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Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 472: Ubisoft Forward Recap and Xbox AnnouncementsThis week we cover Ubisoft's "Nintendo Direct" style event called Ubisoft Forward...where they gave some updates on released games, showed more from Immortals Fenyx Rising and announced Riders Republic. It was a good event, jam packed with neat things. We also FINALLY got some info on the releases for the Xbox Series X and S including a release date and price.
During Nibblebits Nintendo drops a bombshell announcement out of nowhere for Hyrule Warriors Age of Calamity....and we're super excited for it.
2020-09-111h 09
10 Minute Videogame TipsTips for Getting a Crown in Fall Guys Season 1Fall Guys was THE game of the summer...it was played by all the biggest streamers, featured on many a gaming clip, and had countless memes associated with it. It's also become increasingly difficult to get crowns as players get better and better. If you haven't played yet, or are still searching for the first crown....fret not! I've got you covered! I give a few general tips before offering up some advice on specific games, including the dreaded Hex-a-Gone...
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
2020-09-0907 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 471: 2020 Fall Games PreviewQuality over quantity would definitely describe this year's fall games lineup...with not too many games coming out. The ones that are though...heavy hitters like Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion and the surprise of the day, Super Mario 3D All Stars! We also cover a few of the other things announced during today's surprise Nintendo Direct, like the Super Mario 3D World port, Mario Kart Live Home Circuit and Super Mario All Stars on the SNES app for Switch Online.
2020-09-041h 09Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 470: Gamescom Opening Night Live RecapWith E3 cancelled this year in favor of smaller and more piecemeal gaming announcements, it's nice to have Gamescom to look forward to! Geoff Keighley again this year hosted an event called "Gamescom Opening Night Live" where he made some new game reveals, had developers announce updates to current games, and gave us a little bit of the E3 hype we've desperately been looking for. Some of the stuff we recap is Season 2 of Fall Guys, World of Warcraft Shadowlands, Star Wars Squadrons, and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond...among other things of course!
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2020-08-281h 31Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 469: Fall GuysIn light of the crazy attention Fall Guys has been getting lately, we figured it would be a good time to dive into what makes it so interesting. In addition to just talking about our thoughts for Fall Guys, we also offer up some tips on how to run the gauntlet and earn your first crown...so you don't end up like TimTheTatman and the be target of the Fall Guys twitter jokes.
Then during nibblebits we revisit the Epic/Apple lovers spat, and Corey played UnderMine on Xbox Gamepass.
2020-08-211h 30Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 468: LittlewoodCorey went and did it again....and dug up yet another indie gem that everyone needs to play stat! This time it's Littlewood, where the battle against good and evil is already won, and our intrepid hero has to now....build a community. It looks legitimately great and I look forward to playing! Later on in nibblebits we talk about the Halo Infinite delay, the Apple/Epic spat over Fortnite, and Dan played The Touryst for this week's episode.
2020-08-141h 09Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 467: Will's New PCWill up and decided to buy everything for a brand spanking new gaming rig earlier in the week so we took it as an opportunity to talk about the selection process and had a discussion on the different parts involved in a gaming PC. During Nibblebits we talk about Nintendo's soaring profits from the COVID 19 gaming boom, and during What We Played we covered some Animal Crossing New Horizons, Paper Mario The Origami King, and of course a little bit of Ghost of Tsushima.
2020-08-071h 10Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 466: Ghost of TsushimaWe finally get to Ghost of Tsushima this week, with Corey, Will and Tito all having played it at various lengths. And apologies for the spotty audio at the beginning...we've been having internet hiccups lately which disrupted some of the beginning of this episode. Not to worry though, after a few minutes it clears right up.
Anyway, Ghost of Tsushima is great and Dan looks forward to it's release on PC someday! Later on in the episode we talk some more Paper Mario: The Origami King, some of Obsidian's game announcements, and Will's ever changing living arra...
2020-07-312h 20Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 465: Paper Mario: The Origami KingIt's Corey and Dan for this week's episode, and Dan's newborn makes his debut during the first part of it! Not to worry though, he only grumped a little bit during the beginning before we got down to brass tacks. We talked a bit about Paper Mario and it's role a a successor to Super Mario RPG, and it's place in Nintendo's lineup...along with the game itself. During nibblebits we discussed the Xbox Games Showcase along with Halo Infinite and some of the other announcements made all while lamenting the loss of E3. And for "What We Played" a bi...
2020-07-241h 11Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 464: 2020 Mid Year RecapAnd it's time yet again for our mid year recap, where I play a little excerpt from some of the bigger releases to come out this year. Keep in mind however, that we're unable to cover every release since we only cover games we buy. It's also been a fairly lean first half, with the only games being covered this episode being DBZ Kakarot, Animal Crossing: New Horizons (twice), Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Minecraft Dungeons. Slim pickings indeed!
2020-07-1751 min10 Minute Videogame TipsTips for Gaming With a NewbornSo, you have a newborn on the way shortly and you're worried about being able to play videogames? Not to worry, as a veteran stay-at-home Dad with 5 kids, I can assure you that you will have time to play games still! Some adjustments will probably need to be made, but you got this...and I can help!
