridge, the folks from Arcade Attack, and the folks from Adventure in Aellion you can see the original tweet about it here.

Maz compares the difference between fully planned out interviews to those which are organised on the fly. It really isn't as easy to run on-the-fly interviews which have been arranged with a moment's notice, so our collective hats are off to those who can run them.

Recent Games

I love to hear what everyone's been playing, and whether they would recommend it
- Jay

And, of course, we shared ours too. Would we recommend the games that we've all been playing? Or course!

Maz's Recent Games

As is tradition, we asked Maz to go first.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown

You can't go wrong with a Virtua fighter game... and they've rebuilt it in the Dragon Engine, so you can imagine how sexy it looks
- Maz

Two Point Hospital

Maz returned to Two Point Hospital shortly after the announcement of Two Point Campus, and has been playing it since then.

I'm not sure how Two Point Campus is going to work, because I'm not used to a hospital which doesn't have ten or 12 ghosts in it
- Maz

Squidge's Recent Games

Resident Evil

A few days before we recorded, Jay had found out about the Classic REbirth mod from Apple of Eden. It allows you to play the original PC release of Resident Evil (as in the 1996 game) on windows 10, with a number of bug fixes and quality improvements.

After five failed attempts, I was able to completed it in under three hours [without saving once]
- Squidge

Jay drops some knowledge from Alex Aniel's book "Itchy Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil" about the dialogue used in the original game. A lot of people make fun of the original game for its very bad dialogue, which was delivered rather badly. But the dialogue was perfectly written for the Japanese audience - we interviewed Alex not so long back about his book, and you can listen to it here.

Maz drops similar knowledge about Corey Marshall - voice actor of Ryo from Shenmue. Apparently, he was specifically asked to give a more wooden delivery for the Japanese market.

Jay's Recent Games

It had been a super light load for Jay recently, as he doesn't get to play many games these days - so why's he on a video game podcast then?

Shadow Man Remastered

Jay has been playing this since it came out and has completed the remaster several times. In fact, each time Nightdive release an update (roughly every two to six weeks), he has started playing it again from scratch. This is because each update unlocks new restored content, or changes the game in subtle ways.

It's a very big favourite of Jays, and he has written about the first game across two blog posts.

The Thunder Plain Games

Teaser - Getting to know MazGamingUK

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 11:21:07 +0000

This week's podcast episode is a wonderful conversation with the amazing MazGamingUK. We talked about what we've all been playing recently, Maz's YouTube channel, being an award-winning filmmaker, we swap horror stories, and stop off at the Thunder Plains. Join us this coming Friday (July 9th, 2021) for this great episode.

The Look Back: June 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Episode 118 - The Cupboard of Shame: Iron Man

This past month - June 2021 - we put out four brand new episodes. The first episode was the first in a series by Squidge: The Cupboard of Shame: Iron Man. This will be a series of episodes looking at a demon of his own creating: The Cupboard of Shame.

We know that time and effort are needed to make any game, and he is in no way saying each game is bad or indeed shameful. Just out of the ordinary for him to have purchased them. He'll be aiming to cover one game in each episode, giving the reasons for not only buying it but also how much playtime he gave the game in question.

And what a way to start it off: by looking at the movie tie-in Iron Man The Video Game of the Movie of the Marvel Universe of the Comic Books of the Game of the Movie.

... or something like that.

Along the way, Squidge talked about the awards that it won (not many), the controls

Ever wondered what battling a bag full of badgers while dangling off a cliff in a high wind was like? Well, now you do.
- Head Squidge

Which pretty much sums that up. It's not all bad though, as Head Squidge asks this question:

You gonna go back and complete it someday then? Or are you going to leave it in the cupboard of shame not completed Mr I-love-retro-games-man?
- Head Squidge

You'll have to give the episode a listen if you want to find out whether he will or not. Check your podcatcher for a link.

Episode 119 - Raw With Jay: Entitlement

One week later, Jay put out another one of his ranty episodes: Raw With Jay: Entitlement. You can think of the Raw with Jay episodes as either a series of rants or things that he wants to cover outside of the rest of the show. There's nothing stopping us from coming back to them, but he wants to take a whack at them first.

This episode was one that he's wanted to do for a while. He'd hinted at this in his previous rant on Graphics vs Gameplay, but this time it was all about the entitlement that some gamers seem to have. Some gamers seem to think that they can make demands of games developers - or indeed the hardware manufacturers, and in some cases, the retailers - because they play games.

Pro tip: you can't.

Jay spent a little time talking through basic economic theory (supply and demand), the fact that some game markets have different priorities and gaps, went back to an old blog post on the Game Gear Micro, and even dropped some knowledge on how much it costs to license the players for a FIFA game.

Pro tip: it's a lot - like a stupid amount of money.

The lesson in this episode is a particularly hard pill to swallow, and it was actually written and recorded weeks before a Twitter exchange that Jay had about this very topic with Twitter user Top Loader Check your podcatcher for a link.

Episode 120 - Tomb Raider Turns 25: Raiding Tombs With the B

This year saw Lara Croft's Tomb Raiding adventures turn 25. To celebrate, we asked The B to join us in doing a little cavernous exploration, on the hunt for a GameBoy Printer - we also talked about the Tomb Raider series... like a lot.

We talked about our first Tomb Raider games (not all of us picked the first game, you know), our favourites, least favourites, and just how important Lara was for 90's pop culture.

pro tip: a lot - so much so that we decided to leave a swear by The B in the show, as it was warranted.

I really enjoyed our conversation about the Tomb Raider games, and you will too, I just know it.

Coming up This Month

We thought we'd give a little teaser on what's coming up this next month (July, 2021); you heard it here first.

First off we have a conversation with MAZGaming about his YouTube channel, staying positive, his games collection, and something he deeply regrets doing as an early teen (an exclusive story, too). If you haven't seen the stuff that MAZ puts out then you're doing yourself a disservice. He's also re-launching his YouTube channel very soon with a series that will allow him to flex his filmmaking skills, so go subscribe now.

After that we have an exclusive interview with Evan Wolbach, the developer of the Outbreak series of games. Evan joined us to talk about the latest entry in the series: Outbreak: Endless Nightmares. This latest entry is a 3D, survival horror, dungeon crawler, roguelike... with **three** different camera systems to choose from. Evan also dropped some _very_ interesting insider knowledge about the game and its development. You'll definitely want to give this one a listen, folks.

MAKE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE. FOR FREE. CHECK YOUR PODCATCHER FOR A LINK
- RUSSELL

Indeed, Russell.

After that, we have an incredibly fun conversation with Morgan coming up. Morgan is a wonderfully funny gentleman, does Voice Over work, and is looking to get into podcasting (you'll be able to say, "I was there when he had his first appearance!"). We talk about the amazing Sekiro and Final Fantasy 14 (maybe we should get him on the show with Lulu?), with Sekiro allowing the player to take a huge part in the lives of the NPCs that surround them - something that not many games do.

And we have one last episode for July, but we're keeping the subject under wraps for now - we wouldn't want anyone to steal our idea.

We think you'll agree that this coming month's episodes are looking and sounding great. Keep an eye on the podcast feed, or our YouTube channel for the trailers when they drop.

Wrapping Up

So that's what we put out in June. Keep an eye open for more of these retrospective episodes each month, that way you'll know about the episodes that you may have missed.

Music Credits

All music included in this episode is fully licensed and remains copyright of their creators/publishers. The music used was (in order of appearance):

Abstract Vision #6 by Muz Station Productions

Tomb Raider Turns 25 - Raiding Tombs With the B

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Lara Croft's adventure series Tomb Raider turned 25 this year - feeling old yet? - and we wanted to discuss the series with the help of The B. We also asked, friend of the show, Mad C to create some killer artwork for this one and we all agree that it's amazing. Make sure to click through to the full show notes to see the full image.

Speaking of the full show notes, these show notes are a little shorter than the full ones (as they would take forever to download), so make sure you do checkout out the website for the full show notes - here's a link directly too them.

Content Warning

We discuss Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series in this episode, and naturally we had to talk about Lara being used by advertisers and the publishers of the Tomb Raider series for her sex appeal. Thankfully, this was a very short lived period of time - although, it should never have happened at all.

As such, when we discuss Lara Croft in the cultural zeitgeist, we discussed her placement as a sex icon, and the sex appeal that the advertisers leant on her for. As such, this might spark uncomfortable conversations with any little ones who also might listen.

Please listen responsibly.

At 33:30, B had something to say and we felt that it leaving unedited was warranted. He said:

We still have one hell of a long fucking way to go
- The B

Note from Jay:

In this instance, B was talking about how, as a society, all people are still not seen as equal and given equal rights. And as producer and overseer of this production, I took the decision that we would leave that cuss in there. Not to politicise the show notes of a podcast about video games, but B has a point. And that's why I chose to leave the swear in.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via our Contact Page, Twitter (DMs are open), or on Facebook if you think that I was in error with this decision.

Show Notes

Remember when Tomb Raider came out? We do, and it turned 25 this year. Twenty-five years old! imagine that.

To celebrate this occasion, we brought The B back on to the show. This was largely because The B and Squidge have an encyclopedic knowledge of video games and when you pair them up, they become a force to be reckoned with.

But in order to do this, we needed suitable Tomb Raider-y names. Our names were chosen for our favourite canon/series of Tomb Raider games - it's a whole thing. We're all big fans of these games, and Jay had taken to streaming Tomb Raider: Anniversary on our Twitch channel - plug, plug - shortly before recording this episode.

Don't make me face my own mortality again!
- The B

But before we could talk about the series, we needed to talk about the intro to the first game and the first level, and just where they take place. Apparently, we had no idea whether it was:

Nepal
Tibet
Holland
Venezuela
Africa
Beirut
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon - Eddie Izzard references are cool, right?
or New Mexico

And we all agree that Lara Croft seems to be getting younger, whilst we all get older.

Apparently, this is because the newer games are set before the first (chronologically) released game. Which lead Jay to attempt to tell a joke:

I wanted to be a reboot, but they I took an arrow to the knee
- Jay

Which, we can all agree, was a pants attempt at a joke. And not even related to the topic of discussion.

Jay's First Tomb Raider Game

Jay was the first to answer - probably because he's the oldest, or some other nonsense reason - with the first Tomb Raider game on the PS1. Even though his memories of the second game are a little stronger because he liked to use the cheat which made Lara explode when playing the first area of Tomb Raider 2.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Which games do YOU think Nightdive should have a crack at next? Is Cate Archer a Disney Princess? Are the three of us old fogies for being upset about how old the PS2 is? What about the Pikachu FujiFilm printer case?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

The_B on Twitter
The B’s current (at the time of the episode’s release) writing gigs
Prince of Persia Apple II source code
- Write up of the game by the original developer
NO ONE LIVES FOREVER - Trademark Details
Tweet from Monolith about NOLF and Nightdive
Official Nightdive Studios discord server
A story on the FujiFilm Printer for the Switch

Teaser - Episode 120: Tomb Raider Turns 25 - Raiding Tombs With the B

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This week's podcast episode is all about the 25th anniversary of the Tomb Raider series. Join us this coming Friday (June 25th, 2021) as we discuss this seminal series with The_B

Raw with Jay: Entitlement

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

---

Remember when I talked about how we should ditch the gatekeepers back in April - check your podcatcher for a link - Well, it's now time to talk about the other aspect of gatekeeping: entitlement - specifically about how some gamers feel entitled to something _because_ they play games. As with gatekeepers, it's all nonsense.

Series Intro

This is The Waffling Taylors Raw with Jay, a series of shorter episodes of indefinite length. These episodes will cover shorter topics which don't really fit will within the scope of the show, or topics that I want to cover in my own way. That's not to say that we won't cover these topics in the main show, but I'd like to take a whack at them here, first.

I can't guarantee that all of these shorter episodes will be as deep or technical as this one. But I wanted to start big.

Anyway, let's get to it.

Entitlement in Gaming

There are lots of definitions of entitlement, but this is the one that I'm going to use for this episode:

the feeling that you have the right to do or have what you want without having to work for it or deserve it, just because of who you are
- Cambridge Dictionary

I'm sure that we all know someone who behaves as though they are entitled to something that they might not actually be entitled to. But this episode is all about the folks who have that sense of entitlement specifically because they are gamers.

I'm sure you've seen something like this in the past:

I've bought and played every entry in this series, and they need to make another one because I want them to
- some twitter user

If you remember the fall out from the ending of the Mass Effect trilogy, you'll have seen this when the fans rallied around and forced EA to create a different ending to the game because they didn't like the original.

This is an example of entitlement by gamers - although there's more to it than just that - I take the stance that games have the ability to be art (especially story-driven ones) after all, someone - or a team of someones - has to write the story, and stories are art.

There's an argument here about whether the creator has the final say in the art that they create, or whether it should be down to the consumers of that art. But that's for smarter people than me to talk about.

The point that I'm attempting to drive towards - and remember, all of this is my opinion - is that you aren't entitled to anything simply because you play video games. To explain why let's talk about how games development companies work.

Games Development Companies Are Businesses First

So, the first thing that you need to know about games development companies is that they are businesses first and foremost.

This means that they have someone - or a group of someones - overlooking almost every decision that the company makes, to ensure that they make the most profit possible.

And that's another thing that I feel most gamers forget: almost every company on the planet aims to make as much profit for as little investment as possible. To quote my good friend Steve Worthy:

Focus on WIN: What's Important Now?
- Steve Worthy

As a side note: if you're interested in business and how to be better at leadership, you should listen to his podcast: Retail Leadership with Steve Worthy - check your podcatcher for a link.

This means that a company should always be looking at what is important now, and for the majority of games development companies it isn't the developers, designers, and artists who decide what "important" means. That decision is made by the shareholders, whose main goal is for the company to make money. Whilst the employees of the development company might want to create the

Greatest game evar!
- some game developer

the shareholders might want to release something as soon as possible in order to get that important injection of cash.

I hate to bring up Cyberpunk 2077, but I just did. To be fair, that particular title had a _lot_ of problems, the least of which was the rush to release it for Christmas 2020.

Full Show Notes

A full transcript of this "raw with Jay" episode is available over in the full show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and web resources.

How do you feel about gamer entitlement? Am I just having an "old man shouts at the clouds moment"? Did you catch the completely coincidental Twitter exchange that I had with TopLoader over on Twitter about this very subject? Would you like to hear more rants... I mean Raw with Jays?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

The Cupboard of Shame: Iron Man

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

With the invention of the Raw with Jay series, I thought I might throw my hat in at creating a segment, I decided to go with a topic that is a demon of my own creation.

The Cupboard of Shame

I know that time and effort are needed to make any game, I am in no way saying each game is bad or indeed shameful... Just out of the ordinary for me to have purchased them.

I will be aiming to cover one game in each segment, giving the reasons for not only buying it but also how much playtime I gave the game in question.

Best to just say that I'm going to give this a go and see where it leads, so with that in mind cue the intro, please.

I'm going to take you on a journey into the games that I've put into my cupboard of shame. Cutscenes, graphics, controls, and overall views of the game, as well as anything else that I can think of, will be covered.

Iron Man the Movie Video Game (2008)

Oh boy...

So this title was released for all three formats, back in May of 2008. It's a title based on the Marvel movie of the same name and was released at the same time as the movie. Three of the film's stars used their voice's to portray the characters in the game, too.

Things were looking good for this movie tie in-game.

Haha... I'm back sucker... Tag me in! I'm ready coach!

I thought I left you with the blogs? Great now he's got an actual voice.

Anyway, so after movie tie in games like Star Wars Phantom Menace in 1999 things could only get better, right? Superior hardware, a more action-packed movie to base the game on, and the inclusion of actors from the movie itself lending their voice talents. What could go wrong?

Hahahaha! Seriously do you want me to take this?

Crude as ever I see. No, I'm good.

Well if I start by telling you that it won an award from Gamespot for "Worst Game Everyone Played" in 2008, that should give you some sort of indication of what I'm about to cover.

Box Art

Well, from the box art it looked really good: the front cover, screenshots, and info you get on the back were really enticing.
The box stated that you are a "One Man Army", letting you go between ground and air combat at any time, dynamic combat on open battlefields, and that "your suit is the ultimate weapon".

This had my interest peaked, and I was very excited to get the game home and bang it into my Xbox 360 for some Mech-Suit-flying-bringer-of-justice-to-the-bad-guys kind of action.

They saw you coming a mile off didn't they?

Cutscenes and or graphics

With other games that I played at the launch of the Xbox 360, like Dead Rising and Gears of War, I knew full well what the console was capable cutscene-wise and was looking forward to a good movie tie in.

