The Insert Credit Show

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Subscribers: 6
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Episodes: 293

Description

A relentlessly on topic smorgasbord of hard hitting video game questions as addressed by a panel of experts. Featuring Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and a rotating group of special guests. Hosted by Alex Jaffe. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original music by Kurt Feldman.


Episode Date
Ep. 289 - Foamstar Runner
4738

Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield cover that big Sony event, art styles for games, and the thrilling return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. How ’bout that Playstation showcase? (05:13)
  2. Other than “realistic,” “cel shaded,” and “pixel art,” name some video game art styles. (18:20)
  3. Write some of those in-game Elder Scrolls books. (24:44)
  4. What would make those in-game Elder Scrolls books worth reading? (27:50) Insert Credit Quick Break - Sully: A Very Serious RPG (29:42)
  5. LeFish asks: What is the finding out that Santa isn’t real of video games? (31:26)
  6. Tim Rogers asks: HotB, or sofubi? (35:06)
  7. What car should be in every video game with cars? (43:02)
  8. When do you block, when do you dodge, and when do you parry? (49:26)
  9. Is there a system you’ve played every game for? (53:56)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Violence Island (58:37)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:47)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Fight Back to School (1991), PinkPantheress

Tim: Hang out in the discord.gg/actionbutton Goblin Bunker, abandon all social media

Frank: Hear Tim out

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Sully: A Very Serious RPG, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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 May 29, 2023
Ep. 288 - El Podcast Regular
4696

The panel you know and love reconvenes to weigh in on Overwatch 2, the GameCube handle, and Minter’s thing. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. What does it mean to beat a video game? (05:04)
  2. In the “games as service” era, when do you update a game, and when do you make a sequel? (11:20)
  3. What’s the best non-game feature a gaming console has ever had? (18:32)
  4. What kinds of things aren’t video games licensing that they should? (28:21) Insert Credit Quick Break: Egglien (33:12)
  5. From ShlooterMcGavin: What would an eSports Utility Vehicle be like? (34:40)
  6. When have game developers best anticipated player behavior? (44:21)
  7. What games have successfully ripped off older games without anyone really noticing? (49:17)
  8. What is the Who Shot Mr. Burns? of video games? (54:03)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: Tears of the Kingdom (01:01:00)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:09)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Frank: Unofficial Rent-A-Hero No.1 Translation, use actual games saves and not save states if you’re using the Redream emulator, the Xbox Elite Controller Tim: the Xbox Elite Controller, the Analogue Duo Brandon: talk to your relatives about trans rights issues

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Egglien, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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 May 22, 2023
Ep. 287 - Rated L, with Kat Bailey
4231

IGN news director and Axe of the Blood God creator Kat Bailey joins the panel to discuss Metacritic scores, ranked polls, and what the ESRB actually does all day. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Kat Bailey. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Frank Cifaldi asks: What are the best British games? (05:11)
  2. Why doesn’t a Sight & Sound-style poll work for video games? (12:22)
  3. How does IGN review games? (25:33)
  4. If ESRB ratings were literal, which games would actually be for everyone, for teens, and mature? (29:43) Insert Credit Ad Break - Sully: A Very Serious RPG (36:45)
  5. Azurelore Korrigan asks: What medium is best for adapting to video games? (38:29)
  6. What’s something you wished video games would do, they eventually did, and now you’ve had enough? (45:14)
  7. What counts as video game news? (50:12)
  8. Did everyone here always know what IGN stands for? (58:09)

LIGHTNING ROUND: From Yeso - Oblique Game Designs (59:24)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:54)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Continue to listen to this if we keep doing it, I Am a Hero (2015)

Kat: Episode 400 of Axe of the Blood God with Felipe Pepe

Frank: Episode 34 of Video Game History Hour with Felipe Pepe

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Sully: A Very Serious RPG, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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 May 15, 2023
Ep. 286 - Musouls, with Blessing Adeoye Jr.
4443

Kinda Funny Games host and producer Blessing Adeoye Jr. joins the panel to cover review scores for video games, Frank’s answer for good adventure game design, and the Capcom Five. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Blessing Adeoye Jr. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. What do people expect from a review of a new game? (06:29)
  2. Who have been the best level designers since Doom? (17:23)
  3. How can a difficult video game puzzle keep players from losing patience and resolve to solve it? (25:06)
  4. Let’s all record some all purpose video game sample dialogue. (33:13) Insert Credit Ad Break: 100 Gold (37:36)
  5. Lloyd Irving asks: Rank the Capcom Five (38:50)
  6. Koei Tecmo wants you to scout the right IP for their next Musou game. Who do you approach? (46:46)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Reccing Crew - Star Wars characters (54:42)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:06)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Blessing: Check out The Blessing Show on Kinda Funny Games and the Phil Spencer interview from Kinda Funny

Brandon: Demonschool public demo, Koudelka

Tim: Play the Shadow Hearts series and Sōkaigi if you want to play a couple other weirder lesser talked about or looked at video games that are all somewhat related to Koudelka, have a unionized workplace if you have the option

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by 100 Gold and patrons like you. Thank you.

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 May 08, 2023
Ep. 285 - Daria of Sorrow
5208

The panel returns to classic formation to cover UX design, Microsoft acquisition developments, gross Yoshis, and sellouts within sellouts. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. From Simone de Rochefort: What else should Microsoft acquire and make exclusive? (03:33)
  2. What is The Day The Clown Cried of video games? (10:19)
  3. What makes a New Game+ feature the most enticing? (11:41)
  4. What are common terms game designers use that game players don’t? (17:10)
  5. How can User Interface inform the themes and story of a video game? (24:52)
  6. Let’s criticize some things we want to bring attention to. (31:13) Insert Credit Ad Break: Midautumn and Games and Feelings (37:04)
  7. JackOakleaf asks: How long should a cutscene be? (39:55)
  8. Which video game protagonist’s job would you want to do the least? (48:02)
  9. What is The Day The Clown Cried of video games? (54:19)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud - Video Game Playboy Appearances (01:02:47)

Recommendations and Outro (01:19:47)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Plug things on different CRT inputs into different power strips to reduce interference, Bullet Train (2022), Shudder TV if you’re Frank, Joe Bob Briggs

Frank: please do not actually mark Video Game History Foundation donations as “for Playboys”

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Midautumn, Games and Feelings, and patrons like you. Thank you.

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 May 01, 2023
Ep. 284 - Let Me Be Frank, with Simone de Rochefort
5786

What starts as a lively episode with Polygon editor and podcaster Simone de Rochefort becomes something far more interesting when one panelist’s audio goes missing. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Simone de Rochefort. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. From Frank Cifaldi: What is the Criterion Channel of video games? (10:48)
  2. Sega just bought Rovio. Why? (25:29)
  3. Simone, please convince the panel board games are good. (32:26)
  4. What’s the deal with those TikTok videos that all have Minecraft or Subway Surfer footage playing at the bottom? (38:48)
  5. Improv Zone - Video Game Pawn Shop (42:20)
  6. Zara asks: Have you ever recognized something deeply personal from your real life inside of a video game? (48:29)
  7. From Ash Parrish: Who is the American Mario? (55:24)

LIGHTNING ROUND: VIOLENCE ISLAND (01:02:24)

Recommendations and Outro (01:25:26)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: Echo Image, Spirit Posession, make more things like game stores and video stores so people can be paid to get baseline experience in a field they care about Simone: Murder, She Wrote Tim: Decision to Leave (2022), The Little Drummer Girl, Interview with the Vampire

Brought to you by Midautumn on Steam and patrons like you

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 Apr 26, 2023
Ep. 283 - Oops! All Necrosoft, with Lotte May, Son M., and Jenna Stoeber
3272

Necrosoft founder Brandon Sheffield sits with Necrosoft programmer Lotte May, Necrosoft producer Son M., and Necrosoft marketing director Jenna Stoeber to mostly talk about romancing Merlin. Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Lotte May, Son M., and Jenna Stoeber. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. What kinds of games should we be making with text? (03:05)
  2. What are the best untapped genre mashups in video games? (05:12)
  3. What are some under represented vehicles we should be using in games? (09:50)
  4. Design a new fantasy sports game. (12:20)
  5. What makes relationship systems in games compelling, and how can we make them even more compelling? (16:44)
  6. Alex Jaffe asks: If Necrosoft stuck to its original vision of being a game studio that only hires dead people, who would be on the payroll? (23:05)
  7. As of April 2023, how can content creators best present their work? (27:32)
  8. How will today’s youth silo themselves in the future? (33:31)
  9. What’s a question you’ve accidentally built your whole life around answering? (35:52)
  10. What part of your job would you be totally fine with AI taking away from you? (41:15)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Game Companies (43:20)

Recommendations and Outro (48:01)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: Don’t forget to check if something is available new if you buy it Lotte: Necrosoft Games, Watch an episode of the original Gundam series with your friend every week Son: Necrosoft Games, Perfect Garbage Studios, wishlist Love Shore Jenna: twitch.tv/the_jenna, video essay youtube channel, patreon, fuck the algorithm

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 Apr 17, 2023
Ep. 282 - Bye Forever GDC 2023, with Brandon Sheffield, Liz Ryerson, and Ty Underwood
7083

Insert Credit reports directly from GDC 2023. Brandon Sheffield relives past GDC memories with new and familiar faces, while Liz Ryerson and Ty Underwood dive into the dark underbelly of Web3 Cryptopits and explore the show floor.

Segments:

  1. Brandon picks up his badge (00:00)
  2. Liz and Ty wait in line (02:33)
  3. Brandon interviews Greg Miller about GDC memories (08:10)
  4. Ty and Liz interview Evan Balster and Tammy Duplantis about why GDC is bad this year, lines, and lunch (14:46)
  5. Brandon hangs out with Ash Parrish in a bar watching baseball (19:13)
  6. Liz and Ty cover Web3 and the Trauma Trough with Emily Rose (23:43)
  7. Brandon and Vincent Diamante cover planes in hurricanes, cranky old men, and meeting IRC friends (28:28)
  8. Liz updates after emceeing the main stage (35:00)
  9. Liz and Ty walk the expo hall and talk to Issac Io Schankler (37:30)
  10. Brandon talks GDC memories in a bar with Kat Bailey, Wesley Fenlon, Jeremy Parish, and JJSignal (45:07)
  11. Liz recovers after a difficult day (54:25)
  12. Brandon shares his reason for coming to GDC (and DICE) and shares shoe repair tricks (56:26)
  13. Liz tests positive for covid (01:03:50)
  14. Ty reports for the Experimental Game Workshop and asks the hard questions (01:05:52)
  15. Brandon settles on an Italian restaurant with Frank Cifaldi, Chris Charla, and Kelsey Lewin and share stories (01:10:09)
  16. Brandon and Jenn Sandercock have a serendipitous meeting (01:29:02)
  17. Ty scours Yerba Buena to get final thoughts on the conference (01:30:09)
  18. Brandon gets Jim Stormdancer’s GDC memories (01:32:28)
  19. Brandon and Ash Parrish discuss preconceptions, Kirby, Iran, and the giving nature of people at GDC (01:35:25)
  20. Ty unwinds with Eva Khoury to get the vibe of the show (01:51:22)
  21. Brandon runs into Mimsy and talks parties and Oakland (01:52:04)
  22. Ty shares their final thoughts on GDC 2023 (01:55:11)
  23. Brandon wraps up the show (01:55:50)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

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 Apr 10, 2023
Ep. 281 - Flawful Loss, with Casey Explosion
4590

Twitch streamer Casey Explosion joins the panel to talk Resident Evil 4 Remake, Ash Ketchum, and region locked soda machines. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Casey Explosion. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Vincent Diamante asks: What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done to obtain a video game? (03:08)
  2. Has the Steam Deck lived up to everything we thought it might be? (11:17)
  3. How do you pick what to play next? (17:49)
  4. How would you end Ash Ketchum’s story? (25:17)
  5. Scoregem asks: What games have a button that lets you roleplay? (30:57)
  6. Are there any games that do what BioShock can’t? (38:37)
  7. What is the least evil big video game company? (45:22)
  8. How’s that Resident Evil 4 remake? (51:30)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Fursona Royal (55:49)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:18)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Frank: Tune in to a future episode of Insert Credit Show if you’d like to hear discussion about the Criterion Channel of Video Games. Casey: twitch.tv/CaseyExplosion, Casey Explosion Steam Curator page Brandon: See if your ceiling fan can go backward for better air distribution, Frankie Rose, Mammoth Volume, Ritsuko Kurosawa Tim: Fuga: Melodies of Steel

Support on Patreon

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 Apr 03, 2023
Ep. 280 - Zimulation, with Vincent Diamante and ThorHighHeels
5059

Composers Vincent Diamante and ThorHighHeels join Tim in covering modern video game news sources, mysterious games, and excellent yacht names. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Vincent Diamante, and ThorHighHeels. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Here and now in 2023, how do you get video game news? (08:59)
  2. What qualifies a game as mysterious? (14:39)
  3. Tell me about a project that you really believed in at one point, but couldn’t find a way to make it come together. (18:46)
  4. What subject could you give an unprepared GDC talk on? (28:29)
  5. From Kyle: What’s the newest game genre, excluding overt combinations of established genres? (36:36)
  6. Are YouTube audiences more interested in hearing about bad video games than good ones? (48:26)
  7. Why do you think people like what you do? (54:17)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Pull Quotes (59:32)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:39)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Vincent: Baseball, Chair Simulator Thor: Boot up a Zed X Tim: The city of Detroit