One Handed Games Steam Curation Page
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-07-1306 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 463: The Last of Us Part 2Dan and Tito talk this week about the latest Naughty Dog release in The Last of Us 2....even though Dan hasn't played it! Not to worry though, he's watching a Let's Play on YouTube to at least experience the story. Other than that we talk about the Dr Disrespect Twitch ban, another TSA Pod family birth, and oh yeah...we played some videogames.
2020-07-102h 0610 Minute Videogame TipsRed Dead Redemption 2 Beginner TipsRed Dead Redemption 2 is a masterpiece of a game, slow-paced and beautiful, with a great cast of lovable misfits, and an absolute butt load of stuff to do. One could seriously spend a hundred hours just hunting! So if you find yourself overwhelmed by all the game's interlocking systems, this episode of 10 Minute Videogame Tips will help you with the basics.
(I also thought it worth mentioning that I do talk about Arthur Morgan's tobacco use to recover his Dead Eye meter...an important tip that I didn't want to leave out)
As...
2020-07-0605 min10 Minute Videogame TipsNintendo Switch TipsHere I answer some of the questions I regularly answer involving the Nintendo Switch. Things like the differences between the regular Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite, physical vs. digital copies of games, and some of the other things you may need for your Switch.
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-07-0208 min10 Minute Videogame TipsSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate Beginner TipsSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of my household's favorite competitive games to play, and is also an excellent party game to play with friends and family. In this episode I give some tips on the best kind of controller to use, new-player-friendly game types, and briefly explain recovery.
Smash Ultimate World of Light
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-2907 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 462: Just the News-June 2020Oh boy, some heavy hitting news to cover this week...like the PokeMOBA announcement we've been waiting for called Pokemon Unite, Mixer closing down and partnering with Facebook Gaming, and the purging of some predatory people in the gaming industry. We cover some other stuff, but those were the biggest and most interesting stories from the week.
During "What We Played" Will talks about his first few hours of Persona 4 Golden, and yes....we talk about AC Odyssey some more. Sue me.
2020-06-261h 0610 Minute Videogame TipsCall of Duty Warzone Beginner TipsCall of Duty Warzone.....one of my favorite games to watch on Twitch and one that I dream of actually being good at! Luckily for you dear listener, I have watched a TON and did some research to come up with some tips that you can use to get a start in this very good, Free to Play, battle royale.
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-2506 min10 Minute Videogame TipsMario Kart 8 Deluxe TipsSo you just got Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and want to play it with friends or family...but also want to assert your gaming dominance? I got you! I offer tips for getting ahead right at the beginning of the race, carrying the speed throughout the race, and holding off challengers along the way! Fire up that Pipe Frame, slap on those Crimson Slims, and let's go racing!
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on YouTube
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-2307 min10 Minute Videogame TipsPokemon Sword and Shield TipsPokemon Sword and Shield's new DLC Isle of Armor just dropped the other day, so I figured it was a good opportunity to do some tips for Sword and Shield. They are, after all, the first new Pokemon games on the Switch, and the first ever mainline Pokemon games on console. Contained within is how to get rewards for having played Pokemon: Let's Go Eevee or Pikachu, Wild Area tips, and covering some of the quality of life improvements that were sorely needed!
Pokemon Sword Let's Play
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2020-06-2006 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 461: Deep Rock GalacticTito joins us this week to talk about the new indie release Deep Rock Galactic...a game with drinking, mining, space faring dwarves. It's extremely well rated and rightfully so, it seems! Just watching some gameplay alone was mesmerizing.
During Nibblebits we cover some of the announcements from EA Play, the New Pokemon Snap, and Cyberpunk 2077's delay.
What We Played features some talk of Season 3 of Fortnite, Persona 4 Golden, Outer Wilds, and of course some Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
2020-06-192h 0610 Minute Videogame TipsFortnite Beginner TipsFortnite Chapter 2-Season 3 is just around the corner and a good opportunity for new players to grab a pickaxe and join the battle royale! I myself started playing at the beginning of Chapter 2 with my kids and have enjoyed it thoroughly. For this episode of 10 Minute Videogame tips I relate some of the things that have helped me to some success with Fortnite, like where to drop when you first start, what colors mean for the different weapons, and how to deal with more advanced players that just built a huge fort in 10 seconds....you know...the...
2020-06-1707 min10 Minute Videogame TipsTips for Building a Gaming PCA guide aimed at those who want to take on building a gaming PC for the first time, or maybe those that haven't done it in awhile. I give some website recommendations, briefly breakdown the differences between AMD and Intel processors, and give a crash course on selecting a graphics card. It's also my longest episode yet, that could have EASILY gone longer...I can talk PC components all day!
PCPARTPICKER
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-1507 min10 Minute Videogame TipsSuper Mario World Retro TipsSuper Mario World is still excellent to this very day! It's hard to believe that a game that came out nearly 30 years ago now would hold up so surprisingly well. Even more surprising is that I found out something new about SMW while doing research for this episode. All the time I spent playing back in the day....
You can currently play Super Mario World easily with a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, which gives you access to a number of NES and SNES games. It's also available on the SNES...
2020-06-1205 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 460: PlayStation 5 RevealThe PlayStation 5 reveal was finally held earlier today and there seems to be mixed feelings on it. Lots of cool games for sure, including the INCREDIBLE looking Horizon 2: Forbidden West. There were also some sweet-looking Indie games like Kena: Bridge of Spirits and Stray. Plus we got to see a box! We were worried for a second that we wouldn't....but no details on pricing or an actual release date.
