the besties

Find the full Resties Required Reading List at Besties.fan!

We have finalized the Resties Required Reading List and we can’t wait to share the results! Our goal was to collect a list of 25 games — from Pac-Man to modern day, 1980 to 2020 — that will help our listeners better appreciate this wonderful medium. We believe these are the games that everyone who wants to have a fundamental appreciation of video games should play or watch.  They’re the games that will, in ways big and small, give you a richer connection with every other game you play. Think of it like a syllabus for Video Games 101. Or as the 25 games we’d built a museum around.  Or just as a guide on how to spend some of your holiday break!

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Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Happy Halloween! This week, The Resties celebrate the spooky season with World of Horror, the Japanese horror game inspired by retro text adventures and the artist Junji Ito. Plus, we shine the spotlight on Laika: Aged Through Blood, a game that's as gorey as it is cute. Find all the games discussed on the show by subscribing to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The goal of Gunbrella is to find those responsible for your wife's death by wielding the murder weapon: a gun that turns into an umbrella. Of course this isn't any umbrella. It can block bullets, zip you into the sky, and grind rails like a pro skater. We really enjoyed the developer's previous game, Gato Roboto; can Gunbrella take their talents another step forward? In the second half, we make sense of this month's big video game industry controversy: Unity's baffling decision to change its payment structure, infuriating tons of developers and potentially causing a glut of delays as designers move their games to new engines. See a full list of everything discussed on the episode (plus links!) at Besties.fan.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Starfield inspired Frushtick to take a ship deep into the cosmos of No Man's Sky. After seven years and tons of updates, the sci-fi game is a stunning alternative for people who crave the awesomeness of space more than the dramatics of a traditional RPG. We also talk about the fantastic Shadow Gambit, a stealth tactics game for everybody -- not just fans of the genre. Also discussed: Retro Bowl and Only Weird Games. For more info and links to all games, follow our newsletter besties.fan.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Resties Required Reading List continues with games from 2015-2020. Yes, dear listener, it's time to pick some games that you've probably played -- and that we've definitely discussed! 

Our goal is to curate a "must-play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101.  Where do modern hits fit into a list of all-time classics?  Let's find out!

Previous picks:

85-89 - Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, SimCity

95-99 - Super Mario 64, Pokemon Red and Blue, Final Fantasy 7, Starcraft

00-04: Counter-Strike, GTA3, WoW

05-09 - Resident Evil 4, Wii Sports, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Demon’s Souls

10-14 - Minecraft, Spelunky HD, Hearthstone

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Resties Required Reading List is back, baby! Our goal is to curate a "must-play" list of 25 games released between 1980 to 2020. Think of it like Video Games 101. This week, we've selected games from 2000-2004. Join us as we revisit our high school and college days of video games! Previous picks -- 1985-89: Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, SimCity. 1995-99: Super Mario 64, Pokemon Red and Blue, Final Fantasy 7, Starcraft. 2005-09: Resident Evil 4, Wii Sports, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare; 2010-14: Minecraft, Spelunky HD, Hearthstone.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

A few weeks ago, game developer Double Fine surprise-dropped a 22-hour documentary about the seven-year creation of Psychnoauts 2. At least that's the premise on paper. In reality, the stunning TV-length doc is a fearless look inside the day-to-day life of a video game studio -- warts and all. The documentarians, employed by Double Fine, have unprecedented access to practically every person and room . Frush and Plante talk about the series, called Double Fine PsychOdyssey, along with The Last of Us TV adaptation. Plus, a delightful new retro gaming book is a perfect gift for video game newcomers.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Welcome to the second-annual Resties Video Game Predictions episode! Each January, Frushtick and Plante make six bold predictions for the upcoming year in video games. We also revisit the previous year's prediction and announce a winner. (The year's champion gets a new, soon to-be-revealed anime statue.) Will Tom Cruise appear in video games? Could cloud gaming go mainstream? Is this the year of AAA mega-hits?

Listen to the episode and find out!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We are being bombarded by awesome games. This week, we brought two must-try adventures. The first, Somerville, is the spiritual sequel to indie mega-hits Limbo and Inside. The second is Dave the Diver, a game we hadn't heard about until scuba fishing/sushi serving/business management sim skyrocketed up the Steam Charts. The quirky cocktail is one of the most memorable roleplaying experiences in a long, long time. This episode's lineup may be the closest we've come to "you will find something to love, guaranteed." Hope y'all enjoy!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

For over a year, Stray has been one of the most anticipated games on Steam. Does it live up to the hype? For the most part, yes! We explain why you should give this virtual cat some cuddles. Then Frushtick and Plante share their three favorite games that let you play as animals.  Prepare for obscure adventures about mosquitos! Discussed on this episode: Stray, Lion King, Lion, Mister Mosquito, Tokyo Jungle, Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers, Ecco the Dolphin, Tunic, Okami, Dead Cells, and The Empty Man on HBO Max.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Neon White is a speedrunning game for people who've never tried speedrunning, a Dreamcast-like game for folks who never owned a Dreamcast, and a visual novel for gamers who rather play than read. It's a ball of contradictions and easily one of the best games of 2022. Frushtick and Plante also finish the business they started on the most recent episode of The Besties: cleaning out the overstuffed mailbag.

Movies discussed: The Thing, Mad God, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Kuso

TV discussed: Players on Paramount Plus

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

A great video game doesn't have to be expensive. Inspired by the $2.99 phenomenon Vampire Survivors, The Resties choose their five favorite "bang for your buck" video games. Then, Frushtick brings a surprise B-topic that has Plante reconsidering his obsessions! Discussed on this week's episode: Vampire Survivors, the Earth Defense Force series, Fire Emblem Heroes, Drop7, Fortnite, Stardew Valley, Red Faction Guerilla: Re-MARS-tered Edition. Plus, The Rescue on Disney+ and Doom Patrol on HBO Max.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

To follow up on the best games of our childhood, The Resties discuss the worst ones. The funny thing about "bad" games when your kid is that they're often just as formative and memorable as the beloved ones. Join us as we wax poetic on the Sega Activator, bad licensed games, and the infamous SNES Superscope. In the back half of the show, we discuss the best Gameboy that money can buy: the Analogue Pocket.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!