The Insert Credit Show

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Ep. 314 - Tofurtacular Thank Tank Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

Every member of the Insert Credit panel gathers for a feast of questions regarding cartridge consumption, Tom Cruise title changes, and Bangai-O. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: How would video games be different if the concept of a sequel didn’t exist? (10:39) How do you keep enemy encounters from feeling repetitive? (17:53) What’s the best law to break in a video game? (24:28) What is the best jump noise in video games? (32:03) What’s the worst first impression you’ve had of a game due to outside circumstances? (37:58) What video game cartridge or disc would you like to eat the most? (43:02) What can the U.S. healthcare system learn from healthcare in video games? (49:04) What are the greatest non-corporate rivalries in video games? (55:09) Is it possible to make a competitive multiplayer game completely diagetic to its story? (01:00:55) Has a piano ever been dropped on or near someone in a video game to great effect? (01:06:14) Should fall damage be phased out? (01:11:09) How would you explain Bangai-O to your mom? (01:18:03) LIGHTNING ROUND: Potpourri (01:25:36) Recommendations and Outro (01:30:02) Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series Alex Jaffe Insert Credit Patreon (The Dirtbag) Insert Credit Flavored Questions that are too stupid for the Dirtbag Topher Florence Tofurky Impossible Foods Be’f Repo Man (1984) Taylor Swift Mission: Impossible Tom Cruise Nintendo Entertainment System Balloon Fight Clu Clu Land Urban Champion Popeye Donkey Kong Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. Yume Kōjō: Dokidoki Panic Super Mario Bros. 2 Metroid The Legend of Zelda Kid Icarus Psycho Fox DEcapAttack Magical Hat no Buttobi Turbo! Daibōken Wonder Boy series Brave Fencer Musashi Threads of Fate Yu Suzuki After Burner Space Harrier OutRun Fire Emblem series Gunstar Heroes Chrono Trigger Dragon Quest series Final Fantasy series Pokémon series Final Fantasy VII Cliff Bleszinski LawBreakers Uncharted series Animal Crossing series Cyberpunk 2077 Base Wars - Cyber Stadium Series Atari Jaguar Virtual Boy Wii U Deca Sports MLB The Show series Spider-Man 2 Power Pros Super Mario series Mega Man series The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sonic the Hedgehog series The Witness Jonathan Blow Elon Musk Elden Ring Joseph Conrad Vladimir Nabokov Minecraft Markus “Notch” Persson GameCube PlayStation 5 HuCard PlayStation Vita Nintendo Switch Yes, Nintendo Switch cartridges taste terrible PC Engine John Woo Live, Die, Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014) All You Need Is Kill Pokémon Center Call of Duty series Control Gears of War series Alan Wake II Pregnant Elsa Dies at Dentist Daigo Umehara Justin Wong Evo Moment 37 Kazuma Kiryu Goro Majima SonicFox Battlefield series Cloud Strife Sephiroth Capcom SNK Marvel Monday Night Combat Apex Legends Football Manager Videoball Tokimeki Memorial Boku no Natsuyasumi Destiny Hyper Gunsport Looney Tunes licensees WarioWare series Bugs Bunny Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner Coyote vs. Acme The Day the Clown Cried Dave the Diver CTR: Crash Team Racing Mario Kart series Super Mario 64 Bangai-O Recommendations: Tim: Check out some cheese, drink whole milk if you’re gonna drink milk, Brandon: RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop Jaffe: 52 Pickup This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Full show notes at the publisher

Insert Credit Gaiden #2 - Sniffing Other's Beers Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

Brandon Sheffield continues answering your questions about Japan, and finishes ranking non-alcoholic beers encountered in convenience stores. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, introduced by Alex Jaffe. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Segments:

Alex Jaffe asks: What’s the best convenience store in Japan? (01:19)
Karasu asks: What do you think of the Japanese craft beer scene? (02:10)
sosadillatron asks: Do you notice a lot fewer game centers? (03:56)
Tomofthefog asks: What’s the first thing you wanted to do in Japan that you can’t do anywhere else in the world, and did you do it? (05:05)
Alex Jaffe asks: Has anyone given you trouble for being a foreigner? And, saddleblasters asks: when has your identity as a foreigner perhaps surprisingly meant nothing? (06:22)
powderooze asks: Are there more foreigners around these days? (08:59)
Review: Suntory Lemon Sour (11:46)
Review: Value Plus Zero Feel (13:27)
Mnemogenic asks: What’s your favorite bird to hang out with in Japan? (14:23)
MDS-02 asks: Do you prefer Book Off or Hard Off? (15:30)
Lotte asks: Please go to the Wood & Plywood Museum (16:23)
BinaryFlux asks: What’re some cool places in Japan for someone going for the third time? (16:54)
mtvcribs asks: Why is Japan so much cooler than America? (18:04)
sabertoothalex asks: What are your tips for day to day living in Japan? (19:27)
marxseny asks: Are Japanese cops all ブタ野郎? (22:54)
Review: Takara Karakuchi Zeroball (24:17)
Review: Suntory White Wine (25:50)
What Did We Learn? Plus, Bonus Garlic Cheese (27:08)
A Noisy Airport Addendum Regarding Going With the Flow (29:47)