Not too much to cover outside of all that, and we gush more about Assassin's Creed Odyseey AGAIN this week....but it's so worth it!
2020-06-121h 2410 Minute Videogame TipsStardew Valley Beginner Tips Part 2Didn't get enough Stardew Valley the first time around? I've got you covered with tips on crop and calendar management, and how you should try not to neglect the awesome people of Pelican Town. And I may or may not have professed my love for Abigail...
Fall Asleep To: Stardew Valley
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-1006 min10 Minute Videogame TipsStardew Valley Beginner TipsEverything you wanted to know about starting Stardew Valley but were afraid to ask...or search for, or watch! It's hard to even describe how amazing Stardew Valley is, the music and sounds are smooth and silky like butter, and there's a depth to it that's startling. Basically what I'm trying to say is, listen to my beginner tips, then go buy it on one of the number of platforms on which it's available!
Fall Asleep To: Stardew Valley (Referenced in this episode)
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work...
2020-06-0806 min10 Minute Videogame TipsValorant Beginner TipsNew to Valorant and the tactical shooter genre? I've got you covered with a few things I wish I had known before diving in. While some skills from other shooters will translate to Valorant, most are rather unhelpful...so if you're coming from Overwatch, Call of Duty, Fortnite or Apex, it's time to learn a few things!
PCINVASION Article I referenced in the show
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-0604 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 459: Ranking all the Super Mario GamesDan and Will sit down and hash out a ranking of the mainline Super Mario Bros. games, from the OG Super Mario Bros. to the more recent Super Mario Maker 2. Where does Mario Odyssey fit in all this? Or Super Mario 3? Where does your favorite Mario game fit?
Later on in the episode we talk about the Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning announcement and Dan played a tiny bit of Valorant.
2020-06-051h 3210 Minute Videogame TipsAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Bug Catching and Fishing TipAnyone struggling to capture a Tarantula or Scorpion? Did you know you could capture a wasp before it stings you? Ants and flies need to be spawned in a special way...who knew? And oh yeah, fishing! Listen to the episode for tips on how to capture all of these as well as find out which bug I only JUST learned about, after having played Animal Crossing for over 250 hours.
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-06-0306 min2020-06-0251 min10 Minute Videogame TipsCivilization VI TipsSid Meier's Civilization 6 was the free game last week in the Epic Games Store, prompting a TON of Google searches for it. Understandable, especially considering how complex and time consuming Civ games can be. Luckily I have a few tips to get you started and on your way to victory...just be careful, as time can really slip by!
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-05-2907 min10 Minute Videogame TipsMinecraft Dungeons TipsMinecraft Dungeons has just come out on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC and features Minecraft's first foray into the isometric, hack-n-slash RPG game-type. Because of the Minecraft theme, and relative simplicity when compared to other titles in the genre, Dungeons is a great one to play with the kids! Just as long as you're either doing couch co-op or on the same type of system...no crossplay.
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-05-2706 min10 Minute Videogame TipsDon't Starve TipsDon't Starve is a beautiful survival game with a gorgeous hand-drawn style...and it's also exceedingly difficult especially for new players. These five tips will hopefully help get you through your first week and ideally through your first winter!
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-05-2506 min10 Minute Videogame TipsLegend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Beginner TipsBreath of the Wild was the heavy hitter launch title for the Nintendo Switch and now widely considered one of the best games of the generation, if not of all time. It's recently become my favorite game of all time and one that I return to on a regular basis. These tips should help newcomers to BOTW, or maybe those who found it too overwhelming. Or maybe you're like me and love it, and just want to hear someone talking about it!
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family...
2020-05-2205 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 457: Assassin's Creed Odyssey...FINALLY!The gang is all here for this week's episode, and we're covering a game that came out almost two years ago! In all fairness, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is quite the game...one that Will has been trying to get us to play for awhile now. With AC Valhalla on it's way shortly here we figured it would be a good time to finally give Odyssey the credit it deserves for being such a great game.
Later in the episode we get to hear Corey's thoughts on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake finally and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is get...
2020-05-221h 4510 Minute Videogame TipsAssassin's Creed Odyssey TipsAssassin's Creed Odyssey is a sprawling RPG set in ancient Greece that marks a significant turn from previous entries in the series. From the RPG mechanics, to branching dialogue options and dual protagonists, ACO has a lot going for it. Tune in for 5 tips to help you navigate the war between Athens and Sparta, that's dragging the entire Greek world down with it!
P.S. I know this is only a little over 5 minutes, once I add in the listener questions segment and get a little more used to the format it...
2020-05-2005 min10 Minute Videogame TipsAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Intermediate TipsNot quite beginner, not quite advanced...these tips are intermediate! Custom designs and star fragments, hybrid flowers and speeding up crafting are all mentioned within...along with some sage advice.
Websites mentioned in this episode:
https://nooksisland.com/designs
https://acpatterns.com/editor
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-05-1806 min10 Minute Videogame TipsAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Beginner TipsAnimal Crossing: New Horizons is a huge and long game with a TON going on, so if you haven't yet played or just started (or just want to listen to some Animal Crossing stuff) these 5 tips are for you...starting with two things you absolutely do ASAP!