Support on Patreon

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 Mar 27, 2023
Ep. 279 - Cauliflower If It Makes Sense, with Jeff Gerstmann
5575

Video game journalist Jeff Gerstmann sits down at the Insert Credit table to cover video game history, AI, and the return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Jeff Gerstmann. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Have any of you seen the news lately? (09:58)
  2. Let’s examine the evolution of the endless runner. (21:53)
  3. Wrestling games. Glorified character creators, or is there something there gameplay-wise? (28:22)
  4. Definitively rank tank, healer, and DPS from best to worst. (35:52)
  5. Kyle asks: Form a musical super group composed of video game characters. (43:38)
  6. Are AI programs like ChatGPT good for video games? (50:44)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Violence Island (01:03:50)

Recommendations and Outro (01:23:49)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: the plot of Kung Fu Traveler (2017) Jeff: Go listen to the Snoop Dogg Call of Duty: Vanguard voicelines Frank: Chicory: A Colorful Tale Tim: Croupier (1998)

Support on Patreon

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 Mar 20, 2023
Ep. 278 - Nintendo 3DSpectacular, with Mathew Kumar
5499

Insert Credit Scottish Correspondent Mathew Kumar sits with the panel just before the March 27, 2023 closing of the Nintendo 3DS eShop to cover the console’s legacy, hardware innovations, and games worth playing. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Mathew Kumar. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Segments:

  • How was the 3DS hardware used? (08:37)
  • What 3DS games need to be brought to another console? (25:04)
  • 3DS Recommendations (38:25)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Ranking the 3DS Recommendations (01:17:55)

THE INSERT CREDIT RANKED RECOMMENDATION LIST FOR NINTENDO 3DS:

  1. Attack of the Friday Monsters!
  2. Shin Megami Tensei IV
  3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds
  4. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars
  5. Gotta Protectors
  6. Kokuga
  7. Sega 3D Classics Collection
  8. Super Mario 3D Land
  9. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor Overclocked
  10. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
  11. Dillon’s Dead-Heat Breakers
  12. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
  13. Etrian Odyssey IV
  14. Etrian Odyssey Nexus
  15. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.
  16. Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball
  17. Persona Q (Series)
  18. Culdcept Revolt
  19. Picross
  20. Pocket Card Jockey
  21. Ridge Racer 3D

Recommendations and Outro (01:29:42)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Buy a ticket at GirlGodLive.com

Support on Patreon

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 Mar 13, 2023
Ep. 277 - The Hitness, with MoxBagel
4275

Guest host and frequent dirtbag Colin AKA MoxBagel keeps the panel in order as they discuss the definition of “visual novel,” fighting games, and, finally, Fortnite.

Questions this week:

  1. What is your “The Last Starfighter” game? (05:20)
  2. How would you redesign pinball to be more of a 30 minute experience than a five minute experience?(11:25)
  3. What fighting game has the most creative single player campaign?(18:57)
  4. If Capcom made a Mega Man Legends every year since 1997, what would it be like now? (24:43)
  5. What game would have flourished with the amount of post-release support that No Man’s Sky has? (32:26)
  6. What is your favorite novel gameplay mechanic or moment in an otherwise unremarkable game? (40:23)
  7. What is the best video game to play in fifteen minute sessions? (47:17)

LIGHTNING ROUND: World of Lords (54:22)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Frank: Metroid Prime: Remastered, the DigitalFoundry video on Metroid Prime Remastered
Brandon: When buying coconut milk and other coconut products, watch out for companies that use monkey slaves. Go to Digikey.com for purchases of electrostatic bags. Stick the stems of limp vegetables in water to refresh them.
Colin: The Taste of Tea (2004)

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 Mar 06, 2023
Ep. 276 - Bye Forever DICE 2023
5187

Brandon Sheffield and Frank Cifaldi report from Las Vegas, where they supposedly attended the 2023 DICE Summit, but mostly ran into used game stores and friends of Insert Credit. Featuring Alex Jaffe, Brandon Sheffield, Frank Cifaldi, Chris Kohler, Ally McLean, Mathew Kumar, and Kris Graft.

SEGMENTS

  1. Retro City Games shopping with Chris Kohler (00:51)
  2. Retro City Games shopping with Ally McLean (10:48)
  3. Driving with Chris Kohler, Ally McLean and Frank Cifaldi from Retro City Games to another used game store (16:09)
  4. Brandon discusses the plot of The $cheme (2003) with Ally McLean (25:18)
  5. Getting lost in the car after Retro City Games #2 (27:08)
  6. A miserable situation involving accoustic covers of popular music (38:15)
  7. In the Circus Circus hotel room (39:17)
  8. Walking through Circus Circus (42:15)
  9. 6 AM stories with Kris Graft (44:00)
  10. Post-show thoughts from Brandon and Frank (58:56)

Discuss this episode in the forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Support on Patreon

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 Feb 27, 2023
Ep. 275 - Even More Games of the Year 2022
9432

A single episode could never hope to contain all the video games of 2022 played by Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Get comfortable and sit down for a hang out with some of the rest of last year’s best. Hosted by Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Games Discussed:

  • Square-Enix HD-2D Games (Live A Live, Triangle Strategy, Bravely Default II, Diofield Chronicles) (07:42)
  • Valkyrie Elysium (26:40)
  • Star Ocean: Divine Force (30:52)
  • Voice of Cards (42:45)
  • Babylon’s Fall (46:22)
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (54:35)
  • Gran Turismo 7 (58:07)
  • Shin chan: Me and the Professor on Summer Vacation - The Endless Seven-Day Journey (59:20)
  • Sifu (01:05:12)
  • Rollerdrome (01:10:05)
  • Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator (01:11:16)
  • NORCO (01:12:24)
  • Chained Echoes (01:13:38)
  • Cult of the Lamb (01:18:25)
  • The Quarry (01:18:42)
  • PowerWash Simulator (01:19:07)
  • Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion (01:21:19)
  • NeverAwake (01:25:45)
  • Final Vendetta (01:26:39)
  • Weird West (01:27:30)
  • Evil West (01:29:59)
  • Horizon II: Forbidden West (01:33:18)
  • A Plague Tale: Requiem (01:41:16)
  • The Callisto Protocol (01:45:21)
  • Gungrave: G.O.R.E (01:50:45)
  • Splatoon 3 (01:54:38)
  • Pokemon Scarlet & Violet (01:58:18)
  • Pokemon Legends: Arceus (02:00:51)
  • Judgment (02:02:42)
  • A Few More From Brandon (02:03:51)
  • 2023 Predictions (02:11:05)
  • Recommendations and Outro (02:14:34)

Visit the forums to discuss this episode

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Check out shows and movies on Netflix and Tubi

Support on Patreon

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 Feb 20, 2023
Ep. 274 - Game of the Year 2022
9759

Our panel debates the rankings greatest video games of 2022, and devises cryptic inscriptions for each one so that others may follow their path. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

NOMINATIONS:

  • Frank Round 1 (08:37)
  • Tim Round 1 (12:35)
  • Brandon Round 1 (17:46)
  • Frank Round 2 (28:29)
  • Tim Round 2 (33:55)
  • Brandon Round 2 (36:49)
  • Frank Round 3 (44:22)
  • Tim Round 3 (57:18)
  • Brandon Round 3 (01:04:08)
  • Frank Round 4 (01:11:09)
  • Tim Round 4 (01:17:20)
  • Brandon Round 4 (01:24:33)
  • Frank Round 5 (01:33:50)
  • Tim Round 5 (01:47:03)
  • Brandon Round 5 (01:54:16)
  • Frank Round 6 (02:02:43)
  • Tim Round 6 (02:05:34)
  • Brandon Round 6 (02:10:14)
  • Frank Round 7 (02:15:14)
  • Tim Round 7 (02:19:30)
  • Brandon Round 7 (02:25:14)
  • Wrap-up (02:36:25)

Visit our forum thread to see the finalized list

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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 Feb 13, 2023
Ep. 273 - Insert Credit Annual #4
6737

Insert Credit returns to once again rank the best games of all time. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

NOMINATIONS:

  • Brandon, Round 1 (05:35)
  • Frank, Round 1 (10:24)
  • Tim, Round 1 (13:58)
  • Brandon, Round 2 (19:15)
  • Frank, Round 2 (24:45)
  • Tim, Round 2 (31:41)
  • Brandon, Round 3 (39:59)
  • Frank, Round 3 (46:58)
  • Tim, Round 3 (51:59)
  • Brandon, Round 4 (58:44)
  • Frank, Round 4 (01:04:21)
  • Tim, Round 4 (01:09:11)
  • Brandon, Round 5 (01:16:35)
  • Frank, Round 5 (01:19:46)
  • Tim, Round 5 (01:22:44)
  • Brandon, Round 6 (01:29:16)
  • Frank, Round 6 (01:34:01)
  • Tim, Round 6 (01:36:07)
  • Brandon, Round 7 (01:39:27)
  • Tim choosing on Frank’s behalf, Round 7 (01:41:28)
  • Tim, Round 7 (01:44:16)

View the finalized list at forums.insertcredit.com

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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 Feb 06, 2023
Ep. 272 - New Donk, Michigan
4638

Ep. 272 - New Donk, Michigan

Our beloved panel covers big game worlds, big game choices, and big twin Tallaricos. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by goop lord, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Jason Schreier asks: Which Mario stage/level/kingdom/board would you want to live in and why? (04:02)
  2. How do you trick a player into feeling like your video game world is big? (10:23)
  3. What do people mean when they say that choices you make in a video game should matter? (17:40)
  4. Dirtbag Dusting - Sam: What game emotionally resonated with you most as a teen? Vermont Boy: What games are most improved by listening to something else? Anonymous: What game has the longest time between setup and payoff? (24:58)
  5. Alex Jaffe asks: Is there any reason for a game with a controllable character to not have a jump button? (38:40)
  6. Which video games have caused industry-wide shifts in graphical aesthetics? (45:52)
  7. What video game characters do you think would most overuse emojis? (50:09)
  8. Review the Rubik’s Cube. (53:57)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design (58:50)

Recommendations and Outro (01:05:13)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Brandon: Stonewall’s Jerquee, A Man Called Hawk on Tubi, reevaluate your taste prejudices every once in a while Tim: Spell a word in an interesting way if you’re a vegan snack company, don’t ask Tim about anything diet related Frank: Deweys Cookies Jaffe: See a dentist

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by goop lord. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 30, 2023
Ep. 271 - FunJail, with Jason Schreier
4118

Bloomberg Game Journalist and Author Jason Schreier joins the panel to cover Wizards of the Coast, the greatest story in video games, and whether or not buying games is ethical. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Jason Schreier. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Cliff Bleszinski asks: What food do you associate with your best gaming memory? (07:16)
  2. Why is everybody so mad about Dungeons & Dragons? (15:22)
  3. What is the greatest story in video games? (20:59)
  4. How do you break news no one else has yet as a game journalist? (28:26)
  5. You have an investor meeting in 6 minutes to pitch them a new social media network for Gamers. What’s your presentation? (34:51)
  6. Spencer Gifts asks: which game console libraries boxes have the best graphic design? (40:49)
  7. Under what circumstances is it unethical to buy a video game? (49:26)

LIGHTNING ROUND: MobyCritic (55:30)

Recommendations and Outro (58:50)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Jason: Triple Click
Brandon: Try eating dandelion leaves, find the fan translation of Project Eye Dol, Mad Stalker
Frank: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Support on Patreon

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 Jan 24, 2023
Ep. 270 - Leisure Suit Locusts, with Cliff Bleszinski
5135

Game Designer and Broadway Producer Cliff “CliffyB” Bleszinski joins a very sensual episode to cover what makes good third person shooters, Avatar 2, and disrespecting Hitman. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Cliff Bleszinski. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. From Brandon Sheffield: What makes a good third person shooter? (06:18)
  2. Who has more power, a game director, or a game producer? (14:44)
  3. Design a video game around the Aroma Shooter. (23:27)
  4. Design a sequel to Frank Cifaldi’s Super Sherlock Holmes. (31:25)
  5. Improv Zone: Guess the COG Squadron (37:04)
  6. Seth asks: What is the best sound related to video games that is not from a video game? (43:26)
  7. If you could design a level for an existing video game series, which would it be and what would you do? (49:58)
  8. What was Fortnite supposed to be? (55:03)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Gears of War Achievements (01:00:53)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:14)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Cliff: Neon White, Vampire Survivors, NORCO
Tim: Interview with the Vampire, follow MiSTerAddons on twitter, get a 4K 48-inch OLED computer monitor
Brandon: Hit “publish” on your patches submitted to Nintendo, The Equalizer, please leave a review for Hyper Gunsport on Steam if you’ve purchased it
Frank: Squeeze an airhorn at Frank Cifaldi every time he mentions the MiSTer if you know him in real life

Support on Patreon

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 Jan 16, 2023
Ep. 269 - Pure Podcast Content, with Christa Lee
4622

Console modification expert Christa Lee joins Brandon and Tim on the panel to cover raytracing in 4K at 120 fps, the things players care about that developers don’t, and the return of Violence Island. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Christa Lee. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. From Ash Parrish: What video game would you swear into Congress on? (01:59)
  2. What can you tell about a video game cartridge from its circuit board? (09:41)
  3. Is raytracing just a graphical enhancement, or can it be gameplay? (15:02)
  4. What do players think about a lot more than game developers? (20:33)
  5. What is the best dead video game company? (26:32)
  6. Spencergifs asks: When did video games become mainstream? (29:51)
  7. Violence Island (36:57)
  8. How should games signal that a “point of no return” is coming? (46:57)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Pokedexperts (01:02:41)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:37) Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Brandon: Bee and PuppyCat
Christa: Mushihimesama