The cutscenes were a bit flat for me and didn't really set up the story or the next level well. That did dull the experience for me from the get-go, even though I was excited to play it.

Cutscene-wise I thought it was a case of shooting for the moon kinda thing.

And missing it by ramming into Mars! Next stop, The Nebula cluster, it boasts a prime holiday destination as well as the cleanest fuel sources in the known galaxy!

I'm not going to be that harsh myself, but after playing the already mentioned Gears of War I was disappointed; albeit only slightly.

I knew that I had played games in the past where the graphics and in-game cutscenes were lacking but made up for it in gameplay. So onward I marched towards the gameplay.

Controls

Ever feel like you needed three hands to play a game that WASN'T on the N64?

I can share part of that. With having played third-person action games and flying games before, I thought the gameplay, combat, and controls were going to be easy to pick up and I could get to the Justice bringing already.

It was going to be a fair few years until, for example, the simple flying controls - like those in games like Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 - were more of a standard of sorts.

Iron Man's controls were hard to use and after a few hours of gameplay, seemed like a chore to get used to.

Chore!? Try this... Every wondered what battling a bag full of badgers while dangling off a cliff in a high wind was like? Well, now you do.

I don't think they were outright terrible though. For what they were, they worked.

They weren't game-breaking controls, and with enough patience, I figured out how to get places and started blasting things as a One Man Army.

It just seemed, at the time, like a steep learning curve. At the same time, I was trying to battle with the controls, and not fly straight into trees, or headfirst into the ground.

Twin-stick flight controls with the two left shoulder buttons for flying forward and altitude control, up close QTE button-bashing bits and fast incoming projectiles on the first flight mission alone made it hard to concentrate on what was going on let alone surviving.

And on top of that all that, I had rockets and bullets to dodge.

This leads me nicely to the next point:

Combat

With main missions and submissions being standard throughout this game, unlockable suits with different strengths are a nice touch.

Wow different skins and a slightly better bang-bang-shooter for quicker kills!

The combat flows well enough to keep people engaged. And for the time, zipping through city and desert landscapes was a big deal. Indeed the big open battlefields had lots of detail to them.

But...

Come on, rip it apart!

After the initial training levels are done, with me bouncing off everything in sight, the game starts proper.

And here's the thing, the game started to lose its shine for me when the missions started. You have to dodge missiles and fly from one end of the map to the other to get different mission points. And that was followed by what could sometimes be lengthy boss battles that made the game lose its shine for me.

Overall

Come on get your claws out

My claws are staying firmly in, thank you.

I think like a few other games that I have played in the past, this title was very ambitious and tried to bring a whole bunch of gameplay mechanics to the table, in one big melting pot. Clearly, they hoped to produce something that would tie into the movie quite nicely.

For my money it had good points to it: it did try to melt a lot of things and push what could be expected for movie video game tie-ins.

But I do think I suffered from a case of trying too hard with too many things. With enemies being both mid-air and ground-based, all shooting at the One Man Army at the same time, was a bit much to take in some times.

Long flying sequences, overwhelming fight sections at times, and having to wrestle with the controls as well as the camera sensitivity.

On top of this, the game kept crashing out for me, which hindered my progress through the game. Leading me to only having played about six missions before sticking on the shelf - one that would later turn into The Cupboard of Shame.

Didn't realise you struggled so much with it!

So to answer the question I asked at the beginning: why did I buy this game?

I had just gone to see Iron Man at the cinema and with the knowledge of how good the graphics, gameplay and cutscenes were at the time for Xbox 360 games, I thought this game could finally get rid of ...

The Look Back - May 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Episode 115 - Raw With Jay: Graphics vs Gameplay

This past month - May 2021 - we put out four brand new episodes. The first episode was a Raw with Jay about Graphics vs Gameplay. You can think of the Raw with Jay episodes as either a series of rants, or things that he wants to cover outside of the rest of the show. There's nothing stopping us coming back to them, but he wants to take a whack at them first.

This episode was actually inspired by a tweet by friend of the show Jason Maddison where he had said that most gamers these days are focussing on features that Jay would call secondary, if not completely unimportant. This one tweet took Jay on a journey of wanting to ask listeners, and journos, and the majority of gamers what _THEY_ think Ray Tracing is. According to them it's a super important part of the gaming experience, right?

Pro tip: it's not.

So Jay spent this episode outlining why he thinks that, whilst graphics can be impressive, they aren't required in order to enjoy a gaming experience.

Episode 116 Catching Up With The B - Part One

Next was a two part discussion with The_B. We'd felt that it had been a _very_ long time since we'd had The_B on the show - in fact, it had only been a few months, as his last appearance was in January. In this first part of our conversation with him, we wanted to find out what he had been playing recently; and he delivered in spades. In those 50 minutes, we mentioned 25 games in total - most of which aren't the games he'd been playing, but they are related.

Other things that we covered were the fact that we're now two years into the launches of the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles, the so called CMOS "timebomb" which is present in all of Sony's consoles from the PSP and PS3 onwards. And of course, we talk about Nightdive's Shadow Man remaster.

One of my favourite parts of the episode was when The_B started talking about '90s TV adverts and said "REMEMBER GAME GEAR'S MAN!" Nothing like a bit of "old man yelling at cloud" to brighten your day.

Episode 117 Catching Up With The B - Part Two

While part one of our catch-up with The_B was all about what he had been playing recently, part two was almost dominated by talk of Nightdive Studios. We started by talking about what happened when Acclaim went belly up and this inspired me to come up with a completely new segment as we were recording:

Which games should Nightdive remaster next?
- Squidge

This reminded Jay of the story of the original source code for Prince of Persia being found in a garage, and how it took months to read the data off of the floppy discs. This, he reckons, will happen more and more over the next few years because games devs in the '80s and '90s weren't terribly great about keeping the source code for their games safe. Which lead to us trying to figure out how Nightdive keep finding the source code for the games that they remaster.

The discussion on which games Nightdive should remaster next lead to The_B setting us up and knocking us down within one sentence: Nightdive haven't done anything with The Operative: No One Lives Forever (aka NOLF) and me asking whether Cate Archer is a Disney Princess now.

One of my favourite parts of the episode was when I stole all of The_B's ideas for Nightdive Studios remasters. Seriously, I listed all the games that he was going to mention before he had the chance.

Coming up This Month

We thought we'd give a little teaser on what's coming up this next month (June 2021); you heard it here first.

We have another Raw with Jay, but we're keeping the topic close to our chests at the moment. You'll have to subscribe (FOR FREE!) so that you don't miss it. After that, Squidge brings back a previously used segment for his first solo episode - that's right, Squidge has a solo episode.

And after both of those episodes, The_B joins us again; this time we talk about the fact that 2021 saw the Tomb Raider series hit 25 years old. Tomb Raider was arguably one of the biggest games of the '90s, and we wanted to pay homage to Lara Croft's adventures by discussing our favourites in the series. We also have some amazing artwork for this episode by twitter user MAD-C, and we cannot wait for you all to see it.

We think you'll agree that this coming month's episodes are looking and sounding great. Keep an eye on the podcast feed, or our YouTube channel for the trailers when they drop.

Wrapping Up

So that's what we put out in May. Keep an eye open for more of these retrospective episodes each month, that way you'll know about the episodes that you may have missed.

Music Credits

All music included in this episode is fully licensed and remains copyright of their creators/publishers. The music used was (in order of appearance):

Abstract Vision #6 by Muz Station Productions
Casual Arcade Track #3 Muz Station Productions
Among The Stars by Muz Station Productions
Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)

Did you catch all of our episodes in May? Which was your favourite? Do you have any favourite moments? Do YOU remember Game Gears?Did you stick around and listen to the bloopers? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcas...

Catching Up With The B - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The B returned, and we wanted to talk about what happened to Acclaim's IPs after they went belly up. Squidge also wanted to do a round-robin on the games we'd love to see Nightdive Studios produce a remaster of. We also pondered precisely who the rights holder to The Operative: No One Live Forever (aka NOLF) is, whether Agent Cate Archer is a Disney Princess, and we talk about just how good PC gaming was in the 90s.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

We jumped directly into part two of our discussion with The B - here's a link to part one in case you missed it - by discussing how some of Acclaim's properties seemed to keep going after the death of the company. As part of that discussion, we ended up listing a large number of Acclaim's greatest hits, too:

Mortal Kombat
Alien3 (on the Mega Drive/Genesis)
WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game
Mortal Kombat & Mortal Kombat 2
Turok

But what's important about that, is that we noticed that Nightdive have finagled the rights to a lot of the Acclaim games from the mid to late 90s. But Jay really wanted to know where they got the original source code for Shadow Man from. Seriously, the content in the remaster has not just been upscaled, there are whole sections that were originally cut from the game, but put back in for the remaster - it's safe to say that Jay is a fan.

And this brought to Jay's mind the story of how the original source code for Prince of Persia for the Apple II was found on a series of 5.25 inch floppy discs, in someone's garage. Jay also brought up that the original source code for Crash Bandicoot is also on GitHub, but it has since been taken down.

Then Squidge comes up with a new segment:

What Should Nightdive Remaster Next?

And what an idea it was. A round-robin style discussion on which games Nightdive should take a whack at next. Squidge started us of with the (unfortunately difficult) The Operative: No One Lives Forever (or NOLF, as it's sometimes known). Why might it be unfortunately difficult to remaster? Because no one really knows for sure who owns the rights to it - as is the case with a lot of video games from the 90s.

So Agent Archer is a Disney princess, now?
- Squidge

The B then gets us all excited about a NOLF remaster by telling us that Nightdive Studios had filed trademarks for a number of different NOLF related terms. But The B then destroys our hopes by telling us that the trademarks were filed in 2014, and that Nigthdive have done nothing with them since.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

The_B on Twitter
The B’s current (at the time of the episode’s release) writing gigs
Prince of Persia Apple II source code
- Write up of the game by the original developer
NO ONE LIVES FOREVER - Trademark Details
Tweet from Monolith about NOLF and Nightdive
Official Nightdive Studios discord server
A story on the FujiFilm Printer for the Switch

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Teaser - Episode 117: Catching Up With The B - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 26 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Catching Up With The B - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

It had been ages since we last had a proper catch-up with The B, so we invited him back on the show to talk about what he's been playing recently, get distracted by food, and talk about Nightdive Studio's Shadow Man Remaster. Along the way, we discuss the Sony "timebomb" built into all PS3, PS4, and PS5 consoles, Xbox GamePass, and how this year's E3 will be different

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Content Warning

Towards the end of the second half of the episode (around the 33 minute mark), we discussed the games that Jay had been playing. He had been playing the Nightdive Studio remaster of Shadow Man; this is a very dark game, and the content that we discuss for this game is very dark in nature. We would recommend that you don’t let little ones listen to this part of the episode.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

It had felt like ages since we last had The B on the show (but we’d last had him on at the start of 2021 - for episode 99) so we invited him back and had a bit of a catch-up. But that had to wait until after Jay had forgotten the feed like for Squidge

Hello Squidgey! How are you Squidgey?
- Jay

And of course, The B starts yammering on about how much he loves a certain Portuguese chicken restaurant (something something cheeky nindos). To be fair, we would not turn down a free Nindos (yes, the typos are intentional).

We wasted no time at all in getting to the heart of the matter, and that was:

Recent Games

The B's Recent Games

Call of Duty: Warzone

The B said that he had started this one “more out of curiosity” than anything else (I wonder whether that was "curiosity about whether he had the hard-drive space" - Jay)

Outriders

And from his description, this seemed like a fun game with a forgettable story (SPOILERS! - Squidge). But it’s not something that B would be happy calling “Square-Enix’s take Destiny 2” because

I’d like to say "Square-Enix’s take on a Destiny game." Although they did, kind of, have that with The Avengers - once you get through the main story. Because Avengers has a very similar thing.
- The B

But how forgettable was the story?

Barely a week from completely the story, and I couldn’t really remember most of it
- The B

That’s harsh! But possibly true.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you played the games we have been playing this month? Do you agree with The B's assessment of Outriders? Have you played the game that Squidge had played? What about the one that Jay has been playing?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Links

Here are some links to some of the things we discussed in this episode:

The_B on Twitter
The B’s current (at the time of the episode’s release) writing gigs
Sony is Reportedly Working on the CMOS Problem That Will Brick All PS4 and Digital PS5 Consoles
- This is something that will affect all PS3, PSP, and PS vita consoles too
Tim Haywood's BandCamp page
- He wrote all of the music for Shadow Man

★ Support this podcast ★

Teaser - Episode 116: Catching Up With The B - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 19 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Raw with Jay: Graphics vs Gameplay

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Graphics vs Gameplay

Graphics or gameplay, which is "more important" (hopefully you can hear the bunny quotes there)? Is a shiny veneer more important than an engrossing gameplay mechanic? Can't we just have both? What if we have neither? All of these questions, and more, will not be answered in this episode of Raw with Jay.

Series Intro

Anyway, let's get to it.

Graphics vs Gameplay

Firstly, this episode/rant/whatever was inspired by a tweet from Twitter user PlaySushiUK. Those who have heard our bonus episode with the folks behind lock-on - there'll be a link directly to it, in the show notes - will recognise PlayShushiUK as Jason Maddison, one of the folks behind the upcoming gaming journal.

It just feels like all I see is this exercise in mental masturbation and dick waving to try and prove a point as to which chosen console of yours can achieve this and that in terms of performance. What about story, mechanics, animation, collision detection, trigger events, etc?
- Jason Maddison

He was referring to a tweet by another user who had posited that:

It's bizarre nowadays, that alot of people I see who play a game are highlighting 4K, 60 fps, graphics, better textures, any technical jargon you can throw basically instead of talking about gameplay, story, characters, music first. There are some who do but we're in the minority
- Akira

Check the show notes for links to those tweets, by the way. And if you're not already following Jason, then you really should be.

This is another example of an age old argument which goes back to the playground at school - unless you're a long-in-the-tooth gaming journo (and by that I mean from the 80s, at the least). Remember when I brought this up in the previous [Raw with Jay on Gatekeeping?

And it's an argument which worked back in the day because each console had a completely different architecture and completely different graphics hardware. This meant that the games which were ported to different consoles naturally had a different graphical experience - go look into the differences between the original Resident Evil on the PlayStation vs the Sega Saturn version, for instance.

But since modern consoles are, effectively, PCs running Unix-like operating systems, that argument has been nullified. I mean, let's take a look at the PS5 vs Xbox Series X graphics hardware for instance:

In the white corner, sporting black trunks with white stripes is the PS5; weighing in with a Custom AMD RDNA 2 with 36 CUs @ variable frequency up to 2.23 GHz. And in the black corner, sporting white trunks with white stripes...

Seriously, the official brand colour guidelines even use the same colour pallet, THAT'S how similar they are

... Is the Xbox Series X; weighing in with a Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture with 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz

Let's take a look at some of those terms because we don't want to get lost in alphabet soup.

First, both GPUs are created by the same company: AMD, with them both being the AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture. But even that argument is nullified by the fact that both are custom designs, so they don't match anything on the PC market.

Both GPUs sport a number of CUs - or compute units; technically

and mean technically

the more of these you have, the more things you can compute. But with the PS5 having fewer but faster CUs than the Xbox, they almost even out.

Full Show Notes

A full transcript of this "raw with Jay" episode is available over in the full show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and web resources.

Do you prefer graphics or gameplay? Did you know what ray tracing was for before listening to this episode? Is ray tracing important to your gameplay experience? Did you know that the PS5 and Xbox Series X are essentially the same hardware? Would you like to hear more rants... I mean Raw with Jays?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

The Look Back - April 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 07 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We'd still recommend that you check out the podcast proper. And if you haven't already, then look for us on your podcatcher of choice and subscribe. It's 100% free to do so, you know.

Episode 111 - Raw with Jay: Let's Ditch the Gatekeepers

This past month - April 2021 - we put out four brand new episodes. The first episode was a Raw with Jay about gatekeepers. You can think of the Raw with Jay episodes as either a series of rants, or things that I want to cover outside of the rest of the show. There's nothing stopping us coming back to them, but I want to take a whack at them first.

This episode was all about why I think gatekeepers exist in the gaming space, where I think they came from, and just how stupid the whole idea of gatekeeping really is. Pro tip: it all goes back to when we were kids. Also, who cares about how, where, or why you play. Let's just all play together. Right?