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2020-05-1506 minThumbstick AthletesEpisode 456: Best of the Xbox OneWe're coming fairly close to our "Best of X" console episode with a only a few systems left to cover. Though now that I'm thinking about it....I don't believe we're covered any handheld systems. YAY! More episode ideas! This generation more than any others had TONS of multiplatform games, and console exclusives that also made their way to PC, so we took care to mention that when applicable.
In nibbllebits we cover Nintendo's surprise Paper Mario Origami King announcement and the Ghosts of Tsushima gameplay released by Sony today. Also Assassin's Creed Odyssey is g...
2020-05-151h 3310 Minute Videogame TipsPilot/Mission StatementIn this first episode I lay out my plans for the format of my episodes for the 10 Minute Videogame Tips podcast, along with how often I plan on posting new ones. I've been podcasting as part of a group for almost 9 years now on the Thumbstick Athletes Podcast and this is the first time I've done something like this on my own!
As always, anything from Rated G Games is family, work, and kid friendly!
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2020-05-1302 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 455: Xbox 20/20 RecapXbox revealed some of the games coming the Xbox Series X in a "Nintendo Direct-esque" presentation earlier today, and I've got to say...it was nice to see some new stuff there. It wasn't much X-game 3 or 4 but some new IPs like Medium and Bright Memory. (Which I just realized is on Steam) Later on Will played some Final Fantasy 7 remake, Dan played Fortnite and we discuss the Last of Us 2 leaks again.
2020-05-081h 49
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 454: SPOILERCAST...The Third Semester of Persona 5 RoyalWill completed Persona 5 Royal earlier this week and wanted to do a Spoilercast for this week's episode. So if you haven't played and don't want it spoiled, skip ahead to 32 minutes where we start our nibblebits segment talking about Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Later on we also talk about The Last of Us II leaks (no spoilers) and more Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
2020-05-011h 10
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 453: Best of the XBOX 360Continuing along in our "Best of" console games series, we hit the XBOX 360 and some of the absolute bangers on that system. Going back and seeing all the colossal franchises that got their start in this console generation was eye opening to say the least. There's some games you'd expect from us, like Mass Effect and BioShock, but we also throw in a few surprises. It's also shocking that the Thumbstick Athletes Podcast began during the XBOX 360, PS3 console generation. We've been around the block! During news we talk about the Ninten...
2020-04-251h 37
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 452: Final Fantasy 7 RemakeWe welcome Tito back to talk about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, especially since he kind of, sort of beat it already! Fear not though, this is a spoiler free discussion of the game since Dan and Will haven't played any yet and plan to do so. Later on we talk about more Animal Crossing: New Horizons, discuss cooking, and get into some of the (limited) gaming news.
2020-04-172h 21
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 451: Animal Crossing 2.0 and TSA Podcast OlympicsJoining us this week to discuss some more Animal Crossing New Horizons are Eric, Corey and Tito. We get into some of the criticisms of Animal Crossing, like some of the weird online stuff that comes with most of Nintendo's games. Then we toss around some ideas for a project we've discussed in the past, which is having some sort of gaming olympics. Early stages yet, but now is the time do something like this! We also share our thoughts on the odd new PS5 controller, the DualSense, and get caught up on the games ever...
2020-04-102h 26
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 450: Persona 5 RoyalAfter having played Persona 5 not too long ago, Will was once again ready to dive into the Royal version of Persona 5 since we're all stuck at home. In other news, The Last of Us 2 is delayed and Nintendo drops some much-needed good news. We also talk more Animal Crossing New Horizons.
2020-04-031h 15
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 449: Animal Crossing: New HorizonsThe new Animal Crossing game could not have possibly come out at a better time...with millions of people across the world shut in their homes for months. Dan, Will and Will's friend and roommate Evan (all newcomers to the series) talk about Animal Crossing New: Horizons...having been thoroughly drawn in by the new entry. Later in the episode we talk about the Nintendo Switch shortage, our lives in quarantine, DOOM Eternal and some Two Point Hospital!
2020-03-271h 25
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 448: Coronapocalypse Gaming IdeasAs the coronavirus pandemic sets in the TSA Pod offers up some ideas for gamers to make the most of their isolation time. Not everyone has 600 Steam games they haven't played yet, so make use of the library you already have or play some new games that'll cost you next to nothing. During "What We Played" Dan and Will BOTH played some CoD Warzone!
2020-03-201h 27
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 447: Final Fantasy 7 Remake DemoSorry again about missing an episode last week, but we explain why in the "Our Weeks" segment. This week we cover the Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo like we had initially planned to, along with our progress for More in March. Which leads to some discussion about Ori and the Blind Forest and the newly released Ori and The Will of the Wisps. After the outro we talk about the Golder Deer storyline from Fire Emblem: Three Houses.
2020-03-121h 39
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 2020 PredictionsYes, February is almost over, but it's not too late to get in our predictions for the REST of 2020. It's ALWAYS fun to speculate what Nintendo might or might not do and unfortunately the coronavirus will have an impact on gaming this year. But stay positive, there's bound to be some surprise announcements, and we're pretty positive about 2020's outlook!