Support on Patreon

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 Jan 09, 2023
Ep. 268 - Cake Realizer Button
4138

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

Questions this week:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (59:36)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

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

Support on Patreon

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 Jan 02, 2023
Ep. 267 - Asynchronicity 2: Holiday Spectacular
3788

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

Questions this week:

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

LIGHTNING ROUND: Recommendations and Outro (47:59)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

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

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 Dec 27, 2022
Ep. 266 - Perspexpertise
5345

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

Questions this week:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (01:12:38)

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

Support on Patreon

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 Dec 19, 2022
Ep. 265 - Starfield and Friends
5178

The panel is ill-prepared for these questions, but unites once more to cover The Game Awards 2022, cool ladies, and the greatest game of all time no one is talking about yet. Brandon Sheffield reviews the first four episodes of Bleach and One Piece. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Do we want to talk about the FTC suing to block Microsoft from buying Activision Blizzard? (06:37)
  2. From Ash Parrish: if you could lock Geoff Keighley in a room and make him reveal the video game industry’s biggest secret, what would you ask him? (09:13)
  3. Let’s try to have a sincere discussion about The Game Awards (11:43)
  4. Let’s predict The Game Awards (20:48)
  5. How have video games influenced our vocabulary? (37:24)
  6. Does a video game protagonist have to be likable? (42:47)
  7. Insert Credit Anime Review: Bleach vs. One Piece (48:32)
  8. Mek asks: has there ever been a good boss fight in a first person shooter? (54:54)
  9. Which fighting game has the coolest lady? (01:00:37)
  10. What is the Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles of video games? (01:05:24)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Improv Zone - Introducing the Nominees (01:16:20)

Recommendations and Outro (01:22:02)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:
Frank: The Prototypes in Ed Semrad’s Basement
Brandon: Watch a few episodes of Hunter X Hunter, wishlist Hyper Gunsport on Steam

Support on Patreon

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 Dec 12, 2022
Ep. 264 - Doki Doki Paisano, with Ash Parrish
3999

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

Questions this week:

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

LIGHTNING ROUND: Dirtbag Diving (55:08)

Recommendations and Outro (58:57)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

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

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

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

Support on Patreon

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 Dec 05, 2022
Ep. 263 - Extractula the Dracula, with Esper Quinn
6044

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

Questions this week:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (01:32:22)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

Support on Patreon

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 Nov 28, 2022
Ep. 262 - Phantastic, with Gita Jackson
5649

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

Questions this week:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (01:18:25)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

Support on Patreon

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 Nov 21, 2022
Ep. 261 - Clown Insanity, with Andrés Velasco y Coll and Fūnk-é Joseph
3915

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

Questions this week:

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

LIGHTNING ROUND: Major Arcana (54:52)

Recommendations and Outro (59:48)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

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

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

Fūnk-é: Making Comics, Fūnk-é Joseph

Jaffe: Alan Moore’s Writing for Comics

Support on Patreon

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 Nov 14, 2022
Ep. 260 - Banjo-Kazoomer
4821

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

Questions this week:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (01:13:31)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Five Fingers for Marseilles (2017)

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

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

Support on Patreon

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 Nov 07, 2022
Ep. 259 - Specdracular 2022, with Christa Lee
5089

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

Questions this year:

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

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

Recommendations and Outro (01:12:32)

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

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

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

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

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

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

Support on Patreon

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 Oct 31, 2022
Ep. 258 - Tapey Toppies
5080

The panel reunites in total to cover the death of the Stadia, if it’s ever okay to make a 30 FPS game, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Questions this week:

  1. Find any long lost NES games lately, Frank? (06:18)
  2. What do we have to say about the passing of the Stadia? (13:15)
  3. Which video game franchise took the greatest number of releases to start getting interesting? (19:01)
  4. When can a current game justify a 30 FPS frame rate? (25:03)
  5. Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 5 (36:21)
  6. Spencer’s Gifts asks: What is the best non-interactive work of video game media? (41:54)
  7. Is there a video game you think would have been more successful if it was released later? (47:43)
  8. What is the Aqua Teen Hunger Force of video games? (52:16)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (59:18)

Check out the forums to Colossus scream about this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Reservation Dogs, play Control in German

Tim: Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, put a “Skip Intro” on Star Trek: The Next Generation if you’re someone who has the ability to make that happen inside Paramount+

Frank: Check out the weird rough draft of the HD restoration that introduces each episode of The Next Generation on Pluto TV’s Star Trek channel

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 24, 2022
Ep. 257 - Building the Sandwich While You're Eating It, with Chris Plante
6051

EIC of Polygon and co-host of The Besties Chris Plante fills in for Frank on topics like the Cyberpunk anime, Anthem, and a Republican poet’s paradise.

Questions this week:

  1. How can game companies draw attention back to their titles after a botched release? (07:07)
  2. How do you make collecting treasure in a game feel significant? (14:14)
  3. What would you put in The Orange Box 2? (20:12)
  4. How would you quantify an experience point? (26:07)
  5. Design a game based on a White House press conference. (32:59)
  6. From PAX 2022: An interview with Starbucks Workers United organizer (37:59)
  7. MoxBagel re-asks: What’s the ideal video game to play over dinner? (41:11)
  8. Has a plot hole in a game’s story ever ruined the game for you? (48:37)
  9. What is the Avengers: Endgame of video games? (58:14)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Panic! At The Disco songs (01:05:38)

Recommendations and Outro (01:18:57)

If you look behind this episode’s waterfall you’ll find people discussing it in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Jaffe: Watch One Piece

Brandon: hold the up and down buttons to control those barrels in the Carnival Zone in Sonic 3, don’t watch Austin Powers, don’t watch any of the Bill & Ted movies, Mom and Dad Save the World (1992)

Tim: Check out Star Trek: Discovery if you want to see David Cronenberg be weird and Michelle Yeoh be weird

Chris: Subscribe to Shudder or The Criterion Channel

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Chris Plante. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 17, 2022
Ep. 256 - Top 20 Arcade Edition
8718

The full panel reassembles to create an Insert Credit approved ranked list of twenty arcade games. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Nominees in Order of Discussion:

  • Asteroids Deluxe (21:30)
  • The Irritating Stick (26:10)
  • Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road (30:16)
  • Alien Vs. Predator (34:28)
  • X-Men (40:15)
  • Capcom Vs. SNK 2 Millionaire Fighting 2001 (44:43)
  • The Outfoxies (50:33)
  • NBA Jam: Tournament Edition (01:02:25)
  • Groove Coaster (01:08:24)
  • F-Zero AX (01:15:51)
  • Frogger (01:26:25)
  • Typing of the Dead (01:30:10)
  • Tapper (01:39:32)
  • Azumanga Puzzle Daioh (01:42:23)
  • Prop Cycle (01:47:39)
  • Dog Patch (01:57:29)
  • Darius (02:02:04)
  • Ibara Kuro: Black Label (02:07:28)
  • G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (02:10:33)
  • Outrun (02:14:31)

View the finalized ranked list in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 10, 2022
Ep. 255 - It's Boss Time Now, with John Learned
4543

Game annotater and journalist John Learned joins the panel to cover dead babies, doing a Batman, and Mr. Bones and me.

Questions this week:

  1. What’d you think of Return to Monkey Island, Frank? (04:57)
  2. What have been the most significant improvements to the Metroidvania format since Symphony of the Night? (11:30)
  3. How many fighters should be in a fighting game? (16:53)
  4. What’s the best use of a musical instrument in a non-music based video game? (21:53)
  5. What job in the video game industry are you not qualified for, but could do an okay job at anyway? (27:14)
  6. Spencer’s Gifts asks: Are lost memories a compelling story device? (35:27)
  7. Violence Island Season 2 (41:37)
  8. Other than an achievement or trophy, what’s the best way to reward a player for 100% completion in a video game? (58:00)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Pull Quotes (01:03:30)

Recommendations and Outro (01:08:19)

Return to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Buy stuff from Japan right now since the exchange rate is so good, Cypher (2002),

Frank: Beavis and Butt-Head

John: Breaking Bad

Jaffe: Send proof of new or upgrading Patreon membership to personally choose an obscure video game reference to open a future episode with! Wishlist Demonschool on Steam by Necrosoft. Check out our sister show, The Video Game History Hour. Enjoy the new action button reviews boku no natsuyasumi. Subscribe to Annotated Games by John Learned.

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and John Learned. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 03, 2022
Ep. 254 - From Tokyo with Brandon Sheffield, Part II
8893

Brandon continues his time in Japan for the Tokyo Game Show by covering hidden shrines at Sega HQ with Lotte May and Yumiko Miyabe, Rez development with Mark Macdonald, Kaiju bars with Jun Shimizu, Tokyo Game Show games with Andrew Kiya, the Japanese language with Cheryl Ng, and video game purchases with Paul O’Leary McCann.

Discuss part II of this episode in the forums!

Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Lotte May, Yumiko Miyabe, Mark MacDonald, Jun Shimizu, Andrew Kiya, Cheryl Ng, and Paul O’Leary McCann. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 26, 2022
Ep. 253 - From Tokyo with Brandon Sheffield, Part I
6509

Full moon, hot cars, cool games, good records. Brandon Sheffield is in Japan for Tokyo Game Show 2022, and has lots to share from the trip, including a Nintendo HQ visit, Maidreamin’, highway driving and street racing spots with Chibi-Tech, and record store finds with Kenan Alpay.

Discuss this episode in the forums!

Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Chibi-Tech and Kenan Alpay. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 19, 2022
Ep. 252 - Quora Spectaskular 2, with Ash Parrish and Chris Kohler
3475

The reunited Ash Parrish and Chris Kohler, both formerly of Kotaku Splitscreen, join Frank Cifaldi and Alex Jaffe in answering the top video game questions on Quora.

Questions this week:

  1. Is there any reason to choose a female character in video games? (03:18)
  2. Why does everyone speak English in the Fallout video game series? (06:04)
  3. Playing Skyrim as a vampire, is it worth it? (06:56)
  4. Why is Magnus Carlsen hinting at not playing world championships anymore while at the peak of his power? (09:20)
  5. What’s the hardest video game ever made? (11:31)
  6. How can I permanently end my son’s gaming? (14:45)
  7. What are some good free game engines? (21:16)
  8. In a 4X game, do you play tall or wide? (22:45)
  9. What game has the environment that blew your mind? (24:27)
  10. Where do you scale the Game Sonic? (27:58)
  11. If you’re making a game and a company wants to buy it from you, how much should you sell it for? (32:41)
  12. Will the era of console exclusive games ever end? (38:28)
  13. Why is it when I play Minecraft with 1660Ti I barely reach 60fps? (39:28)
  14. My son is playing Elden Ring and it’s full of demonic imagery. What should I do? (40:28)
  15. What are the least known game genres? (42:34)
  16. Are there any games that can actually earn Paypal money?(45:42)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Overwatch League Team Slogans (46:37)

Recommendations and Outro (50:35)

Any questions? Ask them in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: The Video Game History Hour

Ash: BPM: Bullets Per Minute

Chris: Immortality

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish and Chris Kohler. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 12, 2022
Ep. 251 - Bye Forever PAX 2022, with Brandon Sheffield
2049

Brandon Sheffield reports from the Demonschool booth at PAX 2022, where he shares stories direct from Ian Adams, Frank Howley and our own Frank Cifaldi.

  1. Demonschool Booth Worries (00:14)
  2. A PAX-ish Anecdote, with Ian Adams (02:12)
  3. Day 1 Wrap-Up (03:19)
  4. Hotel Experience (05:06)
  5. Orange County in Newcastle upon Tyne (06:42)
  6. Day 2 and Adventure Game Panel, with Frank Cifaldi (08:53)
  7. Seattle Is Just San Francisco 2 (23:38)
  8. The Last of Us 2 Whiskey Event, with Frank Howley (26:16)
  9. Wrap Up (30:05)

Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Ian Adams, Frank Howley and Frank Cifaldi. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 05, 2022
Ep. 250 - Getcha Self a Hot Dog, with Liz Ryerson
4741

Insert Credit Fringe Games Correspondent Liz Ryerson returns to the panel to cover being a tool user, the year of peak stupidity in video games, and crystals of fun syrup.

Questions this week:

  1. If you had a free day at the world’s most complete arcade, how would you spend a thousand quarters? (02:27)
  2. Is Gamescom the new E3? (07:59)
  3. What is the Snyder Cut of game conferences? (13:19)
  4. Recommend a video game soundtrack for Alex Jaffe’s dad’s commute (18:57)
  5. Improv Zone: Game Director YouTube Channels (23:49)
  6. Mr. Heck asks: what makes successful video games similar, and what makes video game failures unique? (39:24)
  7. What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever seen in a video game? (47:59)
  8. How would you put the sound of a black hole into a video game? (52:47)
  9. What kind of games and areas of game culture do we not talk about enough on Insert Credit? (56:30)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Episode Title Throwbacks (01:01:41)

Recommendations and Outro (01:11:06)

Two hundred and fifty? That’s a lot of episodes you could discuss in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Wash your car from top to bottom, watch the Comanche dub of Prey (2022), Winter Beast (1992)

Frank: If you like to channel surf old games, don’t forget to play the popular good stuff too

Liz: Death’s Dynamic Shroud, Season of the Witch (1972), Kitschfork

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Liz Ryerson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 29, 2022
Not 250 - Violence Island Exhibition and Waiting for Timbot
1990

Here’s something different! Episode Not 250 brings you a few of the Who Would Win In A Fight matches from forums.insertcredit.com and delivers swift judgment from Alex Jaffe. Stick around for conversation from Alex, Frank, and Brandon on subjects like Judaism in the Bay Area, Batman: The Animated Series, cultural aesthetic adoption over the decades, and more.