Episode 112 - Wonderfully Dizzy With Philip Oliver

Next was an interview with Philip Oliver (one of the creators of Dizzy) and one half of The Oliver Twins - a legendary UK games development team. Both Philip and his twin brother have around 40 years of game development experience, EACH. And they were at the helm of some of the best games of each decade.

A game about an egg, or so it may seem, from eventual success with games spanning decades to the humble beginnings in their childhood bedrooms. Philip takes us through his journey in game development from the 80s up to the 2020s.

One of my favourite parts of the episode was when Philip dropped the bomb that, back in their peak, both he and his brother were creating new games at the breakneck speed of one per month.

Episode 113 - Parasite Eve - Let's Learn About Wigglies

Then we released another "Waffling Taylors goes to the Movies" episode; this time with a twist.

WHAT A TWIST
- Russel

We focussed on a movie of a book, which itself was the basis for a game (the book that is, not the movie) : Parasite Eve.

We've done seven of these movie episodes now, and we're planning on doing a _lot_ more. We'll be slowly iterating towards what I think is the only good video game movie, but I'm keeping the name of that one close to my chest.

Unlike when we recorded our Resident Evil Apocalypse episode, we didn't commit the cardinal sin for movie discussions - we kept the episode well under the length of the movie, coming in at 50-odd minutes shorter than the movie itself.

But for the Parasite Eve episode, we managed to go into as much detail as the Resident Evil Apocalypse episode without going over the running time of the film - probably because there isn't that much happening in this film, to be fair. We even found the time to talk about the nu-wave of Japanese Horror of the 90s and early 2000s - which I expanded on in the show notes.

Episode 114 - Alien vs Predator with Jane Whittaker

After we had a lot of fun interviewing Jane Whittaker. Jane was one of the folks who worked on Alien vs Predator for the Atari Jaguar. We talked about what Jane had been playing, what they would take with them to the Thunder Plains.

Wrapping Up

So that's what we put out in April. Keep an eye open for more of these retrospective episodes each month, that way you'll know about the episodes that you've missed.

Music Credits

All music included in this episode is fully licensed and remains copyright of their creators/publishers. The music used was (in order of appearance):

Abstract Vision #6 by Muz Station Productions
Casual Arcade Track #3 Muz Station Productions
Among The Stars by Muz Station Productions
Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay
I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)

Did you catch all of our episodes in April? Which was your favourite? Do you have any favourite moments? Do you think you know which Movie Jay is referring to as the "only good video game movie"? Did you stick around and listen to the bloopers? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

Alien vs Predator with Jane Whittaker

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 15:42:28 +0000

We caught up with Jane Whittaker to talk about their remembrances of working on the Atari Jaguar's Alien vs Predator and ask questions about their upcoming projects.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

We were joined by Jane Whittaker for this episode. Some folks will know Jane by another name: Andy Whittaker. Jane had previously identified as Andy, but has left that name behind them. We didn't see that change in identity as relevant to our conversation, so we didn't bring it up.

Why did we want to talk to Jane? Well, it's because they were part of the development team behind the Atari Jaguar's killer app: Alien vs Predator - which Jay has written about before.

We'd asked Jane to come into this interview focusing on AvP and to bring a little silliness. And Jane did just that.

Side note: Jane and MobyGames

For those who don't know, MobyGames is a great resource for learning about who was behind some of your favourite titles, and it works a little like IMDB. As Jane has changed the way they identify, sites like Moby Games need a little time to update - as they aren't automated services.

Recent Games

As we do with all of our guests, we'd asked Jane to share with us what they had been playing recently

You've got to play games to make games
- Jane

And, of course, we shared ours too. Would we recommend the games that we've all been playing? Or course!

Jane's Recent Games

Valheim

Which is another great example of a wonderful game created by a small team - just like Minecraft and Super Meat Boy.

It also lead to a short discussion on our episode with Philip Oliver (of The Oliver Twins) which was released a few weeks prior to this episode - here's a link to that - as they had also worked in the 8-bit era of video games development, and Philip talked about a one month turn around time. That was a turnaround time for a full game, however, and Jane had mentioned creating conversions - these days, we'd call that a port - in a week.

Squidge's Recent Games

Torchlight 3

Squidge had picked this title up on the day that we recorded with Jane, so he didn't have a huge amount to say about it; other than that he was enjoying it so far.

Jay's Recent Games

Astral Chain

Whilst it's a button basher -and there's a strange side quest involving a "Toilet Goblin" -it has a wonderful anime / futurism aesthetic.

RetroMania Wrestling

Another button basher, but this time as a pro-wrestling game. Seriously, this game is a _lot_ of fun.

The Thunder Plain Games

For those who are new to the pod, we have a section called "Thunder Plain Games" which might be vaguely reminiscent of a [certain programme on BBC Radio 4 - but for copyright reasons, it is completely different.

The usual rules of the Thunder Plain Games are:

You have been trapped in the Thunder Plains
You will get help, at some point in the future
Before you are sent there, you can pick a number of video games to take with you
- You can have an Internet-connected game if you wish
- But you cannot tell anyone that you are stuck in the Thunder Plains or ask for help

We challenge all of our guests to come up with a short list of games that they would take with them, in order to keep themselves busy whilst waiting for help to arrive.

Jane's Choices

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
A Legend of Zelda title
Tempest 2000
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Train Simulator

If it brings you joy, and it makes you happy, what's the problem?
- Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you ever played Alien vs Predator on the Jaguar? If so, did the first time that a facehugger "got" you cause you to jump out of your skin?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser 2 - Episode 113: Parasite Eve - Let's Learn About Squigglies

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Teaser - Episode 113: Parasite Eve - Let's Learn About Squigglies

The Waffling Taylors — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 14:12:14 +0000

Parasite Eve - Let's Learn About Wigglies

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We finally wanted to tackle a video game film which is considered an outlier; one which doesn't seem to be that well known outside of the Venn diagram of people who like video games, people who like Japanese horror, and people who have watched the Parasite Eve movie. That's right, we decided to watch the movie version of Parasite Eve from 1997.

The following is a reduced version of the full show notes, which you can find here.

Content Warning

Due to the nature of the movie we talk about in this episode, we'd recommend that you don't listen to this one with little ones around. Whilst we don't go into the detail, this movie does hit you in the feels hard. So be prepared for that, as we talk about the movie.

There's also talk about nudity-without-any-actual-nudity (you'll understand why when we get to it) towards the end of the discussion on the film; just to prepare you for that.

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

We're back

AND WITH A SPECIAL INTRODUCTION FROM ME: RUSSELL COMPUTECH RODRIGUEZ GENERATION SIX POINT FOUR

... indeed.

And this time we wanted to cover the movie version of Parasite Eve. One thing to note about this movie is that the relationship it has with the games - as of right now: Parasite Eve, Parasite Eve II, and The 3rd Birthday.

The relationship is has is that it's based on a book by Hideaki Sena, and so are the games. Except that the games are more of a "what if" continuation from about the halfway point of the book. And that the movie only has the basic plot from the book.

So all three things (book, movie, and games) can be thought of as three separate universes.
In fact, we've already covered the book on this website way back in 2017. So we'd recommend giving that post a quick look-see, too.

The mitochondria take control and become Instagram influencers - that's the modern day equivalent"
- Squidge

Thoughts Going In

Squidge is a big fan of the action RPG PlayStation title which was made, based on the book. The movie and the game entered pre-production at roughly the same time, and the teams behind both were unaware of each other. Indeed, Hideaki Sena was unaware of the game series until the early 2000s.

The production company behind the movie (Fuji TV) started production of the movie in January 1997, and was done 8 weeks later. The entire movie had a total cost of (in 1997 money) $900,000 - for context, Titanic had a budge of $200 million (again in 1997 money).

Interestingly, considering that it had a sizable budget, it was only released to Japanese theatres for one week. After which it went to VHS, and was exported to the West - starting the J-Horror craze of the late 90s and early 2000s - alongside Ringu and Ju-On: The Grudge.

And it was just under a year after the movie came out that the first game was released. 1998's Parasite Eve for PlayStation must have been in development from shortly before the movie started pre-production, which bears out quite well because a demo was shown off at E3 in 1997.

As mentioned above, the movie and the games take two slightly different paths: where the movie is an attempt at retelling the story.

The video game was a direct sequel to the book, with the main character (Aya Brea) being the daughter of Mariko Anzai - who is a junior high schooler in both the book and the movie.

And Hidekai Sena - the author of the book - didn't know about the games until the early 2000s.

The Cast

Because it might prove difficult to keep tabs on who is who, here is a list of the most important characters:

Dr. Toshiaki Nagashima; he is the protagonist
Kiyomi Nagashima; this is Toshiaki's wife
Sachiko Asakura; Toshiaki's lab assistant
Mariko Anzai; a junior high school girl who needs a kidney transplant
Takatsugu Yoshizumi (aka Dr. Curtains) is the surgeon who will perform the kidney transplant
Whilst not a character, per se, Mitochondrial Eve will feature heavily in this movie

The Plot

Here's a 10,000 ft view of the "plot", as we see it:

A strange collage and a console boot sound
Bad CGI bird, is bad
Some science in the form of a lecture, all about Mitochondria
Meanwhile it's laundry day
A lesson on bacteria, for children who think that bacteria are yucky
But they love snails, which are equally as yucky
And Mariko flings herself into a swimming pool
Dark synth and snail beheading
Playboy style candid images of Mitochondria
Kiyomi plays "chase me" and a faraway kiss because reasons
And Toshiaki forgets their first anniversary
Ominous line is ominous
Meanwhile there is science happening in the Bat Cave
But that's not how you use a microscope

Sensei and wise older person stroke's his beard
- Squidge

Kiyomi drives home
"Do you think the Mitochondria have their own agenda"
Something terrible happens
There's a Bunsen burner and everything

STAHP! The science that you're doing is killing her via remote control
- Jay

Kiyomi has a horrific traffic accident, and it hits you in the feels
The transplant committee break every rule in the book
"I'll give you the kidney, if you give me her liver"
Hollywood cliche 437: it only rains when it's sad
Flashback: it's Christmas, yo!
"Kiyomi" can be read "Christmas eve", and they meet on Christmas Eve!

See the full show notes for a description of how this is possible.

Dr. Curtains gets the kidney
There's an awful tie
Toshiaki goes full mad scientist
Resident Evil-like music
Mariko is uphappy
A bloodied handprint
We are the snails
There's so much water around in this hospital
Tummy bulges
"Simba!" in the samples
Asakura is possessed by the Mitochondrial goop
Shenanigans are afoot
Eve is all over the floor
Suddenly Kiyomi is back... from the dead
Nudity-without-any-actual-nudity
Tea and cake... and revelations!
Asakura gives a TED talk
Western actors with AMAZING. ACTING. TALENT.
It starts raining on the stage
An old man is set on fire
Mariko is flung about by some unspoken force
Everyone rushes to the hospital
Is it The Blob or is it Eve?
Nurse flambé and Morticia Addams'ing their way through a hospital
A ...

Wonderfully Dizzy with Philip Oliver

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 16 Apr 2021 06:00:00 +0000

We had the incredibly rare privilege of talking with Philip Oliver - one half of The Oliver Twins - about their history in the British Game Development scene; from the early 80s all the way up to now. We talked about Dizzy, the EverCade, BitlzGames, and everything in between.

Here's a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click through and check them out.

Show Notes

I honestly don't know how we pulled this one off - to be fair The Oliver Twins are really nice people - we had Philip Oliver on this episode of the show. Philip Oliver is one half of the Oliver Twins, whose work includes (among many, many things) the Dizzy series of games.

Grab your popcorn, we're gonna hit you with nostalgia
- Squidge

Seriously both Andrew and Philip have been involved in so many games over the years, their official website lists 55 of them and that's just the earlier titles. And this is something that Philip mentions in the episode:

30 games on the PC; 10 games on the PS1; one game on the N64: Glover; 19 PS2 games; 10 Xbox games; 11 GameCube games; 13 Wii games; 9 PS3; 21 Xbox 360; and 30 handheld games... and that's just the Blitz Games ones
- Philip Oliver

So combining that total (154) with the 55 "Oliver Twins" games from their website - source; I've not included the collections titles - we get 209 games.

That's a lot of games, and not a duffer among them.

Let's Talk About Dizzy

For those who don't know, Dizzy is a super cute egg character who goes on platforming and puzzle based adventures.

Although Dizzy started out on the 8-bit consoles, there was a brand new game - Wonderful Dizzy - launched a few months before we recorded this interview. We'd always wanted to interview both Andrew and Philip, so the launch of the new game drove us to reach out proper.

But one thing we didn't realise about the newer Dizzy titles (aside from the rights issue - technically Dizzy is owned by EA now) is that all of the profits went to charity. In the case of the Dizzy collection on the Evercade, the profits were given to the National Videogame Museum in Sheffield.

Wonderful Dizzy & Looking Back

But why make a new Dizzy on a retro platform:

It is so expensive to make a game on a modern platform
- Philip Oliver

And at the time the Spectrum Next was starting to pick up steam; so why not combine that with a new Dizzy game?

We suddenly realised that we can't make a game that is worse than any of the other games, and that was absolutely obvious... so we were thinking that whatever we create, now that it's some 25-30 years later, that everybody perceives it to be at least as good, if not better. And, really, we need to be aiming better.
- Philip Oliver

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Have you ever played the Dizzy games? What about the other 200-odd games that The Oliver Twins have been involved with? Did you know that they used to have a turnaround time of one month per game? And no ("real") source control?

Links

Catching up with The Oliver Twins is a doddle, here are some of the places you can find them:

The Oliver Twins' website
- The Oliver Twins on Twitter
- The Oliver Twins on Facebook
- The Game Dragons
  - This is being shut down soon, though
- The Oliver Twins book
Panivox
- The new project that The Oliver Twins are involved in

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Raw with Jay: Let's Ditch The Gatekeepers

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 09:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Let's Ditch the Gatekeepers

Who cares what you're playing, as long as it's fun to play. I hate gatekeepers, and see the behaviour all over the place. So let's talk a little about gatekeeping, and why it's all nonsense.

Series Intro

I can't guarantee that all of these shorter episodes will be as deep or technical as this one. But I wanted to start big.

Anyway, let's get to it.

Gatekeeping

Have you ever been mid-conversation with someone about some new thing - a game, an album, a book, movie, whatever -and they turn to you and say:

You're not a real fan unless you...
- A gatekeeper

and they always emphasise the "real" bit, as if trying to disprove their point

If so, they're attempting to dismiss your new-found enthusiasm by claiming that you don't qualify as a "real" fan of whatever it is - hopefully you can hear the bunny quotes around "real" there. Well, guess what? You are a "real" whatever. But you don't need me to tell you that.

I remember being told by someone that I wasn't a "real" Star Wars fan because I hadn't read any of the (at the time) extended universe books - they've since been renamed "legends" or something. I don't know

I retorted with:

Whatever dude. All I know is that I really like Empire, and the story of the original trilogy. While you're complaining about me not being a "real" fan, whatever that is, I'm going to head over here and eat some cookies. Best of luck to you
- Jay

Maybe I'm a little more level headed when it comes to gatekeepers, or maybe I was just really hungry for cookies. The real answer is lost to the ages.

Exclusionism

As a supportive community, somewhere along the way we've gotten lost.

I can remember a time when I was bullied at school for playing video games. I can also remember the gamers at the school banding together for support, and swapping tips and techniques for beating whatever boss we were stuck on. Over time it's become more acceptable to spend some of our free time at play in virtual worlds. But somewhere along the way, parts of the communities we've started have turned on us.

You're not a real gamer unless you..."
- A gatekeeper

I hate that phrase.

One of the ways that I deal with criticism (constructive or not) is to deconstruct what was said so that I can apply something from it. So let's do that.

First, this sentence is the opinion of the speaker. They are telling you that, in their opinion, they don't think that you are whatever whatever. Here's the great thing about opinions: we've all got one. And here's the bad thing about opinions: we've all got one.

There's a comment here about opinions being like butts: we've all got one, and they all stink from time to time.

But I won't make it.

So what they are saying cannot ever be fact. Meaning that we've immediately debunked what they've said.

Next, what does "real" mean? I'll be that if you asked them, they wouldn't be able to tell you without talking about themselves. That should tell you everything you need to know.

I agree that gatekeeping is a form of bullying and exclusionism, and we need to stamp it out. I don't have any advice to give for dealing with this other than, "call them out and move on," which is way easier to say than to do.

Full Show Notes

A full transcript of this "raw with Jay" episode is available over in the full show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and web resources.