2020-02-281h 36
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 445: More in March SelectionSince 4 in February has been a contentious staple for the Thumbstick Athletes Podcast, and we forgot about it this year...we decided we would make March the month where we tackle backlog games. Luckily Will was prepared with a few titles so only Dan had to scour his backlog for games to play. We also discuss some of the announcement for Animal Crossing New Horizons and Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 2!
2020-02-2159 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 444: GRIS and Other Artistic GamesDan played GRIS finally and it inspired a discussion on some of the better examples of artistic games out there. It's a topic that's very important to us, as we've been on team "Games are art" since the very beginning of this podcast. Also GRIS was spectacular! Later on we talk about the new Fire Emblem DLC Cindered Shadows.
2020-02-141h 42
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 443: Temtem Early ImpressionsThat Pokemon-esque MMORPG Temtem finally hit Steam Early Access and Dan was all over it. While there are certainly some similarities, the differences are what make it shine and help differentiate it from Pokemon. Temtem up!
2020-02-071h 11
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 442: What Makes a Great Videogame?On the request of Tito, Dan and Eric (and Corey through the power of email) discuss elements of great videogames. Is it graphics, gameplay, difficulty? All of them? Later on Eric talks about seeing Joker and 1917 and Dan played some Temtem.
2020-01-311h 04
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 441: Dragon Ball Z: KakarotSo yeah, a new Dragon Ball Z game has come out and...it's pretty good. If you're a DBZ fan of course, though some reviews say it holds up pretty well on it own. Either way, Will...a big Dragon Ball fan played a pretty good amount over the past week and offers up his thoughts. In other news Stardew Valley has sold 10 million copies, Dan beat Pokemon Sword, and Will is playing a buttload of WoW.
2020-01-241h 34
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 440: Cyberpunk 2077 Delayed...and Other NewsIt was a big week for game news, with some colossal game delays, surprise PC releases, and Pokemon and Smash news...so Will and I scrap our original episode idea and cover some these stories like true gaming pundits! An early entry for the "Most Surprising Podcast Development" Thumbie award...Will has been playing World of Warcraft!?
2020-01-171h 27
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 439: 2020 Games PreviewAnother annual episode for the TSA Pod....we do our 2020 Games Preview here talking about some of the big releases coming soon, including Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us 2, and Animal Crossing New Horizons. This was also a "My Week" and "What I Played" heavy episode!
2020-01-101h 45
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 438: 2019 Second Half RecapIt's time for our semi-annual recap, where I play some clips for episodes of some the bigger game releases that we cover for episodes. At the end of the year, of course we cover the second half releases, meaning anything from July on...like Fire Emblem: Three Houses, WoW Classic, and Borderlands 3 among others.
2020-01-031h 03
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 437: 2019 Thumbies AwardsIt's time for the annual, end of the year celebration of games...where we nominate some games, and tear down others. We have some outlandish categories, like "Best Ambassador Game" and "Best Rainy Day Game." We also fuel the fires of the console wars with "Most Valuable Console." Then we have some more run-of-the-mill awards like "Best Indie Game" and GOTY.
2019-12-192h 49
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 436: Game of the Decade (2010-2019)The 20-teens are almost and it's time to decide on the Thumbstick Athletes Podcast's game of the decade. We've been doing this since summer of 2011, so we've also been a Pod for most of the games we're talking about here. First we go through and name our individual GotD, and use that as a starter for the ultimate TSA Podcast GotD.
2019-12-121h 23
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 435: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen OrderUp this week, a game from EA that's not a sports game or shooter....and it happens to be a Star Wars game. Typically this spells disaster, but Fallen Order appears to be a bit of a victory for EA. (Thank you Respawn!) Eric and Corey play the first Star Wars game from EA that doesn't stink and relate their experiences with it. Later in the episode we cover The Game Awards nominees, Halo Reach on PC, more Pokemon Sword and Shield, and LOTS of other things!
2019-12-061h 40
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 434: Pokemon Sword and ShieldThe first mainline Pokemon entry has finally reached the Nintendo Switch, so find out our thoughts on some of the additions (and subtractions) to the series. Will is the resident Pokemon expert and played a TON over the past two weeks, so he has some good perspective on the new games. Later on in the episode Dan talks a little about his vacation and GOG Galaxy 2.0 beta.
2019-11-3056 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 433: Luigi's Mansion 3The Luigi's Mansion series is back, after what seems like a really long time, with Luigi's Mansion 3. Our reluctant hero Luigi is tasked with saving his friends from the clutches of the The Last Resort hotel. Dan is the only one that has played it to this point, so you hear his thoughts on the matter! As for the rest of the episode, we talk about some of the XO19 announcements, The Outer Worlds, and Hearthstone Battlegrounds.
2019-11-151h 06
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 432: The Outer WorldsFor clarification purposes, this episode is about The Outer Worlds, developed by Obsidian and is a Fallout, Borderlands, and Mass Effect-esque RPG. It's defined by it's interesting characters and entertaining dialogue and quest options, which mostly outshine some of the game's negatives. Yes, Outer Worlds...not Outer Wilds. Later in the episode we discuss our Extra Life stream, (you can still donate by the way) the Pokemon leaks and Luigi's Mansion 3
2019-11-081h 29
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 431: Call of Duty: Modern WarfareIn addition to talking about the full release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare we also talk about the mobile version of the game, Call of Duty Mobile, which is quite good. For Modern Warfare, you pretty much know what you're getting...a polished shooter with a huge playerbase and excellent competitive online. Plus it seems the campaign is quite good also! We also briefly touch on The Outer Worlds, the Borderlands/Fallout New Vegas-esque game from Obsidian that also rather excellent!