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 22, 2022
Ep. 249 - Space Jerks on Monkey Island
3276

Our beloved panel of experts discusses podcasts on Stadia, Chimp Chent, and Breath of the Gliald.

Questions this week:

  1. From Ash Parrish: If a game development studio was run like a busy kitchen, what would employees shout while running around? (01:18)
  2. How do developers make money from subscription services like GamePass? (06:12)
  3. Which former game development collaborators would you most like to see team up again? (10:52)
  4. What are the false impressions we get about war from war video games? (17:57)
  5. What’s the plot of Super Monkey Ball? (22:36)
  6. Gaagaagiins asks: Rank the following – dash, roll, slide, glide, hover, fly and jump. (27:22)
  7. How do you get past video game burnout? (37:11)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name a new Guilty Gear character (41:25)

Recommendations and Outro (44:03)

Legally, the government can’t stop you from discussing this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Don’t go outside if you live in New York

Brandon: The Cannibal Man (1972), you can eat squash leaves and stems, research the correct order to watch The Prisoner

Frank: New Beavis and Butt-Head series is pretty good

Jaffe: The Sandman

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 15, 2022
Ep. 248 - Insert Credit Flavored Questions that are too stupid for the Dirtbag, with Ash Parrish
4014

Insert Credit Hornt Correspondent Ash Parrish rejoins the panel to answer questions members of the Insert Credit forums deemed too stupid even to submit to the dirtbag.

Questions this week:

  1. BluntForceMama asks: What is your mom’s favorite TV show, and how would you adapt it into a video game your dad would want to play? (02:06)
  2. Gaagaagiins asks: Is Capcom just Sega without the Sega-ness? (07:09)
  3. beets asks: If you were going to make a table from video game hardware, which would you choose? (10:03)
  4. yeso asks: can Yoko Taro see out of that thing? (12:41)
  5. King Tub asks: when I’m rewarded with gold for fighting a monster, what’s it doing with that gold? (15:13)
  6. Is Superman just seeing everybody’s dicks all the time? (18:03)
  7. Gaagaagiins asks: Design a Fromsoft Onimusha game with a Jean Reno-level celebrity appearance and setting (20:44)
  8. antillese asks: If muddy brown is the color of Xbox 360 games, what is the video game color of other consoles? (22:12)
  9. The Fragrance of Dark Coffee asks: What isn’t the Jingle All The Way of video games? (26:19)
  10. dylanfills asks: Is the Phoenix Wright series copaganda? (30:15)
  11. Anna asks: If every video game character escaped the virtual world and attacked their creators, which developers could beat their creations? (35:22)
  12. TokuCowboy asks: What does the CD mean in Sonic CD? (40:56)
  13. HelloMrKearns asks: What is the Mitsuoka Le-Seyde of video games? (41:28)
  14. dylanfills asks: is Doomguy a bottom? (47:48)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Arcade of Our Own (51:16)

Recommendations and Outro (01:03:22)

Discuss this episode in the forums or ask questions of your own!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Wishlist Hyper Gunsport and Demonschool on Steam

Ash: Endling: Extinction Is Forever, Escape Academy

Frank: Try unsalted nuts, send Frank the Doom comic

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 08, 2022
Ep. 247 - The Criterion Collection of Video Games
4376

The panel convenes to assess the Oofya, share controversial Klonoa opinions, and choose the first five video games to be given the Criterion Collection treatment.

Questions this week:

  1. What difficulty mode do you start games on? (00:42)
  2. How do you remedy the tone of Grand Theft Auto while maintaining crass irreverence? (05:53)
  3. How do you create urgency in a video game without an explicit timer? (16:35)
  4. What should Roblox replace its iconic “oof” noise with? (20:31)
  5. Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 4 (28:37)
  6. Tom asks: If the Criterion Collection were to release video games, what might the first five titles be, and what would the ideal special features be for each of them? (30:04)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Inaugural Criterion Collection of Video Games (01:01:33)

Share your picks for games 6 and onward in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: The Criterion Channel

Frank: Get some good sleep and poop on the regular

Brandon: If you drink wine buy a wine aerator, and if you live in the Bay Area buy Alvarrado Street bread

Jaffe: The Bear on FX

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 02, 2022
Ep. 246 - Those Who Trod Upon Rodents, with Paul Tamayo
4680

Producer, critic and podcaster Paul Tamayo joins the panel to cover when you should pee your pants, Mario’s political affiliations, the coveted 7/11 video games, and Guantanamo Nights Zone.

Questions this week:

  1. Which real world racing event has the most interesting game mechanics? (06:54)
  2. What are the best implementations of alien technology in video games? (14:05)
  3. Could you design a game about New York City that doesn’t involve driving? (19:55)
  4. What would be the best city to drive around in a video game? (27:48)
    Spencer asks: Why did so many companies throw their hat in the console ring during the fifth generation? (35:28)
  5. Was PaRappa the Rapper good, or do we just remember it because it has a rapping dog? (42:56)
  6. What are your video game spending habits like? (48:04)
  7. Within the game’s fiction, why do video game villains design their bases as platforming puzzles? (56:01)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Grand Theft Auto Online (01:01:01)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:05)

Kick! Punch! Discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Paul: RRR (2022)

Tim: Learn Chinese, it’s important

Brandon: Do not leave your dog in East Oakland unless you want Brandon to take care of it, GRRL, the current season of The Bachelorette if you liked Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021)

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Paul Tamayo. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jul 25, 2022
Ep. 245 - Romancing the Three Kingdoms
4489

Even Hollywood Florida can’t keep Alex Jaffe from asking the panel about Nobunaga’s Position, The Zorro Theorem, and Jonk Bonk.

Questions this week:

  1. What’s up with that Vice article about Embracer Group making a game archive? (04:47)
  2. What are your favorite kinds of puzzles in video games? (12:34)
  3. How would you design a new spinoff of Koei’s Romance of the Three Kingdom’s series? (19:28)
  4. When does a game need a remake? (23:16)
  5. Which four video games would you buy for each of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? (28:57)
  6. Le Fish asks: What would the title, plot, and promotional tagline of a Bonk movie be? (34:43)
  7. Is it always more exciting to play offense than defense? (41:02)
  8. Do you have any recurring intrusive video game memories? (43:35)
  9. What is The Orville of video games? (47:44)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud – Spike Video Game Awards Celebrity Hosts (53:05)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:26)

Share your recurring intrusive video game memories in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Smoke weed every day

Frank: Be by yourself for a little bit

Brandon: The City of the Dead (1960) specifically for Venetia Stevenson’s performance

Jaffe: John Adams

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jul 18, 2022
Ep. 244 - Double-Sized Dirtbag Delve, with Andrés Velasco y Coll
5333

EVO Head Tournament Organizer Andrés Velasco y Coll fills in as host for a number of listener submitted questions, covering Italian David Cage, Stardon’t Valley, and how to get a job in the video game industry.

Questions this week:

  1. Anders asks: How do you get into the video game industry? (07:35)
  2. AOL Netscape asks: What series or franchise has a spinoff game arguably better than its predecessor? (23:32)
  3. Ross Hamrick asks: How would you remake Jackie Chan Stuntmaster? (29:52)
  4. Horizontal Hold asks: Which Nintendo IP would Sega make a good entry of? (37:08)
  5. Mox Bagel asks: Which game director would make the best physical version of their game? (44:24)
  6. Dilson asks: What are the best crouching animations? (54:40)
  7. The Fragrance of Dark Coffee asks: What is the oldest game you’d still recommend today? (59:48)
  8. Spencer asks: Which games have the best third act? (01:09:18)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Popular Podcasts (01:15:51)

Recommendations and Outro (01:22:32)

Delve into the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Listen to some other show if you want recommendations, GDQ 2022 Mario Kaizo relay race

Brandon: Space Is the Place (1974), Void Pyramid, Xoo: Xeno Xafari

Andres: Dimension 20’s Starstruck Odyssey

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Andres Velasco y Coll, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jul 11, 2022
Ep. 243 - Alunderstanding Laryngoscopy, with Doc Burford
3421

Adios Director Doc Burford joins the panel to cover pulse oximeters, what Michael Bay understood about West Side Story, and the RP Walk Button.

Questions this week:

  1. At what point in playing a game do you feel justified picking up a guide? (06:05)
  2. If all video games are fantasy fulfillment, which games serve the most niche interest? (11:18)
  3. Design a game for the Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor accessory. (17:14)
  4. Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 3 (24:20)
  5. Daisopop asks: What’s better? default running with a walk button or default walking with a run button? (25:31)
  6. Is Niantic a one-hit wonder? (31:58)
  7. Who is the Baz Luhrmann of video games? (37:59)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (43:11)

Recommendations and Outro (49:36)

Toggle your run/walk button and get over to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: The Video Game History Foundation

Brandon: Mad God (2021) East Bay Wilds, wishlist Demonschool on Steam please

Doc: pick up Adios on Switch, Xbox, PC, whatever

Jaffe: Adios on Switch, Xbox, PC, whatever

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Doc Burford. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jul 04, 2022
Ep. 242 - Famous Characters in Funny Situations, with Mathew Kumar
4943

Game design lead for Future Club Mathew Kumar joins the panel to cover piles of graphics cards, Dall E, and customer service at the dream factory.

Questions this week:

  1. What makes a video game “obscure?” (06:27)
  2. Brandon Sheffield re-asks: What is a game you didn’t like until you played it? (14:52)
  3. Imagine you’re streaming through a glitch where half your viewers get audio but no visuals, and half get visuals but no audio. What game could you play that both audiences would enjoy the most? (21:00)
  4. Design a new mode for Minesweeper (27:59)
  5. Dirtbag Seth asks: What responsibilities does a King of Fighters have to their subjects? (34:27)
  6. What will AI-generated video games be like? (37:31)
  7. Does fast travel mean traversing a game’s world isn’t interesting? (44:39)
  8. Which video game feels the most Scottish? (51:48)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud - Top 8 Video Game movies on Rotten Tomatoes (56:36)

Recommendations and Outro (01:13:47)

Check out that AI forum game and lots more in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: If you know any retired or semi-retired game developers in the midwest, let Frank know

Brandon: Tool Assisted Speedrun of Pac-Man World for PSX, mikeyeldey: the album for Sega Genesis, set up a nice time for yourself

Tim: Say thank you for things in your life

Mathew: Ignore Big Luhrman, Mickey Reece’s Alien (2017)

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Mathew Kumar. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jun 27, 2022
Ep. 241 - Octoplath Traveler, with Allegra Frank
4065

Deputy editor of The Daily Beast Allegra Frank joins the panel to cover Kirby adults, Pokemon Gonlyfans, and whether or not demons are cool.

Questions this week:

  1. Does adapting a story focused on choice into another medium cheapen player agency? (04:58)
  2. Where does the Kirby franchise go from here? (13:19)
  3. What’s happened with Pokemon Go in the last six years since anyone played it? (20:13)
  4. Which video game character would you pick to guest host Saturday Night Live? (26:58)
  5. Are demons cool? (32:02)
  6. Kyle asks: Which famous writer would be best at writing a video game walkthrough? (41:36)
  7. Tim asks: who cares? (48:42)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As: Dragon Age Inquisition (49:35)

Recommendation & Outro (01:00:44)

Pokemon Go to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: F For Fake (1973), Desiccation’s Cold Dead Earth,

Tim: This lunchtime photograph, Don’t call yourself a flexitarian

Allegra: Freeze then thaw your tofu

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Allegra Frank. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jun 20, 2022
Ep. 240 - Get On The Centaur, with The Night Sky Prince
4714

Final Fantasy and JRPG streamer The Night Sky Prince pals around with the panel for an RPG-focused episode covering wily game mavens, Bush doing 9/11, and the Lynchian madness of Kingdom Hearts.

Questions this week:

  1. Brandon Sheffield asks: What is the “Play it again, Sam” of video games? (05:46)
  2. What would make Final Fantasy XVI not just the best game in the series, but a game that even Frank and Brandon would want to play immediately? (12:44)
  3. What are some RPG mechanics from a bygone age you’d like to see make a comeback? (20:54)
  4. Rename Creative Business Units 1 through 4 (26:24)
  5. MoxBagel asks: If Chunsoft continued to make all eleven main Dragon Quests, how would they be different? (37:21)
  6. Is the practice of grinding a fundamental flaw in RPGs, or can it be additive to the experience? (43:38)
  7. What are the qualities of a party member you’ll always keep in your party? (50:44)
  8. Establish a canon of worthy 2D successors to Final Fantasies IV-VI (56:32)

LIGHTNING ROUND: RPGeography (01:03:07)

Recommendations & Outro (01:09:29)

Use Discussion on the forums! It’s super effective!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Wishlist Necrosoft’s new game Demonschool on Steam, check out the website

Frank: Our Flag Means Death

Tim: Buy a nice pair of shoes

The Night Sky Prince: The Night Sky Prince on Youtube, Twitch and Twitter

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and The Night Sky Prince. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jun 13, 2022
Ep. 239 - Panzer Dragoose
4413

The panel reveals which console has quietly become the second Dreamcast, their honest feelings on how Sonic Frontiers is looking so far, which game Tim started 24 times before finishing, and much more.