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A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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Ep. 313 - Nintendo Apocalypse Monster Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Our most popular Insert Credit panel undergoes action experiences, chases down Chester Cheevos, and delivers judgments of gaucheness. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

At what point does a strategy game become too complicated? (08:58)
Is swimming in games ever good? (15:03)
How long before release is the right time to announce your video game? (20:41)
Where would you take Sonic and his friends if they were in town? (26:06) Insert Credit Quick Break: Transgender Day of Remembrance (32:32)
Let’s talk about that Suicide Squad game and live service games (33:52)
How would you name a new console to compete with the Xbox and Playstation? (42:02)
If The Purge were real, how would that affect video games? (53:43)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - British TV Shows (submitted by LeFish) (58:41)

Recommendations and Outro (01:05:27)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Consider the blu-ray commentary for the first Resident Evil movie

Frank: Marvel Spider-Man 2

Tim: Band of Brothers, The Heroic Trio (1993)

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Transgender Day of Remembrance, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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Insert Credit Gaiden #1 - Smadori Nov 15, 2023

Show notes

Brandon Sheffield reports from various locales around Tokyo, answering forum questions and reviewing non-alcoholic beers. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, introduced by Alex Jaffe. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Segments:

rejj asks: What’s it like being vegetarian in Japan? (00:31)
Review: Kirin Zero Ichi (05:45)
Review: Asahi Dry Zero (08:06)
rejj asks: Where do you get your recommendations? (10:31)
rearnakedwindow asks: Is anybody out playing PSPs/3DSes and such? (13:18)
DaveedNoo asks: When was your first trip to Japan and what did you do? (14:31)
Review: Kirin Greens Free (17:45)
Review: Suntory All-Free (19:50)
ninjapresident asks: How is the used game market right now? (21:27)
Review: Yoinai Lemon Sour (30:37)
Review: Suntory Karada Wo Amou All-Free (32:08)

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A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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Ep. 312 - Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Expensive Tetris Nov 13, 2023

Show notes

Your beloved Insert Credit Show panel convenes on topics such as Sony Zelda, the Buddha’s Pickle Rick era, and the return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Phil Salvador asks: What is a game you love that you would not recommend? (07:02)
What’s the best way to pepper sidequests through an RPG? (12:47)
What’s the difference between a good artist and a good concept artist? (18:08)
What will Link’s first line of dialogue be in the live action Legend of Zelda movie? (23:47) Insert Credit Quick Break: video game union newsletter
Jerome asks: which real people have had the most legally distinct video game characters based on them? (32:05)
Why is the Streets of Rage pickup sound better than the Pac-Man pickup noise? (38:14)
What are, according to Wikipedia, some video games the Buddha might or might not enjoy? (42:29)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Violence Island (49:11)

Recommendations and Outro (01:11:08)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: The Legend of Beavis

Brandon: If you’re watching Yakuza Apocalypse (2015) the only watchable version is on Tubi, Saturnalia on Steam

Tim: The new Daytona USA 2 port on Steam

Jaffe: Aftermath, 52 Pickup

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by video game union newsletter, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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Ep. 311 - Cathcula, with Phil Salvador Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

Phil Salvador, library director for the Video Game History Foundation, steps over to the panel for Maxis facts, Five Nights at Freddy’s lore, and pigeon kings. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Phil Salvador. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Do Maxis Sim games have an evolving line of game design you can trace from title to title? (07:29)
What else could Maxis have done after The Sims 2? (15:16)
What are some interesting regional differences in video games? (22:01)
How and why do mass game company layoffs keep happening? (27:37)
Without looking anything up, what do you think Five Nights at Freddy’s is about? (34:57)
Slightly More Five Nights at Freddy’s talk (44:48)
Isla asks: What is a game mechanic or system you really like that is in a game you don’t like? (45:57)
What would it be like if video games had playable forewords? (56:46)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Who Said It? (01:01:39)

