The Besties

At first, we thought Terminator 2D: No Fate looked and felt like a flawless recreation of the movie tie-ins for the SNES. Then we watched gameplay of the actual Terminator 2 SNES game. Time does not favor the cash grabs.

In hindsight, developers Bitmap Bureau performed a modest miracle, perfectly recreating how we remember trashy retro games — without actually becoming one of them. This is the game that Terminator fans should remember

We talk about this side-scrolling confection, our fading memories of movie-to-game adaptations, and more!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

2026 may be the year of Grand Theft Auto 6, but we’re partial to the nearly 20 other games on our most anticipated list. You like RPGs? Prefer point-and-click adventures? Crave some tactics, life simulators, or deckbuilders? Whatever your interests, we have you covered!

Like the show? Leave a review!

Now on The Besties Bonus Patreon: In the recent Besties Battle Bracket, the crew selected the best pet in video games. And in Tuesday’s new episode of The Resties, Frushtick and Plante make their big predictions for 2026 — after revisiting their predictions from 2025. Been considering a subscription? The Patreon now features a back catalog of over 60 episodes!

• Resident Evil 9: Requiem - February 27

• Pokemon Pokopia - March 5

• The Duskbloods

• Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave

• Mina the Hollower

• The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time – Q1 2026

• Fable is getting cancelled / Fable is coming out

• Lil Gator Game: In the Dark

• Vampire Crawlers

• Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined - February 5

• Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream - Fall 2026

• Witchbrook

• Deltarune Ch. 5

• Professor Layton and the New World of Steam

• Perfect Tides: Station to Station - January 22

• Pragmata - April 24

• Fields of Mistria

• Control Resonant

• Unannounced AP Thomson game

• Pathologic 3 - January 9

• Perfect Tides: Station to Station - January 22

• Cairn - January 29

• Nioh 3 - February 6

• Mewgenics - February 10

• Romeo Is a Dead Man - February 11

• Lil Gator Game: In the Dark – February 12

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Tides - February 12

• Resident Evil 9: Requiem - February 27

• Pokemon Pokopia - March 5

• Crimson Desert - March 19

• The Remake of the End of the Greatest RPG of All Time – Q1 2026

• Marathon - Q1 2026

• Pragmata - April 24

• Saros (from Housemarque) - April 30

• Besmirch – May 11

• 007: First Light - May 27

• Midnight Horde - May 2026

• Phantom Blade Zero - September 9

• Marvel Wolverine - Fall 2026

• Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream - Fall 2026

• Grand Theft Auto 6 - November 19

• Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve

• Beast of Reincarnation

• Bradley the Badger

• Control Resonant

• Dosa Divas

• The Duskbloods

• Fable

• Fields of Mistria

• Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave

• Forza Horizon 6

• Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls

• Mina the Hollower

• Onimusha: Way of the Sword

• Orbitals

• Rhythm Heaven: Groove

• Star Wars Galactic Racer

• Vampire Crawlers

• Witchbrook

Satisfactory, Dark Souls, Pikmin 4, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Alan Wake 2, Death Stranding 2

Hundreds of Beavers

eXo Win9x

Drop them in the comments! We aren’t able to respond to every question, but we read all of them and answer some in episodes!

Subscribe to this newsletter for regular updates on shows, upcoming games, merch, and egg steam.

Thanks for reading The Besties! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

On next week’s The Besties: Terminator 2D: No Fate

Post Games is now available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Watch shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Patreon subscribers get early access, weekly bonus segments, and the monthly history series celebrating the anniversaries of 2026. The most recent monthly exclusive revisits 1996, when gaming went 3D.

Besties Merch!