HEADS UP! During Question 6, beginning at 45:51, Tim starts telling a story that contains some pretty horrifying dental trauma. If you don’t want to hear bad things happening to teeth, please skip to 49:37.

Questions this week:

  1. Is a tech demo a video game? (02:36)
  2. Are we getting a new Space Harrier? (13:41)
  3. What are the best fonts and typefaces in video games? (20:22)
  4. Design eight characters for a Street Fighter spinoff where each character is based on a U.S. state (26:31)
  5. Mono asks: What’s the saddest sound you’ve ever heard in a video game? (35:06)
  6. Do you or does someone you know have video game superstitions? (41:27)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (52:39)

Recommendations and Outro (58:15)

Fly away to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: George & Jonathan - The Best Music, Citizen Sleeper, please wishlist Hyper Gunsport on Steam, watch the PC Gaming Show on Sunday June 12 at 12:30p/3:30e to see Necrosoft’s new video game announcement

Tim: Figure out what Tim is recommending yourself, I guess. Sounds like he likes HBO shows.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jun 06, 2022
Ep. 238 - Jackson Backcracker, Cowboy Chiropractor
5776

Questions this week:

  1. Tim Rogers asks: What’s it like going to a chiropractor? (05:08)
  2. What’s the Metal Gear Solid 2-style subversion Death Stranding 2 will have? (13:23)
  3. What would it take to get you to buy alternate costume DLC? (19:56)
  4. What would we do if we bought EA? (25:56)
  5. Jaffe Guesses The Golden Age of Konami – Attempt 2 (32:02)
  6. Anonymous asks: Design a mascot for the ESRB (32:26)
  7. What is the Porco Rosso of video games? (37:37)
  8. Violence Island – Shadowban Championship (42:41)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Minecraft (01:19:16)

Recommendations & Outro (01:27:02)

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: City of Blood by Akvan

Frank: George Carlin’s American Dream

Tim: Severance

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 May 30, 2022
Ep. 237 - Everything Everywah, with Maddy Thorson
4070

Developer of TowerFall and Celeste Maddy Thorson joins the panel to cover the Treasure of Sierra Madrock, Nephew Tokens, and if double jumps are really necessary.

Questions this week:

  1. Topher Florence asks: Cast a Super Mario Bros. Movie using the actors from the 1999 film The Matrix. There are no other restrictions. (06:51)
  2. How can a game’s soundtrack encourage gameplay? (13:45)
  3. Why did MicroKingBlizzardActivision show off that diversity chart like they were proud of it? (19:33)
  4. How much of Nintendo can the Saudi Prince of Arabia own before it’s no longer ethical to buy Switch games? (27:05)
  5. Should video games abolish the double jump? (30:42)
  6. Reg asks: What is the best video game manual you have read? (37:50)
  7. How do you implement accessibility options in a game where its difficulty is the point? (43:34)
  8. Do video game release dates mean anything anymore? (48:25)
  9. Will 3D platforming ever be better than 2D platforming? (54:16)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As – Super Mario Maker 2 (01:00:03)

Recommendations & Outro (01:03:39)

Dash to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Find and play the Titanic platformer made by Dragon Co.

Tim: Don’t play Wolverine: Adamantium Rage (or do)

Maddy: V Rising

Brandon: Don’t add Amazon Prime Movies to your list at the end of the month, Lacroix Despheres

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Maddy Thorson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 May 23, 2022
Ep. 236 - Yggdraskill Tree, with Topher Florence
5087

Media Crossover Expert Topher “Docfuture” Florence sits with the panel to cover fetchy texture and Bare Nuckle. Ash Parrish shares thoughts on the Halo TV series in “Master Chief Does the Covenant.”

Questions this week:

  1. Can video games do anything interesting with the multiverse trend? (07:21)
  2. What are your predictions for Kingdom Hearts 4? (14:01)
  3. Why do games give you equipment and features later that would have made it more fun from the start? (19:30)
  4. Design a game based on the winter biathalon of cross country skiing and rifle shooting that doesn’t take place in an athletic competition. (25:34)
  5. How would you design a convention experience for Mario Party games? (31:05)
  6. Dirtbag Kiko B asks: What’s an example of a fetch quest you sincerely enjoyed? (42:09)
  7. What are the greatest challenges in video game animation today? (48:14)
  8. What distinctions would you make between the numbers 1 through 4 on a 10-point game rating scale? (53:47)
  9. What is the CW’S Riverdale of video games? (01:05:45)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Skin It To Win It (01:11:52)

Recommendations and Outro (01:18:10)

In some timeline, in some universe, you’re already discussing this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Truth Seekers

Topher: Three Busy Debras

Tim: Euphoria

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Topher Florence. “Master Chief Does the Convenant” by Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 May 16, 2022
Ep. 235 - Unchardita, with Vincent Diamante
3634

Insert Credit Co-founder and legendary game composer Vincent Diamante joins the panel to cover Fighters Megamix romance, Russian Adventure, and the top 5 Sonic games that aren’t the immediately great ones.

Questions this week:

  1. Kris Graft asks: Which two fighters from Fighters Megamix would make the best or worst romantic couple? (05:17)
  2. Now that we have a little distance, what features of the PS4/Xbox One era will feel retro someday? (09:45)
  3. On what occasions have you restarted a game from the beginning before finishing it? (15:02)
  4. What is “immersion” in video games? (19:54)
  5. Design an “In This House We Do Disney” piece of wall art for gamers (25:16)
  6. Dirtbag Salvatore Romano asks: Excluding 1, 2, 3, & Knuckles and Mania, what are the top 5 Sonic the Hedgehog games? (30:36)
  7. Which video game series took the greatest number of entries to start getting good? (36:16)
  8. What is the best logo design in video games? (41:38)
  9. Is Nintendo evil? (46:31)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Acronymizer (50:33)

Recommendations and Outro (56:30)

Immerse yourself in this episode by discussing it in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Vincent: Scritti Politti

Brandon: Halloween (1978)

Frank: Dan Slott’s Spider-Man run

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield and Vincent Diamante. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 May 09, 2022
Ep. 234 - Come Play, My Laggardly Sort, with Kris Graft
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The Tarnished Kris Graft takes his spot on the panel to cover bloodwritten OSHA violations, snipers, and syphilitic electrocution revival.

Questions this week:

  1. Andrés Velasco y Coll asks: When did Konami go bad? (07:39)
  2. Kris Graft, what did you do to get fired from Game Developer? (14:28)
  3. Which NPCs deserve a promotion to playable characters? (21:13)
  4. Do negative status effects make a game more interesting, or just annoying? (27:34)
  5. Improv Zone: Elden Ring Political Debate (33:20)
  6. Dirtbag Gaagaagiins asks: What are some games that would be improved by the removal of their headline feature? (38:55)
  7. Violence Island (47:50)

LIGHTNING ROUND: This or That (01:05:22)

Recommendations and Outro (01:20:31)

Come discuss the episode, my laggardly reader, in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Smithereens (1982), tonyhax, Jun Chikuma’s The Midas Touch

Tim: Don’t shave with an electric razor

Kris: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), older The Simpsons episodes, Dark

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kris Graft. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 May 02, 2022
Ep. 233 - Pod of Casters, an ICS SNK KOF Roundtable
7039

Cool, cute, and Iori Yagami! Insert Credit Fighting Game Correspondent Patrick Miller hosts Brandon Sheffield, EVO Head Tournament Organizer Andrés “nothingxs” Velasco y Coll and classic Insert Credit writer Azurelore Korrigan to cover the King of Fighters, the fall of SNK, and Insert Credit’s history with both.

Questions this week:

  1. What brought this panel together? (02:11)
  2. What are your fighting game credentials? (10:55)
  3. How has SNK’s purchase by a murderous dictator impacted your relationship with the company and King of Fighters series? (18:24)
  4. What would an in-person Insert Credit event be like? (28:43)
  5. If you disappeared for twenty years, what alias would you return as? (34:49)
  6. Why do you play KOF? (41:26)
  7. How will Kyo and Iori’s long term relationship unfold? (51:32)
  8. Do you think this iteration of SNK is the most successful since the 90’s? (58:39)
  9. In a better world, what classic SNK series would you like to come back? (01:07:14)
  10. Which game in the series sound design has stuck with you the most? (01:13:03)
  11. What is the best outfit in KOF history? (01:20:56)
  12. What are your favorite King of Fighters spinoffs and minigames? (01:26:44)
  13. Who is the King of Fighters? (01:31:53)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Bio Logical (01:37:37)

Recommendations and Outro (01:46:56)

Ready? Go! to the forums to discuss this episode!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Casa Sanchez Picoso Chips

Azurelore: Far Away Times

Andrés: DNOpls, Patrick Miller’s patreon

Pat: Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Apr 25, 2022
Ep. 232 - The Insert Credit 232nd Episode Spectacular
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After defeat at the hands of scheduling conflicts, Esper steps in to deliver a few of the best Insert Credit Show moments since October 2020.

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Apr 18, 2022
Ep. 231 - The Insert Credit Substitute Teacher Study Hall, with Ash Parrish
3540

While Alex Jaffe is under the weather, Tim Rogers is stepping in to perform something vaguely resembling hosting duties. Ash Parrish joins the panel to relay Activision news, Sonic 2 The Movie thoughts, and spreadsheet olympics.

Questions this week:

  1. Did y’all see the news? (19:17)
  2. Let’s talk about video game movies. (27:09)
  3. What are some list episodes you guys wanna do? (35:17)
  4. What do we have to say about Street Fighter II sound effects? (46:21)

Recommendations and Outro (49:27)

If you want, you can discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: The Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin, specifically The Tombs of Atuan, watch a Jimmy Wang Yu movie

Ash: Do not read Halo: Ghosts of Onyx

Frank: John Swartzwelder’s The Time Machine Did It

Hosted by Tim Rogers, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield and Ash Parrish. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Apr 11, 2022
Ep. 230 - This Podcast Is My Penance
4596

The panel reassembles once more to Game Now!, share the best soundtrack for walking your dog, and groan over a couple real Jaffeisms.

Questions this week:

  1. Previously on Insert Credit 138: What is the best way to announce a video game release delay? (02:11)
  2. Will the new PS Plus program be worthy of investment? (07:16)
  3. What are the best player health management systems in video games? (13:28)
  4. How important is background art to a video game? (19:43)
  5. Custom Soundtrack: Half-Life 2 (26:53)
  6. Anonymous asks: when was the last time Konami did anything interesting? (33:51)
  7. What are the biggest missed opportunities for lawsuits in video game history? (39:59)
  8. What’s something modern video game designers have forgotten how to do? (45:41)
  9. Brandon Sheffield asks: What are some good action games that aren’t too hard? (51:31)

LIGHTNING ROUND: A Synthesthetic Experiment (01:01:58)

Go ahead and bark about this one in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Wurm: Journey to the Center of the Earth if you’re Brandon Sheffield, go pirate old games instead of buying them you fools

Brandon: 2002 (2001) if you like stuff that’s stupid

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Apr 04, 2022
Ep. 229 - Bye Forever GDC 2022, with Liz Ryerson and Brandon Sheffield
3480

Insert Credit covers GDC 2022 with Liz Ryerson reporting direct from the expo hall on a quest to achieve corporate heaven, while Brandon Sheffield gets quick hits from some prominent attendees and reflects on GDC itself.

Chapters:

  1. Heaven or Corporate Hell: The GDC 2022 Expo Hall, by Liz Ryerson (00:47)
  2. GDC 2022 Reports by Brandon Sheffield: standing in front of a mural (14:32)
  3. hotel report and lumbar pillow (16:34)
  4. fomo (18:47)
  5. Why Is the Whole Idea of Todd Howard Funny? An Investigation, by Kris Graft (21:23)
  6. hodd toward (23:15)
  7. bbc interview about the ukraine bundle (23:49)
  8. piloting through shit, with Rami Ismail (24:35)
  9. an anecdote about gdcs past, with Vincent Diamante (25:51)
  10. unfortunately configured pizza, with Tyriq Plummer (27:47)
  11. wearing a fuck nfts shirt in business meetings, with Xalavier Nelson Jr. (29:02)
  12. a story about discovering punk bands, with Chris Charla (31:56)
  13. flaccid exchanges and ambient jazz (33:07)
  14. san francisco and oakland are different places in america (34:57)
  15. america is a whole country that has san francisco and oakland in it (36:08)
  16. masking (36:48)
  17. an event conspiring (37:49)
  18. something to say, with Anita Sarkeesian (38:31)
  19. something interesting about anthropology, with Trent Kusters (38:53)
  20. the best pancakes in los angeles, with Teddy Dief (40:57)
  21. what lyft drivers know about stem cells, with Scott Jon Siegel (42:33)
  22. Mental Health, by Nick Suttner (43:53)
  23. international news (45:51)
  24. crashing a crypto party, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (46:39)
  25. a little more to say, with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin (52:29)
  26. bye forever (55:13)

Share GDC memories in the forums!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, Liz Ryerson and Brandon Sheffield reporting. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Mar 28, 2022
Ep. 228 - Should I Drink This?
4405

The heroes known as Insert Credit return to do battle with Two Point Eight-A video games, Vectourmaun, and giving yousa unna bongo.

