00:00:28 Intro

00:00:52 What even is a “Deep Dive”

00:02:48 Mewgenics check-in

00:22:49 Deep Dive setup: EGM Issue 163 (Feb 2003)

00:24:57 Reading old mags in the “future year”

00:29:43 Ads and “this aged like milk” moments

00:31:51 Game Boy Player and handheld weirdness

00:34:31 Letters section and peak magazine energy

00:38:10 GTA / PS2 era snapshots

00:40:29 Mobile gaming before it was “mobile gaming”

00:47:56 Resident Evil 4 and the hype machine

00:51:13 Square/Enix rumors and industry vibes

00:52:14 Star Wars takes (and KOTOR brainworms)

00:56:39 Rumors, previews, and 2003 optimism

01:01:48 “Game of the Month” synchronicity

01:05:40 Plugs and where to find the other shows

01:08:50 Wrap-up and closing notes

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

The Casual Crew is heading back to 2003 this week for a Deep Dive into Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 163. It was a time when phones were just phones and online features in games were still a novelty. We also spend time with the internet’s latest roguelike darling, Mewgenics.

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

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youtube.com/thecasualhour

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We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

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Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

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Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 — Intro + industry layoffs chat and “state of games” soapbox

00:10:53 — AYN Thor shipping update + stream hiccup note

00:11:12 — Cairn progress check-in00:12:19 — Dragon Quest VII Reimagined impressions00:14:29 — Nintendo Direct recap + Pragmata demo00:16:13 — Monster Hunter Stories 3 demo deep-dive00:34:31 — Rock n’ Roll Racing nostalgia run00:43:14 — Front Mission 3 Remake impressions00:55:35 — Plugs + what’s next

00:57:46 — Wrap-up and closing notes

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

Bobby’s got demos of unreleased games and Chase has remakes of old games as we run through a bevy of titles in our whatcha been playing segment. We also cover the recent layoffs at Highguard developer Wildlight Entertainment, and talk about why making good videos games is so hard these days. All that and more on this edition of The Casual Hour!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 Cold open – old saves & game preservation

00:06:39 What we’re playing: Cairn impressions

00:19:00 January recap & backlog catch-up

00:23:04 PlayStation Plus Essential (February lineup)

00:28:13 February Releases Preview (trailers & takes)

00:59:21 Picks of the Month01:01:22 Wrap-up & where to find us

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

It may be a short month, but February still has some exciting titles for us to cover, including a very nice looking Dragon Quest remake, a new game from the developer of The Binding of Isaac and the ninth mainline installment of the classic Resident Evil series. All that plus Cairn talk on this edition of The Casual Hour!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 Intro, housekeeping, and setup

00:02:06 Arknights Infield impressions

00:16:23 Hytale mini deep dive

00:25:02 Memories in Orbit (MIO) impressions

00:38:25 Big Hops check-in

00:55:52 Credits and thank-yous

00:58:06 What’s next week + wrap

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

Bobby has found a new obsession: Anime gacha games. Welcome to the club. More specifically, he’s been checking out Arknights: Endfield and its factory-building gameplay. The more things change… We’ve also got insights into Hytale, MIO and more Big Hops. All that on this edition of The Casual Hour!

// T W I T C H & Y O U T U B E

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 Intro, audio check, what tonight is

00:02:56 What we’ve been playing: Big Hops (first impressions)

00:14:13 Deep Dive setup (format and slideshow)

00:15:37 Deep Dive begins: Advent Rising

00:16:36 Quick facts, context, and why it mattered in 2005

00:22:48 Trailer watch and vibes

00:25:39 Reviews, control quirks, and “flick targeting”

00:30:33 The $1,000,000 contest pitch

00:34:40 Contest cancellation and the official line

00:37:52 Why it failed: tech, cheaters, and money trouble

00:41:58 Consolation prizes instead of cash

00:43:24 Aftermath and legacy (GlyphX, Chair, Ziggurat)

00:56:35 Wrap-up: Animal Crossing 3.0 check-in

00:58:51 Plugs and where to find more

01:01:56 Credits and goodbye

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

It’s our first Deep Dive episode of the year, and Chase has got a doozy: A retrospective on 2005’s hottest space opera debut, Advent Rising. We talk about the promise, the missed opportunities and the giant boondoggle contest associated with the game. All on this week’s episode of The Casual Hour!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 — Intro & show setup

