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Nearly 20 years later, Super Mario Sunshine has returned as part of the Super Mario 3D All Stars Collection to remind us that the famous plumber has a dark side. Luckily, Ed joins us this week to ensure us that Super Mario Galaxy is still a delight and to gush over Hades, the latest game from Supergiant, with Brad. But despite all that, Brad assures the group that the best platformer on the market right now is the remake of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2. Oh... and Microsoft bought Zenimax for $7.5 Billion! We hash out what that means for the industry and for big franchises like Elder Scrolls and Fallout.



This Week's Discussion Topics:

Hades
Super Mario Sunshine (3D All Stars)
Super Mario Galaxy (3D All Stars)
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 & 2 Remake
Microsoft Buys Zenimax / Bethesda
Michel Ancel Leaves the Industry
and more...

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Comments

  • Avatar
    Hayst
    3 years, 5 months ago

    My brother played Hades during early access and said it was prob one of the best early accesses done well since they took loads of feedback and suggestions from the ppl playing it.
    --
    Also, I 100% agree with everything Brad said about THPS; it really outdid itself at the time and still is a truly unique platformer experience. JSRF was prob the last ultra good successor to that formula of "platforming-on-wheels".
    What was also amazing about the remake is that, as soon as I started the Hangar level, I instantly did a Nosegrind over the halfpipe, purely out of instinct. I didn't even read the goals, but that muscle memory from over 15 years ago kicked in, probably due to how faithfully done the stage was.
    Two fun facts:
    -Vicarious Visions got a hold of the original Neversoft-era code, which is how they were able to implement such familiar and smooth handling from the old games
    -Coincidentally, VV did Jet Set Radio for the Gameboy Advance
    --
    Also to answer one of the Patreon questions you guys got:
    Do you guys know how many fucking kids bought a skateboard and started skating because of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater back then? Buttloads.

  • Avatar
    SlopDog
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Much like the Moon Landing and the fall of the Soviet Union, historians will ask where YOU were when Microsoft acquired ZeniMax, possibly making the Xbox Series X and S an actually viable console purchase with some worthwhile exclusives.

    But fo real, this news is really interesting and I'm now considering buying an Xbox along with a PS5. What might happen in the long run with those studios within ZeniMax, how sustainable GamePass will remain (damn fine deal for gamers right now, so might as well take the chance), and what this will mean for the future of Bethesda's games, who knows. Right now, it's just fascinating to watch.

    And Happy Birthday, Chris Davis!

  • Ash Avatar
    Ash
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Loved the show guys. Thanks for reading my question and thanks for the supporter spotlight!

    The live action video staring Nick was from 11 years ago. It was titled "Nick's Dream: Creepy Caper". It has a tune from the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack playing as Nick makes his way through a dark apartment complex, through Brad and David's old apartment to their shower, where he rips the shower curtain across to reveal a very young Matt Damon. Nick has a very special look on his face which is hard to describe, which is why it has stayed with me for so long, haha. The screen blacks out for a second and text across the bottom says something to the effect of "April fools, we changed it" Nick then wakes up holding a bloody knife and declares "Holy balls, goddamn it guys!"

    I've always been curious as to what the original shower screen would be, but assumed it would be the woman from Psycho that gets stabbed.