• Holy Crap, Look At This Freaking Game About Giant Fantasy Mechs (Kotaku)

• Mario Tennis Fever Overview Trailer - Is This the Ultimate Mario Tennis Game? (IGN)

• Would Discord going public be good or bad for its users? We spoke to an expert to find out (Eurogamer)

• Free bad dating sim Don’t Stare makes me want to play an Elder Scroll where NPCs object to your gaze (RPS)

2026 may be the year of Grand Theft Auto 6, but we’re partial to the nearly 20 other games on our most anticipated list. You like RPGs? Prefer point-and-click adventures? Crave some tactics, life simulators, or deckbuilders? Whatever your interests, we have you covered!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Hey Besties buddies! The Besties are on holiday break this week, but will return next Friday with our most anticipated games of 2026. We don’t want to leave you empty-handed, so we’ve made one of the best Patreon episodes of 2025 available for free. We can say “best” because it was picked by our generous, brilliant, and thoughtful patrons! If you enjoy this episode and would like access to a catalogue of over 60 additional episodes, including a dozen other brackets and all episodes of The Resties, you can subscribe for $5 at patreon.com/thebesties!

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Everybody needs a little video game break now and then. Amidst the chaos of modern life, the most reliable, universal sanctuary is the humble bathroom. So, with today’s bracket, we want to help you make the most of your precious toilet time. Because when it comes to #2, you deserve #1.

1. Which game is more conducive to toilet time

2. Which game makes you want to go to the toilet more

3. Which game would you be less ashamed to be discovered playing on the toilet?

• Balatro

• Marvel Snap

• Tetris

• Chess.com

• Slay the Spire

• Merge Maestro (previously Super Auto Pets)

• Vampire Survivors

• Downwell

• Pokemon Go

• WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgame$

• Threes

• Wordle

• Super Stickman Golf

• Desert Golfing

• Tiny Wings

• Angry Birds/Cut the Rope

• Drop 7

• Tilt to Live

• What the Golf

• Pokémon TCG Pocket

• Retro Bowl

• Slice and Dice

• Flight Control/Planes Control

• Brotato

• Nonograms Katana

• Hotline Miami

• Super Meat Boy

• Luck Be a Landlord

• Easy Come Easy Golf

• Space Invader: Infinity Gene

• Helsing’s Fire

• Hook Champ

• Super Mega Worm

• Mushihimesama BUGPANIC

• Dodonpachi Resurrection

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

A holiday bonus, it's our most voted-on episode from the Patreon feed. Everybody needs a little video game break now and then. Amidst the chaos of modern life, the most reliable, universal sanctuary is the humble bathroom. So, with today's bracket, we want to help you make the most of your precious toilet time. Because when it comes to #2, you deserve #1.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

They said it wasn’t possible. A “best game” in the year of too many video games… how could one be chosen? They underestimated the powers of the world’s best friends to pick the world’s best game.

Today, The Besties pick The Besty of 2025.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Like the show? Leave a review!

This week on The Besties Bonus Patreon: The second annual Resties Awards is now available! You know the best game of the year. Now enjoy our bonus award program that hands out supleratives to our favorite (and least favorite) corners of video game culture.

We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 vs. Blippo+

• Silksong vs. Absolum

• Death Stranding 2 vs. Indiana Jones

• Baby Steps vs. Sektori

Drop them in the comments! We aren’t able to respond to every question, but we read all of them and answer some in episodes!

For this episode, Plante chatted with Phil Salvador from the Video Game History Foundation. The VGHF has preserved the Sega Channel, the 1990s predecessor to PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass. How the hell do archivists preserve such a thing? Listen to find out!

Post Games is now available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Patreon subscribers get early access, weekly bonus segments, and monthly exclusive episodes.

On next week’s The Besties: The members of the Patreon have selected a bonus bracket to share with everyone on the main feed. The best bathroom games! We’ll return to brand new Besties releases on January 9th, 2026!

Besties Merch!

• The Long Christmas Dinner by Thornton Wilder (YouTube)

• Toad Lang Syne (a virtual Toad Choir) (Louie Zong)

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

The continued discussion, the grand finale. The Besties crown the GOTY of 2025!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

How do you pick the best video game of the year when over ten thousand games have been released since January? You bring together the world’s best friends, hand them a bracket, and hope for the best. Yes, friends, it’s time for the Besties to pick the Game of the Year, or as we prefer to call it, The Besties Besty.