2019-10-311h 11
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 430: Fallout 1st (and other subscription services)Yikes...Bethesda has really stepped in it again with the announcement of Fallout 1st, a subscription to a game you already have to buy that's kind of expensive and doesn't seem to get you that much. At least that's our take, but we use it as an opportunity to talk about some of the other great videogame subscription services like GamePass, Uplay+ and PS Now. In other news, The Last of Us 2 was delayed, Shroud leaves Twitch for Mixer, Will played a lot of Persona 5 and Dan played a lot of Fortnite!
2019-10-251h 10
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 429: Fortnite Chapter 2This episode is somewhat out of character for us, as we're all getting old and not keeping up with what the kids are playing nowadays...but something about the way Fortnite was taken down for a few days sucked us right in.
2019-10-181h 07
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 428: Thumbstick Athletes PodcastWe have our annual fall games preview for this week's episode...a few weeks later than usual. At least with recording it this late, we have fewer games to cover, and there seems to be fewer releases in general this fall. We have some heavy hitters like Call of Duty and Pokemon Sword and Shield, but other than that it more minor stuff and ports or remasters. Our wallets will thank us! Other than that, we talked about our return to Extra Life this year, Persona 5, Link's Awakening, Untitled Goose Game and more!
2019-10-111h 36
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 427: 50 Gaming QuestionsThanks to Idaho Jake for this suggestion a few weeks ago, where we (and members of the chat) answer 50 gaming related questions. Some examples are: If you had to marry the last videogame character, who would it be? Has a game's storyline ever made you cry? What's your favorite game series of all time? There's 47 other good questions there and we got tons of good answers from the chat! Thanks to everyone who pitched in! Since that was most of the episod...
2019-10-042h 00
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 426: Legend of Zelda: Link's AwakeningThis week's episode brings us back to the old days, as the remake of Link's Awakening brings up some surprisingly powerful memories. Nintendo did such a great job of balancing the classic feel of the game while modernizing it, a tricky task for such a beloved game! Later in the episode Corey talks about seeing Doug Stanhope perform stand up comedy, and Dan played Untitled Goose Game and Mario Kart Tour for his week.
2019-09-271h 18
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 425: Borderlands 3Borderlands 3 is finally out after what seems like forever...and also all the Thumbstick Athletes are all on the same episode after what seems like forever. Corey and Eric played some Borderlands 3, and even together! The good news is that it's more Borderlands, so you can kind of guess what that means, but they also threw in a few neat new modes for players to try. Now it just needs to make it's way to Steam so Dan can be happy again. Later on in the episode, Eric talks about his experiences with Gears 5 Horde mode...
2019-09-191h 27
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 424: Gears 5 First ImpressionsDan and Corey invite Shane and Brian onto the show this week to talk some Gears 5. We say early impressions because we all mostly dabbled in the various modes Gears 5 has, since there's quite a few and it really is a complete package. And to think we all played it mostly for free on Gamepass. During "What We Played" Shane and Brian talk about Remnant: From the Ashes and Greedfall, while Dan talks a little more about Astral Chain.
2019-09-131h 10
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 423: WoW ClassicDan, Corey and Eric (Rephyr) played a fair amount of WoW Classic last week and discuss what the draw is for a game as antiquated as Vanilla WoW is at this point. What's the draw? Why is it so popular? During "What We Played" Dan played a couple of new games in Astral Chain and Pokemon Masters.
2019-09-041h 12
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 422: Black Eagles SpoilercastSince this is a spoiler filled episode, where we discuss some of the significant happenings in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, we moved the main segment to the end of the episode....so feel free to listen up until I give the warning towards the end! Other than Black Eagles spoilers, we discuss some Gamescom news, Gears POP! and and at the VERY end of the episode, our plans for WoW Classic!
2019-08-261h 14
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 421: Can't Miss Games of This Fall and Making a ScheduleWith a last minute change of plans, we decide to cover the games we're most likely getting this fall, Like Pokemon Sword and Shield, the new Call of Duty and The Outer Wilds. We also took the opportunity to make a rough schedule on when we'll be doing an episode on the games we're getting, all the way through the end of November. During "What We Played" we of course talked more Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Dan played Pokemon Uranium.
2019-08-151h 15
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 420: Drug Use in Video GamesIt's episode #420...so yeah, we cover the use of drugs in games. From the burning of the marijuana fields in Far Cry 3 to downing some skooma in Skyrim, we talk about the surpisingly few games that have actual drug use in them. Later on we of course cover Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Corey relates his experiences with Cultist Simulator and SteamWorld Dig 2.
2019-08-091h 19
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 419: Fire Emblem: Three HousesThe newest Fire Emblem, Three Houses is FINALLY out and it does not disappoint! It's seriously oozing with content, and all really excellent content, making for a much deeper and more connected experience than we've had in awhile. Outside of that we talked a little more Super Mario Maker 2 and Dr. Mario World during what we played!
