Left Trigger Right Trigger

Okay everyone, let's have a real talk here. We looked at the aftermath of the Cow episode and decided, "we can't do this every episode" so we tried to pick a topic that was a little more serious and a little less ripe for bits and riffing. And this episode on "Language" delivers some some real insights on the topic. We also did a 10 minute bit about how Beedle from Breath of the Wild might be the final antagonist of Hitman. We hope you enjoy!

In this episode: David rekindles a longstanding anime feud. Greg learns how to pronounce a new word. Giovanni flirts with semiotics. Tess is assassinated by Agent 47. 

Please give us a follow over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, where we're mixing some tunes in Fuser and trying to smooch the Pope in Crusader Kings III! If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rating and review on your podcatcher of choice. And finally, if you want to support this show (and all our shows) you can throw us a buck or two over at patreon.com/LTRT. 

Games discussed include The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, In Other Waters, Ghost of Tsushima, and Signs of the Sojourner

Hey everyone - you're amazing! Because of your generosity, the Annual LTRT 24-Hour Charity Stream raised over $6,400.00 for The Florence Project! That's more than we raised in the last three years combined! We are absolutely, absurdly grateful to everyone who donated and everyone who came by to support us. 

But, the fundraising isn't quite done yet! Everyone who signs up to our Patreon in February will have their donation forwarded to The Florence Project! If you've got a buck or two to spare and want to help support the show you can do that over at patreon.com/LTRT. Every bit helps!

Listeners - this topic is "Cow." We don't know how to lead into this one. We don't know how to be quippy or clever. Our good friend Tom Zalatnai came to us with this topic and you know, we agreed to it and now it's here. So. This is Cow. All we'll say is that much like a cow, this episode is a wild ride from front to back. 

You can find all of Tom's shows over at the Upford Network - that's upfordnetwork.com. Make sure to check out their shows - you might hear a couple familiar voices on some of them. 

In this episode: Greg wonders if there's a form of carcinization but for cows. Tom explains how they learned to cook from a digital mama. Tess explores their past names. Giovanni looks for greener digital pastures. David just kind of breaks. 

Please give us a follow over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, where we just completed our annual charity stream! If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rating and review on your podcatcher of choice. And finally, if you want to support this show (and all our shows) you can throw us a buck or two over at patreon.com/LTRT. 

Games discussed include World of Warcraft, Cooking Mama: Cook Off, Pokémon Snap, Cow Clicker, and Mario Kart 64

Two very important announcements up front!

The Annual LTRT 24-Hour Charity Stream will happen on Saturday, Feb 20th at 10 a.m. ET! All funds will benefit The Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project! Join us at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger as we play 24 of our favorite games from 2020!

LTRT is now on Patreon! If you have a dollar or two and want to support us you can do so over at patreon.com/LTRT. All funds we receive in February will also be donated to The Florence Project as part of our 24 hour stream!

Protagonist - it's different than "Hero"... Or is it? Join us for a very special episode in which we finally determine who is the true protagonist of this podcast!

David repeats his past lives. Giovanni tries to find a protagonist in an ensemble piece. Colin curses a fickle god. Greg figures out the best way to figure out a protagonist is through a battle royale.

Please give us a follow over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, in preparation for our upcoming charity stream! If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rating and review on your podcatcher of choice. And finally, if you want to support this show (and all our shows) you can throw us a buck or two over at patreon.com/LTRT. 

Games discussed include Games discussed include Nefarious, The Sims 2, Fortnite, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Listeners, is there anything more rewarding than making something with your own two hands? Yes, there is - it's making that something in a videogame. After the ...events... of the last episode, we thought it would be important to record an episode that's actually about videogames. But don't worry - "Craft" is the topic, but we still manage to spend almost 10 minutes talking about the 2006 film The Departed. You know, just like a videogame podcast would do. 

David laments the impermanent nature of crafting in games. Giovanni becomes a Scorsese Scholar. Colin blasts some blupees. Greg is censored for calling out yet another website.  

We've been streaming at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rating and review on your podcatcher of choice.  

Games discussed include Stardew Valley, Resident Evil, FUSER, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons

In the 100+ episodes of this show there are a couple that stand out as true gems. Some of our guest episodes have brought about some truly insightful discussion. Our commitment to Double-O August can lead to some interesting discussions. Even our our yearly Father's Day episodes, which are always off the rails, are at least a fun ride. But none of these episodes compare to the response we received when we covered two very particular topics: "Fruit" and "Egg." Listeners, we have something special for you right now. Presenting the third episode in what we're now calling "The Round Things Saga: Bowl." We hope you enjoy - this is an episode that has, as we like to say around here, "big 'Fruit' energy." 