Will The Game Awards champion Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claim the most coveted prize in all of gaming? Or does another game have what it takes to battle for the crown?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

How do you pick the best video game of the year when over ten thousand games have been released since January? You bring together the world’s best friends, hand them a bracket, and hope for the best. Yes, listeners, it’s time for the Besties to pick the Game of the Year, or as we prefer to call it, The Besties Besty.

Will The Game Awards champion Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claim the most coveted prize in all of gaming? Or does another game have what it takes to battle for the crown?

Like the show? Leave a review!

Now on The Besties Bonus Patreon: On Tuesday, we launch the 2nd Annual Resties Awards! Been considering a subscription? The Patreon now features a back catalog of over 60 Patreon-exclusive episodes!

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Dispatch

• Absolum

• Hades 2

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

• Ghost of Yotei

• Baby Steps

• Donkey Kong Bananza

• Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Wanderstop

• Blippo+

• Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector

• Avowed

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

• The Roottrees Are Dead

• Sektori

Post Games is now available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Watch shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Patreon subscribers get early access, weekly bonus segments, and monthly bonus episodes explaining the history of 2026’s biggest gaming anniversaries.

Drop them in the comments! We aren’t able to respond to every question, but we read all of them and answer some in episodes!

Subscribe to this newsletter for regular updates on shows, upcoming games, merch, and egg steam.

Thanks for reading The Besties! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

On next week’s The Besties: We select the best game of 2025!

Besties Merch!

• My Favorite Handhelds of 2025 (Retro Game Corps)

• Digital Foundry’s Best Game Graphics of 2025 (Digital Foundry)

• Dragon Quest III HD-2D-3D Remake (dunkview) (Videogamedunkey)

• 2025’s Trashiest Anime (Mother’s Basement)

Metroid Prime 4 is actually here! After a long development, including years of silence, the first-person Metroid series returns in the form of the Nintendo Switch 2’s big holiday release. But does it feel like a game from 2025 or 2015? Plus, Plante finally played the pseudo-metroidvania Ooo and can’t wait to tell you about this short, but sweet treat.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Metroid Prime 4 is actually here! After a long development, including years of silence, the first-person Metroid series returns in the form of the Nintendo Switch 2’s big holiday release. But does it feel like a game from 2025 or 2015? Plus, Plante finally played the pseudo-metroidvania Ooo and can’t wait to tell you about this short, but sweet treat.

Like the show? Leave a review!

Now on The Besties Bonus Patreon: On Tuesday, a new Besties Battle Bracket x Monster Factory crossover and a Resties dedicated to the final indie game surprises of 2025. Been considering a subscription? The Patreon now features a back catalog of over 60 episodes!

Metroid Prime 4, Metroid Dread, Ooo, Animal Crossing: New Horizons DLC, Rhythm Doctor, Bits and Bops, The Roottrees Are Dead, Dispatch, Death Stranding 2, Baby Steps, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

• Tower Wizard

• The Gnorp Analogue

• IdleOn

• Melvor Idle

Pluribus

Drop them in the comments! We aren’t able to respond to every question, but we read all of them and answer some in episodes!

Subscribe to this newsletter for regular updates on shows, upcoming games, merch, and egg steam.

Thanks for reading The Besties! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

On next week’s The Besties: The Besties Besty of the Year Bracket, Part 1!!!

Post Games is now available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Watch shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Patreon subscribers get early access, weekly bonus segments, and the monthly video series Video Game Journalism 101.

Besties Merch!

• Pixels to Pages - The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly (My Life in Gaming/Game Sack)

• Anbernic RG DS Review: Better, but Flawed (Retro Game Corps)

• Sixty-forsaken: The Nintendo 64 | N64 Works 000 (Jeremy Parish)

• Light Up The Town Is The Perfect Cozy Christmas Lights Simulator (Kotaku)

• Day of the Devs The Game Awards Edition 2025: everything announced in the big indie showcase (Eurogamer)

Some of The Besties were skeptical of Dispatch, the spiritual follow-up to Telltale titles like The Walking Dead. But this new, TV-like superhero series won us over with each new episode. Plus, we share our predictions for winners and announcements at The Game Awards.

