Podtoid

Well, here we are. Two and a half years ago, I got the crazy idea to bring back Podtoid after Steven Hansen left us to go join the Red Army. It would be a lot of work and I wasn't even sure it would be good or not. But I got Chris Moyse, Dan Roemer, and Occams to sign on, helping me revive the show nearly two years ago to the day. The first show wasn't so hot, but we got better, added Charlotte to the cast, and figured out a way to create some truly wonderful episodes in the weeks and months that followed.

As much as I've enjoyed the past two years, all good things must come to an end and today, this version of Podtoid takes its last bow before exiting stage right. On the show, the whole crew is here to look back at the great things from 2020 and some of the not-so-great things as well. We talk games, movies, books, and more as we say goodbye to this godforsaken year. Also, Moyse's Simpsons knowledge is put to the test with a trivia quiz. All that and more, on Podtoid Episode 470.

It is the first new episode of Podtoid for the month, and throughout 2020, that has meant opening the mailbag and answering your questions. In the past, we've got a handful of interesting inquiries, enough to make the Goddamn Mail a featured segment in the back-half of the show. But this week, the community came through with so many great questions that we had to super-size this episode of Podtoid to answer as many as we could. Want to know our thoughts on games from 2020, what we'll do when COVID is over, licensed titles, and more? Then sit back and chillax all cool with Podtoid Episode 469.

With so many popular video game franchises staying true to course, it's refreshing to see when a publisher lets a developer go wild with their ideas. The Yakuza series is long known for its brawler gameplay, but in Like a Dragon, it shifts things up with an RPG formula that really works well for the series.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. Chris, CJ, Dan, and Occams gather around the proverbial fire to talk Yakuza, Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War, the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, the Game Award nominations, and IOI's 007 game. All that, plus a comedy of errors for one street racer, on Podtoid Episode 468.

With game prices going up in the new generation of consoles, it makes more sense than ever before to check out the various gaming subscription services available. Both Sony and Microsoft have their own, and no matter which one you choose, you're bound to find some games you'll love.

That's one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, Dan, and Occams come together to talk game subscriptions, Microsoft studio acquisitions, Streets of Rage 4, renting movies on demand, and the Xbox Series S. All that, plus fast food isn't worth going to jail for, on Podtoid Episode 467.

We're on the cusp of a new generation of consoles, and Ubisoft has three(!) massive open-world games coming over the span of just a few weeks. And while the environments the developers there create just keep getting better, the same can't be said about the faces of the people who populate these places.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Chris, Dan, and Charlotte come together to talk Watch Dogs: Legion, Bugsnax, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope, PS5 storage space, and Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. All that, plus adorable White House dogs, on Podtoid Episode 466.

There are many great autumn traditions we celebrate in this country. Pumpkin-spiced everything, Thanksgiving, radio stations playing Christmas music way too damn early, and new "Treehouse of Horror" episodes on The Simpsons. Are they are good as they used to be? Nah, but they're still usually better than the rest of the season.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Chris, Occams, and Charlotte talk TV, No More Heroes, Duolingo, Silent Hill, and Cruel Jaws. All that, plus we answer some listener questions, on Podtoid Episode 465.

We're just weeks away from a new console generation and with it will come more beautifully imagined and realized worlds that will only be possible with better hardware. But as we've seen over the past few years, our current consoles are still powering some of the most jaw-dropping titles ever created. The PlayStation 4 in particular has been killing it with gorgeous games like The Last of Us: Part II, God of War, and Ghost of Tsushima, the latter of which just might be the most beautiful game found on the hardware.

That's just one of the topics of conversation for this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Chris, and Charlotte are on hand to talk open-world games, Just Dance, Street Fighter V, stupid ads in sports games, and measuring consoles in cats. All that, plus a huge announcement about a streaming deal, on Podtoid Episode 464.

It's no secret that Marvel's Avengers isn't in the best of places right now. Yes, it sold big in September, enough to top Super Mario 3D All-Stars as the month's top title on the NPD charts, but it's struggling, and with new consoles and several massive titles on the horizon, things are not going to get easier for Crystal Dynamics. But just because it's down now doesn't mean it's out. As we've seen with Fallout 76, developers can pull their games back from the brink.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, Occams, and Dan chat about Marvel's Avengers, Ring Fit Adventure, Dragon Quest Tact, and Spooky Encounters. All that, plus you shouldn't rap about real crimes, on Podtoid Episode 463.

The latest Mortal Kombat 11 update launching in November is being called "Ultimate," but is it really the final version of this game?

I guess if it's not, at least Mileena is finally being added so people on Twitter can shut up about her.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Dan, Charlotte, and Chris come together to talk John Rambo, FIFA 21, Watch Dogs 2, the Monster Hunter movie, Resident Evil reboot, beaches full of drugs, and home baking. All that, plus Michelle Rodriguez's leather pants, on Podtoid Episode 462.