Questions this week:

  1. If you could play a video game with any three people, living or dead, who would they be, and what would the game be? (01:47)
  2. What is the best way for video games to represent aging? (05:28)
  3. What’s the stupidest argument you’ve ever been part of over a video game? (11:37)
  4. How much does it cost to make a video game? (14:39)
  5. The Adaptation Game: Adapt the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) handbook into a video game. (21:26)
  6. Dirtbag Anonymous asks: I recently had a job interview where I was asked ‘If your personality was a video game, what game would it be and why?’ How the hell was I supposed to answer this? (28:27)
  7. How effective can an adaptation of a video game be if considering only the lore of a series and not the gameplay? (35:17)
  8. How can you tell a game was made in Europe? (41:03)
  9. What is the seizing in your leg after you wake up that indicates you’re about to experience a horribly painful leg cramp over the next 30 seconds of video games? (46:20)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Time is Right (53:08)

Recommendations and Outro (01:01:41)

Should you discuss this episode in the forums? I mean I think it would be pretty cool personally, yeah

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: My Kung Fu Sweetheart (2006)

Tim: You Love To See It featuring Tim Rogers, the F1 TV app

Frank: Sam & Max: Save the World

Jaffe: Watch Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) if you’re Frank

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Mar 21, 2022
Ep. 227 - Door Bustin' Gun Totin' Flea Men
2416

In an eternal battle against time constraints, the panel speedruns tricky topics like shader bananas, unusually serious discussion of bullying, and Badstlevanias.

Questions this week:

  1. Is there anything we want to talk about from the recent Sony State of Play event? (02:13)
  2. How do you use video games to raise $3.5 million for Ukraine in three days? (08:37)
  3. When do you feel like a game was made specifically for you? (13:53)
  4. How can we stop Quantic Dream’s Star Wars game from being finished? (18:52)
  5. Violence Island (26:12)

Outro (38:34)

Quick! If you don’t discuss this episode in the forums it might get away!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations: Bundle for Ukraine

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Mar 14, 2022
Ep. 226 - That's-a So Nice!
3601

The panel returns complete to confront dudekillers, money laundering, and quick-a time events.

Questions this week:

  1. On what occasion do you lie in video games? (03:40)
  2. What is your most treasured video game possession? (08:23)
  3. Which video game talent would you most like to have? (13:11)
  4. What is your favorite video game occupation? (18:27)
  5. Which video game words or phrases do you most overuse? (22:20)
  6. Where in a video game would you most like to live? (28:54)
  7. Who are your favorite video game writers? (32:54)
  8. What is it that you most dislike in video games? (36:52)
  9. What is your greatest regret in video games? (41:10)
  10. What do you consider the greatest achievement in video games? (45:41)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Dirtbag Lightning Round (49:42)

Recommendations and Outro (56:07)

Discuss-a this episode in-a the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io

Frank: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io

Tim: Please check out the Bundle for Ukraine on itch.io, think about the words you use

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Mar 07, 2022
Ep. 225 - Even More Games of the Year 2021
2429

It’s not over yet! Listen to Tim and Brandon mention honorables from last year that didn’t make it on the Insert Credit Top 21 of 2021 list. Plus the essay “isle o tims” by Brandon Sheffield, exploring Balan Wonderworld as a capitalism allegory.

Games Discussed:

Halo Infinite (01:47)
R-Type Final 2 (02:57)
Voice of the Cards (03:45)
The Good Life (04:05)
Inscryption (04:59)
Metroid Dread (05:30)
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (06:31)
Far Cry 6 (07:26)
Guilty Gear: Strive (09:29)
Back 4 Blood (10:14)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury (11:19)
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (12:24)
Forza Horizon 5 (12:55)
Solar Ash (17:02)
Age of Empires IV (18:50)
No More Heroes 3 (19:19)
Umurangi Generation: Special Edition (20:01)
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond (20:51)
Final Fantasy VII: Remake – Intergrade (22:29)
Castlevania: Advance Collection (22:58)
Overboard (23:26)
The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (24:23)
Deathloop (26:33)
Unpacking (26:59)
Evil Tonight (28:35)
Eastward (29:57)
Paradise Killer (31:28)

“isle o tims” by Brandon Sheffield (36:04)

Hello it’s me, brandon sheffield.

Two weeks ago, during our best games of 2021 podcast, I made an offhand remark about Balan Wonderworld, a game in which you have an economy based on small creatures called tims, which you literally throw onto the gears of capitalism. I figured I’d expand on what I meant by that.

Tims are little creatures that hatch from eggs, and live on the isle o’ tims, which is your hub world. They have distinguishing markings like stripes or different cute ears and stuff like that, but functionally they all want to do the same two things: eat, and procreate. The other thing they can be compelled to do is work, which is what they spend most of their time doing.

At the start of the game, the only real structure in the island is a Conan the Barbarian-like turnstyle that has the appearance of a gear. next to that is a long black signboard that flips and makes a big clacking sound as numbers go up. To make that number go up faster, you can pick up your tims and toss them into this turnstyle, which eventually makes them push it. So that’s what I meant by throwing them onto the gears of capitalism.

As your number goes up – and by the way it’s not clear what this number represents, but let’s say it’s money – more structures unlock. The sole function of most of these structures is to enable more tims to do more work. There are little elevators that take them up into simple rube goldberg machines, which drop them through a series of gates and slides, before depositing them back on the ground to start the process over again. Some tims are never released into the world, they simply exist underground, turning a giant wheel. The floor is transparent so that you can watch them work.

All of this is work simply for the sake of work, because the only thing that is created out of this constant grind is a number that goes up, and then an occasional structural addition that theoretically enables more work to be done. But the apparatus itself is inefficiently designed. Tims get regularly jammed up at elevators. Two of them will try to enter a slide at the same time and be stuck for a while, causing a massive traffic jam behind them. There are regularly a dozen tims, piled on top of each other, stacked two or three high, bouncing up and down on an elevator to try to get to work, but unable to do so.

Of course, after a while there is more than one elevator. There are two, and then three. But the tims never take the second or third route – the first is easiest to slide into, so almost every tim takes that path. The number doesn’t seem to go up much faster when tims take the other two paths either, so why should they bother?

I also mentioned that tims want to eat, but I didn’t tell you that what you feed them is gems. You feed them one kind of money in order to make a different kind of money. Gems are something I can collect for free in game stages, and which Balan themselves will double if I complete their minigame.

Once you feed the tims enough to grow large, there are unique kinds of apparatus these rich tims can use to generate money, but they never want to do it. They’re full now and they don’t want to work. They just want to procreate, which happens when you throw a medium-sized tim at a large one. They instantly create an egg, which hatches a tim that’s too small to work. Feed them a few gems and they will become a worker and join the grind.

The structure you’re building is the somewhat ominously-named Clock of Happiness. The name of this structure, whose purpose is never revealed by the way, keeps coming to mind as I see these little guys toiling away to make my numbers go up. There’s a special platform that I can use to view the operation from all angles. It allows me to keep tabs on all my workers and is accessibly only by me. Even with all that I still don’t exactly understand what it is I’m forcing them to work so hard to construct.

But I have found myself, as the defacto boss of this operation, staring at the jammed up elevators, looking at my non-spinning turnstyle, surrounded by tims peeping at me for gems that I don’t have, and thinking “get back to work!” I toss them into the gears and they start it up again.

This game may not be an intentional allegory to capitalism but it’s an effective one anyway. This system definitely came from somewhere deep inside of somebody. The game is cynical about work, bosses, and the worker, all by turns. It’s no wonder Yuji Naka quit after making it.

Discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Feb 27, 2022
Ep. 224 - Video Game History Pope
3842

In which our heroes (and you!) are absolved of the sin of piracy by the highest authority in game history, and Ice the Goose reveals arcane knowledge of anthropology.

Questions this week:

  1. What the hell is wrong with Nintendo? (02:32)
  2. What games with a setting contemporary to release have best aged into being period pieces? (13:32)
  3. What’s your favorite kind of environment in video games? (18:36)
  4. Other than canceled, what do you predict Netflix’s Bioshock movie will be like? (24:19)
  5. Jerry BreadyToDie asks: When is autosaving better than manually saving, and vice versa? (33:12)
  6. How do you balance player progression with game difficulty? (38:37)
  7. Review Super Mario Bros. 2 in six minutes. (44:07)
  8. Write the first sentence and the last sentence of a text book about video games. (53:31)

Recommendations and Outro (55:45)

If you discuss this episode in the forums, who knows what could happen!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Resident Evil 4 HD

Brandon: Green Frontier

Tim: Don’t buy crypto

Jaffe: Dog Days of Summer

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Feb 21, 2022
Ep. 223 - Game of the Year 2021
10807

In which our heroes recount a few of the best video games released in 2021, the most interesting video games released in 2021, and the video games they actually played in 2021.

Nominees in Order of Discussion (Unranked)

Discuss this episode in the forums before you spoil yourself with the final list below!

THE INSERT CREDIT TOP 21 OF 2021:

  1. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch
  2. Shin Megami Tensei V
  3. Dungeon Encounters
  4. Balan Wonderworld
  5. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
  6. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
  7. Hitman 3
  8. Psychonauts 2
  9. Lost Judgment
  10. Chicory: A Colorful Tale
  11. Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…
  12. Fuga: Melodies of Steel
  13. Loop Hero
  14. Ghosts ’n Goblins Resurrection
  15. Final Fantasy I-V Pixel Remaster
  16. Dodgeball Academia
  17. Scarlet Nexus
  18. Cruis’n Blast
  19. Call of Duty: Vanguard
  20. Moon: Remix RPG Adventure
  21. Mass Effect Legendary Edition

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Frank Cifaldi and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Feb 14, 2022
Ep. 222 - Quakearoni, with Kelsey Lewin
3413

Video Game History Foundation Co-Director Kelsey Lewin joins Brandon, Tim and Alex in exploring duality, Caroque, and Spider-Man Root Canaling Pregnant Elsa.

Questions this week:

  1. Which video game series really got it right on the second try? (02:38)
  2. What was the state of video games during the second console generation? (08:05)
  3. What are the keys to a great co-op video game experience? (13:27)
  4. What would be the easiest game to adapt into a movie on a limited budget? (20:30)
  5. Design a fourth Frogger 2. (23:36)
  6. Dirtbag Evoline Theory: What is the impact of the Five Nights At Freddy’s franchise on the games industry? (30:48)
  7. Violence Island (36:26)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Intellivision or ColecoVision? (46:47)

Recommendations and Outro (53:45)

Everyone else is discussing this episode in the forums, why aren’t you?

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Cancel Spotify Pro

Tim: Download 4K Video Downloader, download Insert Credit Show every week from YouTube to feel more like a pirate

Kelsey: Liquid I.V.

Esper: my personal advice is to download all Insert Credit Show episodes from the archive.org page, the canonical “source” files, to feel cool.

Support on Patreon

Subscribe: RSS, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kelsey Lewin. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Feb 06, 2022
Ep. 221 - Popey Fox
5368

Our heroes reunite to tackle the return of Reagen Sheffield, the Turkish Star Wars of Yuzo Koshiro, and Paul Blart Mall Battletoad. They also discuss the Microsoft-Activision-Blizzard-King merger, Tifa in the Italian senate, and the metaverse.

Questions this week:

  1. In the wake of the MicroBlizzion buyout, how screwed are video games? (03:20)
  2. What would be a less useless metric for determining game story quality than number of words in script? (14:46)
  3. What video game music would you play for the Pope? (20:31)
  4. What would be the worst video game clip to interrupt a national senate meeting with? (26:10)
  5. Dirtbag Spencer asks: What is the shallowest, nitpickiest reason you dislike a video game? (30:29)
  6. Does “the metaverse” actually have anything to do with video games? (37:45)
  7. In a video game, how high should you be able to jump? (44:03)
  8. What are the best uses of the PocketStation and VMU? (51:08)
  9. What is the mumblecore of video games? (58:16)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Bad Bad Game Reviews (01:02:22)

Recommendations and Outro: (01:24:13)

No pressure, but if you wanted you could discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: The digital single OARANA by our very own The World Famous Vincent Diamante

Frank: Put things in the world for reasons other than making money

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 30, 2022
Ep. 220 - Advergame Designathon, with Liz Ryerson
3880

Insert Credit Sells Out! Liz Ryerson returns with a vengeance to help design sixteen games for brands that owe us money now.

Advergame Designathon:

  1. Design a side-scrolling shooter for the WWE. (04:04)
  2. Design a top-down puzzle game for Six Flags. (06:28)
  3. Design a tower defense game for the Portugal Board of Tourism. (08:29)
  4. Design a platforming game for Ariana Grande. (11:00)
  5. Design an 8-bit roleplaying game for Monday Night Football. (14:21)
  6. Design a dating sim for Now That’s What I Call Music! (17:18)
  7. Design an FMV game for the U.K. National Lottery. (20:14)
  8. Design a VR racing game for the Rocky franchise. (22:41)
  9. Design a bullet hell for the Tasmanian Devil. (24:41)
  10. Design a party game for Wal-Mart. (26:33)
  11. Design a gacha game for Good Morning America (28:34)
  12. Design a fighting game for BBC Arts & Culture. (33:51)
  13. Design an isometric adventure game for Rolex. (38:37)
  14. Design an open world game for Doctors Without Borders (42:46)
  15. Design a first person shooter for Deer Park Spring Water (45:55)
  16. Design a Myst clone for the Catholic Church (48:03)

Recommendations and Outro (49:50)

Tell everyone your substantially better idea in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Jaffe: Identify the closest public bathroom to you in case of emergency.

