Before cheat codes and save points, there was only one rule: don’t die. This week, Bret and Josh fire up the nostalgia with a trip back to the 8-bit era — when games like Contra, Zelda, TMNT, and even Pitfall taught us the art of patience, strategy, and persistence.

Josh and Bret talk about blowing on cartridges, memorizing enemy patterns, stuffing towels in the door cracks so you could play at night, teaming up on the couch with friends, and celebrating those rare victories that came after dozens of failed attempts. Along the way, we explore whether today’s instant-gratification gaming culture still delivers the same grit-building experiences… or if something valuable was left back in those pixelated worlds.

Once upon a time, if you had a problem with someone, you handled it. Face-to-face. No texts. No ghosting. Just words — awkward, angry, clumsy, honest words.

This week, Bret and Josh get into the gritty life school of confrontation — what it taught us growing up Gen X, and what seems to be missing in today’s conflict-avoidant, GenZ Staring, emoji-coded culture. From hallway showdowns and forced apologies to the wild rise of “ghostlighting” and dry texting, this episode explores how avoiding tension might be killing our ability to grow, forgive, and move on.

We also dive into how this shift is affecting kids, relationships, and even workplaces — and challenge the idea that avoiding conflict is somehow healthier than working through it.

#69 This week in the Treefort, Bret and Josh pull back the foil wrapper on the food we thought was fine — and somehow lived to talk about. From Pop-Tarts and bagel bites to ramen dinners and roller dogs that looked like wizard fingers, this is a love letter to the food crimes and the never-would-I-ever-eat-that food of our youth.

The rant gets real as they tear into the scam that was the food pyramid, how nobody understood nutrition labels until their 30s, and Josh’s go-to ramen creation before a night out in college. It’s greasy, it’s nostalgic, it’s hilarious — and it pairs perfectly with a Capri Sun and low expectations.

Songs on the mixtape this week: Eat It by Weird Al and Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.