The Insert Credit Show

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Ep. 268 - Cake Realizer Button Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

The original panel reunites for Frank Cifaldi’s two point-and-click adventure game recommendations, the best kind of game for Tim Rogers right now, and Brandon Sheffield’s selection as the Whitney Houston of video games. Plus, Bennett Foddy designs a new game for the Steel Battalion controller. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

What’s your favorite tribute to a video game in another video game? (WARNING: This question features minor Death Stranding spoilers) (04:58)
Categorize every type of mission in a video game. (10:01)
Narratively, what is happening to a video game character when they lose a life? (13:10)
What video game should get a new remake every year? (19:58)
Design a new game for the Steel Battalion controller. (25:50)
Design a new game for the Steel Battalion controller, Bennett Foddy. (31:27)
Soup’um asks: What is the absolute minimum length a game has to be to no longer be considered ‘short’? (36:48)
What is the Whitney Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for the soundtrack of the film The Bodyguard of video games? (50:18)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Fortnite (55:47)

Recommendations and Outro (59:36)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: Icey Jaye ‎- Icey (She’s Bad), Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (2014)

Anti-Recommendations: Brandon: What We Left Behind - Looking Back At Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018) if you enjoy the Star Trek

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Ep. 267 - Asynchronicity 2: Holiday Spectacular Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

A grand cast of holiday favorites are subjected to a gauntlet of questions. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, Ash Parrish, Patrick Miller, Topher Florence, Esper Quinn, Andrés Velasco y Coll, Azurelore Korrigan, Liz Ryerson, K Thor Jensen and Fūnk-é Joseph. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

What are the worst trends, currently or historically, in video game character design? (w/Ash Parrish) (06:38)
Design a unique custom rule set for a fighting game tournament. (w/Patrick Miller) (11:33)
Which three video game characters would you ask to help you move? (w/Topher Florence) (14:59)
What do you do when you’re working on a game and your funding gets cut? (18:17)
What’s the best time you ever had with a bad game? (w/Esper Quinn) (21:25)
Which video game voice actors deserve wider recognition? (w/Andrés Velasco y Coll) (27:30)
What’s the best answer that someone in the game industry has given you to a question you asked them? (w/Azurelore Korrigan) (31:17)
How would you remake Indie Game: The Movie today? (w/Liz Ryerson) (37:13)
Which modern video game would be the best introduction to video games for a child? (w/K Thor Jensen) (43:21)
What’s the difference between a good video game and a cool video game? (w/Fūnk-é Joseph) (45:55)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Recommendations and Outro (47:59)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Frank: Magic Kid Googoo
Brandon: Quo Vadis 2
Ash: Pepsiman
Patrick: Goddess of Victory: Nikke
Topher: Chair Chaser
Esper: Gravity Rush series
Andrés: Windjammers 2
Azurelore: Ghost House
Liz: Soul Axiom, Uurnog: Uurnlimited
K Thor: Guardians / Denjin Makai II
Fūnk-é: Bloons TD 6

Closing song: [XMAS]「諸人こぞりて」Mix Yona [音量可変版 Ex - Pcm][X68000][1994制作] ****by Keishi Yonao

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Ep. 266 - Perspexpertise Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Our standard party of panelists covers the newly announced God of War and Death Stranding adaptations, what they’d teach in game design school, hangout flavors, and Christopher Lambert. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Who were the kings of the lost art of video game packaging? (05:40)
Which games make the weird controllers they were designed for worth using? (12:57)
Other than fatherhood, what types of interpersonal relationships should games explore? (19:59)
What’s the worst flavor text in video games? (26:04)
In the Death Stranding movie, who should play Sam Porter Bridges? (31:17)
What questions would you put on a written exam in a game design class? (39:15)
What would you change about the last video game you played? (44:25)
How would you describe your unique perspective and how would you put that in a video game? (51:42)
How would you break down the first screen of Super Mario Bros.? (56:34)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Price is Sprite (from Yeso) (01:04:56)