Brandon: The House (2022), The Silent Sea

Tim: Hard to Be a God (2013)*

Liz: The Favourite (2018), Beetlejuice (1988)

*Not an official recommendation

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Liz Ryerson. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 24, 2022
Ep. 219 - The Insert Credit Consolebration
9322

You’ve waited long enough, now Insert Credit ranks the greatest video game consoles of all time, and a few others for good measure.

Choices:

  • -Round 1, Frank (05:25)
  • -Round 1, Tim (09:25)
  • -Round 1, Brandon (15:35)
  • -Round 2, Frank (19:36)
  • -Round 2, Tim (24:49)
  • -Round 2, Brandon (30:15)
  • -Round 3, Frank (35:46)
  • -Round 3, Tim (41:40)
  • -Round 3, Brandon (50:30)
  • -Round 4, Frank (56:51)
  • -Round 4, Tim (01:04:52)
  • -Round 4, Brandon (01:10:57)
  • -Round 5, Frank (01:19:10)
  • -Round 5, Tim (01:24:25)
  • -Round 5, Brandon (01:31:25)
  • -Round 6, Frank (01:38:07)
  • -Round 6, Brandon (01:44:23)
  • -Round 6, Tim (01:52:14)
  • -Round 7, Frank (02:00:05)
  • -Round 7, Tim (02:07:00)
  • -Round 7, Brandon (02:14:28)

Recommendations and Outro (02:25:09)

Discuss the results in the forums!

THE INSERT CREDIT RANKED TOP 20 CONSOLES:
1. PlayStation
2. PS2
3. SNES
4. Genesis
5. Xbox 360
6. Nintendo DS
7. PC Engine
8. NES
9. Dreamcast
10. Saturn
11. Windows PC
12. PSP
13. Game Boy Advance
14. Game Boy
15. Wii
16. WonderSwan
17. Switch
18. ZX Spectrum
19. Neo Geo Pocket Color
20. Jaguar
21. Atari 2600

A LARGE SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Get in touch with Christa Lee at Sound Retro Co. for all your console repair and upgrade needs, MiSTerAddons.com (i checked, they’re sold out of MiSTers at time of publishing)

Frank: Get in touch with Christa Lee at Sound Retro Co. for all your console repair and upgrade needs, use Dolphin for Wii and GameCube emulation

Brandon: Try playing old games on Composite cables

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 17, 2022
Ep. 218 - Donkey Milk, with Kris Graft
4884

GameDeveloper.com publisher Kris Graft joins the panel to cover E3, Square Enix NFTs, what rock and roll really is, and smoking weed at the Sega E3 booth.

Questions this week:

  1. How does Jaffe beat his friend in a Metacritic rating betting pool? (04:17)
  2. What video game character would you invite to a potluck, and what would they bring? (12:04)
  3. What the hell is Square Enix’s problem? (19:10)
  4. Design an emote for an online game. (25:58)
  5. What would a Rockstar Games version of an Orlando theme park be like? (33:28)
  6. Tim Rogers asks: You guys wanna talk about E3? (40:46)
  7. Dirtbag Mike Larkey asks: Design a recently public domain Winnie-the-Pooh game (47:57)
  8. Violence Island (53:52)
  9. What is rock and roll? (01:05:06)

Recommendations and Outro (01:12:44)

Maybe everyone who discusses this episode in the forums will talk about donkey milk less!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Thanks:

Brandon: Syzygy of the Insert Credit Forums

Recommendations:

Jaffe: thanking Syzygy

Kris: Alan Partridge audiobooks

Tim: Don’t bother looking into what Wordle is

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield and Kris Graft. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 10, 2022
Ep. 217 - Asynchronicity
3868

In which our heroes, scattered across time and space, convene by way of editing to cover The Freak Sword, looking to the One Mode Future, and sexy slutty bunny boys.

Questions this week:

  1. What is the ugliest video game ever made? (02:05)
  2. Have you formed any habits in video games that have translated into your normal life? (07:50)
  3. Should every game have an easy mode? Should every game have a hard mode? (12:20)
  4. Imagine that you had the power to create video game mods just by speaking them into existence. What would you make? (18:20)
  5. IMPROV ZONE: Game Counselor help line (22:23)
  6. What does it take to convince someone to try a video game? (31:42)
  7. Design a track in the same a video spirit as any video game character for Mario Kart. (38:26)
  8. How have focus groups affected game development? (43:18)
  9. What is the worst game that you would still consider the game of the year for its year, considering its competition? (47:55)
  10. Knowing that they will probably never listen to this episode, what are your feelings about the other two panelists? (53:09)

Recommendations and Outro (57:28)

Now that you have all the pieces, you can discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Drive-in Theaters

Tim: Drink more water, if you’re Tim’s dad

Brandon: The song Walk from the Sega CD game Nostalgia 1907, sincerely it would be really appreciated if you wishlisted Hyper Gunsport on Steam, thanks for being a part of Insert Credit, take care of yourselves

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Jan 03, 2022
Ep. 216 - The Dirtbag of Podcasts Part II: Double Dip
3479

Alex Jaffe, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield continue the celebration of Patron-submitted questions, upending the dirtbag for even more “What is the ____ of video games?”

Questions this week:

  1. Dirtbag Sailor Silica asks: What is the squeezing through a gap while the next area loads for previous eras of video games? (03:02)
  2. Dirtbag Dilson asks: What is the video game equivalent of a sommelier? (04:27)
  3. Dirtbag Walt asks: What is the The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai Across the 8th Dimension of video games? (05:08)
  4. Dirtbag MoxBagel asks: What is the This restaurant packaged the salt and pepper packets in a bag with the napkins and now the napkin is all peppery and unpleasant to use of video games? (08:35)
  5. Dirtbag Kory asks: What is the OK Computer of video games, and what is the Kid A of video games? (12:13)
  6. A Dirtbag We Don’t Have the Name Of asks: What are the farm-to-table restaurant and microwave dinner of video games? (14:39)
  7. Dirtbag UG asks: What is the Joe Pera Talks with You of video games? (19:15)
  8. Dirtbag Roman asks: What is the 1989 Velvet Revolution of video games? (22:02)
  9. Dirtbag Chopemon asks: What is the Chinese food buffet of video games? (24:07)
  10. Dirtbag Dusty asks: What is the DMC DeLorean of video games? (26:29)
  11. Dirtbag TapeVulture asks: What is the British accent of video games? (29:39)
  12. Dirtbag Chopemon asks: What is the hanging up of holiday decorations of video games? (34:43)
  13. Dirtbag Marshall asks: What is Ross Dress for Less of video games, and what is the TJ Maxx of video games? (34:43)
  14. Dirtbag A Dry Cleaner for Dogs asks: What is the hoop trundling of video games? (40:42)
  15. A Dirtbag We Don’t Have the Name Of asks: What is the James Joyce’s Ulysses of video games, and what is the Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Ulysses of video games? (42:55)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Gaagaagiins Six (46:00)

Recommendations and Outro (54:05)

Discuss this episode in the forums, please! You’ll be glad you did!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Tim: Listen to some more podcasts, subscribe to patreon.com/insertcredit

Brandon: Cellular shades

Jaffe: Stop playing gacha games, read more comics

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Dec 27, 2021
Ep. 215 - The Dirtbag of Podcasts
1953

In which our heroes dive deep into the Dirtbag, receptacle of all Patron-submitted questions, on the hunt for “What is the ____ of video games?” format in particular.

Questions this week:

  1. Dirtbag Benjamin asks: What is your fine barrel-aged Kentucky bourbon of video games, your Mad Dog 20/20 of video games, and your oversized lollipop of video games? (03:23)
  2. Dirtbag Eric Eaton asks: What is the Bob Dylan of video games? (05:54)
  3. Dirtbag Timothy asks: What is the F For Fake of video games? (07:54)
  4. Dirtbag Anonymous asks: What is the Anna Karenina of video games? (09:47)
  5. Dirtbag Kiko B asks: What is the Sonic the Hedgehog the Movie of video games? (11:58)
  6. Dirtbag John H asks: What is the Shake Shack of video games? (12:26)
  7. Dirtbag Per Hasselstrom asks: What is the Satantango of video games? (16:38)
  8. Dirtbag Crumbling Zero asks: (19:01)
  9. Dirtbag Devils Blush asks: Who is the Carlo Rambaldi of video games? (21:35)
  10. Dirtbag Andy Douseman asks: What is the using a shaving brush and shaving soap instead of a electric razor or disposable razor with canned shaving cream of video games? (22:45)
  11. Dirtbag UG asks: What is the Neapolitan ice cream of video games? (26:41)
  12. Dirtbag Rainbow Battlekid asks: Who or what is the Michael Jordan of Baseball of video games? (27:20)
  13. Dirtbag Paul asks: What is the “Weird Al” Yankovic of video games? (29:41)

Patrons get to submit questions, but everybody gets to discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Dec 20, 2021
Ep. 214 - The Ocarina of Time of Anything
4338

Questions this week:

  1. Brandon Sheffield asks: What was the first time a parent of your praised a video game unprompted? (02:01)
  2. Has Dark Souls replaced Ocarina of Time as The Greatest Game of All Time? (07:59)
  3. If you could clone one person 100 times to make an entire game development team, who would it be? (15:03)
  4. In light of his passing, what can you tell us about NES and SNES lead architect Masayuki Uemura? (20:45)
  5. Is Halo cool? (26:06)
  6. Dirtbag Nick asks: What are the best times a game has broken its own rules? (31:55)
  7. You wanna talk about the Game Awards? (37:53)
  8. Are there really any video games that you couldn’t make today? (45:18)
  9. Previously on Insert Credit: What is the real life equivalent of playing a Far Cry game? (50:21)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – JAV Titles (56:22)

Recommendations and Outro (01:02:54)

Your post could be the Dark Souls of discussing this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: School of Chocolate if you’re interested in seeing a reality show that doesn’t work so great, Hyper Gunsport now wishlistable on Steam

Frank: Get a Costco card

Tim: Don’t even try getting a PS5 for the holiday season, get your child a MiSTer

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Dec 13, 2021
Ep. 213 - The Gumption of My Own Horse
5336

In which our heroes consider for whom the Hey Guys tolls, deliberate Superman questions, and witness the birth of Peggle exercise.

Questions this week:

  1. Frank Cifaldi asks: Do you remember seeing Super Mario 64 for the first time? (06:35)
  2. Which are better, ranged or melee weapons? (13:05)
  3. What are some video game resources more people should know about? (18:13)
  4. What’s the stupidest way you’ve ever died in a video game? (26:09)
  5. What’s the difference between a Bizarro and a Wario? (31:12)
  6. Dirtbag Gachaman asks: What is the best single button press in video games? (38:28)
  7. Review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in six minutes. (45:50)
  8. Violence Island (51:47)
  9. What’s the Coronavirus booster shot of video games? (01:04:49)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Trophy Life (1:10:32)

Recommendations and Outro (01:19:16)

Did you see what those guys said about Sonic 2? Talk about it with people in the forum!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Regency Solitaire, Cruis’n Blast

Frank: The Fraction/Aja run of Hawkeye that the show is based on

Tim: Action Button Patreon

Jaffe: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure - Stone Ocean

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Dec 06, 2021
Ep. 212 - This Game Is Legal Grounds for Divorce
4516

The panel covers the only Funko Pop Tim Rogers owns, the worst gravy text in the history of video games, and Brandon Sheffield saying “poggers.”

Questions this week:

  1. Tim Rogers asks: Did you all see there’s Funko Pop NFTs? (03:38)
  2. What’s the best online multiplayer experience you’ve had in a video game? (11:35)
  3. Design some demons for the next Shin Megami Tensei, and detail the negotiation options (16:27)
  4. Let’s talk about flavor text in games (21:25)
  5. Improv Zone: Fortnite Streaming (28:02)
  6. An anonymous dirtbag asks: Can a relationship in a video game constitute emotional infidelity? (32:47)
  7. What is the right amount of enemies to put in a level? (40:02)
  8. Make a workout mixtape entirely from video game music (44:51)
  9. What is the live action Cowboy Bebop of video games? (50:11)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Gamer’s Journey (55:35)

Recommendations and Outro (01:04:26)

It’s never too late to discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Don’t interact with things you think are just going to upset you, Sabaithong Powpuri

Frank: Use The Final Countdown in commercials and media, The Video Game History Hour

Tim: Don’t ask Hollywood directors if they want to make superhero movies, That New Paul Thomas Anderson Movie

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Nov 29, 2021
Ep. 211 - George R. R. Binks the Time Sweeper
3345

The panel covers Youngen Ring, the popular opinion of Souls games, and whether we can get Phil Spencer on the show.

Questions this week:

  1. Jenna Stoeber asks: What’s the worst (or most out of place) sound effect in video games? (03:44)
  2. On its 20th birthday, what are our memories of the original Xbox? (08:46)
  3. Aren’t the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy Remasters Rockstar’s greatest heist of all? (14:04)
  4. Are there some things in video games it took you a while to understand, but you finally get now? (18:29)
  5. What will be the Game of Thrones reference in Elden Ring? (21:54)
  6. Dirtbag Kiko asks: What are the best and worst moments of horse death in video games? (27:50)
  7. How do video games use spite as a motivator? (33:38)
  8. Is Bobby Kotick a singular evil dunce, or are all C-level executives this slimy? (38:25)
  9. What are the Neuromancer and Snow Crash of video games? (43:26)

Recommendations and Outro (47:31)

Now’s your chance to discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Stop tying physics to framerate, stop using The Final Countdown in media

Brandon: Check out Europe’s first two albums, use any Visa gift cards you get at physical locations to get the full value

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Nov 22, 2021
Ep. 210 - Mario's Big Spaghetti Time, with Jenna Stoeber
3833

Writer and Video Producer for Polygon Jenna Stoeber joins the panel to litigate whether P.T. is a complete game, milking for sport, and Zapdouglas.