Giovanni stumbles into a cereal conspiracy. Colin talks about sports anime. David learns what it means to be possessed by a horse. Greg seals the fate of this podcast once and for all. 

We've been streaming at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rating and review on your podcatcher of choice.  

Games discussed include Chex Quest HD, Wii Sports, Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions, and BloodRayne 

Listeners... hoo boy what a year it's been. This year has been painful and difficult in a lot of unnecessary ways, but we've made it through. As we close out 2020 and look towards a new year, we hope this show has brought you some comfort and laughs. As with years past, we sat down to take a look at a few games that best capture the experience of the last year. We promise it's not all maudlin - in fact, there's actually some pretty ok jokes in this one.  

Greg hits us with some cool turtle facts. Dave wonders why so many people played anxiety-inducing games this year. Colin drops a reference to Das Kapital (as if they've read the whole thing). Giovanni clings to a himbo that can give us all hope. 

We've been streaming at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on your podcatcher of choice.  

Games discussed include Raft, Among Us, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. 

Show Notes: 

Cool Facts for Kids - Turtles

How To Chip Away At A Massive Games Backlog, Ari Notis, Kotaku

Attention!! we've put together a playlist of the music mentioned in this episode! You can listen along by clicking the link down in our show notes!

Folks - we're overwhelmed to introduce our very special 100th episode! Almost four years ago we got on a discord call and hashed out what this show would look like. After a couple trial runs we landed on the structure that's carried us through the last 100 episodes.

Almost as soon as we released our first episode we got a request to cover Music as a topic. In fact, Music came up every time we asked for topic suggestions. It's by far our most requested topic and we wanted to make sure we did it justice. This is an extra long episode with a ton of commentary from our friends and colleagues who've supported and inspired us over the years. This show wouldn't be what it is without their support, and this show wouldn't exist at all without you, our listeners. Thank you all for 100 episodes! Here's to 100 more!

Greg takes us through a musical dreamscape. Dave has flashbacks to his days in QA. Colin gets into a sick groove that doesn't go too fast. Giovanni lets the music take him away. 

We've been streaming at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on your podcatcher of choice.  

Games discussed include Little Nemo: The Dream Master, Sonic the Hedgehog, Donkey Kong Country, and Metroid Prime. 

Show Notes: 

Playlist of the songs mentioned in this episode

The Genius of the Super Mario Bros. "Game Over" Theme, Andrew Schartmann, Slate

A video called "Every Time The Lightsabers Clash The Wilhelm Scream Happens"

A Reddit Post on whether time travel is possible in the Sonic universe

Orson Welles' wine commercial

Hey everyone, it's your hosts from Left Trigger Right Trigger! We wanted to let you know that our next episode is our 100th episode! We're going to make it super special so please make sure that you tune in for it! 

Rank: it's for more than just stinky cheeses. This episode breaks down all the systems we use to understand hierarchy and competition. Greg laments the loss of his Ms. PacMan high score. Giovanni puts us all in the Stuber-verse. Colin hates on Canada Dry (again). Dave brainstorms a new language specifically for rating games.

We've been streaming fairly consistently over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on your podcatcher of choice.  

Games discussed include Astro's Playroom, FUSER, Battlefield 3, and Devil May Cry 5

We're so, so happy to welcome our guest Ellie Karavas to this very special episode of Left Trigger Right Trigger. Ellie is a musician, producer, and retro game collector who proposed the topic of Cards, resulting in Greg's immediate combustion. You can find Ellie's record label over at Jam Eater Records (which also has a great podcast and a patreon that you should check out) and her retro collector YouTube channel over at Jam Eater Gaming.

Listeners, this is it. The episode you've all been waiting for. We finally answer the question you've all been asking for the last three years of this show: what can Kenny Rogers' The Gambler teach us about game design? Greg shows us when to hold 'em. Ellie discusses when to fold 'em. Dave decides when to walk away. Colin figures out when to run. And Giovanni? Well... G knows the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep. That's cards, folks!

We've been streaming fairly consistently over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Games discussed include Magic: The Gathering Arena, The Pokémon Trading Card Game (1 & 2), Yu-Gi-Oh! The Eternal Duelist Soul, Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Gwent

To all our listeners, we love you and we hope this episode helps you endure the everlong, unending events of 2020. And you know, maybe this episode title is a little on the nose, but we know podcasts that use subtext and they're all cowards.

Listeners, this episode is a lighthearted romp through Hell - a useful metaphor for, well, a lot of things it turns out. Greg is banished to the spirit realm for the second time in the history of this podcast. Colin tries to vape the water NASA found on the moon. Dave reveals to no one's surprise that he's the only Yu-Gi-Oh expert in the room. Giovanni explores the real world bullet hell of walking down the street. 

