The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Thirty The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Early-Game Impressions

On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we are traveling to Post-Upheaval Hyrule to explore the surface, the sky and the unfathomable depths of what is quite possibly the most anticipated game release in recent memory. Because after 6 years of waiting, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited to discuss our early-game impressions in this episode.

We start our discussion relatively spoiler-free, by looking at all of the new features of TOTK, including the completely reworked new arsenal of abilities - Ultrahand, Fuse, Ascend and Recall - and the three expansive biomes, including the reworked surface, as well as the brand new sky islands and the underground depths. Then we head into full spoilers, including the story beats and characters we’ve encountered, some important tips and tricks, and the weapons, abilities, shrines, temples and quests we’ve each experienced thus far.

Also on this episode: we cover the latest physical game releases - including some new announcements from Limited Run Games and Super Rare Games - and all of the latest games coming to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus between now and the end of May.

Run of Show:

00:01 - Podcast Primer 01:13 - Intro and “What’re you buying?” 18:59 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner (Limited Run Games, Super Rare Games) 34:34 - Rich’s Digital Picks (Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus) 52:04 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Early-Game Impressions

• Spoiler-Free Impressions
  • Initial thoughts (and how far are we, what have we done so far)
  • What’s the same, what’s different?
  • Major New Mechanics (Ultrahand, Ascend, Fuse, Recall)
  • New Biomes (Surface, Sky, Depths)
• --SPOILERS START AT 1:34:35--
  • Story impressions so far
  • Quests and Strategies
  • Final Thoughts

The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Twenty-Nine The Top 10 Best Games for the Nintendo GameCube

On this episode of The Joy of Gaming Podcast, we continue our journey to select “The Top 10 Best Games (for Every Console)”. This time, we’re celebrating the Nintendo GameCube - a misunderstood masterpiece of a console that was once derided as a huge misstep for Nintendo, but has now become one of the most beloved and popular consoles to collect for (with sky-high software prices to prove it).

And while the console itself had a fun and childlike vibe - classically sporting a purple color scheme, a cute handle on the back, and tiny little mini-DVDs to house its games - very few consoles can boast such a concise, impressive library of true classics. From Luigi’s Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine, to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime, Pikmin and so many more - the GameCube either birthed or reinvented some of the world’s greatest franchises, and these days its finally getting its due.

Our job for this episode is to create the Ultimate Top 10 list of Nintendo GameCube Games that we’d recommend - to gamers both new and old - who want to experience the absolute best that the console has to offer. So if you haven’t experienced the GameCube for yourself, we’re here to recommend the 10 best places to start. And if you are already well-versed, join us for this wonderful trip down memory lane.

Run of Show: 00:10 - Introduction

• How do we choose the Top 10?

02:44 - The History of the Nintendo GameCube

• History of the GameCube (Project Dolphin!)
• The GameCube Controller (and the WaveBird!)
• Notable GameCube Peripherals (Donkey Kong Bongos! GameBoy Player!)
• Our Histories with the GameCube

36:09 - The Best GameCube Games: #6-10 1:05:08 - The Best GameCube Games: #1-5 1:37:58 - Honorable Mentions and Final Thoughts

The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast - Episode Twenty-Eight Xbox’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week - Redfall Impressions, Phil Spencer Interview, CMA Blocks Acquisition & More

On this episode of The (New) Joy of Gaming Podcast, we discuss the biggest news story in gaming: Xbox’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. From the semi-disastrous release of Redfall on Game Pass and PC, to the CMA’s blocking of the Activision/Blizzard/King acquisition, to Phil “Cranky Phil” Spencer’s surprisingly candid interview on KindaFunny about the future of the Xbox brand - this is a week that the game industry will be talking about for many years to come.

We look back on this past week from a variety of angles, analyzing some of Phil Spencer’s most candid and revealing quotes, and even offering our own, unbiased review impressions of Redfall - the game at the center of the firestorm. Spoiler: it may not be quite as bad as you’ve heard.

Also on this episode, we discuss our early impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Trinity Trigger, the latest digital releases on Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus, and the most interesting physical games releases and announcements from Limited Run Games, Super Rare, IAm8Bit and PlayAsia. It’s a jam-packed 2.5 hours, and we’re really glad you’re here.

Run of Show:

00:01 - Podcast Trailer

01:35 - Intro and “What’re you buying?”

17:02 - Recent Gaming News

• Release Date Roundup
• Phil Spencer’s Interview on Kinda Funny
• CMA Blocks Activision Blizzard Acquisition
• Sony is Breaking Records with PS5 Sales
• PixelOpus Studio is Closing
• The Worst Zelda Game Gets New Life…on GameBoy?

01:22:05 - Brandon’s Physical Games Corner (Limited Run Games, Super Rare Games)

01:32:52 Rich’s Digital Picks (Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus)

01:51:05 - What We’ve Been Playing

• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (Early Impressions)
• Redfall (Impressions After 10 Hours)
• Trinity Trigger

02:27:24 - What We’re Playing Next / Outro