What are your key techniques for dealing with gatekeepers? Is there such a thing as a "real" gamer? If so, what does a "real" gamer look like?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Behind The Mic: The Waffling Taylors

The Waffling Taylors — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Season 2 episode 25 of Behind the Mic focusses on The Waffling Taylors - a pair of brothers who have transitioned from blogging into podcasting, and to music production for some of the biggest names in the business. With a bio-pic from Old Circle Cinema slated for release in 2027, we look back on the only true dynamic duo of podcasting: The Waffling Taylors.

Since their first episode - "56 Games in 63 Minutes", released in November 2017 - Jay and Squidge have been steering both the podcasting and music industries from behind the scenes; but how did these two brothers, from the unknown town of "Cakeland" somewhere in the UK, rise to fame? This episode of "Behind the Mic" gives listeners unprecedented access to the brothers - one of whom is a cartoon wolf with a multi-coloured mane.

We start with the genesis of their website - wafflingtaylors.rocks - and how they transitioned from blogging about video games to podcasting about them. Along the way, we present listeners with intimate interviews with people who were there during the brothers' rise to fame; including:

Stoo Cambridge
Andrew Dickinson
Joe Zack
Dr. Feelsbad (Jay's personal physician)
and statements from Chief Problems

Behind The Mic: The Waffling Taylors also includes exclusive tidbits as to how Squidge became one of the most sought after music producers in the 2020s - having worked with the likes of Taylor Swift, Hank Truvton, and Japan's rising stars Orange Whip (a pop duo consisting of Hiroruki Mikami and Mr. Kite) - and how he wished he could give it all away for the simple life.

Music in this episode comes from the following sources:

"Dreams of Glory", "Hope", and "Go to success" by Muz Station Productions
Funny Quirky Comedy by Redafs.com, Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Paul Seal aka @paul_seal

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Resident Evil Apocalypse and the Shakey Fist Logic (part two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Andrew Dickinson (i.e. oddment84, aka "that guy who creates a bunch of podcasts" ) returns for a discussion on Resident Evil Apocalypse. We had that much to say about the 2004 action-horror (which is heavy on the over-the-top action, and incredibly light on the horror) that we've had to split it into two parts.

The following is a reduced version of the full show notes, which you can find here.

Content Warning

Due to the nature of the movie we talk about in this episode, we’d recommend that you don’t listen to this one with little ones around.

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

We couldn't possibly cover everything in the 2004 zombie-a-thon Resident Evil Apocalypse in one episode, so we had AndrewD return to talk with us about this train wreck of a film. As this is part two of our discussion on this film - you can find part one here.

The Plot So Far

Here is a summary of the "plot" so far:

Flashbacks to set up the backstory
Is it Matt or Max?
"2 Weeks earlier", opening the hive, and portable CD players
Dr. Ashford loses his daughter because his car is hit, but she's alive
Jill "Bad-Ass" Valentine murders a bunch of people in the middle of a police station, and no one bats an eyelid
Captain Switzerland is sent by Umbrella to run the mop-up operation
Running up several flights of stairs in heels
Carlos saves the day... or not
Leg fu for the win
Bluetooth earpieces
Totally not the Berlin Wall
Surplus and more!
Dr. Ashford has frowny-face glasses but hacks the system
Recreating the intro from Resident Evil 3
Activating Nemesis through science and gratuitous bar charts
Help me, Alice Kenobi. You're my only hope
Fighting in a graveyard
Entering the church
That person I know... maybe they're not a zombie
Jill's badassery makes her forget her training
An action scene which Jay describes as:

Alice dealing with the lickers is so far over the top, it's practically in lower orbit
- Jay

Leg fu saves the day, and donkey kicks for the win

The Plot... continues?

The helicopter drops its hip-gear
Why does Nemesis need to kill STARS members?
Alice is magic now?
Superhero fights
Alice is the Deus Ex Machina
Bombs have yields, and Jill knows what that means
Zombie kids are creepy
You won't miss the dogs, they make a _huge_ point of showing you them
Jill is Lara Croft, at this point
Terry gets munched

I'm pretty sure that it was in her contract that nobody can be more badass than Alice
- AndrewD

Chair fu is not a valid self-defence mechanism
Infected people can tell who else is infected?!
Who needs gravity? Certainly not Alice

I can suspend my disbelief enough to get that there are zombies. I can suspend it enough to get that there is a monster on the loose, with a rocket launcher and a gatling gun, who is also some kind of robot. But I draw the line at running down the face of a building, in an effort to get to the bottom... and she's not even running down it
- Jay

Code Veronica references abound
A fistfight with Nemesis... because that makes sense
There's still 25 minutes of the film left?!

Steady on Shang Tsung
- Squidge

"I can give you the world on a platter"
Criminal underuse of LJ
How does the virus actually work?
Hubris?
"I won't beg" also "WAIT!"
More shakey fist logic than you could shake a fist at
1-800-555-JAIL
Alice is reborn (a.k.a "Lets rip off Alien Resurrection")

It's a step too far in a movie about the dead coming back to life
- AndrewD

Alice is Eve from Parasite Eve now?
Wait, Alice is a robot now?
An ending that makes no sense

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Did you listen to part one? What did you think to our recap at the start of this episode? When do they drop the nuke? Who asks for the nuke's yield!? Why did Mr. Fantastic make a young girl cry? And whose eyebrows offend Andrew?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

★ Support this podcast ★

Teaser - Episode 109: Resident Evil Apocalypse and the Shakey Fist Logic (part two)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Bonus: lock-on Volume 1 - A Discussion on Passion

The Waffling Taylors — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 13:00:00 +0000

We interrupt your regularly scheduled episode programming to bring you a bonus interview with the folks behind lock-on Volume 1: Jon Doyle and Jason Maddison. We'll be right back with part two of our episode on Resident Evil Apocalypse very soon, but we were excited to release this discussion as soon as it was available - which is why it's seeing a weekend release.

Jon and Jason are in the process of getting an impressive collection of content creators together. Why? Because they have a project which has the potential to be really quite amazing: lock-on Volume 1. This is going to be the first in a series of journals (hardcovers are only available for the Kickstarter backers) on gaming, by gamers.

I want your story.
- Jon

Check out the Kickstarter campaign for this project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lost-in-cult/lock-on-volume-1

About the Podcast

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

Music Credits

Intro music is Among The Stars, from the Cosmos Music Pack by Muz Station Productions
Outro Music is I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)
Pallet Cleanser music is Breath Deep Breath Clear (Wu Chi) by Siobhan Dakay

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Teaser: A Discussion on Passion

The Waffling Taylors — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

I want your story.
- Jon

Whilst you're waiting on the episode to drop, consider checking out the Kickstarter campaign for this project here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lost-in-cult/lock-on-volume-1. The episode will be dropping in a few hours, so keep it locked.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

★ Support this podcast ★

Resident Evil Apocalypse and the Shakey Fist Logic (part one)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

The following is a reduced version of the full show notes, which you can find here.

Content Warning

Due to the nature of the movie we talk about in this episode, we’d recommend that you don’t listen to this one with little ones around.

Please listen responsibly

Show Notes

We have another video game movie discussion episode this week, as we tackle the 2004 train-wreck that is Resident Evil Apocalypse. Unlike when we talked about the first Resident Evil movie - here's a link to that - we knew that we'd need help in discussing this movie. Luckily, AndrewD had some time off between his podcasts, radio show

did you know that the DreamCast Years podcast has joined RadioSega?

and his Dreamcast Years Two book project, and wanted to discuss the second Resident Evil movie with us.

As with, pretty much, every episode we've put out so far this year, this one was recorded a little in advance

in fact, it was actually recorded before the episode on the first Resident Evil movie went out

What's great about this show is that we often get updates on Squidgey's life goals:

My foot hasn't fallen off, so I take that as a win
- Squidge

And, to be fair, there's not much you can say to that really.

Thoughts Going In

Squidge immediately came up with a better name for the movie:

Resident Evil Chocapocalypse
- Squidge

which, we can all agree, would be a better movie. Andrew mentions:

Do you remember those little Cadbury's machines you used to get at Christmas, that had the little, tiny things of Cadbury's chocolate, and you'd put 2p in and it would spit them out?
- AndrewD

you'll have to click through to the full show notes to see an example of what he means

For each 10p piece you put into this, it would dispense a small piece of Cadbury's chocolate. That is, if you had loaded the pieces of chocolate into the machine beforehand - which was the ONLY flaw in this device's design -Imagine being peppered with chocolates while watching a movie. Wouldn't that be great?

....

Anyway, so Resident Evil Apocalypse came out in 2004, and Jay hadn't seen it since it came out. But before we dove into the sequel, we talked about the George A. Romero script, which was commissioned but never produced. Reading through it, you get a feeling that Romero had played the original game and had a handle on the story and characters.

The three of us felt that the fact that the previous film had so little to do with the franchise meant that Paul W. S. Anderson was forced to put as many references to the series into his sequel as possible. And clearly, he hated having to have Alice alongside Jill Valentine in this film.

The Plot - Part One

Here's a 10,000 ft view of the "plot", as we see it

Flashbacks to set up the backstory
Is it Matt or Max?

shooty shooty, gun gun. Lots of punchy zombie
- AndrewD

"2 Weeks earlier", opening the hive, and portable CD players
Dr. Ashford loses his daughter, because his car is hit, but she's alive
Jill "Bad-Ass" Valentine murders a bunch of people in the middle of a police station, and no one bats an eyelid

it's how bad-assing work's, right?
- AndrewD

Captain Switzerland is sent by Umbrella to run the mop-up operation
Running up several flights of stairs in heels
Carlos saves the day... or not
Leg fu for the win
Bluetooth earpieces
Totally not the Berlin Wall
Surplus and more!
Dr. Ashford has frowny-face glasses, but hacks the system
Recreating the intro from Resident Evil 3
Activating Nemesis through science and gratuitous bar charts
Help me, Alice Kenobi. You're my only hope
Entering the church
That person I know... maybe they're not a zombie

They're in a church, right? Why didn't they just grab a holy hand grenade?
- Squidge

Jill's badassery makes her forget her training
An action scene which Jay describes as:

Alice dealing with the lickers is so far over the top, it's practically in lower orbit
- Jay

Leg fu saves the day, and donkey kicks for the win

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Resident Evil Movies? If so, what makes them fun to watch? What's with the leg-fu usage? Just how over the top is the church scene? Why did they spend so long making Jill out to be a badass, if they were going to replace her with Alice?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media...

Teaser - Episode 108: Resident Evil Apocalypse and the Shakey Fist Logic (part one)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 17 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

We brought Andrew "too many podcasts" Dickinson back to the podcast so that we could discuss the 2004 film: Resident Evil Apocalypse. This is one of Andrew's favourite entries in the series, and the last one that Jay had seen (having given up on the series after this film came out).

We did commit a cardinal sin in film discussion: we talked about the film for longer than the run time. As such, we've split this discussion into two parts, with part one coming out very soon (March 19th, 2021).

What's with the leg-foo usage? Just how over the top is the church scene? Why did they spend so long making Jill out to be a badass, if they were going to replace her with Alice? All these questions, and more, may not be answered when the episode drops on March 19th, 2021. So do subscribe today for free, in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

★ Support this podcast ★

Earthrend with Zachary Claxton

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

We had a chat with indie game developer Zachary Claxton this week (actually, we chatted with him back in November 2020) about his Zelda-like title with Shadow of the Colossus-like scale. We talked about the wonderful hand drawn aesthetic, how the game came to be, and where you can get the demo. We also talked about our recent games, some of which might surprise you.

Content Warning

There's almost a swear in the intro, at the 55-second mark, but it isn't really a swear.

Show Notes

Zachary Claxton joined us for a chat about his work-in-progress title Earthrend. A game that he described to us as a Legend of Zelda-like adventure, with Shadow of the Colossus scale. We played the demo, and he’s not wrong.

As I mention in every episode, we recorded this episode ahead of time (which is something we do for almost every episode). In fact, we recorded this episode on November 23rd, 2020.

The “other Zac” that I refer to is, of course, ZBoi. At the time of recording this episode, we’d just finalised recording ZBoi’s appearance on the Street Fighter the Movie episode (which was called "Street Fighter with Z-Boi"). But before we could get into all of that, we leapt headfirst into what we’ve been playing recently, in a segment called:

Recent Games

This is where we usually take some time to talk through each of the games we’ve recently been playing, and discuss whether we think it’s worth other people picking them up. And first…

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things. We've included a whole slew of links to extra content, and included some amazing screenshots of Earthrend for you to check out.

What do you think of the sound of Zac's new game? did you click through to the show notes to check out some screenshots? What do you think of the hand-drawn aesthetic of Earthrend? did you check out the demo?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser - Episode 107: Earthrend with Zachary Claxton

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Find out about the game, and what we've been playing recently, when it drops on March 12th, 2021. So do subscribe today in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

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Raw with Jay: FPGAs are Magic

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 05 Mar 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

FPGAs are Magic

This is The Waffling Taylors Raw with Jay, a series of shorter episodes that will be of indefinite length - we're gonna put these out as-and-when. These episodes will cover shorter topics which don't really fit well within the scope of the show or topics that I want to cover in my own way before we bring them up on the show. That's not to say that we won't cover these topics in the main show, but I'd like to take a whack at them here, first.

I can't guarantee that all of these shorter episodes will be as deep or technical as this one. But I wanted to start big.

This is a super complex topic, and I've intentionally kept the description to metaphor and analogy. But I've included a whole bunch of references in the show notes for this episode, so it's going to be worth clicking through and reading those show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and web resources.

Do you prefer to run emulators or FPGA based hardware? Are you more likely to choose one over the other, having heard this episode? Would you like to hear more of these shorter Raw with Jay episodes?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Looking Back with Sean Haas (part two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This is part two of a two-parter, folks. If you haven't heard part one, I'd take a moment to listen to that first. Unless you're listening in the past - if so, RUN!

Content Warning

At 25:43, Sean says:

They developed the first god-damn plasma display
- Sean

Some folks may find that offensive, whilst some may not. Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

We’re back with Sean “Advent of Computing” Haas for this episode of the podcast. If you’re at all interested in the history of computers - both digital and analogue - then I’d really recommend that you check out Sean’s show. In the time between recording this episode (which was recorded on August 16th, 2020) and it being released, Sean released episode 48 of his show, and it was all about the history of Pong! - the episode is called Electronic Ping-Pong and is a must-listen for anyone interested in video game history.

Sean was also on the previous episode, which I would recommend that you all listen to as we jump straight back into the discussion on…

Colossal Cave Adventure

Colossal Cave, aka Colossal Cave Adventure, is a game that we ended the previous episode with but wanted to come right back to it, as Sean had some questions for Squidge, including

Did you find many of the treasures in the colossal caves, Squidge?
- Sean

Whilst Squidge didn’t get a chance to play Colossal Cave Adventure before the show, he did check out a lot of YouTube footage of the game in play. And you can play it in your web browser here.

But it does sound like a great game. There are pirates, evil dwarves, dragons, and treasure. What else could you want from a game? Especially since the layout of the cave doesn’t seem to conform to Euclidean geometry.

(in the traditional narrative) so one one the things that makes Colossal Cave Adventure so important in the overarching story of programming and video games in general, is that it’s the first video game where there’s this fantasy world that you’re entering into and enjoying
- Sean

Oh, and it was written in 1976. Which was shortly after something called ARPANET (which was what the Internet was built off of) was created. It was also one of the first computer programs to spread via the ARPANET, making it a federal crime to spread and play. This is because the computers at ARPANET were supposed to be used specifically for the following things:

Research
Government
Military

I’m not sure that Colossal Cave fits into any of those, unfortunately.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things. We've included a whole slew of links to extra content, identified a game that neither Squidge nor Sean could remember the name of, and included some video material for you to check out.

Had you ever heard of The Sword of Damocles before? No, no the Greek myth, or the song. What about Plato? And no, we don't mean the Greek philosopher. Would you have wanted a plasma screen back in the 1970s?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser - Episode 105: Looking Back with Sean Haas (part two)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

We brought Sean Hass in to discuss some of the most retro of all retro games - the first video games ever made - and the technology surrounding them. He's an expert on all things from the advent of computing, as he hosts a podcast with a very similar name.

Sean took us on a journey which started in the 50s, went back to the 40s, then forward to the 70s, by way of the start of the 20th century. And on every stop along the way, he introduced us to some of the earliest video games ever made. You really can't get much more retro than this one, folks.

