Sometimes, the odds are stacked against a video game right from the start. A bad release window, a flawed concept, a rushed design, trying to get in on a dying fad, or questionable source material can lead to a game being dead on arrival. On this episode of First Gen Gamers, Ashley and Jed talk about games that never stood a chance.

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Once video games proved they weren't a fad, it was inevitable they'd cross into movies and TV. But the average show couldn't just show footage of Super Mario or Sonic without paying rights fees. That's where fake video games come in. You've seen them, from comedy to horror, on TV and in the theater. And today, Ashley and Jed are talking about the most memorable fake games in pop culture. What are they and where do they come from? You gotta listen to find out!

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Nintendo is the oldest console manufacturer in video games, and one of the longest running developers and publishers of games alongside Activision. They are the house of gaming franchises that even non-gamers know about. With the recent official unveiling of the Switch 2, we thought it would be a good time to give Nintendo flowers for all they've done over the years. So this episode, Ash and Jed celebrate the very best of Nintendo; the best games, their contributions to gaming, and their savviest business moves.

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Ashley and Jed are having a little fun this episode, if making each other uncomfortable with difficult questions they have to answer is fun. Listen as they trade hand-crafted "Would You Rather" questions about gaming to each other, with only one rule: they have to pick one of the two options. Play along and let us know what you picked on social media!

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Making a good product is only half the battle. It also has to be marketed. The best thing in the world can languish on the shelf if nobody knows it exists. Worse yet, sometimes the marketing does the product dirty; it misrepresents the product, or obscures it entirely with a stupid stunt. On this episode of First Gen Gamers, Ash and Jed take a look at when video game companies blow it with the marketing. Lies, PR disasters, poor timing, or overly ambitious campaigns that bring the wrong kind of attention to the product.

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While the gaming community can rally and close ranks when it is accosted by outsiders, it is remarkably quick to devour itself over the dumbest perceived slights. Within the game, on social media, on YouTube, or in real life, gamers can get exceptionally petty when they want to. On this episode, Ashley and Jed look at some examples of when gamers get petty; some are hilarious, some are ridiculous, and some are controversial and life-threatening. Listen and find out what happens when gamers forget video games are meant to be fun and not a life or death situation.

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What happens when Ashley is out sick for recording, but there's a schedule to keep? A guest host! Laceya Finley from Super Mega Crash Beyond steps into the cohost #2 slot, and since she's a lover of FMV games, that's the topic we explore. Where it all started with Dragon's Lair, the awkward 90's games that didn't know what to do, and how the genre has changed in modern day. It's a genre a lot of gamers have forgotten about or even think died off, but we're here to show it's alive and well!

Simulator games started humbly. Run a city. Run an airport. Run a theme park. Somewhere along the way, they became something more. You can be a bee. A forklift operator. A goat. A gas station owner. A rock. The possibilities have become endless. In this episode, Ashley and Jed take a look at simulation games. Games they've played, the way the genre has exploded in recent times, and the disturbing, dark (but silly) corridors the genre has gone down as gaming has become more popular.

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