Recommendations and Outro (01:12:38)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: Take a look at the Jewel of the Five Suns kickstarter, Cameron Paul 106 KMEL Powermixes, wishlist Hyper Gunsport and Demonschool on steam please thank you
Frank: Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series
Tim: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
Jaffe: The Blacklist

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Ep. 265 - Starfield and Friends Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

The panel is ill-prepared for these questions, but unites once more to cover The Game Awards 2022, cool ladies, and the greatest game of all time no one is talking about yet. Brandon Sheffield reviews the first four episodes of Bleach and One Piece. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Questions this week: Do we want to talk about the FTC suing to block Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard? (06:37) From Ash Parrish: if you could lock Geoff Keighley in a room and make him reveal the video game industry’s biggest secret, what would you ask him? (09:13) Let’s try to have a sincere discussion about The Game Awards (11:43) Let’s predict The Game Awards (20:48) How have video games influenced our vocabulary? (37:24) Does a video game protagonist have to be likable? (42:47) Insert Credit Anime Review: Bleach vs. One Piece (48:32) Mek asks: has there ever been a good boss fight in a first person shooter? (54:54) Which fighting game has the coolest lady? (01:00:37) What is the Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles of video games? (01:05:24) LIGHTNING ROUND: Improv Zone - Introducing the Nominees (01:16:20) Recommendations and Outro (01:22:02) A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: Michigan J. Frog - “Hello My Baby” Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan / Elite Beat Agents series Dragon Quest series The Sopranos Dororo Parasite Eve Gungrave series FTC Seeks to Block Microsoft Corp.’s Acquisition of Activision Blizzard Monopoly The Game of Life Itadaki Street series Disney’s Bonkers Bonk series Geoff Keighley The Game Awards 2022 what me suit should look like? FINAL FANTASY XVI REVENGE trailer Tetsuya Nomura Independent Games Festival IndieCade D.I.C.E. Awards Dredd (2012) Call of Duty: Warzone Sayonara Wild Hearts Disco Elysium Stray Xenoblade Chronicles 3 A Plague Tale: Requiem Elden Ring Horizon II: Forbidden West God of War: Ragnarök Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Fortnite: Battle Royale Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Genshin Impact Apex Legends Destiny 2 Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Marvel Snap The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Starfield Resident Evil 4 Mass Effect series Skyrim series League of Legends Dota 2 Counter-Strike series Valorant Rocket League Splatoon 3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge Overwatch series MultiVersus Baskin-Robbins Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) Uncharted (2022) The Cuphead Show! Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Arcane Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Nintendo Switch Sports Kirby and the Forgotten Land LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Immortality Grammy Awards Academy Awards Triangle Strategy Live A Live Pokémon Legends: Arceus Ashly Burch Gran Turismo 7 Sifu Neon White Tunic Cult of the Lamb Vampire Survivors Evo Los Angeles Thieves GamePro Casino (1995) Pacific Pinball Museum Tim’s Elden Ring guy Chuck Rock series Joe & Mac: Caveman Ninja Joe & Mac Returns Toki Clockwork Knight Bug! series Bleach One Piece Hunter × Hunter Turok: Dinosaur Hunter Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus Descent series Halo series Titanfall series Metroid Prime series Left 4 Dead series DOOM series Street Fighter series Sonya Blade Makoto Elena King of Fighters series Angel Yuri Sakazaki Asuka 120% series May Jam Kuradoberi King Tekken series King Marvel vs. Capcom series Iron Fist Akira Skullomania Superman Terry Bogard Super Smash Brothers series Mai Shiranui Kyo Kusanagi Ryu Ken Masters Bayonetta Bayonetta series Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) ‘Jeanne Dielman’ Tops Sight & Sound’s 2022 Poll of the Best Films of All Time Citizen Kane (1941) Vertigo (1958) Tokyo Story (1953) Bicycle Thieves (1948) Bomberman: Act:Zero Fallout: New Vegas BioShock Journey Linda³ Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines Gears of War series Frank’s photo of Ed Semrad Recommendations:Frank: The Prototypes in Ed Semrad’s BasementBrandon: Watch a few episodes of Hunter X Hunter, wishlist Hyper Gunsport on Steam Support on Patreon Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Full show notes at the publisher