Find which games we talked about in part two, when it drops on Feb 26th, 2021. So do subscribe today in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

In the meantime, I'd recommend checking out Sean's podcast "Advent of Computing". Especially episode 48 "Electric Ping-Pong", as it's about how the classic Pong came to be - and it's a truly fascinating story.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

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Looking Back with Sean Haas (part one)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

This is part one of a two-parter, folks. And I'm sure that you'll want to hear the second part when it drops next week. Unless you're listening in the future - if so, how is everything?

Show Notes

We were joined by Sean "Advent of Computing" Haas for this episode of the podcast, and we wanted to talk about some of the oldest video games and video game systems. Sean is an expert at this kind of stuff, as his podcast is all about... well, the advent of computing - looking back at where it all started and how we got to where we are today. So it seemed only natural that we'd have him on the show, as he's a real font of knowledge on this topic.

Sean's Podcast & Computer History

Before we get started with all of that though, we take some time to discuss Sean's show. If you're at all interested in the history of computers and computing, including things like certain applications, viruses and trojans, or even programming languages. I'd recommend subscribing to his show. It really is amazing.

We recorded this episode back on August 16th of 2020, and I put these show notes together as soon as the episode was edited and ready to go. But in the intervening time, Sean has put out an episode on the birth of Pong, and I really think that you should give it a listen. Here's a link to it: Episode 48: Electronic Ping-Pong.

Listening to Sean's podcast lights up parts of my brain which have been untouched since my Uni days. We studied the history of computing for a whole semester in the first year of my Computer Science degree, and it was then that I learned that touchscreen goes all the way back to the 50s.

I share this story on the pod, but if you want to know more about the history of the touchscreen, I'd recommend taking a look at the Wikipedia page for it as a starting point. Squidge mentions that it's the PDP-1 which was the first machine to have a touchscreen on it. And that reminded me that there's a wonderful kit out there to turn a Raspberry Pi into a working PDP-8.

Emulation and FPGAs

We talk about emulation, how great it's become recently, and about FPGAs and the MiSTer devices - keep an eye open for a future episode about the difference between emulation and FPGAs. And I take a wack at describing the difference between emulation software and FPGAs, and how it's completely magic

I've heard it described as: it's software-defined hardware
- Sean

Recent Games, Thunder Plains, and Some History

We discuss what we've been playing recently, as we always do. One thing to note is that we recorded this episode quite some time ago, as such our "recent games" aren't really that recent. We take Sean to the Thunder plains, and he tells us about the games he would take with him (and at least one mod for them).

After that, it's off to the races with us discussing some of the earliest video games ever made. I can say for certain that neither Squidge nor myself had played this games before we approached Sean about this episode, and we're glad that we hadn't.

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things. Jay also went the extra mile and discusses OXO (Sean calls this "Tic-Tac-Toe" in the episode), the computer it was written for, and the reason OXO was written in the first place - the reason could really shock you, honest.

Had you played any of the earliest games that we cover? If so, what did you think of them? Had you ever killed the dragon with your bare hands before?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser - Episode 104: Looking Back with Sean Haas (part one)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 19:27:40 +0000

Find which games we talked about in part one, when it drops on Feb 19th, 2021. So do subscribe today in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

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Post Recording Thoughts - Philip Oliver

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Show Notes

We recently recorded an interview with Philip Oliver and kept the microphones going after Philip had signed off. We wanted to cover our immediate thoughts on the recording. This is a raw recording with only the intro and outro added to it - no editing was done.

This audio (and the interview) were recorded on the evening of Thursday, Feb 11th 2021. The interview with Philip is due to drop on April 9th, 2021.

We talked about Dizzy, the Evercade, The Mummy Returns, Fusion Frenzy, the Oliver Twins collection for the Evercade, and how we might finally have been sold on the device.

Music Credits

Because these will be the show notes for this episode, here are the credits for the pieces of music used in this episode:

Intro music is Among The Stars, from the Cosmos Music Pack by Muz Station Productions
Outro Music is I N e e d Y o u 私の側て by G.H (removed from BandCamp)

Getting In Touch

You can get in touch with us in a whole bunch of ways:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wafflingtaylors
Facebook: https://facebook.com/wafflingtaylors
Out brand new contact page: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/contact/

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RetroMania Wrestling Returns with Mike Hermann

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Content Warning

At 9:54, there’s a discussion of things jiggling, and whether they needed to be censored, but we keep it clean.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

We were incredibly lucky to be able to grab some time with Mike Hermann back on December 12, 2020 (honestly, we really do record these ahead of time) and he agreed to be on the show again. His previous appearance was on episode 75, which dropped on April 17, 2020 (here’s a link to that episode).

Lot’s of things have happened since our last chat with him. Not least of which, a whole slew of new features and wrestlers have been announced. Also, we’re 14 days away from release. How exciting is that? Better get ready for a big pop.

We start things off by welcoming Mike back onto the show, and talking about the new release date; Feb 26th, 2021. We also talk about the amazing developer vlogs that Mike has been putting out, which document the development of the game. We also talk about how, in development at least, showing your progress more than once a week could be a waste of time. This is usually because not enough time has gone by for you to make any progress between each report.

Mike then drops the knowledge that Jay & Silent Bob will be in the game. At the time we recorded this episode, we were the first to know about this’ but because of the time cast pod machine wibbly wobbly-ness, we were the last to report it 😢

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Are you looking forward to RetroMania Wrestling? Will you be looking to unlock all 39 achievements? What about the IIRcade, will you be getting one? Is Warhorse perfectly balance?

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser - Episode 103: RetroMania Returns with Mike Herman

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Although he's been on the show before, we asked Mike Hermann to come back and drop more information (as well as an elbow or two) about RetroMania Wrestling. He also tells us about the game coming to IIRcade.

Is Warhorse correctly balanced in RetroMania? And did Colt Cabana get signed to AEW because of his involvement in the game, or because of his 20+ year stellar career? Is it too much of an arcade game? And what are we talking about with jiggling?

Find out when Mike Herman returns to talk about RetroMania Wrestling on Feb 12, 2021. So do subscribe today in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

In the meantime, definitely check out Mike's previous appearance on the show - back in episode 75.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

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Raw with Jay: Play and How Important it is

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Play and How Important it is

I can't guarantee that all of these shorter episodes will be as deep or technical as this one. But I wanted to start big.

I've included a whole bunch of references in the show notes for this episode, so it's going to be worth clicking through and reading those show notes - because there are loads of books you can read, and web resources.

How do you feel about play as a salve for a lack of creativity? Do you agree with the findings of Harlow, Deci, and Csikszentmihalyi? Would you like to hear more of these shorter Raw with Jay episodes?

Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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2021, Huh. What Is It Good For? (Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Content Warning

Just the one this week, folks. But it’s a big one: At 01:21:45 AndrewD talks about a very specific record set by an actress by the name of Lisa Sparks. This is a very adult-themed record, so I would recommend skipping this part if you are in a work-like atmosphere, or have little ones around. AndrewD brings it up as part of a silly discussion on how many people could Jay mean in a year.

Listen out for the klaxon telling you when it’s about to begin, and when it will end there’s a chapter marker for the end of it, so you can skip directly over it if you’d like. The whole section ends at 01:22:43, lasting just over a minute.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

we’re back again with another episode of the podcast, and this time we’re finishing what we started in episode 99

here’s a link to that, if you haven’t heard it

by asking our guests what they’re looking forward to this year. In episode 99, we spoke with Stoo Cambridge and The_B, but in this episode, we asked AndrewD and ZBoi what they were looking forward to.

As with last time, I asked all of our guests the same question:

What are you looking forward to in 2021 and beyond? It doesn’t have to be about video games, it can be about absolutely anything

Dumpster Fires of Dumpster Fires

We kicked this episode off with ZBoi and a little recap of what we’d talked with Stoo - which we hadn’t recorded yet - and The_B along with only referring to 2020 as:

[a dumpter fire that was in a dumpster that was on fire] that was shot into the sun, that was in a dumpster that was on fire

I think we can all agree that 2020 didn’t live up to anyone’s expectations.

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What are you looking forward to in the next 12 to 18 months? It doesn't have to be related to video games, either. Do you agree with what we had to say about Cyberpunk 2077? Will you be checking out Stoo's new stop? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Episode 100 with Special Guest Asterios Kokkinos

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We’ve reached 100 episodes! Seriously, this is an amazing achievement. And as such, I reached out to Internet comedian, podcaster, corn maze enthusiast, and occasional bee impersonator Asterios Kokkinos for comment. Strangely enough, he said that he’d love to be on the show. in fact, his email to us about it read

F*$K YES I WANT IN ON YOUR SHOW
- Asterios

So we had him on, as much for our own enjoyment as for yours, dear listener/reader/person/thing/corporeal entity (delete as appropriate).

In America they call me "The Corn Maze Guy"
- Asterios

Since some people won’t know who Asterios is, I present you with “The Loudest Podcast”. It’s not to everyone’s tastes, but I enjoy it. It’s the right level of madcap insanity for me. And if you’re not into TLP, then I’m convinced that you’ll be into Jacked which is a Cyberpunk pen-and-paper adventure podcast. If you’re interested in the new Cyberpunk game and podcasts then you will be into this!

Because Asterios didn’t have a huge amount of time, we decided to do a whistle-stop tour through some of our segments.

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Teaser - Episode 100 with Special Guest Asterios Kokkinos

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:31:44 +0000

We're 100 episodes into the podcast, and we asked a super special guest to be on the show: Internet Comedian Asterios Kokkinos.

Where are we going on our gondola ride? Why is Asterios confused about why folks are fighting in Dead or Alive? What was Asterios' elevator pitch? You'll have to listen in to find out.

Episode 100 with Special Guest Asterios Kokkinos - drops on January 22nd, 2021. So do subscribe today in order to be the first (and coolest) among your friends to listen to it.

Find out more about the podcast, and how to subscribe here. You can listen to the show anywhere that you consume audio content. Here are some examples:

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2021, huh. What is it good for? (part one)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

WELCOME TO 2021!

We wanted to kick things off this year with great people, so we brought the following folks back:

The_B
Stoo Cambridge
ZBoi
AndrewD

We couldn’t fit all six of us into one episode, so we’re splitting the 6 HOUR (!?) conversation into two episodes. Actually we recorded for a sum total of 6 hours, but we’ve edited the conversations down to about 3 hours total.

Why did we do this? Well, firstly there’s a lot of cross over in our conversations. Secondly (and slightly more importantly), these two episodes were actually recorded on four separate dates - with one happening a few scant hours into 2021

Anyway, of the four guests you’re actually only getting two this week:

The_B
Stoo

That isn’t to say that “just” getting those two is in any way an inferior deal, at all. Quite the opposite, in fact. When Squidge was editing this together, he did try for one long cut but it just didn’t flow together nicely.

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

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30 seconds of nonesense for 2021

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A really quick trailer for the show. If you like the sound of this, then you'll likely love the show we put together. Don't forget to subscribe (it's free) and head over to https://wafflingtaylors.rocks to find out more about it.

Super Mario Bros. - Trust The Fungus

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

This is our final episode for 2020, and a cap of our THIRD YEAR (!!) doing the podcast - the first episode was released back in November of 2017. Because it was such an amazing occasion, we wanted to tackle the 1993 disaster: Super Mario Bros.... and that's exactly what we did for episode 98 (98?!) of the podcast

This movie has it all:

Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo being high throughout the movie
A sex party
Grinding
Gallons of goop
Egg abuse
Dennis Hopper being super creepy
And a really racist after-credits scene

I mean, what else could you ask for?

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of Super Mario Bros. movie If so, what about it makes it fun to watch? What was with the egg abuse? Did the sex party scene get past your as a kid? What did you think to the "Super Scope as a computer mouse" idea? Would this movie had been better as an animated film? How would you rate it?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Street Fighter: The Movie - with Z-Boi

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

For the end of our THIRD YEAR (!!) doing the podcast - the first episode was released back in November of 2017 - we wanted to tackle the 1994 blockbuster Street Fighter The Movie. but we knew that we wouldn't be able to do it by ourselves, so we drafted in Z-Boi (aka ZackerTheHacker) to help us discuss this movie. And that's exactly what we did.

This movie has it all:

Raul Julia in the greatest role of his career - delivering the best line in the history of cinema
Weird creepiness from both the antagonist AND the protagonist
A hat stand with enough hats to see us through until doomsday
A romantic subplot which was never there
A blink-and-you'll-miss-it hadouken
THE THOUSAND HAND SLAP!
A stunt which goes horribly wrong, but they kept it in the movie
A woman running around, holding a shoe
Gozilla sound effects
And a man, in a towel, holding a gun

I mean, what else could you ask for?

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of Street Fighter The Movie? If so, what about it makes it fun to watch? What are your theories about the guy in the towel with the gun? Do you agree with our theory about Bison being the good-guy? What was with the lady holding a shoe? Which was your favourite M. Bison hat? Is it ok for Guile to have been as creepy as he was at the end of the movie? And why was there a cosplayers-at-a-con style freeze-frame at the end?

psst. we've actually done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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EverQuest with John Krikorian - Part 3

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We sat with John Krikorian (of the Trek Profiles podcast) to talk about EverQuest, and how the communities which come up around MMOs are really what make or break them (John has a wonderful line about "it's about more than the game"). We also talk about how EverQuest is a 20-year-old game, running 20-year-old code. We touch on both the Y2K and 2038 problems, top tips for folks who are new to the game, and some amazing stories from both John and Squidge about the games that they love to play.

This episode is so chocked full of stuff, that I would recommend you check out the full show notes for this episode, as we've added a whole bunch of extra information there. And if you haven't played the game yet, you really should. It's out for practically all formats.

Have you ever played EverQuest? What about other MMOs? If so, what are your favourite MMO titles? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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EverQuest with John Krikorian - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We sat with John Krikorian (of the Trek Profiles podcast) to talk about going back to the videogames and media that we have previously loved, and his wonderful story about returning to EverQuest. I also have a mini-rant about BBC America's adaptation of The Watch - we recorded this episode on August 15th, 2020, so some of the information I go into my be outdated by now.

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EverQuest with John Krikorian - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Nov 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We sat with John Krikorian (of the Trek Profiles podcast) to talk about going back to the videogames and media that we have previously loved - he has a wonderful story about returning to EverQuest.

It's only fair to let you know that between 25:47 and 27:37, John gets into some potentially upsetting things. Squidge talks about it in the intro, listen out for the klaxon, and check your chapters tab (if your podcatcher supports it).

As is customary for our show, we wanted to talk to John about what he'd been playing recently, and what he would take to the Thunder Plains (we temporarily renamed "The Thunder Plains Games" to "The Nimbus III Games" in his honour).

Are you a Trekkie? Do you prefer Star Wars? Have you listened to John's podcast? What about the games we talked about, have you played them? What would be on your Nimbus III list? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Resident Evil and The Paper Kimono

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

For Spoopy season 2020 (although this year has already been pretty spoopy, right?), Squidge and I wanted to talk about the absolute horror that is the 2002 Paul W.S. Anderson movie: Resident Evil. A film that missed the point so much, that the point may as well be on the head of a pin.

This movie has it all:

Milla Jovlovololboppopovich showing two facial expressions
Michelle Rodriguez being the most Michelle Rodriguez she has ever been
A bunch of other actors who are more bothered about figuring out how they can fire their agents
Relatively good (for the time) CGI
A few practical special effects
Way too many Deus ex machina's to be taken seriously
A text-based intro crawl
Zombies

Being the big fans of Resident Evil that we are, we've wanted to talk about this movie for a long time. And Spoop-tober 2020 seems right. So here it is.

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Resident Evil movie? If so, what about it makes it fun to watch? Have you ever read the George A. Romero screenplay? Would that have made a better movie?

psst. at the time of writing these show notes (late July), we still have a few of these "goes to the movies" episodes to release. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

Did you know that we recorded this episode back in June of 2020, even though it didn't get released until October? It really did, honest. Check this tweet for a screenshot that I took during the recording. If you can guess which part of the episode the screenshot was taken during, you can win a Waffling Taylors sticker. Let us know via twitter, Facebook, or the contact page on the website.

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Would You Kindly with G

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Did you know that we recorded this one five months ago, it's true you know. It's been one heck of a year for the Waffling Taylors so far.

We wanted to keep G (aka #dontCallMeAudry) around for one more episode (he was in both part one and part two of our recent Hidden Gems episodes), so that I could indulge both him and Squidge in some RPG talk; specifically about building characters for modern RPG games. And they had some things to say about that. Along the way, we discuss the Borderlands sweary shotgun (again), Destiny 2 (again), and Diablo 3 (again). But we also talk about where they get the ideas for these builds from, and what are some of their favourites.