Games discussed include: Afterparty, Lucah: Born of a Dream, Afterlife, Last Word

We've been streaming fairly consistently over at twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger, so please give us a follow over there. If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Show Notes: 

Politics of The Self in LUCAH: Born of a Dream - Catherine Brinegar and Jessica Harvey, RE:BIND

Listeners... welcome to a scary, creepy, terrifying episode 70 minute blooper. Our most prolific guest and least prolific friend Andrew Zucosky joins us once again to discuss a topic close to everyones' hearts: Masks. Except it wasn't supposed to be masks? Look, this episode has a solid twist about an hour in so make sure you stick around for that.

Giovanni breaks with the flock and decides not to be a duck. Colin almost turns this into yet another Destiny podcast. Dave quite literally deflates towards the end of the episode. Greg sabotages this whole episode. 

Games discussed include: World of Warcraft, Champions Online, Dota 2, Majora's Mask, and Hotline Miami

Show Notes: 

Baldur’s Gate 3 makers tell players to stop being so basic- Cass Marshall, Polygon

Important note - Giovanni, Dave, and Greg are all in a band called Duckspeak that just released their latest album, Death To All Kings. You can check it out on any streaming service or purchase it from their bandcamp (duckspeak.bandcamp.com). Thanks for listening!

The videogame industry is undergoing a lot of turmoil these days. Toxic executives are being ousted. Studios that stated they intended to avoid crunch are forcing their staff to work 6 day weeks. Publishers continue to buy, sell, and gut studios as they wish. It's a wild time, so we thought we'd take this episode to get a little serious and cover some important and timely issues in the industry. Instead, we argued about sandwiches for 12 minutes.

For real though we do eventually highlight some of our favorite studios in the context of a difficult, awful industry. Get ready for a real one, listeners. Giovanni digs a hole. Greg divulges his recipe for vegan mayo. Dave ponders where the "style" of a studio resides. Colin makes this all about capitalism once again. 

Games (and studios) discussed include: SteamWorld Dig (Image & Form), Bastion (Supergiant Games), Crusader Kings 3 (Paradox Interactive), and Hyper Light Drifter (Heart Machine)

Show Notes: 

This Crusader Kings 3 player ate the Pope - Christopher Livingston, PC Gamer

Paradox Interactive's QA staff allege poor treatment, low pay, and mismanaged layoffs - Imogen Beckhelling, Rock Paper Shotgun

Game Developers Behind Dead Cells, Night in the Woods, and More Share Why the Co-Op Studio Model Works - Caty McCarthy, US Gamer

Important announcement - from September 20 - 26 there's a very special charity drive going on over at Mars' Best Brisket. It's a weeklong audio comedy event raising money for Lovin' Spoonfuls, a food rescue located in Boston. There are some super talented and funny people you can hear in a short run of episodes. If you can, please go support their charity drive right here:

• Gofundme for Lovin' Spoonful by Mars Best Brisket 

Listeners! It's time to put on a cozy sweater, grab a mug of tea, and stumble off an unseen ledge, perishing instantly. The topic is Fall and we discuss all the different permutations of that word. Colin ponders about brain chemicals. Greg goes back to school. Dave forgets how to talk as soon as the episode starts. Giovanni explains Gundam to us. It's Fall, whatever that means!

Games discussed include Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Dauntless, Assassin's Creed, and Mixolumia

Human beings. Together. On the Internet. Interacting. Relating. Feeling Emotions. Having thoughts. This is what we call a social way of living. And Left Trigger Right Trigger is what we call this podcast. 

The topic is Social and that means we cover all the wild ways we engage in games with multiple people. Colin founds a digital government. Dave gets thoughtful about suffrage. Giovanni installs patented cyberware into his body. Greg becomes a Fortnite streamer.

Games discussed include NationStates, Everybody Votes, PlayStation Home, and Golf with Your Friends. 

If you thought we couldn't squeeze any more gimmicks or bad jokes into Double-O August then listeners, we are pleased to inform you that you've underestimated just how malleable, stretchable, and compressible this show can be. Get ready for GOO, a topic that absolutely none of our listeners asked for! Giovanni explores Goo as a thematic foil for non-goo beings. Greg pitches a new egg-replacement product. Colin coins the term WAG (Wet Ass Gooigi). Dave ruins our show notes (make sure to check those below). 

We're streaming over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger - join us every Thursday at 7:30 ET as we raise money for The Bail Project and play through Final Fantasy VII Remake Hard Mode! We're going to be raising money every week until we finish the game. Come join us!