2019-08-011h 43
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 418: Favorite Strategy RPGsWith Fire Emblem: Three Houses just a night away, we decided it was a good time to revisit our favorite titles from this underutilized genre. Yes....we do have Final Fantasy Tactics on the list. Shut up about it, there are other games on the list too!
2019-07-251h 04
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 417: The NewsSince last week's episode was a semi-annual recap of the year's most important games, we didn't get a chance to cover some of the important news in gaming like we usually do. We made up for it this week with an entire main segment devoted to the most breaking gaming headlines...like the Switch Lite, Fire Emblem and Pokemon Sword and Shield news, and Ubisoft's new UPlay+ service. During "What We Played" there is some more Super Mario Maker 2 talk, as well as first impressions of Dr. Mario World.
2019-07-1857 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 416: 2019 Mid Year RecapTime for the annual Mid year recap...a refresher for some of the games we've covered earlier in the year. This year we have excerpts from our episodes on Wargroove, Kingdom Hearts 3, Devil May Cry 5, Sekiro, and Fell Seal. No nibblebits, feedback or "What We Played" for this week...but we'll get caught up on all that when we return to live episodes next week!
2019-07-1150 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 415: Super Mario Maker 2Super Mario Maker 2 is here, complete with new tools to create, new ways to play, and yes...a story mode. Corey and Dan describe their first week with the game, trying most of SMM2 has to offer aside from the versus modes. Later on in the pod, we discuss Harry Potter: Wizard's Unite and Summer Games Done Quick's outstanding new fundraising milestone. Dan and Corey's Mario Maker 2 Levels: Corey: Global Warming ID: 469-DPK-P2G Dan: Participation Trophy 2 ID: 7BV-8FV-LDF Touchdown Boy 2 ID: M65-V8K-JKF
2019-07-061h 03
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 414: Harry Potter: Wizards UniteFor this week we do something we don't often do, cover a mobile game for the main segment. This time it's the Pokemon Go-esque Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. Dan, Eric and Corey get their Quidditch brooms ready and....yeah, none of us know Harry Potter that well. But the game is fun! Immediately after the main segment Corey and Eric cover their games they've been playing, which include Cadence of Hyrule, Halo and Metro Exodus.
2019-06-271h 18
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 413: Outer WildsIf you ever wanted to be an intrepid space explorer from a backwoods alien civilization, Outer Wilds has you covered. From the wooden launchpad to fellow astronauts strumming tunes on a banjo by a campfire on a distant planet....it oozes atmosphere. It also finds a way to kill or maim you in a horrible fashion. It's a must play! Later in the episode, Dan and Val discuss the EA and Epic's defense of loot boxes and microtransactions, and they both played Cadence of Hyrule and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite!
2019-06-2159 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 412: E3 2019 RecapWhile this year's E3 wasn't particular mind blowing, there were still some amazing moments to be had. Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 during Microsoft's press conference, the excitement of Ikumi Nakamura while she was announcing Ghostwire Tokyo, and of course the sequel to Breath of the Wild being announced. Each show had at least something to be interested in!
2019-06-131h 39
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 411: Fell Seal: Arbiter's MarkFell Seal: Arbiter's Mark does something that no game has done in quite awhile....scratch that hard-to-reach Final Fantasy Tactics itch. Several have tried and failed, or just never came out. (Unsung Story) Fell Seal even improves upon the old formula with some modern quality-of-life improvements and runs really well even on old systems. Can't wait for the Switch version! We also cover today's Pokemon Direct, which revealed some more info on the Galar region, some new Pokemon, and the Dynamax system. Some E3 news was touched on, and Dan gives brief first impressions of Outer...
2019-06-061h 39
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 410: E3 2019 Preview/PredictionsWith no Sony or EA press conferences this year at E3, Microsoft really has the opportunity to go big. Will we see Fable 4 announced, or the new console they've been working on? Will Nintendo give us something other than Mario Maker 2 and Pokemon Sword and Shield? During Nibblebits, Death Stranding gets a new trailer and release date, the WHO officially labels "Gaming Disorder" as a recognized illness, and what the heck is Pokemon Go Plus +? We also give brief first impressions of Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark...which we will cover more in-depth next week.
2019-05-301h 13
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 409: Game of Thrones Series Finale - The Iron ThroneThe cultural juggernaut Game of Thrones wrapped up last Sunday night, so we figured it was a good time to cover the episode as a main segment instead of having it after the episode. Turns out that was a good plan since the main segment alone ended up being over 90 minutes! We could have easily gone on longer, but will probably figure out some way to incorporate Game of Thrones in the future. Those who don't want spoilers can skip ahead to 1:33:00 for the beginning of our Nibblebits segment. Will joins late...
2019-05-232h 06
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 408: SteamWorld QuestDan and Corey talk about RPG/CCG hybrid SteamWorld Quest, the next game in the SteamWorld universe from Image & Form Games. It's an interesting blend of genres and gets quite a few things right. Later in the episode we cover Nintendo's most recent Nintendo Direct that focused on the upcoming Mario Maker 2. In "What We Played" Corey gives some brief thoughts on Fell Seal, a Final Fantasy Tactics like strategy game that we're going to cover more in depth during an episode. After the episode Dan, Val and Corey discuss the most recent episode of Gam...