What you are reading now aren't the full show notes, because would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes (and to see the amazing artwork, provided by Yurricanes). There is a whole load more content over in those fuller show notes, you know - including lots of links to related stuff.

Do you spend a lot of time building specific types of characters in the RPGs that you play? If so, what are some of your favourite builds? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Hidden Gems with G - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 16 Oct 2020 09:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We recorded this episode back in April, which is why Squidge makes his announcement at the top of the show. Seriously, we really did record this one five months ago. It's been one heck of a year for the Waffling Taylors so far.

Remember when we said, "There are millions of games out there. And as a real example, Jay pulled up wikipedia's list of ZX Spectrum games. The ZX Spectrum has a confirmed list of 1,728 video games. And that's just the confirmed games," and that we wanted to challenge G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey) to list some of his favourite hidden gems? Well, that discussion was so long that we split it into two parts. Bet you can't guess what this is.

... That's right, it's part two of that list.

What are some of your hidden gems from the gaming canon? Do you agree with our picks so far? Which games do you think will be in part two? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Hidden Gems with G - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

There are millions of games out there. And as a real example, Jay pulled up wikipedia's list of ZX Spectrum games. The ZX Spectrum has a confirmed list of 1,728 video games. And that's just the confirmed games... but there are still games being discovered now that weren't that well-advertised games. What we're getting at is that this is back when video gaming wasn't as huge of an industry as it is now, and because of that... there are so many games that it's easy to miss one which should be a classic when it's mixed in (with everything else).

With that in mind, we sat with G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey) to discuss some of the video games that we think are hidden gems. The discussion ended up going on for three hours (and we still only covered about 5 or 6 games in that time), so we've split the conversation into two parts.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake Reflections - Part 3

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Especially since this episode has a trigger warning - which is laid out in the chapter markers.

There are quite a few bleeped cuss words in this episode, folks. The ending of the game is also discussed, so spoilers abound, too.

This is part THREE of Lulu and Squidge deep-diving into the Final Fantasy VII Remake. They spend the episode talking about their reflections on having completed it. If you haven't heard it yet, we'd recommend listening to both part one and part two of this discussion before continuing. And if you're like Jay (and Dylan of Arcade Attack) and don't want any spoilers, we'd recommend you listen to our spoiler-free discussion in episodes 78 and 79.

Have you completed the Final Fantasy VII Remake? If so, what did you think to the ending? What are some of your theories for the next part of the series? Will there even be a next part? Do you agree with the points that Squidge and Lulu are making? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake Reflections - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 11:33:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

There are a few bleeped cuss words in this episode, folks. And things get real heavy at 32:25 onwards.

This is part two of Lulu and Squidge deep-diving into the Final Fantasy VII Remake. They spend the episode talking about their reflections on having completed it. If you haven't heard it yet, we'd recommend listening to part one of this discussion before continuing. And if you're like Jay (and Dylan of Arcade Attack) and don't want any spoilers, we'd recommend you listen to our spoiler-free discussion in episodes 78 and 79.

Have you completed the Final Fantasy VII Remake? If so, what did you think to it? Do you agree with the points that Squidge and Lulu are making? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake Reflections - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Especially since this episode has a spoiler warning - which is laid out in the chapter markers.

During our intro skit - which starts at 00:01:39 - Squidge talks anatomy, dropping the name of a part of the body which might either be embarrassing to hear or troublesome if there are little ones around. He uses the phrase

Shinra building testicle course

There's also a single use of the word "arse" late into the episode, during the spoiler bits, at around the 50-minute mark.

Back when we last discussed the Final Fantasy VII Remake (in episodes 78 and 79), we talked about revisiting it as soon as Squidge had finished playing it, and we recorded this episode only a few hours after he had finished it (on July 9th), in order to capture his raw emotions.

But before all of that, we talked about our recent games. The list includes some titles you'd expect and some that you wouldn't (number 5 will shock you - seriously). We talk about pillow forts, comfy pants, the dreaded 30s pixie, and how Lulu always misses our live-streams because she is always raiding. You do know that we stream live to Twitch, right?

But after all of that that Jay had to bow out, as he hadn't played the Final Fantasy VII Remake and didn't want to spoil anything for himself - this happens at 34:22. After that point, you're in spoiler country, my friend.

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Discworld and Beyond with Gregg Barnett

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

Jay was incredibly lucky to be able to sit with legendary video game developer and designer Gregg Barnett. You may know of some of the titles he's worked on - things like:

Horace Goes Skiing
The Way of the Exploding Fist
Discworld
Discworld 2: Missing Presummed... ?
Discworld Noir
Ghost Master

Jay talked with Gregg about his career (which spans 40 years), how he got started, creating genre defining games, and of course the Discworld games. For those who don't know, we're written about the first two Discworld games before - you could say that we're fans. Jay also had questions from the community, questions about what Gregg is up to these days, and asked for aspiring games developers.

Have you played any of Greggs games? What did you think of then? Are you a lover of point-and-click adventure games? What about the Discworld novels and games? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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The Sexy Brutale with Charles Griffiths - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Aug 2020 11:34:29 +0000

Before we begin proper: this is part two of a chat with Charles Griffiths about The Sexy Brutale. If you haven't heard part one, please go back and listen to that before continuing because we jump straight into this discussion and you might miss out on some of the context for the conversation if you don't.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those.

We sat with Charles Griffiths, an award winning games designer, to talk about the modern classic The Sexy Brutale. As this episode is a direct continuation of the previous episode, we'd recommend only listening to this one once you've head part one.

In part two, we pass on questions from The Sexy Brutale discord server about the design of the game, characters and world, Jay asks about a Japanese connection, Squidge discusses the ending of the game, and Charles gives us some stellar advice for getting into the industry.

Have you played The Sexy Brutale? What did you think to it? If not, what has stopped you from trying it out? How do you feel about Moon Logic in puzzle games? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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The Sexy Brutale with Charles Griffiths - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Also, you can take this episode (and part two, dropping next week) as full of spoilers for The Sexy Brutale.

We sat with Charles Griffiths, an award winning games designer, to talk about the modern classic The Sexy Brutale. We talked with him about what he's been playing, (temporarily) dropped him off in the Thunder Plains, then asked him about the game:

what's the name all about?
what the game is all about?
what about those puzzles?

are all topics of conversation. Charles also drops some knowledge on how he designs puzzles such that they aren't too easy or too difficult. So you'll definitely want to listen in to that.

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Double Dragon - Witty Remark Here

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Especially since this episode has a trigger warning which is laid out in the chapter markers (one before and one after)

Squidge and I really wanted to start a series called "Waffling Taylors Goes to the Movies" - seriously, check out that artwork. And what better a movie to start with than the 1994 silver screen version of Double Dragon? We go through the plot (what little of it there is), the characters, the special effects (which were actually pretty good for 1994), and some references to video games.

Also, Alyssa Milano doing a lot of bending over.

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, and some links to related things.

Are you a fan of the Double Dragon movie? Do you think it's a cinematic travesty? Are you looking forward to more of the "Waffling Taylors go to the Movies" episodes?

psst. we've already recorded another two episodes in this series

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Dreamcast Year Two with Andrew Dickinson

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 10:00:00 +0000

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We sat with Andrew Dickinson (aka oddment84) again (he was on the show previously, on episode 71) to talk about his new book "Dreamcast: Year Two" - the follow up to his previous book "Dreamcast: Year One". In fact, the Kickstarter for is due to kick off (pardon the pun) a few days after this episode drops. So we wanted to catch up with Andrew about the new book, what he's been playing, and which games he'd want in a Dreamcast Mini.

This episode is so chocked full of discussion on the Dreamcast, the scene, the book, and the Kickstarter, that I would recommend that you check out the full show notes for this episode, as we've added a whole bunch of extra information there. There's also a link to the Kickstarter campaign in there - we'd have added it here, but the campaign is in preview as the episode drops and will "go live" a few days after.

Are you a fan of the Dreamcast? Will you be backing Andrew's new book? What do you think about the special format for the bonus episode of the Dreamcast Years Podcast? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Itchy, Tasty with Alex Aniel

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 11:30:00 +0000

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We sat with Alex Aniel (aka cvxfreak) to talk about his upcoming book "Itchy, Tasty: An Unofficial History of Resident Evil", the entire Resident Evil series as a whole (from Suite Home all the way to the RE3 remake), his role in translating content for the fans (he lives and works in Japan, you see), and THAT dooty doot song from the Dual Shock Director's Cut - you know the one.

This episode is so chocked full of Resident Evil facts, that I would recommend you listen to it multiple times in order to get them all. I'd also recommend that you check out the full show notes for this episode, as we've added a whole bunch of extra information there. Also definitely take a look at Alex's book, as it looks like it's going to be a really fascinating read.

Are you a massive fan of Resident Evil? Will you be buying the book? Did you understand what Jay said in Japanese? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Code The Classics Volume 1 with Eben Upton

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:30:00 +0000

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We sat with Eben Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation to talk about Code The Classics: Volume 1. This is a new book from the Raspberry Pi Press all about re-creating some of the classic games of the 80s and early 90s using the Python programming language. We also talked about retro gaming on the Raspberry Pi, some of the most interesting uses for them, and what I'm doing with the 4 (yes 4?!) Pis that I have in my house.

Jay also mention one of the silly games that I'd created a few years back called "Run Away!". It's quite silly, and has a simple concept: run away from the monster. Simple though it is, it's a little more complex to master. Check it out here: https://runaway-game.netlify.app/ it's free to play and works on both mobile and computer web browsers.

Eben is a wonderful chap with a very silly sense of humour, he indulged Jay's need to talk about programming for a while, and we even convinced him to talk through the games that he's been playing recently. We're hoping to have him back on the show soon (perhaps for when Code The Classics Volume 2 comes out, but we'd love to chat with him some more before then too) to drop him off in the Thunder Plains and discuss a little more about his favourite games ever.

Only time will tell...

These notes aren't the full show notes, because it would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes. There is a whole load more content over in those fuller show notes, you know - including lots of links to related stuff, and all the things that we discussed with Eben.

Have you read Code The Classics: Volume 1? If so, what did you think to it? Have you got any Raspberry Pis in your house? How many, and what do you use them for? Also, did you try Jay's game out? What was your score, in the end? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake With Lulu - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Especially since this episode has a few trigger warnings - which are laid out in the chapter markers.

We sat down with Lulu to talk all things Final Fantasy VII Remake, and ended up talking for about 4 hours. This episode is part two of that discussion; in it, we talk about that Moogle slide (yes it returns), relationships, expanded character backstories and interactions. Also, the fact that Jay still hasn't played it yet.

These notes aren't the full show notes, because it would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes (and to see the amazing artwork, provided by Yurricanes). There is a whole load more content over in those fuller show notes, you know - including lots of links to related stuff, and all of the things that Stan mentioned.

Have you played the Final Fantasy VII Remake? If so, what did you think to it? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Final Fantasy VII Remake with Lulu - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 19 Jun 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

We sat down with Lulu to talk all things Final Fantasy VII Remake, and ended up talking for about 4 hours. This episode is part one of that discussion; in it, we talk about Wall Market, the remake as a whole, "that" section of the game, Hell House, and some top tips. We also talked about materia, Sephiroth's hair (and Lulu's hair envy), weapons, sound design, summons, and the fact that I haven't even played it yet.

Have you played the Final Fantasy VII Remake? If so, what did you think to it? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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0 A.D. with Stan Dolcini

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

We sat down with Stan from the team behind Play 0 A.D. which is a gorgeous, free to play, open-source RTS. We talked about the history of the game (did you know that it's been in development for 20 years?), what it runs on (including PS2, Switch, Raspberry Pi, and your 10-year-old laptop), and why you should try this game out - even if you're not into RTS titles.

Have you played 0 A.D.? If not, would you be willing to give it a go after listening to this episode? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, leave a comment on the show notes or try our brand new contact page.

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Bonus: A Quick Explanation

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 19 May 2020 11:30:00 +0000

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There's a single swear in this episode. Since we're not doing full show notes on the site for this one, here are the details: at 8 minutes (exactly) Squidge says "for shits and giggles". Please listen responsibly.

Don't forget to check the chapters tab in your podcatcher. This is a thing we're doing now, so keep an eye open for those. Here's a link to a tweet about what our fancy new chapter markers look like in an example podcatcher - Jay uses PocketCasts.

We wanted to release a short bonus episode detailing where we've been - hopefully you've noticed that we haven't released any episodes in the past few weeks - what's happening at Waffling Taylors HQ, our streams, the chill hangout, and some of the slight tweaks to the shows format. We also drop some hints on the next few episodes - so stick around for that.

We have a whole section where we give a shout out to the amazing Yuricannes - who you should totally consider working with, because ... well the work on our site speaks for itself. Seriously, go check out some of the art that Yuricannes has put together for us.

You can get in touch with us a whole bunch of ways:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/wafflingtaylors
Facebook: https://facebook.com/wafflingtaylors
Out brand new contact page: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/contact/

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WaffleFest - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 11:30:00 +0000

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Check out that intro promo BRUTHA! (stick around to the end for another one).

We sat down with The B to talk about our all-time favourite Pro Wrestling games. We each brought three of the very best to the table, and discussed why those games are the best there is, best there was, and best there ever will be. We also have a number of honourable mentions, two of which have trigger warnings (so please check the chapter markers and full show notes).

Along the way, we discuss some aspects of Pro Wrestling that someone unfamiliar to the sport might find interesting - like the Ironman Heavyweight Championship, and licensed tattoos.

These notes aren't the full show notes, because it would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes (and to see the amazing artwork, provided by Yurricanes). There's loads more content over in those fuller show notes, you know.

What do you think of both (you heard them both, right?) of the Pro Wrestling style promos we cut in this episode? We really like how the they turned out. Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment on the show notes.

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RetroMania Wrestling with Mike Hermann

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Don't forget to check the chapters button in your podcatcher. You'll notice that we've embedded chapter markers in our episodes. This means that you can jump around in the episode to your heart's content. In this episode, we've separated each of the questions and conversation topics into their own chapters.

In this episode, we were incredibly lucky to have the chance to talk with Mike Hermann about his company's new game: RetroMania Wrestling, which is a wonderful throwback to the 2D arcade wrestling games of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. We talked to Mike about all his favourite wrestling games, the real stinkers, inspirations for the new title, and the expansive roster in RetroMania Wrestling.

We'd definitely recommend checking this game out because it looks like a lot of fun. Especially for those who like to play couch-based, multiplayer, pickup-and-play arcade games.

These notes aren't the full show notes, because it would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes (and to see the amazing artwork, provided by Yurricanes). There's loads more content over in those fuller show notes, you know.

What do you think to our little intro skits? We really like how the last two have turned out. Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment on the show notes.

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WaffleFest - Part one

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 11:30:00 +0000

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If I've done this right (and the chances are pretty slim, at best) there should be chapter markers in this week's episode. if you're reading these notes, then you should be able to see them somewhere in your podcatcher. Let us know whether it worked - I won't know until the episode drops.

In this episode, we caught up with The B and talked about the recent games we've been playing, about the 5 big games of 2020 so far, and the idea of role-playing a specific goose in a specific game - neither of which are related to one another.

Which game and which goose? You'll have to listen to find out. But make sure that you stick around to the end because there's a little bonus right at the last moment.

These notes aren't the full show notes, because it would take forever and a day to download them. So make sure to click here to read the full show notes (and to see the amazing artwork, provided by Yurricanes). There's loads more content over in those fuller show notes, you know.

What do you think to our little intro skits? We really like how the last two have turned out. Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment on the show notes.

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Dreamcast Year One with Andrew Dickinson

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 12:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode, we sat down with Andrew Dickinson to talk about his new book Dreamcast: Year One. We also talk with Andrew about the essential Dreamcast games that he would recommend to anyone who is new to the Dreamcast, and we even drop Andrew off in the Thunder Plains

Which games did he choose? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

Make sure that you check out the full show notes for an analysis, links to related stuff and music credits http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/03/27/dreamcast-year-one-with-andrew-dickinson/

What do you think to our little intro skits? We really like how the last two have turned out. Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment on the show notes.

And definitely check out Andrew's book. You can find some information about it over on Twitter.

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Top Survival Horror Games - Part Two

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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With last week's episode covering Squidge and Jay's favourite Survival Horror games, they wanted to go back and talk about the honourable mentions. This time they discuss a cornucopia (big word, eh) of survival horror games in this episode. These are the games which were just shy of being included on their lists from last time.

Which games did we choose? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

Because we discuss survival horror games, this episode may not be suitable for young ears. Please make sure to listen responsibly.