Ep. 264 - Doki Doki Paisano, with Ash Parrish Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Video Game Reporter Ash Parrish joins the panel to cover unfinished games, Mario’s origins, and the friendship-building return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Is Mario Italian? (04:22)
From Esper Quinn: If a game offers you a starting class of Warrior, Wizard, Rogue or Cleric, which do you choose and why? (09:30)
With Sonic Frontiers and the new Pokemon games we must ask, what does it mean for a game to be finished? (13:15)
Do you have any questions for Alex Jaffe? (24:33)
Spencer’s Gifts asks: What is the best game with the worst graphics, and what is the worst game with the best graphics? (30:55)
Violence Island (36:37)
Who or what is the Gritty of video games? (53:06)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Dirtbag Diving (55:08)

Recommendations and Outro (58:57)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: TOUGH BOY by TOM★CAT, Doom Runners (1997)

Frank: Don’t give Frank any money, RichWhitehouse.com

Ash: Donate to the Video Game History Foundation Winter Fundraiser where donations are matched dollar for dollar until the goal is met, Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, Marvel Midnight Suns, Marvel Snap

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Ep. 263 - Extractula the Dracula, with Esper Quinn Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Editor Esper Quinn joins the table to give thanks for a feast of listener submitted questions. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Max asks: What is the most fun or interesting scoring mechanic in a shooting game? (10:59)
Malcove asks: How would you reintroduce vampires to modern video games? (14:44)
A Most Handsome Boy asks: Thoughts on a good steam? (16:56)
ColdPie asks: what type of tourism opportunities would you take advantage of if you were visiting the Republic of Gamers? (20:37)
BreadyToDie asks: Have you ever played the sequel of a game before playing the original? (22:53)
Pannekoeken asks: What happened to rhythm games? (26:32)
Dilson asks: Which cooking games aren’t boring? (33:56)
Ripley Rose proposes an Improv Zone – Sonic’s Dad Got Arrested (38:19)
Gaagaagiins asks: When has a video game adaptation been objectively better than the source material? (43:33)
Anonymous asks: What singleplayer game should have gotten a competitive multiplayer mode? (48:49)
Ross Hamrick asks: Which arcade racing game has the best manual transmission? (52:01)
Cole asks: are Japanese video game scores better for a reason? (56:32)
Kiko B asks: Which two video game franchises would be improved by swapping protagonists? (01:04:28)
Terrace asks: What was the Secret of Evermore?(01:06:52)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Crumbling Zero asks to Rank the Metacritic Top 10 (01:07:50)

Recommendations and Outro (01:32:22)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Frank: Nutritional yeast
Brandon: Duma
Tim: Nothing so mundane as a grocery store
Esper: Princess Tutu

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Ep. 262 - Phantastic, with Gita Jackson Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Journalist Gita Jackson joins the full panel to decide how much video games should cost, share research tips, and reveal Barbies in the garbies. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Gita Jackson. Featuring Harper Jay, Azurelore Korrigan, and Vincent Diamante, with writing by Mark Cerny. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

From Andrés Velasco y Coll: Has there been a speedrun that particularly impressed you? Or, how would you ruin Sony Computer Entertainment? (06:16)
Now that every issue of Nintendo Power is uploaded to the Internet Archive, what should we do with it? (13:09)
What should it cost to buy a video game? (19:46)
What can we say about the legacy of Rieko Kodama? (34:39)
Insert Credit contributors share memories of Rieko Kodama (48:31)
Kiko asks: is it ever worthwhile to play all the way through a game you hate? (01:02:15)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Localization Station (01:11:55)

Recommendations and Outro (01:18:25)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Frank: Follow Gita on twitter, Mad Men
Gita: Interview with the Vampire
Tim: Mad Men
Brandon: Star Trek: Lower Decks, Morbid Saint