Like the show? Leave a review!

Now on The Besties Bonus Patreon: Last Tuesday, The Besties published the final bracket of the year: The Best Character Creator. It’s a Monster Factory crossover event! Been considering a subscription? The Patreon now features a back catalog of over 60 episodes!

Dispatch, Sektori, Castle Crashers DLC, Donkey Kong Bananza, Routine

Stranger Things

Drop them in the comments! We aren’t able to respond to every question, but we read all of them and answer some in episodes!

Subscribe to this newsletter for regular updates on shows, upcoming games, merch, and egg steam.

Thanks for reading The Besties! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

On next week’s The Besties: Metroid Prime 4

Post Games is now available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS. Watch shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Patreon subscribers get early access, weekly bonus segments, and the monthly video series Video Game Journalism 101.

Besties Merch!

• Don’t look too closely at the best puzzle game of 2025 (RPS)

• And Roger flew under the radar, but is one of 2025’s hidden gems (Polygon)

• Horses review - WTF horror brings subversive cinema to video games (Eurogamer)

• The best PC games of all time in 2025 (RPS)

Some of The Besties were skeptical of Dispatch, the spiritual follow-up to Telltale titles like The Walking Dead. But this new, TV-like superhero series won us over with each new episode. Plus, we share our predictions for winners and announcements at The Game Awards.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Most people will tell you Kirby Air Riders is a racing game. But on today’s Besties, one brave soul dares to speak the truth. Plus, Sektori is the best Geometry Wars game since the original. We explain why you should make time for this modern-retro masterpiece in the busiest season of the year.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties chat about the games of 2025, advocating for their GOTY darkhorses that they fear will go overlooked. There’s no clear favorite to take home the Besties top spot. Hell, we’re not even sure what will make the bracket. And more great games are still being released every week.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Fortnite’s new Simpsons update reimagines the entire experience through the decades-old cartoon. You can select from Homer, Lisa, Flanders, Moe, and other playable characters, then skydive into a faithful recreation of Springfield. The detail is absurd, down to the operable trap door button in Mr. Burns’ office. It feels like the culmination of Epic Games’ efforts to be the black hole that pulls in every corner of mainstream pop culture. Fortnite has become so big and so appealing that it raises the uncomfortable question floating around the rise of similar Forever Games: are most people motivated to play anything else?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, we talk about a mystery game that feels like a book, a historic epic that plays like a movie, and a simulator that takes the place of our favorite chores. No surprise, The Besties find themselves wondering what a video game even is.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Pokémon Legends Z-A is the latest entry in the pocket monster franchise, and the first in years to run quite well on Nintendo’s hardware. But what does the game offer beyond technical improvements? Plus, Keeper plops us in the … shoes? … of an ambulatory lighthouse. 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The studio that created Fallout: New Vegas has had a busy year, delivering Avowed, the early access of Grounded 2, and now Outer Worlds 2. This latest release comes the closest to the team’s legacy in the Fallout universe. But can it achieve those high highs without the beloved trappings of post-apocalyptic America? And would you believe it has strong feelings about capitalism? 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Ball x Pit makes an incredible first impression. But whether it’s a great break from the frustrations of life or an overly powerful time suck will depend on your taste in games. The Besties explain why.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

What if you combined the structure of Hades with the minute-to-minute gameplay of Castle Crashers? Absolum! The new game from the creators of Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best surprises in a year full of them. Plus, The Besties take a trip to 1960s Japan with Silent Hill f. It might not look like other entries in the series, but we explain why this is definitely a Silent Hill game.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties were mixed on 2020’s Ghost of Tsushima, but have found a lot to love in its new sequel, Ghost of Yotei. What makes this open-world Sony-exclusive stand out? Plus, Griffin updates the group on the brilliant remake of Final Fantasy Tactics. And we make some time to pick through the mailbag!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Baby Steps is the latest game from the creators of QWOP, Getting Over It, and Ape Out. This time, these connoisseurs of challenge have created a game about an awkward man who is transported from his parents’ basement to a fantastical mountain. His goal: reach the top. The challenge: learning to walk.