Make sure that you check out the full show notes for an analysis, links to related stuff and music credits http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/03/20/top-survival-horror-games-part-two/

What do you think to our little intro skits? We really like how the last two have turned out. Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave a comment on the show notes.

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Top Survival Horror Games - Part One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge and Jay are back in the recording booth at Waffling Taylors HQ. This time, they talk about their favourite Survival Horror games. Each Waffler brought their top three favourites, and are tasked with describing why it should be considered one of the best in the genre.

Which games did we choose? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

Because we discuss survival horror games, this episode may not be suitable for young ears. Please make sure to listen responsibly.

Also included in this episode is a silly competition: can you guess what we're quoting? If so, get in touch via the comments on the full show notes, over on Twitter, or on Facebook. The competition only runs until episode 72 is released (which is due to drop on March 20th), so get your guesses in now!

Make sure that you check out the full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits check out: http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/03/13/top-survival-horror-games-part-one/

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Mini Consoles: PlayStation Classic Dream Line Up

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge and Jay step into the recording booth at Waffling Taylors HQ to discuss what their version of the PlayStation Classic would have shipped with. It was partially based on a bonus episode of the Arcade Attack podcast called: Bonus Podcast: PlayStation Classic Wrongness.

After Jay set the challenge: "Imagine that you have an unlimited budget (to deal with licensing issues), go through the games on the PlayStation Classic and replace the ones that you'll never play with ones from your dream line up," we also use podcast magic to assume that the games will just boot and run flawlessly - which is something that will only work if you use a SNES Mini.

Which games did we choose? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

All this and more, in episode 70 Waffling Taylors Podcast: Mini Consoles: PlayStation Classic Dream Line Up!

Make sure that you check out the full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits check out: http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/02/28/mini-consoles-playstation-classic-dream-line-up/

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Mini Consoles: Mega Drive - Our Dream Line Up (Part 2)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge and Jay step back into the recording booth at Waffling Taylors HQ to discuss which games would be on their dream Mega Drive Mini, again. This time they finish off their discussion about their dream line up for the Mega Drive Mini.

After Jay set the challenge: "Imagine that you have an unlimited budget (to deal with licensing issues), go through the games on the Mega Drive Mini and replace the ones that you'll never play with ones from your dream line up," it would be impossible to respond on the pod. Which games did we choose? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

All this and more, in episode 69 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Mini Consoles: Mega Drive - Our Dream Line Up (Part 2)!

Make sure that you check out the full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits check out: http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/02/21/mini-consoles-mega-drive-our-dream-line-up-part-2/

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Mini Consoles: Mega Drive - Our Dream Line Up (Part 1)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Feb 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge and Jay step into the recording booth at Waffling Taylors HQ to discuss which games would be on their dream Mega Drive Mini.

All this and more, in episode 68 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Mini Consoles: Mega Drive - Our Dream Line Up (Part 1)!

Make sure that you check out the full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits check out: http://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/02/14/mini-consoles-mega-drive-our-dream-line-up-part-1/

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Agent QTE

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Chief is back for the third time in a row - it's almost like we record these in batches, or something. We talk about our dream Mini consoles, use metaphors that don't really work, discuss the pitfalls of consoles at launch (and why you should never do that), and a little on DRM and why it's both pointless (because it ALWAYS harms legit consumers) and actually quite good (content creators have to protect their stuff somehow).

All this and more, in episode 67 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Agent QTE!

Make sure that you check out the full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/01/31/agent-qte/

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Adam Jensen's Gadget

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Chief is back again - we couldn't really turn him away half way through the conversation, could we? This time we talk about dubstep mode, gadgets in games, and grappling hooks - and that's just in the first few minutes. We also talk about top things from the previous decade, and console exclusives from yesteryear we'd like to see brought back from the dead.

All this and more, in episode 66 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Adam Jensen's Gadget!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/01/24/adam-jensens-gadget/

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The Greatest Thing Since Books

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 12:30:00 +0000

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Chief returns for our first episode in 2020. We talk about the 2037 problem; how Squidge isn't going to play Cyberpunk 2077 but also is going to play it; how I absolutely love 'Til Death To Us Blart; and I drop some financial advice on how to buy video games.

All this and more, in episode 65 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: The Greatest Thing Since Books!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2020/01/17/the-greatest-thing-since-books/

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Waffle Christmas 2019 - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

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Part two of our final episode of the year is here, and is a discussion with friend of the show G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey). We talk about: furry little bastards; me predicting the RE3 remake in 2016 (with surprising accuracy) due to the release of a Japanese rock song; a Pokémon that looks like a cake; what we're looking forward to in 2020; and the best, worst and most disappointing games of 2019.

All this and more, in episode 64 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Waffle Christmas 2019 - Part 2!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/12/27/waffle-christmas-2019-part-2/

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Waffle Christmas 2019 - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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Part one of our final episode of the year is here, and is a discussion with friend of the show G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey), and we're here to talk about: the games we've been playing; our favourite appearance of Santa in video games; Season of the Soviet; the RG350; killer geese; and fake glitches in games.

All this and more, in episode 63 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Waffle Christmas 2019 - Part 1!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/12/20/waffle-christmas-2019-part-1/

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It's Good to Be a Leg-End

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0000

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In this very special episode of The Waffling Taylors Podcast, we were joined by G (aka #dontCallMeAudrey) and Stoio Cambridge. If you've ever played Cannon Fodder, or any of the Sensible games then you'll know his work.

We set G the task of coming up with some deep, philosophical, and technical questions, and I think you'll agree that he did swimmingly. We also discuss Stoo's impact on the UK video gaming scene, Cannon Fodder, some probing questions for him, and the potential impact of Rebellion buying the back catalogue of the Bitmap Brothers games.

All this and more, in episode 62 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: It's Good to Be a Leg-End!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/12/13/its-good-to-be-a-leg-end/

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Exploding Horses

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 11:00:00 +0000

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In the third part of our discussion with JZ: Squidge introduces JZ into a brand new segment (one which needs a little improv.) with hilarious results, and I use it as an excuse to use an epic pun; and JZ introduces us to the idea of fried chicken subs, and we talk about the benefits of being a zombie.

All this and more, in episode 61 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Exploding Horses!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/11/29/exploding-horses/

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Jay vs Doors

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 10:00:00 +0000

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JZ (unaffiliated) returns to the show again, and it has been a long time. This is the second in our three part discussion with JZ. We talk about aliens, whether you can make games better by adding giant robots into them, my hatred of doors in Dead Cells, boots to the head, and some serious honking.

(the intro to this episode contains a bass line written by JZ)

All this and more, in episode 60 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Jay vs Doors!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/11/22/jay-vs-doors/

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Squidge The Ring

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Nov 2019 08:30:00 +0000

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JZ (unaffiliated) returns to the show, and it has been a long time. In the first part of a multi-part discussion we talk about what JZ has been up to, the games he has been playing, Squidge's new PC (and whether he should forego buying Christmas gifts in order to soup is up, the potential for a Squidge centric live stream and which games he should play.

All this and more, in episode 59 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Squidge the Ring!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/11/15/squidge-the-ring/

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EGX 2019 Day Three

The Waffling Taylors — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0000

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EGX 2019 day three is over and done with, and here are our thoughts. Including a little rant about queuing (for the Final Fantasy 7 remake), meeting up with awesome friends, making even more awesome friends, getting perforated, and talking with an absolute legend in the video game industry.

All this and more, in episode 58 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: EGX 2019 Day Three!

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EGX 2019 Day Two

The Waffling Taylors — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 08:30:00 +0000

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WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077. You have been warned

EGX 2019 day two is over and done with, and here are our thoughts. Including a little about Cyberpunk 2077 (including spoilers), a little cheating to unlock MJ on Ready 2 Rumble Boxing Round 2, and Beckski's two speedruns.

All this and more, in episode 57 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: EGX 2019 Day Two!

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EGX 2019 Day One

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 06:00:00 +0000

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EGX 2019 day one is over and done with, so we thought we'd collect our thoughts on it and put out an episode. We discuss the games we've played, the merch we've bought, and we even have and interview with Craig Snape about his upcoming game: Kung Fu Jesus.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/10/18/egx-2019-day-one/

All this and more, in episode 56 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: EGX 2019 Day One!

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A Film About An Egg

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 04 Oct 2019 07:00:00 +0000

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All this and more, in episode 55 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: A Film About An Egg!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/10/04/a-film-about-an-egg/

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Protect The Thing That Needs To Not Blow Up

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 10:00:00 +0000

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Chief talks more Real Time Strategy games, Squidge teases a soon-to-be-released blog post, and we have some breaking news from the Mushroom Kingdom.

All this and more, in episode 54 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: Protect The Thing That Needs To Not Blow Up!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/09/27/protect-the-thing-that-needs-to-not-blow-up/

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The Quantum What of What

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 11:00:00 +0000

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Chief joins us to talk Real Time Strategy and Real Time Tactics games - and yes, there’s a difference. We also talk about what he has been playing recently. Squidge talks about his ingenious plan to get people to play Command & Conquer with a dance mat. And we discuss the differences and similarities between the FIFA and PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) games... turns out, not a lot.

All this and more, in episode 53 of The Waffling Taylors Podcast: The Quantum What of What

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done, check out: https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/09/20/the-quantum-what-of-what/

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Nindo Recon

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:00:00 +0000

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Jay decided that he wants to buy a Switch, so he turned to Squidge (and the community) for suggestions for games to check out. This is their discussion on those suggestions. What did everyone suggest? You'll have to listen to find out.

Fair warning: this episode contains spoilers for Resident Evil Revelations 2 (a game released in 2015), and a few sudden noises. Please listen responsibly.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done:
https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/09/13/nindo-recon/

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Necromorphed in the Face

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:00:00 +0000

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Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/07/26/hungry-not-hungry-horace-with-g/

Definitely check out the full show notes for this episode friends. As with our previous three episodes, we've had a professional artist create the art. I think you'll agree that yurricanes has done an amazing job.

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Surprise Waluigi Strikes Again

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:00:00 +0000

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Squidge, The B, and myself talk our usual bought of nonsense. But this time, Waluigi makes a surprise return, we discuss the silent Waffler Ik, and The B tries to convince Squidge to try a cooking simulator. All this, and so much more in episode 50 of The Waffling Taylors: Surprise Waluigi Strikes Again.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/08/16/surprise-waluigi-strikes-again

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Wombat Knives For Days

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Aug 2019 13:00:00 +0000

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A slight departure from our normal episode format this week folks, as we decided to try out an audio-only Let's Play of the Resident Evil 2 remake DLCs No Time To Mourn and Runaway. I was playing, and Squidge was giving me tips & advice.

I'm not very good at third person shootey games when played with a controller, but I gave it a really good go

We piped the audio from the game into the recording, so you'll be able to experience almost all of what it's like to play a game with us.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/08/09/wombat-knives-for-days/

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Hungry Not Hungry Horace - With G

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

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As a way of moving on from our conversation on the Cupboard of Shame

which is definitely not a two-bit bucket, which is all that the Arcade Attack folks could get

we talk to G about his previous appearance on the show (which includes a comment from Jim Bennett), 80s action movie video games which need rebooting, and whether Squidge really is a Haitian Loa or not.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/07/26/hungry-not-hungry-horace-with-g/

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The Cupboard of Shame - With G

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 11:30:00 +0000

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After having teased it last time, we're finally ready to talk about The Cupboard of Shame properly. Not only did we add a number of games to the CoS, but we also discussed why. Squidge also has some honourable mentions, too. Which games did Squidge add to The Cupboard of Shame, and do you agree with his choices?

All this and more in episode 47 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The Cupboard of Shame - With G.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/07/19/the-cupboard-of-shame-with-g/

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Old and New Stomping Grounds - With G

The Waffling Taylors — Thu, 11 Jul 2019 10:30:00 +0000

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We've teased it for long enough, and we're finally tackling the topic of The Cupboard of Shame! We've also brought G back for our first foray into the CoS. He joined us to talk Post-E3, suspicious looking packages, Keanu Reeves, and agrees to put a game into the Cupboard of Shame.

You'll have to listen to the episode to find out which game.

All this and more in episode 46 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Old and New Stomping Grounds - With G

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/07/12/old-and-new-stomping-grounds-with-g/

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Comfy Pants: The Video Game

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Jun 2019 12:00:00 +0000

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Part three of our discussion with Lulu is essentially a discussion on the information about the Final Fantasy VII Remake announced at E3, we also talk about Final Fantasy's XIV and XV

I mean, Lulu was on the show after all

and even a little about Final Fantasy XIV Dad of Light - which is a wonderful Japanese drama, about a Father and Son reconnecting over a love of Final Fantasy.

All this and more in episode 45 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Comfy Pants: The Video Game

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/06/28/comfy-pants-the-video-game

(psst. You're going to want to check out the full show notes for this one. We've had some amazing artwork done by yurricanes, and the only way you'll see the full version of it is to head through to the show notes)

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The World's Biggest What?!

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Jun 2019 11:30:00 +0000

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Part two of our discussion concerns Distant World's, Europe's second biggest of something, and our (pre-E3) Final Fantasy VII Remake thoughts and predictions.

we recorded this one before E3 folks, so some of the things we talk about were a little off base

All this and more in episode 44 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The World's Biggest What?!.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/06/14/the-one-true-waffle

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The One True Waffle

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 10:30:00 +0000

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Lulu, fresh from seeing Distant Worlds, sits with us to talk about it, the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and remakes in general.

All this and more in episode 43 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The One True Waffle.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and a full size version of the art work we've had done: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/06/14/the-one-true-waffle

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The HeisenCast

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 May 2019 10:30:00 +0000

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Squidgey and Jay take some time to discuss music and video games - specifically the music that they listen to when playing video games

All this and more in episode 42 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The HeisenCast.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and some shots of my recent trip to Japan can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/05/24/the-heisencast/

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Jays Japan Diaries

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 May 2019 11:30:00 +0000

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We'd mentioned that we were going to do it a few episodes ago, and I loved looking back on it, so here is a 30 minute trip to Japan with me. We visit Fukuoka, Hirado, Oshima, and Nagasaki. Along the way we learn just what Canal City is, learn how to call on the gods at a Shinto shrine, find a wonderful beach in the middle of nowhere, see some really old relics, buy a copy of Final Fantasy IX for PS1, and visit some temples in Nagasaki

All this and more in episode 41 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Jays Japan Diaries

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and some photos of the places I talk about can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/05/17/jays-japan-diaries

psst: you're going to want to click through to the show notes for this one. There are a lot of photos from my vacation in the full show notes

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Hot Open, Cold Close

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 May 2019 11:30:00 +0000

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As a way of getting back into the swing of things, Squidgey and I took some time a few days after I got back from my Japanese vacation to discuss the games we've been playing, and some Japanese knowledge.

All this and more in episode 40 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Hope One, Cold Close.

Full show notes, links to related stuff, music credits, and some shots of my recent trip to Japan can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/05/10/hot-open-cold-close

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Some Qs and Some As

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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Just like last time, I've bleeped all of the swears bar one, which is in the intro sequence. It's an instance of "bastard" and really fit with the nature of the sketch we were going for. But if this is a problem, skip ahead by 30 seconds as soon as the episode starts to play, and you'll skip right past it.

As a way of rounding down out recent conversations on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, Lulu brings some questions that her friends from discord have for us. And not all of them are related to Final Fantasy, too.

All this and more in episode 39 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Some Qs and Some As

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/03/29/some-qs-and-some-as

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The Kingdom of Hearts

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge, Lulu, Chief Problems, and I have a long discussion on Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy XV. Spoilers abound folks, so please skip this episode if you haven't played either game.

All this and more in episode 38 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The Kingdom of Hearts

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/03/22/the-kingdom-of-hearts

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A Serious Case of The Bwaaauums

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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Squidge, Lulu, Chief Problems, and I decided to sit down and talk about the games we've been playing. My list is quite short, as I've been reading a lot of books recently (partially for work, as they are programming books). But Lulu's books have better graphics than mine, because I use a Kindle.

All this and more in episode 37 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: A Serious Case of The Bwaaauums

_can you believe that we've made 37 of these so far?_

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/03/15/a-serious-case-of-the-bwaaauums/

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Ten Tracks Which Rocked My Gaming World

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 21:30:00 +0000

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This episode was originally released on our Patreon page, almost 2 years ago. But I thought I'd release it to the non-Patrons because a recent episode of the Arcade Attack podcast reminded me that I'd tried something similar.

although their episode is a LOT better than this one

Remember to stick around all the way to the end of this episode, folks. There's a bonus thing at the end of it. Also, for the first time ever, this episode has a full transcription in the show notes.