Recommendations and Outro (01:13:17)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Phil: The Video Game History Foundation
Brandon: Fushigi and Crimson by Nakamori Akina

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Ep. 310 - Specdracular 2023 Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

Frightening Frank Cifaldi, Terrifying Tim Rogers, and Bone-chilling Brandon Sheffield rank every Resident Evil game after facing a gauntlet of qreepy questions by Affable Alex Jaffe. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

How many different subgenres exist under the umbrella of “horror game?” (04:31)
What are the scariest things in non-horror games? (14:58)
What is the best kind of zombie? (20:19) Insert Credit Quick Break: See You, Space Cowboy… Cybernetics Catalogue Kickstarter (32:03)
Adapt Bobby Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash” into a video game. (26:11)
ThatsSoRevan asks: What are the best ways to do combat in a horror game? (33:33)
What is the “My costume is I came as myself” of video games? (40:01)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Ranking the Resident Evil series (45:52)

Recommendations and Outro (57:52)

See THE INSERT CREDIT RESIDENT EVIL SERIES RANKING in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Siege (1983), The Night Eats the World (2018), Wyrmwood (2014), Cargo (2017), The Horde (2009), Republic Z (2018), Blood Quantum (2019), 6/45 (2022), Dorohedoro, Octopus Girl

Tim: The short stories of Edogawa Ranpo

Jaffe: Rain Jerks

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by the See You, Space Cowboy… Cybernetics Catalogue Kickstarter, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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Ep. 309 - Jovial Duress Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield answer host Alex Jaffe’s questions and uncover the most Insert Credit thing to ever happen, the latest industry megamerger, and a giant cheese wheel. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

How’d the Atari Jaguar Museum at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo go, Frank? (09:18)
Tina Carter asks: Is taking advantage of a a game’s technical system in a single-player environment “cheating”? (19:33)
What happens now that Microsoft bought Activision? (25:03)
You’re at a family dinner, and your six year old nephew asks if you’ve got any games on your phone. What do you show him? (31:30)
Tom Arrow asks: What are some other game franchises that could make interesting use of Sonic & Knuckles ‘Lock On Technology’? (35:28)
Design a minigame for Insert Credit: The Video Game. (46:03)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Video Game Baby Shoes (52:14)

Recommendations and Outro (56:01)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: DVLSBLSH zine vol. 1 and 2, check out the writing of Izumi Suzuki

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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Ep. 308 - Along for the Ride in Tokyo, with Brandon Sheffield Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Brandon reports on foot in Japan, bringing us along to retro game stores, surprise idol concerts, heist stories with chibi-tech and Playstation 2 discoveries with Colin Williamson. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with chibi-tech and Colin Williamson. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Chapters:

the perseverance of nakano sunplaza and shiso leaves (00:08)
a bonus travel tip regarding fresh passports (03:02)
chatting with chibi-tech in akihabara about maids, idols, and stealing stuff (06:29)
a guessing game and building sasage (18:01)
games, other names for granola, tofu for men, and sleep chocolate (20:14)
the state of japanese retro game stores (27:12)
not speaking english with pavel, and spending as much as possible on indian food (33:01)
can you hear these birds?! they’re going nuts (39:31)
something extremely curious (40:52)
nobody does japan like japan does (49:17)
wilderness reclamation (55:51)
waiting for a train in kyoto, and delaying saying no (01:00:51)
The Discovery of Zeus IV, with colin williamson (01:05:42)
towing a hearse (01:16:21)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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Ep. 307US - Tomorrowind, with Christa Lee Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

Console modification expert Christa Lee joins our stateside panel to answer the same gauntlet of questions 8-4 Play faced in episode 307J. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Christa Lee. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

How has Japanese corporate culture manifested itself in the history of game development? (03:29)
What are Japanese arcades like right now? (08:54)
Design an online multiplayer game where the mechanics are intended to incorporate international time zone differences. (14:43)
Jaffe’s NieR Automata Dilemma: How is it that sometimes a video game sequel or follow-up can be technically better than the previous one in every way, but you don’t like it as much? (20:32)
What’s your approach to game localization purity? (28:19)
Which game studio has produced the most good games without releasing ANY bad ones? (37:31)
What is the “But doctor, I am Pagliacci!” of video games? (48:02)

LIGHTNING ROUND: First Person Pronouns (55:31)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:48)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Invite a friend to a movie but don’t tell them what it is, then have them do the same to you. But make sure the movie is interesting, not Expendables 4 or whatever.

Christa: Void Stranger

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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