Vidjagame Apocalypse

Latest Episodes:

Dead for a Decade - Vidjagame Apocalypse 563 Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

2014 was a big year for series swan songs, when a number of once-huge videogame franchises launched what would end up being their last installments (as of this writing 10 years later, anyway) - so this week, we pay tribute to five of our favorite series that have now been dead (or at least dormant) for a decade. Then it's on to Mario vs. Donkey Kong, (more) Helldivers II, Penny's Big Breakaway, the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, Elden Ring DLC news, and the biggest asshole moves you've pulled in games.

Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite franchise that has been dormant at least 10 years?

Break song is Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Bioshock Infinite cover) by Tears for Fears. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Under the Black Flag - Vidjagame Apocalypse 562 Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Skull and Bones is out this week, so we're reinventing one of our earliest Top 5 topics and debating the best-ever pirate games! Will your favorites find swashbuckling glory or be keel-hauled into ignominy? Then we'll get into Helldivers 2, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore, Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, and the villains you think should get their own games.

Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: What's the biggest asshole move you've ever pulled in a game?

Break song is You Are A Pirate by Máni Svavarsson, Ken Pontac, and Mark Valenti. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

You Had A Stew Going - Vidjagame Apocalypse 561 Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

Beloved actor Carl Weathers passed away last week, and TL Foster joins us to help pay tribute with a look at five games Weathers either appeared in, or that included the characters he brought to life. Then we'll get into Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Foamstars, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo, Disney buying a stake in Epic, and the fighting-game characters you think deserve their own spinoffs.

Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: What vidjagame villain deserves their own starring role as the (anti)hero of a game?

Break song is Oh No You Didn't by Wojahn Bros. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

The Tekken Expanded Universe - Vidjagame Apocalypse 560 Feb 02, 2024

Show notes

Tekken 8's launch has us captivated this week, so Anthony "BruceWayneBrady" Abatte joins us to talk about it — and about five of the fighting-game series' most noteworthy spinoffs. Then we'll get into the PlayStation State of Play news, the simultaneous reveal and cancellation of an unproduced Deus Ex, and your favorite games that rip off other games.

Thanks to this week's sponsor, NordVPN. Visit nordvpn.com/lasertime to get an exclusive deal and try it risk free with Nord's 30-day money-back guarantee.

Question of the Week: Which fighting game character from any franchise deserves their own spinoff action game?

Break song is Knocc 'Em Down by Snoop Dogg. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Sequels By Any Other Name - Vidjagame Apocalypse 559 Jan 26, 2024

Show notes

We're continuing to play with format this week, starting with a non-traditional Top 5 about sequels that went by completely different names. Why's it non-traditional? We don't even start with a set list, and debate to decide it right there on the show! Then we'll delve into a slew of new releases including Palworld and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the reveals from the Xbox Developer Direct, and the franchises you think should be re-rebooted.

Question of the Week: What's your favorite game that could be considered a knockoff of another, more successful game?

Break song is A.M. 180 by Grandaddy. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Re-Rebooted - Vidjagame Apocalypse 558 Jan 19, 2024

Show notes

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is out this week, and we're all big fans! Before we dig into it on the show, though, it also inspired this episode's (traditionally formatted) Top 5, about series that have gotten more than one reboot over the years. Then we'll talk about Billy Mitchell settling with Twin Galaxies, GameStop backing off NFTs, and the series-outlier games whose gameplay you wish they'd revisit.

Question of the Week: What once-rebooted franchise do you think could benefit from another big reset?

Break song is Mond, Mond, Ja, Ja by Die Kåfer. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

8 Is Great - Vidjagame Apocalypse 557 Jan 12, 2024

Show notes

With Tekken 8 launching in a matter of weeks, this week's Top 5 pays homage to other series that managed to hit at least eight games (and kept the number somewhere in their titles) - but with a twist, as we continue to experiment with new Top 5 formats. This week, we combine a trivia contest and a debate over which games should be included... to, uh, uneven results. Then we'll get into HBO's The Last of Us casting its Abby, SAG-AFTRA striking a game-voiceover deal with an AI studio, and your most anticipated games of 2024.

Question of the week: What's an outlier or unusual game in a long-running series whose gameplay formula you wish they'd revisit?

Break song is The Count Sings About 8 from Sesame Street. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

2024's Most Anticipated Games - Vidjagame Apocalypse 556 Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

Let's start off 2024 right: With a look at five games we're especially looking forward to in the next 12 months! Then we'll get into the Polymega retro console (and Mikel's nearly four-year wait to get one), the 14,000 games Steam added in 2023, the first human being to "beat" NES Tetris, and your personal Games of the Year for 2023.

Question of the Week: Which game are you most looking forward to in 2024?

Break song is New Year's Resolution Song by Rhett & Link. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Apocalypse Gaiden - Game of the Year 2023 - The Ordering (Teaser) Dec 29, 2023

Show notes

If you've been following along the last few weeks you should know our top 10 games of 2023. What you probably don't know (unless you're a Patreon subscriber) is how we arrived at the final order for our list.

Every year we record a Patreon-exclusive episode where Mikel, Matt, and Chris duke it out to decide on the order of our top 10. Patrons have had access to this episode for an entire week, but since it's the holidays and we're feeling generous, we wanted to give all of you a little taste of this exclusive episode that we like to call... THE ORDERING!

To access the full episode you'll have to go to Patreon.com/lasertime and subscribe.

Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in 2024!

Our Top 10 Games of 2023 (Part 2) - Vidjagame Apocalypse 555 Dec 22, 2023

Show notes

The wait is over! We continue with the second half of the GOTY countdown we started last week, and reveal our Top 5 Games of 2023! We've once again invited a rotating panel of guests to help out, including Jesse Cox, TL Foster, Tony Wilson, Brendan Hesse, Ryan Harig, Steve Guntli, and Jorge Albor. Did your favorite game make the cut? Listen and find out!

Question of the Week (Month?): What's your personal Game of the Year for 2023?

There's a lot of chat this week, so here's a quick timestamp cheat sheet if you'd like to skip ahead to unveil each entry:

8:48: #5 with Jorge Albor

29:33: #4 with Brendan Hesse and Steve Guntli

48:08: #3 with Steve Guntli and Anthony Abatte

1:09:29: #2 with Ryan Harig and Brendan Hesse

1:33:52: #1 with Jesse Cox, TL Foster, and Tony Wilson