All My Best Friends Are Digital

Latest Episodes:

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night & Hollow Knight Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

Metroidvania is a very popular formula. We see how much has it changed in the twenty years between its formalization in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its indie apotheosis in Hollow Knight.

What We're Playing

00:54 Caitlin: Coral Island (Stairway Games, 2023)

17:35 Mark: Mortal Sin (Nikita Todorovic, 2025)

27:05 GOOF: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997)

42:50 Feature Game: Hollow Knight (Team Cherry, 2017)

SHOUT

1:00:49 Caitlin: Resident Evil: Requiem (Capcom)

1:02:04 Mark: Runa (Fennec)

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Pocky & Rocky & Artis Impact Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

Pocky & Rocky scoffs at so-called difficult games like Soulslikes, and Artis Impact scoffs at the limitations of RPG Maker.

What We're Playing

01:03 Caitlin: Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (Robot Entertainment, 2025)

08:15 Mark: The Rogue Prince of Persia (Evil Empire, 2025)

18:31 GOOF: Pocky and Rocky (Natsume, 1992)

28:36 Feature Game: Artis Impact (Mas, 2025)

SHOUT

53:03 Caitlin: Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes (Alt Shift)

54:25 Mark: Valor Mortis (One More Level)

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WarioWare: Twisted! & Citizen Sleeper Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Minigames abound in the WarioWare series (featuring a drive-by discussion of the Mario Party games), and then we ponder the corporate dystopia that is video gaming in Citizen Sleeper.

What We're Playing

00:58 Mark: Deadzone: Rogue (Prophecy Games, 2025)

11:34 Caitlin: Hidden Capybaras with Orange (Whimsical Universes, 2023)

17:00 GOOF: WarioWare: Twisted! (Nintendo SPD, 2004)

34:04 Feature Game: Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over the Age, 2022)

SHOUT

57:19 Mark: Drift Survivor (MEWSTURBO)

59:57 Caitlin: Coral Island Multiplayer (Stairway Games)

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Shining Force II & Elden Ring: Nightreign Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

We check out a classic strategy RPG series with Shining Force II, then hurry up and die with Elden Ring: Nightreign.

What We're Playing

01:03 Caitlin: Cryptmaster (Paul Hart, Lee Williams, and Akupara Games, 2024)

07:12 Mark: Split Fiction (Hazelight Studios, 2025)

19:38 GOOF: Shining Force II (Sonic! Software Planning, 1993)

36:02 Feature Game: Elden Ring: Nightreign (FromSoftware, 2025)

SHOUT

55:16 Caitlin: Once Upon a Katamari (RENGAME)

57:12 Mark: Spine (Nekki)

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Vagrant Story & StarVaders Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Vagrant Story is one of Mark's all-time favourite games, but is he ready to talk about Ashley Riot's butt? Can Caitlin cope with the madness that is JoJo? Or capybara feet? It's a whole lot. StarVaders allows us a break to focus entirely on the game of it.

What We're Playing

01:29 Mark: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood (Anchor, Inc, 2006)

16:05 Caitlin: Capybara Spa (Cozy Bee Games, 2022)

22:31 GOOF: Vagrant Story (Square, 2000)

48:30 Feature Game: StarVaders (Pengonauts, 2025)

SHOUT

1:05:24 Mark: 8bitdo Pro 3 (8bitdo)

1:08:37 Caitlin: At Fate's End (Thunder Lotus)

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Parasite Eve & Jusant Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

The nineties were a rough place, as the writing of Parasite Eve reminds us. Is Jusant a corrective, given that it has no dialog at all?

What We're Playing

01:07 Caitlin: The Ranch of Rivershine (Coze Bee Games, 2025)

11:39 Mark: Kunitsu-Gami: Otherworldly Ventures (Capcom, 2025)

21:28 GOOF: Parasite Eve (Square, 1998)

37:21 Feature Game: Jusant (Don't Nod, 2023)

SHOUT

56:05 Caitlin: Artis Impact (Mas)

58:05 Mark: Terminator 2D: No Fate (Bitmap Bureau)

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#57: 1000xRESIST Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

All action and no real story with Street Fighter II Turbo, and then all story and no real action with 1000xRESIST. Each successful in their own way!

What We're Playing

01:11 Mark: Space Mercenary Defense Force (Tom Paradise, 2023)

10:53 Caitlin: Neva (Nomada Studio, 2025)

17:08 GOOF: Street Fighter II Turbo (Capcom, 1992)

35:04 Feature Game: 1000xRESIST (sunset visitor, 2024)

SHOUT

52:01 Mark: Varlet (FURYU)

52:57 Caitlin: Kingmakers (Redemption Road)

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#56: Dropping Off and Picking Up Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Why do we allow some games, even ones we enjoy, to drop off and go on the back burner? And why do some get picked up again and not others? It is mysterious, much like why designers continue to insert terrible "comic relief" characters in games like Okami.

What We're Playing

01:03 Caitlin: Dead Letter Department (Belief Engine, 2025)

08:50 Mark: Suit for Hire (Godmode Interactive, 2025)

18:34 GOOF: Okami (Clover Studio, 2006)

44:13 Feature Topic: Dropping Off, Picking Up

SHOUT

1:09:10 Caitlin: Dispatch (AdHoc Studio)

1:10:06 Mark: Enter the Gungeon Mobile (Dodgeroll)

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#55: Nier: Automata Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

King Arthur's World makes us long for Lemmings, and does Nier: Automata peak in the first hour? Our suplexes are German and our fashion sense is questionable this week.

What We're Playing

01:03 Mark: God Hand (Clover, 2006)

15:13 Caitlin: Date Everything! (Sassy Chap Games, 2025)

24:13 GOOF: King Arthur's World (Argonaut Software, 1992)

36:11 Feature Game: Nier: Automata (PlatinumGames, 2017)

SHOUT

55:31 Mark: Persona 4 Revival (Atlus)

57:16 Caitlin: Haunted Paws (LazyFlock)

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#54: The Alters Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

It's protagonist vs. protagonist week here at AMBFAD, and we repeatedly ask--why can't we all just get along? First it's Spy vs. Spy, and then Jan vs. Jan in The Alters.

What We're Playing

01:41 Caitlin: A Building Full of Cats 2 (Devcats, 2025)

08:45 Mark: Star Trek: The Next Generation (NES/GB, Imagineering, 1993)

20:25 GOOF: Spy vs. Spy (GBC, Kemco, 1999)

32:50 Feature Game: The Alters (11 Bit Studios, 2025)

35:26 Spoilers Begin

36:52 Spoilers End

SHOUT

55:03 Caitlin: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Square Enix)

56:46 Mark: Pragmata (Capcom)

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