Full show notes (including a transcription), links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/02/25/ten-tracks-which-rocked-my-gaming-world/

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The 2019 Hype Train

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 12:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Squidge, B, and I took some time to discuss our most anticipated games of 2019, and I think the games we each chose might surprise you.

We also took some time to discuss what we think will be the big video gaming new stories in 2019, including: the next gen consoles; whether another console manufacturer join the game; and what's next for gaming in the living room.

All this and more in episode 35 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: The 2019 Hype Train

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/02/22/hype-train-2019/

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Damn Squidge!

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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The B is back (it's almost like we record several of these on the same day). But this time, Squidgey wanted to go into a lot of detail around the Resident Evil 2 board game. He was a very early backer of it on KickStarter, and had to wait over a year for it to finally materialise - but, even now, he's super excited about the game. He received his copy (and the second copy, and the expansion packs, and the two copies of the KickStarter exclusives) before the festive period, so he's had a fair bit of experience of playing it.

We do mention a potential canon spoiler for the Resident Evil 2 Remake. We'd recorded the episode weeks before the remake was due out

we've also done some Resy 2 Remake specific episodes since then, too - check the full show notes for links

as such we didn't know whether what B was about to drop was an actual spoiler or not. Turns out that it's not, but it's useful to be aware of.

All this and more in episode 34 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: Damn Squidge!

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/02/15/damn-squidge/

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The Fall of Mr. X

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 16:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

WARNING: This episode is full of major spoilers for the Resident Evil 2 Remake, descriptions of some of the horrendous things which happen in that game, and full of swears. Please skip this episode if any of those things would cause you a problem.

Squidgey had recently finished all four scenarios (Leon A+B and Claire A+B) in the Resident Evil 2 remake, so we sat down to talk through his thoughts having had completed the main story, what he thought of the remake vs the original (PSX) game, and his thoughts on the Twitter-verse begging for a Resident Evil 3 remake in the same style.

All this and more, in "The Fall of Mr. X" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/02/11/the-fall-of-mr-x/

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JanuWhat?

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Feb 2019 12:30:00 +0000

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WARNING: This episode container spoilers for the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch. If you haven't experienced Bandersnatch yet, and want to avoid spoliers then please skip this episode

The B joins us to discuss video games, except that we spend the entire time talking about the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch, Squidgey tells us that he hasn't seen any Black Mirror shows but has seen (and really enjoyed) Dead Set, Jay tells us about how he got munched on the Director's Cut of the Resident Evil for PSX, and both Jay and The B talk about their favourite (non-bleak) Black Mirror episodes.

there have been one or two which weren't too bleak

All this and more in episode 32 of the Waffling Taylors podcast: JanuWhat?

Full show notes, links to related stuff, and music credits can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/02/08/januwhat/

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Ada, Wait!

The Waffling Taylors — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 18:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Squidgey had tweeted that he had completed the Leon A scenario of Resident Evil 2 Remake with an A rank too, so we decided to quickly catch up with him and see what knowledge and tips he was willing to share with us.

Which weapons does his recommend we use, just how different are the A storylines from the OG (PSX) A storylines, and what are his top tips?

All this and more, in "Ada, Wait!" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/01/28/ada-wait/

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Grenade to the FACE!

The Waffling Taylors — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 12:00:00 +0000

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Squidgey had tweeted that he had completed 25% of the Resident Evil 2 Remake, so we decided to quickly catch up with him and see what that meant.

Just what did Squidgey mean by "Squeezing you so hard that your eye balls pop out of your ears", why was he calling out stranger danger, and just who does he mean by a"bald, green, twaty face in a stupid little f*ck$ng hat?"

All this and more, in "Grenade to the FACE 2018" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/01/27/grenade-to-the-face/

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Hello Squidgey - A Tribute

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 06:30:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

This isn't really an episode of the podcast, just a silly project that I've been working on. Without Squidgey on the show, there would be no show. So this is a tribute, of sorts, to him. Enjoy.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2019/01/01/hello-squidgey/

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Spooptober 2018

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 12:58:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Part three of a multi part, end of year spectacular is all about Spooptober. We discuss all things spoopy in our late Spooptober special episode. Because that's the way to end a year of episodes, right?

As this is an episode about scary, creepy, and horror based games please feel free to skip this episode if you think that you could potentially be triggered by what you might hear.

If you do stick around and listen to the episode, the conversation about Shadow Man (which happens between 27 minutes and 32:50) is particularly detailed and could cause issues. Please feel free to skip this part.

All this and more, in "Spooptober 2018" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/12/28/spooptober-2018/

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The Slim-Jim Snap

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 07:50:00 +0000

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Part two of a multi part, end of year spectacular is a rip roaring adventure with G and The B back in the Technodrome. Everything gets a bit weird, as I completely miss the point of the Harley Quinn character.

All this and more, in "The Slim-Jim Snap" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/12/21/the-slim-jim-snap/

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Grand Theft Horsey

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Dec 2018 08:06:00 +0000

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Part one of a multi part, end of year spectacular. We brought G and The B (and a few other mystery guests) into the Technodrome for our end of year special. Stick around as we discuss all things gaming, and a few things in the way of movies.

All this and more, in "Grand Theft Horsey" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/12/13/grand-theft-horsey/

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Unaffiliated JZs Kinda Party

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 06:15:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Part three of our special episode with Unaffiliated JZ contains discussions on the upcoming Resident Evil 2 remake, the board game, stupid character names, and much more.

All this and more, in "Unaffiliated JZs Kinda Party" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/11/23/unaffiliated-jzs-kinda-party/

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Finally Dropping the Bomb - With JZ

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 06:20:00 +0000

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Part two of a three part special episode where we talk to long time fan of the show, friend of GaProgMan, and all round nice guy: Unaffiliated JZ.

This time we start out with some major league silliness, talk about JZ's favourite controller, and he stumps us with Video Game knowledge. Then Squidgy finally drops a bomb that he's been teasing for a whole year.

All this and more, in "Finally Dropping the Bomb" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/11/16/finally-dropping-the-bomb-with-jz/

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The Waffling Taylors and Unaffiliated JZ Podcast Party

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 06:44:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Part one of a three part special episode where we talk to long time fan of the show, friend of GaProgMan, and all round nice guy: Unaffiliated JZ.

We talk about all sorts of stuff, and Squidgy even threatens to drop a major spoiler on us. But does he? You'll have to listen in order to find out.

All this and more, in "The Waffling Taylors and Unaffiliated JZ Podcast Party" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/11/09/the-waffling-taylors-and-unaffiliated-jz-podcast-party/

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Double Barrel Australian Death

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:06:00 +0000

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Two lost episodes, a sweary shotgun, Sony toasters, and questions to the community.

All this and more, in "Something Something Hacker Edition" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/10/12/double-barrel-australian-death/

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My Hot Trash Daddy (Lulu's Final Fantasy - Part Three)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 05:20:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

The final part of Lulu's debut episode sees her turning the tables on us, and asking us where we stopped playing Final Fantasy games.

And we ask Lulu for her gaming confession and unpopular gaming opinion. You'll have to listen to the episode to find out what they were.

Or you could check the show notes and let us know what your thoughts were on Lulu's debut episode. We'd love to have her back on, and your comments could help sway her to heading back to Cake Land.

All this and more, in "My Hot Trash Daddy" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/09/28/my-hot-trash-daddy-lulus-final-fantasy-part-three/

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Wrong Opinions (Lulu's Final Fantasy - Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 05:28:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In the second part of Lulu's debut episode, GaProgMan and Squidgy discuss their top three favourite Final Fantasy games, and why none of them are 7.

Listen to Lulu tell us why we're wrong (or are we right), then head over to the show notes and let us know what yours are in the comments.

Also let us know whether you agree with our choices or not.

All this and more, in "Wrong Opinions" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/09/21/wrong-opinions-lulus-final-fantasy-part-two/

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The Kwehcast (Lulu's Final Fantasy - Part One)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 05:25:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Lulu's debut episode is here! She is our, rather reluctant, Final Fantasy expert. As you hear in part three, she really is quite the expert.

In part one of her debut we talk about the games we've been playing and start discussing what our Desert Island Games (which Squidgy renames Thunder Plain Games).

All this and more, in "Something Something Hacker Edition" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/09/14/the-kwehcast-lulus-final-fantasy-part-one/

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The Razz-Matazz Cast (Part Three)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 05:08:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

For part three of B's 2018 debut he takes us through his unpopular opinion in gaming, which sparks a long discussion on folks such as Hideo Kojima, Cliffy B and Peter Molyneux.

All this and more, in "The Razz-Matazz Cast" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/08/24/the-raz-matazz-cast-with-b-part-three/

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Our Blustry Guest (Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 17 Aug 2018 07:33:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

For part two of B's 2018 debut we decided to take a look at how much we had each spent on Steam during the life time of our accounts. Then we have a discussion about our unpopular gaming opinions

All this and more, in "Our Blustry Guest" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/08/17/our-blustry-guest-with-b-part-two/

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The Pie and Mash Toss (Part One)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 06:03:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

This episode is B's 2018 debut - he was on our final episodes of 2017, but hasn't been on the show since. We talk about E3, the Nintendo Switch (there's a surprise), and how this summer has been re-assuringly quite for AAA titles (so far) which helps us to get through our collective backlog of games.

And that's just part one.

All this and more, in "The Pie and Mash Toss" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/08/10/the-pie-and-mash-toss-with-b-part-one/

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Multiplayer Shenanigans (With G - Part Two)

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 05:43:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Part two of our chat with long time friend G (a.k.a Professor Nefarious Wunderbottom III) revolves all around online multiplayer games and how much fun it can be to mess with people... but not in a trolling way.

All this and more, in "Multiplayer Shenanigans" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/11/10/56-games-in-63-minutes/

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Something Something: Hacker Edition

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 05:53:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode, we talked with long time friend of the show, a man simply known as "G". This is part one of a two part discussion with G, and in it we discussed the developers who make angry list, his top three diabolical games, and the multiple levels of immersion in modern GTA games.

All this and more, in "Something Something Hacker Edition" by The Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/07/13/something-something-hacker-edition/

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Time Cast Pod Machine - Part 3

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 05:36:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode:

Squidgey tried to convince Chief (who has never played a Sega Saturn) to try one of his top 5 (and one honerable mention) games for it
Gamer confessions - and all three may shock you.

This is the final part of a three part series, make sure to go back and listen to the other parts on order to get the full effect of this trifecta of Waffling Taylors.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/06/22/time-cast-pod-machine-part-3/

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Time Cast Pod Machine - Part 2

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 15 Jun 2018 05:36:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode:

Chief decides to ask us what we've been playing recently, and the list might shock you. And not just because I mention some stuff that I'd talked about on an episode we'd recorded earlier, but isn't released yet.
Squidgey talks about how he unlocked an extremely drop for one of his characters on Diabolo 3... completely by accident (check the full show notes for a picture of his character).
GaProgMan talks us through another of his AAA game ideas, this time it's the RPG character creation wizard as a game.

This is actually part two of a three part series, make sure to go back to part one (from last week), and to come back when part three drops (next week)

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/06/15/time-cast-pod-machine-part-2/

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Time Cast Pod Machine - Part 1

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 09:12:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

This episode (which is part one of three) sees Chief return after his 6 month hiatus, and he worries about the length of our intros; I drop a knowledge bomb on how the writers of MASH got around the network censors; and Squidgey confesses his love for arcade sticks.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/06/08/time-cast-pod-machine-part-one/

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Favourite Games with Red Mage and White Mage

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 11 May 2018 16:00:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode, we brought back White Mage and Red Mage. This time we talked about our favourite games ever, suggesting a lot of games along the way, but finally settling on three each (they weren't easy decisions at all, though). to find out which games, you'll have to listen to the episode.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/05/11/favourite-games-with-white-mage-and-red-mage/

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Sega Wrist

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 13 Apr 2018 11:24:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Unaffiliated Coke returns! Also, so does Squidgey!

In his first podcast appearance since his recent super secret project, Squidgey gives us the run down of what he's been playing recently, drops some knowledge on the Resident Evil series, discusses Tekken 2, and we touch on the recent (unfortunate) news of UK independent retailer Grainger Games closing up shop (literally).

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/04/13/sega-wrist/

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The Sexy Brutale

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:26:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

In this episode, we talked with White Mage and Red Mage about The Sexy Brutale - which is a fantastic puzzle game. We also covered a bunch of stuff related to lore in games, art books and even a mention of Atlus.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/03/09/the-sexy-brutale-the-wobbly-doodah/

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Interview This!

The Waffling Taylors — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 10:42:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

This episode features an exclusive interview with Stephen Smith, who is a really chill dude. We talk a little about the history of the events he has organised; the reaction from folks who attend; and even blind dates.

The audio in the interview portion is a little rough, so bear that in mind. I've done what I can to fix the audio, but that's included making it sound a little flat.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2018/02/11/interview-this/

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Switch, Please (part 3)

The Waffling Taylors — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 12:32:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

SquidgyFidget starts a conversation about the Switch not having a gamer score which leads us to a discussion on Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. Then B drops a knowledge bomb about Nintendo bringing a online play to the Switch very soon.

I talk about the difficulty of being the first with some new technology, the death of the Saturn and Dreamcast; and B brings to our attention the fact that the consoles which win the wars are the ones which concede on certain aspects of their design and hardware for the mainstream, which takes us to a discussion on SegaNet.

I also link what happened in the video games crash of the 80s to what happened recently with Playerunknown’s Battleground, and how Nintendo fixed gaming back then by adding (what was effectively) a DRM chip to each cartridge for the NES.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/12/28/switch-please-part-3/

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Switch, Please (part 2)

The Waffling Taylors — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 13:38:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

A couple of things that you need to know going into part two:

Another J-Bomb

As with the first part, we have one J-bomb this time, so please listen responsibly.

Resident Evil VII DLC Spoilers

We drop a few pretty big spoilers for the main game and the DLC in this episode. For your convenience, the Resident Evil VII discussion starts at 15 minutes and ends at 31 minutes.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/12/27/switch-please-part-2/

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Switch, Please (part 1)

The Waffling Taylors — Tue, 26 Dec 2017 12:31:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

A couple of things that you need to know going in:

One instance of “Hey Siri!” and one “Alexa”

There’s one instance of someone saying “Hey Siri!”, so take care if you’re an iOS user or have Apple products laying about take care. There’s also one instance of an “Alexa!” so Echo owners will need headphones.

There are a few J-Bombs

We didn’t want to censor ourselves – although we always make a point of keeping any swears out of the podcast. But I wanted to give you a heads up that there is, at least, one J-Bomb in this episode. If these cause issues, then I’ll make a point of editing them out in the future. But please listen responsibly.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/12/26/switch-please-part-1/

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Banjoes For Days

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 08 Dec 2017 20:17:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

The first (official) episode of the Waffling Taylors podcast is here!

A couple of things that you need to know going in:

We have the microphone!

We have a Blue Yeti microphone and what's better is that I brought it with me this time. So the audio recording should be a much higher quality.

Colds abound

I've done what I can to remove the few coughs and sniffles that ended up in the recording, but a few are still present. I'm sorry if the sound of Squidgey-Fidget sniffling a few times weirds you out.

Language

Whilst we don't swear on the podcast, we do use the words `boobs` and `sex`. These are in the context of defining actions or features of both Jurassic Park Tresspasser and The Sims.

As such, we recommend that you give this episode a listen without the presence of little ones (or folks who might be offended by the uses of those words). Show Notes

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/12/08/banjoes-for-days/

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56 Games in 63 Minutes

The Waffling Taylors — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 00:12:00 +0000

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

This is the beta episode of a podcast we’re throwing together called “The Waffling Taylors Podcast”.

A couple of things that you need to know going in:

I forgot to bring the microphone

We ended up having to use my laptop’s built in mic for this one, as such it sounds a bit weird I’ve cleaned up the audio as well as I can, but there are a few points were Chief Problem and I talk over each other.

There are a few loud points

We had a few laughs making this podcast, as such we have a few laughs. Chief Problem and I were closer to the microphone than Djstump was, so you’ll hear us laughing louder than him.

Chief Problem

Chief Problem (or “Chief” as he became known) is a friend of ours and honorary waffler. He joined us for the beta and is willing to join us again.

Full show notes can be found here: https://www.wafflingtaylors.rocks/2017/11/10/56-games-in-63-minutes/

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