Plus, Justin catches us up on the state of emulator handhelds.

Like the show? Leave a review!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Borderlands 4 reimagines the series with more weapons and less snark. Will that be enough to appease longtime fans and attract skeptical newcomers? The Besties chat about the many positive tweaks and the one structural decision that impacts the entire experience. Plus, Justin talks about mobile Destiny, and Plante shares his opinions on a new co-op indie game.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

After years of anticipation, Hollow Knight: Silksong has arrived. And it’s difficult! The Besties talk about what makes the game so appealing, the early spike in difficulty, and the appeal of discovering small upgrades in an inhospitable (but beautiful) world. 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

With practically every “important” PlayStation 2 game being remastered, remade, and reimagined, it wasn’t a surprise when Konami announced Metal Gear Solid Delta. The question wasn’t “would it exist?”, but “should it exist?” This week, The Besties discuss why Metal Gear Solid 3 benefits from a high-definition, low-tweak update. And they debate just how loyal a remake should be to its source material.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, The Besties wrangle fantastical beasts in the new herding game, Herdling. It’s a beautiful throwback to the atmospheric games of the PS2 era. But your enjoyment will depend on your gaming preferences. In the back half, we open the listener mailbag, and Justin shares his thoughts on an alternate, more modifiable video game industry.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Hey Besties listeners. This is a special, one-off feed drop of Plante's new show, Post Games. We hope you enjoy it! We will return to the regular Besties cadence this Friday with our episode on Herdling!

Welcome to Post Games!

Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 

Get full episode notes at www.patreon.com/postgames and www.post.games

Video game adaptations threaten to replace superhero movies as Hollywood's favorite fad. How did Mario and friends evolve from box office poison into some of the most valuable IPS in movie history? Today on Post Games: an extended interview with filmmaker and video essayist Patrick H. Willems, in which we make sense of 30 years and five distinct eras of video game adaptations.

• Act 1: The Doomed Decades
• Act 2: The Hollywood Hits
• A Patreon bonus: The Future of Video Game Movies. Patrick sticks around to speculate on the future of video game adaptations – including no fewer than 46 movies in active development
• Act 3: The News of the Week

You can now watch Post Games shorts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Sword of the Sea is the closest game yet to a Journey sequel. The new game from Giant Squid sends a silent, heroic character through a desert on a magical sword that fills the world with life-giving waters. It’s fun! It’s beautiful! It’s… sensual? In the back half, the Besties discuss the big news from Gamescom, including updates on Silksong and Bubsy 4D.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Mafia: The Old Country is one of the most visually extravagant AAA video games we’ve ever played. And yet, there’s very little game to be found in this strange, disjointed, but decadent tale of organized crime in early 20th-century Sicily. Why has the Mafia series struggled for decades to deliver on its ambitions? And how did this get made?

The Besties unpack their complicated feelings after a week with this oddity. And because we always like to provide something fresh for you to try, we share a few new, enjoyable games.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Want a prehistoric riff on Metroidvanias? Crave a life-consuming multiplayer survival adventure? Yearn for the olden times of point-and-click adventures? This week, The Besties spotlight new delectable delicacies from across the video game spectrum.

Music featured: "Primal Planet (Reprise)" by Michael Kirby Ward from Primal Planet: https://michaelkirbyward.bandcamp.com/ 