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Ep. 261 - Clown Insanity, with Andrés Velasco y Coll and Fūnk-é Joseph Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

EVO tournament organizer Andrés Velasco y Coll and PC Gamer editor Fūnk-é Joseph join Frank and Jaffe for the new Sonic game, predatory publisher tactics, and Nickelodeon’s Fortnite. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Andrés Velasco y Coll, and Fūnk-é Joseph. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Are 3D Sonic games a failed experiment? (04:17)
How do games best emulate being able to fly? (10:03)
What precautions should developers take to avoid being taken advantage of by publishers? (14:11)
How do you curate a video game zine? (18:37)
The Adaptation Game: Turn a video game into a daytime game show (24:00)
Bearcabin asks: What kinds of developers would video game magazines end up being? (29:44)
Are there any good video game ads? (35:45)
What is more difficult to do in video games than in real life? (42:32)
What is the Avatar: The Way of Water of video games? (46:56)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Major Arcana (54:52)

Recommendations and Outro (59:48)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Check out the SimCopter 64 article on GameHistory.org

Andrés: Tampa Never Sleeps for some the best North American KOF fighters

Fūnk-é: Making Comics, Fūnk-é Joseph

Jaffe: Alan Moore’s Writing for Comics

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Ep. 260 - Banjo-Kazoomer Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

The full panel reunites to determine what a video game is, how to do RPG dungeon music right, and Bob Oldfather. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

Why did Embracer Group acquire Square Enix Montreal, change its name to Onoma, and then immediately shut it down? (05:25)
What kind of video game items do you never want to use again? (08:09)
When you’re playing an RPG and you complete an enemy encounter, should the overworld or dungeon theme start over from the beginning, pick up where it left off, or just play through the encounter itself? (15:15)
NASCAR racer Ross Chastain pulled off a risky wall-riding maneuver this week setting a lap record, claiming that he learned the move from playing NASCAR 2005 on the GameCube. How is it that video games are changing the way sports are played in real life? (21:04)
Is this particular dartboard a video game console? (30:02)
Violence Island (39:17)

LIGHTNING ROUND: From Yeso: Guess the game based on its Metacritic review (01:06:38)

Recommendations and Outro (01:13:31)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Five Fingers for Marseilles (2017)

Frank: Bookmans Entertainment Exchange if you’re in Tuscon or Phoenix

Jaffe: Vote! And tell your friends to subscribe to the new Apple Podcasts feed

Support on Patreon

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Ep. 259 - Specdracular 2022, with Christa Lee Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Game music composer and console restoration expert Christa Lee joins this year’s monster hunting party, taking on evils like foreshadowing, deceptively powerful industry figures, and ranking the Silent Hill series. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Christa Lee. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this year:

What do we think of all the Silent Hill stuff that got announced? (03:35)
What games best use technological constraints to their advantage? (09:59)
When does a game seem perfect for you, but still doesn’t work? (15:58)
What’s the right way to do foreshadowing in a video game? (23:09)
The Fightening Return of Questions Deemed Too Stupid for the Dirtbag (29:36)
What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken in a video game? (39:50)
Should video games even have unwinnable scenarios? (46:05)
Who are the most surprisingly powerful people in the video game industry? (53:06)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Ranking the Silent Hill series (01:00:39)

Recommendations and Outro (01:12:32)

Visit the forums to see the final ranking of the Silent Hill series!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Tim: Have already put a “Skip Intro” on Star Trek: The Next Generation if you’re someone who has the ability to make that happen inside Paramount+ by the time this episode airs

Brandon: Virtuosic Hair Metal Band T-Ride, buy from CastleMania if you’re gonna buy any of these rereleases coming up

Christa: Insmouse no Yakata, get your VirtualBoy ribbons fixed at SoundRetro.co, Furuhata Ninzaburō, Mikey and Nicky (1976)

Jaffe: Wishlist Demonschool and Hyper Gunsport on Steam, Welcome to the Fantasy Zone

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