2019-05-162h 14
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 407: Smash Bros. Ultimate Character WishlistWe've mentioned characters before that we'd like to see in Smash Ultimate, but decided to have an official episode to compile and immortalize characters we'd like to see make the DLC cut. Obviously Cuphead and the character from Hollow Knight make the list since they're on the artwork for the episode, but there are others..some we've talked about before and others that go way off the board. During "What We Played" Dan gives his first impresssions of Steamworld Quest, and Will played more Hollow Knight. After the outro Dan, Val and...
2019-05-092h 02
Thumbstick AthletesEp. 406 Hangover - Game of Thrones Part 2It should go without saying, but this hangover episode contains spoilers for Season 8 Episode 3 of Game of Thrones....called The Long Night. Since Corey was asleep for our first episode of the GoT recap for this week, we recorded a second where he could get his thoughts in. First Hangover in a long time!
2019-05-0343 min
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 406: Nintendo Labo VRDan's household got the new Nintendo Labo VR for his oldest child's birthday, so naturally he used to it play Breath of the Wild first. Guess what? It's not as bad as games media is making out to be! Though mostly used for BotW, we did use some of the other stuff that came with it, which is quite good. During nibblebits we discuss Epic's acquisition of Psyonix and Rocket League and the Razer Toaster. As usual during Game of Thrones season, we recap and give our reactions to the most recent episode after the outro...
2019-05-022h 07
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 405: Our Favorite Boss BattlesWe once again decided to go a different direction to our "listicles" that used to do a lot of...so like our Favorite Game Characters series, we started a Favorite Boss Battles series. There's some obvious choices in there, like Kefka from Final Fantasy 6, but also some that may surprise. During "What We Played" Will gives his final thoughts on Mass Effect Andromeda.
2019-04-251h 58
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 404: Best New IP's this GenerationThough this generation of consoles doesn't necessarily have the heavy hitters like last gen, there's still plenty of quality new IP's that came out this gen. Some even already have sequels of their own, like Destiny, Titanfall, and The Division. We also decided not to cover indie titles...which if you've listened for awhile, you know there are plenty. After the outro this week, our Game of Thrones recap resume now that Season 8 has FINALLY started airing. This week we cover Episode 1: Winterfell starting at 1:42:28 of the episode if you want to skip ahead!
2019-04-182h 19
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 403: Game of Thrones Games and ModsThe final season of Game of Thrones is upon us, so Dan uses the opportunity to discuss some of the games (and mods for other games) that involve our favorite fantasy universe. From Telltale's Game of Thrones to the excellent Crusader Kings 2 mod, we cover everything worth talking about. Also in this episode we discuss trouble at BioWare, Assassins Creed Origins, and some more Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
2019-04-111h 17
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 402: Super Mario Sunshine Retro ReviewSince Val played Super Mario Sunshine last Sunday for this week's Rookie Camp video, we decided it was a good time to retroactively review it. How well does it hold up? How did it review when it actually came out 16 years ago? How does one access Super Mario Sunshine today? All answered this week, along with some discussion of Borderlands 3, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Assassin's Creed Origins.
2019-04-041h 37
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 401: Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceThis week we cover the latest From Software game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which shares some DNA from the Soulsbourne games but is quite a bit different. Even Will, who is not a fan of From Software's games, likes this entry, which adds more stealth and action elements. Also discussed this episode was the Wall Street Journal's report on the two new Nintendo Switch models, the ending of Far Cry 5, and also some of our early plans to do more Thumbstick Athletes content.
2019-03-281h 26
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 400: Part 2Dan and Corey continue with Part 2 of our 400th episode extravaganza....covering the rest of the segments we didn't have the time, energy, or coherence to finish. We finally got to cover Google's Stadia announcement and the Nindies Spring 2019 Showcase....Corey played a butt load of games, and we talked ever so briefly about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
2019-03-231h 21
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 400: Top 10 Games 4.0It's time to revisit our top 10 favorite games lists in this throwback style Thumbsitck Athletes Podcast episode. While revisiting our lists, we do some drinking, go off on tangents, argue, and cry...just like the old days! Because this episode lasted so long, we plan on having a Part 2 to Episode 400 where we get to the rest of the segments. Sorry to those who sent in feedback, we'll get to it ASAP!
2019-03-212h 26
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 399: Devil May Cry 5Eric and Will take the lead for the main segment this week, talking about over-the-top action game Devil May Cry 5. It got fabulous reviews from games media, find out if the members of the TSA podcast liked it as much! Also the Master Chief Collection is coming to PC and adding Halo Reach....sweet! And during "What We Played" Dan finally started Starlink: Battle for Atlas.
2019-03-151h 24
Thumbstick AthletesEpisode 30: Kingdoms of AmalurWe go long form on Kingdoms of Amalur, talking combat, graphics, questing as well as make some comparisons to similar games.
Episode 30: Show Notes
00:00:35 Quick hits:
We talk about Guild Wars 2 coming out for consoles, the bestselling sports video game of all time, where PAX East will be for the next 11 years, and the potential Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning sequel. Towards the end of the segment, Eric finds his edge.
00:25:17 Music Break: Butterfly Tea – “DragonTales”
00:26:47 Main Segment: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
2012-02-173h 25