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The first of two new Ninja Gaiden games has arrived! The developers of Blasphemous have produced a 2D retro-inspired action game worthy of the original entries on the NES. Are we living in a golden age of ninja games? Is there such a thing as too many ninjas? The Besties investigate!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Donkey Kong Bananza isn't the game we expected Nintendo would create to launch the Switch 2. But we're so glad they made this weird, wonderful, and inverted platformer. Who needs to jump when you can smash? Plus, what other Nintendo series deserve the AAA treatment?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo looks and feels like a lost Game Boy Advance game, but with all of the quality of life improvements of a modern game. We talk about what makes it a great game to fill a weekend. In the back half, we share our feelings on the nerd event of the season: Superman!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, The Besties talk about Deltarune Chapters 1-4. Though a few more chapters are on the way, now’s a great time to try the Undertale follow-up. We explain why. Plus, the gang brings a bundle of indie games you shouldn’t overlook!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Alters is one of the year’s most interesting games, blending experimental sci-fi narrative with a clever management simulation. The Besties talk about how the game’s mechanics clock together, why the story deserved more space, and what makes the developers’ use of AI so irritating. Plus, Plante played an awesome Persona/SMT spin-off

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, the Besties deliver an episode on Death Stranding 2. It’s a big and heavy one, but we were happy to hike across the internet and leave it on your podcast app of choice. Plus, we dig into the mailbag!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Mario Kart World is getting all of the attention at the Nintendo Switch 2 launch. But if you look deeper into the Nintendo eShop, you’ll find another excellent racing game for a fraction of the price. Fast Fusion reimagines the futuristic fun of the Wipeout and F-Zero series. This week, The Besties discuss this $14.99 surprise, along with revisiting the Switch 2 following more time with the hardware.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Nintendo’s new console is finally here. With Plante undergoing a colonoscopy (which was all okay!), the crew invited long-time friend of the show Chris Grant to discuss the Switch 2. In the back half, the group shares the most promising games from Summer Game Fest.

Chris Grant: https://bsky.app/profile/charstring.com

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, The Besties shuffle the deck and deal a hand of fun new video games. First, they discuss two new card games that have little in common beyond the cards themselves: Monster Train 2 and StarVaders. Then, Frushtick tells us about the oddball new multiplayer game in the From Soft universe, Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The cult 3DS game Fantasy Life returns, now on all major platforms and PC. The sequel blends Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and action-RPGs. Plus, we live the life of Teen in To a T, the new game from the creator of Katamari Damacy.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Doom: The Dark Ages is a surprisingly bold departure from the formula of its predecessors. It’s also quite fun — if you can vibe with its slightly slower, parry-heavy gunplay. In the back half, the boys pick some letters off the top of the mailbag.

Plus, Plante launched his Patreon for Post Games, and subscribers can listen to new episodes right now!

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Due to technical issues, our Doom conversation has been delayed until next week. The good news? We finally had time to dig into our backlogs! The boys brought a bag of beautiful bits and bobs. A boomer shooter! An actually good IP game! And THE Planet Crafter.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, the boys have two new games to share with you. First, Griffin and Plante go deep into the wilderness of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an exceptional RPG. Then, Hoops and Frush report on their journey in Revenge of the Savage Planet.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Besties talk about the brand new, ultra indie immersive-sim Skin Deep. Then they revisit the world of Oblivion. But none of this matters because Plante got a CRTV to play Promise Mascot Agency.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

On this episode of The Besties, we're checking out some stellar smaller games: Bionic Bay, Sunderfolk, and Runescape Dragonwilds. We've also got an update on the latest and greatest in Japanese reality television, as well as the true meaning of Easter.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Promise Mascot Agency is like running errands on a cool summer day, the radio blasting killer tunes and a good friend riding shotgun. Justin and Plante talk about what makes this a great example of a “chore game.” Plus, the dastardly duo discuss emulation. Because nobody can stop them! 

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We will try to convince you to play Blue Prince without spoiling Blue Prince. But first, we need to talk about the Switch 2: the games, the price, the canceled pre-order date, and everything else.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Usually, we talk about the latest and great video games. But this week, what if we try the greatest of the not-so-latest? That’s right, it’s finally time to talk about Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and many other tasty delights. In the back half, we reflect on Nintendo’s farewell Direct for the original Switch.

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Assassin's Creed Shadows finally takes the series to Feudal Japan. But is Ubisoft too late? Or does their AAAA mega release slice through the competition like a hidden blade to the neck of an unsuspecting foot soldier?

Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!