If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Games discussed include World of Goo, Luigi's Mansion 3, Arms, and Ringfit Adventure

Show Notes:

Helix's Horrible Screams

The scourge of Double-O August (Oogust, or Augoost) is upon us once again! And this time the topic is... Good. It's just Good. The episode is a pretty decent one. There are some jokes and some actually relevant points. Not amazing but you know. It's good. Greg invents a new language. Giovanni longs for a time when games could just be. Colin peddles soft Marxism. Dave ponders if anyone can ever be truly "Good." 

We're streaming over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger - join us every Thursday at 7:30 ET as we raise money for The Bail Project and play through Final Fantasy VII Remake Hard Mode! We're going to be raising money every week until we finish the game. Come join us!

If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Games discussed include Ghost of Tshishima, Dance Dance Revolution, Offworld Trading Company, and Infamous.

There is an ocean in our soul where the waters do not curve. Unfortunately in this episode we are completely full of curves - believe us when we say the first 20 minutes or so are a journey. Sorry and you're welcome. Giovanni gets upset at constant references to his own music. Greg searches for sunken treasure. Colin gets a little salty. Dave stares into the endless black abyss. It's fun for the whole family. 

We're streaming over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger - join us every Thursday at 7:30 ET as we raise money for The Bail Project and play through Final Fantasy VII Remake Hard Mode! We're going to be raising money every week until we finish the game. Come join us!

If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Games discussed include Pokémon Sapphire, Sea Salt, Abzu, and Sea of Thieves.

Welcome to Left Trigger Right Trigger, the Sufjan Stevens Podcast about Sufjan Stevens and starring 1) Sufjan Stevens 2) Isaac Brock 3) Sufjan Stevens (again) and 4) A Youth Pastor or Something. As we do every episode on LTRT, the Sufjans convene to discuss an important theme throughout videogames. This time, it's Tone! You won't believe the lengths we go to in order to avoid saying the phrase ludonarrative dissonance.

Sufjan explains why the 50 States Project isn't finished. Isaac growls for a bit. Sufjan (the other one) explains why capitalism is bad. The Youth Pastor talks about how he broke up a fight on the subway with a fart.

We're streaming over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger - join us every Thursday at 7:30 ET as we raise money for The Bail Project and play through Final Fantasy VII Remake Hard Mode! We're going to be raising money every week until we finish the game. Come join us!

If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page.  We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. 

Games discussed include Borderlands 3, Persona 4: Golden, Beeswing, and Ori and the Blind Forest

Show Notes: 

On Beeswing, Joy In Death, And The 'Grandma Money Shot' - Nathan Grayson, Rock Paper Shotgun

Listeners, it's time to indulge your deepest fantasies - as long as those fantasies involve a broad ranging discussion of Fantasy in videogames. Colin manages to avoid turning this whole episode into a discussion about Skyrim. Greg is ousted as a Cribbage hustler. Dave explores his masochistic side. Giovanni pitches an app (game??) that will finally let the Switch replace mobile phones.  

We've started a new streaming series over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger - join us every Thursday at 7:30 ET as we raise money for The Bail Project and play through Final Fantasy VII Remake Hard Mode! We're going to be raising money every week until we finish the game. Come join us!

If you want to catch up on past streams you can find them over on our YouTube page. We'd also really appreciate if you take a moment to give us a rate and review on Apple Podcasts. You can also give us a follow on Twitter (@LTRTCast) or on the Left Trigger Right Trigger Facebook Page. 

Games discussed include Dark Souls, World of Warcraft, That Dragon Cancer, and Secret World Legends (fka The Secret World)

Show Notes: 

Transcript of Game No Shokutaku interview with Hidetaka Miyazaki

Things I Ate in Skyrim - Gus Mastrapa, Kill Screen

Listeners: this is a weird time to be making podcasts. Every year around Father's Day we sit down and record what is consistently our goofiest, most absurd episode of the year. This particular episode is no different, but this year is definitely different.

Because of that, we hope you'll take a moment to give some time and money to some of the causes we've linked below. Thank you for taking the time to listen, read, reflect, and fight for a better world. Black lives matter. 

• Black Lives Matter Global Network
• Tandem fund to support black trans groups (info on each group available through that link)
• GoFundMe supporting the family of Tony McDade
• GoFundMe to support homeless black trans women

Finally, we're doing a charity fundraising stream of Final Fantasy VII Remake every Thursday at 7:30 pm ET over on twitch.tv/lefttriggerrighttrigger. All money raised goes to support The Bail Project. We'll be doing this stream every week for most of the summer, so come on by. 

Thank you, 

- Dave, Colin, G, and Greg