Is the song "Monster Mash" about a song called "Monster Mash" or a dance called "Monster Mash?" Or is it both? Or does it not matter because this is the type of argument you should only have if you're high?

That's one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Chris, Dan, and Occams come together to talk Genshin Impact, Super Mario 35, Inframan, granny getaway drivers, and Mafia: Definitive Edition. All that, plus we answer your listener questions, on Podtoid Episode 461.

While Podtoid is and will always be a podcast about gaming, sometimes the crew just likes to chat about movies. And when it's only Chris, Occams, and CJ on the show, you can be sure those movies will be from the '80s. On this week's show, the boys talk about the rise and fall of Cannon Films, horror flicks, Spellbreak, and the big Bethesda purchase. All that, plus pumpkin spice flavors where they don't belong, on Podtoid Episode 460.

Have you ever forgot how to play a video game? That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Occams, Dan, and Charlotte talk forgetting games, WWE Battlegrounds, Final Fantasy X, 13 Sentinels, Pathfinder: Kingmaker, and the PlayStation 5 date and price reveal. All that, plus even the trees are out to get you in Australia, on Podtoid Episode 459.

CJ, Chris, Occams, and Charlotte are on hand to talk about skateboarding memories, Oxenfree, Super Punch Patrol, the Xbox Series S, and Microsoft's lack of significant launch titles. All that, plus just because you play a doctor in movies doesn't mean you are one, on Podtoid Episode 458.

We may still be waiting for next-gen console news, but we do know there is still so much to talk about with the industry and on this episode of Podtoid, CJ, Chris, Dan, and Charlotte get to chatting about Marvel's Avengers, Moon, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and speaking German. All that, plus we answer your questions, on Podtoid Episode 457.

Batgirl has come to save Gotham! Oh, also Robin, Red Hood, and Nightwing. That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. Charlotte, Chris, Dan, CJ, and Occams are here to talk superhero games, The Batman, delicious snowfall, Bury Me, My Love, 13 Sentinels, and Fast & Furious: Crossroads. All that, plus CJ fails basic high school Spanish, in Podtoid Episode 456.

I imagine one of the most entertaining parts of building an epic video game is building up the world players will be exploring. There are many different ways to do this, and in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, you can find a lot of information about the inhabitants of this world the old-fashioned way: in a book. You can find out about the history of the land, as well as some saucier little details you might not expect.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. Charlotte, Dan, Occams, and CJ talk Skyrim, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, IKEA furniture, Epic's lawsuits, Galaxy of Terror, and the Xbox Series X launch. All that, plus you shouldn't point a gun at your dick, on Podtoid Episode 455.

Years of rumors about what Rocksteady was working on came to an end last week with the reveal it was working on a Suicide Squad title. With the David Ayer film tainting the property for many people who'd never heard of it before, can Rocksteady be the studio to repair their image? If the Arkham series is any indication, yes they are. 

That's just one of the topics covered on this episode of Podtoid. Occams, Charlotte, Dan, Chris, and CJ are on hand to talk Rocksteady, Fall Guys, how it's too damn hot, Lego NES, Street Fighter V, and more. All that, plus you need to stop feeding your friends to bears, on Podtoid Episode 454.

There's no getting around it: Grounded is a hit. More than a million people have downloaded the game that is definitely-not-but-totally-is Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and according to Podtoid's Dan Roemer, it's one damn-fine survival game.

That's just one of the topics covered in this episode of Podtoid. Charlotte, Occams, CJ, Dan, and Chris break down why we need more playable spiders in games, dangerous toys for kids, Atelier Ryza, The Thing, Thing, the Rambo film saga. All that, plus we answer listener questions, on Podtoid Episode 453.

Could leaks like the Nintendo asset dump and the gargantuan The Last of Us: Part II leak have a negative ripple effect for the people who work in and around the gaming industry?

That's just one of the topics discussed on this episode of Podtoid. CJ, Charlotte, and Occams are on hand to talk asset leaks, Ghost of Tsushima, Void Terrarium, Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, and our favorite titles from last week's Xbox Games Showcase. All that, plus the idea that games starring women don't sell is BS, on Podtoid Episode 452.

At the first Ubisoft Forward streaming event, Podtoid was left disappointed with the complete lack of Beyond Good & Evil 2.

That's just one of the topics on this episode of Podtoid. On the show, Occams, Charlotte, Chris, and CJ talk Ubisoft, Knights & Bikes, Warhammer, theme park screams, and the difficulty facing Microsoft with its Xbox naming conventions. All that, plus CJ has had it with free-to-play mobile RPGs, on Podtoid Episode 451.