00:02:25 — Switch 2 ports: Cyberpunk 2077 & Star Wars Outlaws

00:05:12 — Star Rupture (EA) stream recap

00:06:08 — Dragon Quest VII Reimagined (demo)

00:19:00 — Demonschool impressions

00:28:35 — Final Fantasy Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles deep dive

00:59:13 — Recap & what’s next

01:00:51 — Plugs & side projects

01:04:18 — Next week: Animal Crossing update & outro

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

It’s finally time for Bobby and Chase to catch up properly and talk about all the video games we’ve been playing over the holiday break. Look forward to discussions on Cyberpunk, StarRupture, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Demonschool and a lot of Final Fantasy Tactics. It’s all right here on The Casual Hour!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 Intro, rules, and 2026 kickoff

00:05:01 FUMES (EA on PC)

00:13:10 Cast & Chill (Switch/PC)

00:25:46 Quick look back at Dec ’25 picks

00:28:33 PS Plus Essentials: Unbound, Epic Mickey, Core Keeper

00:35:39 Backlog Roulette

00:35:52 January Games Preview

00:38:19 Star Rupture (EA, PC)

00:41:36 Code Violet (PS5)

00:42:55 Big Hops (PC/Switch/PS5)

00:46:06 Animal Crossing NH v3.0 + Switch 2 edition

00:53:18 Cassetteboy (PC/Mac/Switch/PlayStation/Xbox)

00:57:23 MIO: Memories in Orbit (PC/Switch 2/PS5/XSX)

00:59:04 Dynasty Warriors Origins → Switch 2 port

01:00:22 FFVII Remake Intergrade → Switch 2 & XSX

01:01:22 Hermit and Pig (PC)

01:01:56 Escape from Ever After (all platforms)

01:04:35 Dispatch → Switch/Switch 2

01:05:12 Cairn (PC/PS5)

01:06:46 Code Vein 2 (PC/PS5/XSX)

01:08:33 Front Mission 3 Remake → PC/PlayStation/Xbox

01:10:42 Caves of Qud → Switch

01:14:53 Picks of the Month

01:15:38 What’s next, wrap-up, closing notes

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This Week on The Casual Hour…

New year, new month, new games. Bobby and Chase run down the most exciting titles dropping in the month of January, plus we talk a little about the games we played over our holiday break. Start 2026 right with The Casual Hour!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

twitch.tv/thecasualhour

youtube.com/thecasualhour

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour

We post Casually Considered and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all: www.thecasualhour.com

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease - https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke - http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter @insaneanalog or check out more of his music and download our theme at www.insaneanalog.com

00:00:28 Intro, rules, and setup for the Top 10

00:07:15 #10

00:11:11 #9

00:17:59 #8

00:23:35 #7

00:41:57 #6

00:56:59 #5

01:02:52 #4

01:05:27 #3

01:09:38 #2

01:11:58 #1

01:22:22 Most Anticipated Game of 2026

01:29:13 Day 3 recap + outro

AND THAT’S A WRAP! The 2025 GOTY season comes to a close for us here at The Casual Hour, and we only walked away with a few bruises. Join us for our personal Top 10 lists and the scientifically accurate Casual Hour Top 10. We also look ahead to 2026 just before taking a moderately deserved break for the year. Thanks everyone for the support this year, we appreciate it!

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M W F @ 9 PM CST

⁠⁠twitch.tv/thecasualhour⁠⁠

⁠⁠youtube.com/thecasualhour⁠⁠

// S U B S C R I B E

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/thecasualhour⁠⁠

We post Casually Considereds and VODs from previous streams weekly!

// F O L L O W

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One link to rule them all:⁠⁠ www.thecasualhour.com⁠⁠

// T H E C A S U A L H O U R

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bobby Pease -⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/bob_omby

Chase Koeneke -⁠⁠ http://Linktr.ee/chase_koeneke⁠⁠

// M U S I C

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love our theme music? It was created by Patric Brown. You can follow his antics on Twitter⁠⁠ @insaneanalog⁠⁠ or check out more of his music and download our theme at⁠⁠ www.insaneanalog.com⁠⁠