Questions this week:

  1. K Thor Jensen asks: does your inventory management system reflect your real-world inventory management style? (04:56)
  2. What is the most incorrect prediction about video games you’ve ever heard or made? (10:25)
  3. What video game series should be adapted to young adult novels? (15:35)
  4. Which dormant video game series with three or more entries ended on the highest note? (19:41)
  5. What twitter account would you start to influence a trend in video game development, a la Can You Pet The Dog? (24:32)
  6. Dirtbag MVB asks: What are some good games made from reused assets? (30:09)
  7. What’s some of the juiciest drama you’ve seen in a video game community or message board? (35:16)
  8. What songs not written for video games do you associate with video games? (39:55)
  9. How do you make failure in video games fun? (45:28)
  10. What is the Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho of video games? (50:34)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Pokedexperts (54:03)

Recommendations and Outro (59:05)

I don’t see why you wouldn’t discuss this episode in the forums, you know?

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: The Ink Spots baby, take Frank’s file boxes

Jenna: Inscryption

Brandon: Get a buyout from your landlord if you’re moving out of a rent-controlled apartment

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Nov 15, 2021
Ep. 209 - Blopper Goes Knobby, with K Thor Jensen
4997

Artist, writer, cartoonist and game designer K Thor Jensen joins the panel to cover being Mr. Google-Ass, having to go fast and slightly worse, and episode titles.

Questions this week:

  1. Frank Cifaldi asks: Is the Intellivision Amico “physical game” scam the future of physical games? (06:12)
  2. How can video games adapt the comic book format better than Comix Zone? (13:08)
  3. What has been the worst video game music of the last generation? (18:21)
  4. How would you design a Dune game like never before? (23:43)
  5. Design a video game t-shirt that, even given prominent advertising, exactly zero people would buy. (29:27)
  6. Dirtbag Spencer asks: Does Nintendo actually have something that makes them the best game developer, or is that just fans projecting? (36:07)
  7. What are the best video game lists you’ve seen? (42:12)
  8. Violence Island (47:03)
  9. What is the The Simpsons of video games? (56:19)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Game Name Combo Breaking (01:01:41)

Recommendations and Outro (01:14:41)

You’re the best there is at what you do, but what you do is discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: Guardians of the Galaxy

Brandon: A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), Firestorm: 72 Hours in Oakland (1993)

K Thor: Tears of the Black Tiger (2000) on Tubi, find something you can chew on

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Nov 08, 2021
Ep. 208 - How To Correctly Pronounce Ocarina, with Jackie Cole
3054

Community Manager for Singularity 6 Jackie Cole joins the panel to cover the dark truth behind convention booths, not letting the gacha getcha, and Call of Looney.

Questions this week:

  1. Can games be used as tools for mental health? (03:00)
  2. Why does every MMO feel so bad to play, and can that be fixed? (07:04)
  3. Are emulation hobbyists saving or destroying video games? (11:26)
  4. Who are the nicest, most well-adjusted people in video games? (15:53)
  5. What do most people not know about running a convention booth? (20:06)
  6. Dirtbag Spencer asks: How can we make gamers care less about brands and more about the people who make video games? (23:57)
  7. Has a video game ever satisfactorily addressed a complaint you had with it while you were playing it? (29:08)
  8. Where would be the point in a documentary series about game companies where a still flips to a photo negative and the voiceover goes “And that’s where it all went wrong?” (33:15)
  9. Is there any way for Call of Duty to redeem itself ethically? (37:29)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Celebrity Gamer Tags (41:57)

Recommendations and Outro (49:18)

Quickly, discuss this episode in the forums, before they get you!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Insert Credit Recommends: ACTION BUTTON Reviews Cyberpunk 2077, the 1-6 Route

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Nov 01, 2021
Ep. 207 - Specdracular 2021, with Ian Ferguson
4166

Video game documentarian and podcaster Ian Ferguson joins the panel to assist in the slaying of that vile creature that haunts this very night, Gamer Dracula. Original music by Kurt Feldman. Mashtlevania by Max Hully.

Castle Gamer Dracula:

  1. What’s the best way to orient a video game player in a space and provide direction? (02:46)
  2. What’s the worst NPC in a video game? (07:49)
  3. How do you create good interior design for locations in video games? (13:10)
  4. What are the worst attempted comebacks in video games? (18:29)
  5. Improv Zone: Monster Mash (23:50)
  6. Dirtbag Triple Dive - Dusty: DeLorean of Video Games? Spencer: Do you watch the credits? MoxBagel: Shareware boom today? (28:38)
  7. Which two unrelated video games would you Frankenstein together? (34:25)
  8. How do video games evoke horror in a way other media cannot? (39:24)
  9. What competitive game could you beat Death at? (44:32)
  10. What are the greatest boss battles in video games? (48:00)

FRIGHTENING ROUND: 13 Spooky Game Names (53:26)

Recommendations and Outro (57:35)

If you don’t discuss this episode in the forums, it’ll haunt you for all your days!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: The Void (2016), Demon Wind (1990), Death Spa (1988), Arhoolie Records 40th Anniversary Collection

Frank: Watch kids get excited when picking out pumpkins from a pumpkin patch, buy some Halloween stuff for your house

Ian: Empire of Ants by Susan Foitzik and Olaf Fritsche, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, by Shirley Jackson, Extra Napkins, Completely Unnecessary Podcast, Mon Amour

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman. Mashtlevania by Max Hully.

 Oct 25, 2021
Ep. 206 - Bmups, with Christine Love
3946

Developer of Get in the Car, Loser! Christine Love joins the panel to cover Alf, tactical romance action, and the crushing economic realities of indie games.

Questions this week:

  1. How has video game art and design been impacted by Christian iconography? (03:40)
  2. What are the worst ports of the best games? (09:00)
  3. Has the Metroidvania outgrown Metroid? (13:01)
  4. What is the weirdest advice you’ve gotten for playing a video game? (17:22)
  5. What is and is not a visual novel? (21:11)
  6. Dirtbag Spencer asks: What Mortal Kombat character should get the next Mythologies game? (27:13)
  7. Are video games capable of evoking Britcom-style secondhand embarrassment? (32:37)
  8. Should games with a customizable protagonist and multiple love interests assume bisexuality? (36:59)
  9. From Brandon Sheffield: Christine, how can you justify giving away your game for free? (41:57)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design: Meme Girls (50:17)

Get over here! So you can discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Dead & Buried (1981), Miho Fujiwara’s tracks on the California Crisis OST

Frank: Can-Am Modular Metal Cabinetry, reach out to frank@gamehistory.org if you’re interested in donation matching for the upcoming winter fundraiser

Christine: Get in the Car, Loser! and the Battle on the Big Boardwalk DLC

Jaffe: Kurt Feldman’s Insert Credit Show Soundtrack

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 18, 2021
Ep. 205 - A Richness of Embarrassments, with Kelsey Lewin
4650

Co-Director of the Video Game History Foundation and Co-Owner of Pink Gorilla Games Kelsey Lewin rejoins the panel to cover twitch leaks, EVE Oncrime, and the most difficult boss fight in the Braid franchise.

Questions this week:

  1. Previously on Insert Credit: Does the intended commercial reach of a game have any meaningful impact on it as a creative product? (03:37)
  2. How would the game industry change if everyone’s salaries were completely transparent? (08:15)
  3. From Ash Parrish: What would be the most interesting reveal if your gaming information leaked? (12:46)
  4. What is the most excited you have been by a video game as an adult? (19:21)
  5. Who would be the worst video character to sit next to on an international flight? (24:46)
  6. Dirtbag Larry Bang asks: Which video games surprised you with the feeling of inhabiting a specific character? (30:58)
  7. What are the most exciting crimes in video game history? (37:39)
  8. Is there any way the Gamergate TV show could be even remotely a good idea? (45:02)
  9. Violence Island (50:05)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Who Is This For? (01:06:09)

If you’re looking for a sign, here it is: discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Kanopy, Les Archives by Jun Chikuma

Frank: hoopla, F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch

Kelsey: The Life & Times of Video Games Ep. 33 - MobyGames

Jaffe: Libby, Squid Game, Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 11, 2021
Ep. 204 - Hoodie Bones, with Mathew Kumar and Ash Parrish
4435

Leading game industry professionals and Insert Credit Show regulars Mathew Kumar and Ash Parrish rejoin the panel for Mario voice cast announcements, Bayon3tta, and esports.

Questions this week:

  1. From Brandon Sheffield: What games have been helped or hindered by having a tertiary gameplay system? (3:00)
  2. Was the Mario movie voice cast announcement really that bad? (09:17)
  3. In a side scrolling game, how large should the player character be? (15:13)
  4. Where does Bayonetta go from here? (20:22)
  5. What is the greatest unsolvable problem in game design? (24:45)
  6. Dirtbag Tiger Tiger asks three questions and for some reason Jaffe allows it (29:45)
  7. How do you report on mods and fan projects, knowing that more attention might get them shut down? (35:02)
  8. What’s going on in the Overwatch League lately? (39:10)
  9. How concerned should we be about video game censorship in China? (48:34)
  10. For real though, what is the Mamma Mia! of video games? (54:49)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Mash-up Merch (59:25)

Wait a minute, were you really not gonna discuss this episode in the forums?!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Mathew: National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Commission Reports, Native-Land.ca

Brandon: Shuumi Land Tax, Mntu by Ushangvagush

Ash: Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day Oct. 11th, Sable

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Oct 04, 2021
Ep. 203 - Tomb of the Unknown Gamer, with Mathew Kumar and Liz Ryerson
4602

Leading game industry professionals and Insert Credit Show regulars Mathew Kumar and Liz Ryerson rejoin the panel for cryptid talk, Nintendo Direct, and pissing on gentrifiers.

Questions this week:

  1. Vincent Diamante asks: What’s the best money you’ve spent on a free-to-play game? (04:33)
  2. How do you make blocking in a game feel as good as attacking? (10:40)
  3. What ideas does Quantic Dream have for Star Wars? (14:37)
  4. Which games were most interesting to you prior to their release? (21:04)
  5. Improv Zone: Nintendo Direct (25:15)
  6. Dirtbag PrivatelyAttack asks: What cryptids show up in an Altus JRPG set in the American midwest? (31:44)
  7. Who are the heroes and role models in the video game industry today? (40:01)
  8. Make a video game about Passion Orange Guava juice without making it entirely about POGs. (45:58)
  9. What is the I Love Lucy of video games? (50:54)
  10. Would the world be better off if there weren’t video games? (54:13)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design: Old Cursewords (from Dirtbag Yeso) (01:00:14)

Don’t even act like you don’t wanna discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Jack Frost (1997), Pig (2021)

Liz: Cruelty Squad, Salad Fields

Jaffe: Batman the Audio Adventures

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 27, 2021
Bonus Credit - The Winds of Ganoria
3521

A rare confluence of Jewish high holidays and immovable project deadlines results in a Patreon content unlock for the week! We celebrate the return of Frank with a few excellent stories about what he’s up to lately, Mathew Kumar has an incredible impromptu interview with Chris Remo about the design considerations of crosswords, and Ash Parrish talks about the shift from Kotaku to The Verge. Find over a year’s worth of excellent bonus content just like this at the Insert Credit Patreon!

A SMALL DESCRIPTION OF EPISODES PULLED FROM:

  • (Ep. 196, the weed episode) Pre-show. The panel describes what they’re doing to alter their perceptions of reality. Frank is so successful he’s gotta start turning people away.
  • (Ep. 196, the weed episode) Extended break. Brandon shares the details of his dad’s weed, and an excellent spoonerism. Frank thinks Special Guest Patrick sounds gorgeous, and high. Jaffe is rotating a letter in his mind right now and explains the details of Doctor Who.
  • (Ep. 197) Pre-show. Jaffe has been waiting for someone to take the easy joke, and Brandon does. Special guest Mathew Kumar writes down a new title in his Fantasy Book Idea Journal. Finally, you’ll understand Jaffe’s intro line for this episode!
  • (Ep. 197) Post-show. Extended in-depth crossword puzzle discussion with Special Guests Mathew Kumar and Chris Remo. Genuinely fascinating stuff. big thank you to mathew for hosting this impromptu interview!
  • (Ep. 198) Post-show. Special Guest Ash Parrish goes into some detail regarding her move from Kotaku to the Verge, and the current state of game journalism is discussed. Also, accents. (Note: from 36:35 to 38:53, there’s some compelling but also terrifying climate climate discussion. feel free to skip to 38:53 if you need a break from that)
  • (Ep. 199) Extended intro. Frank, Brandon and Jaffe talk comic books.
  • (Ep. 199) Special Guest Chris Kohler is playing Star Ocean. Frank likes that Final Fantasy I remake.
  • (Ep. 199) Post-show. Brandon recommends F1: Drive to Survive. Frank and Special Guest Chris Kohler discuss moving from one office to another. Frank has an incredible story of busting bootlegs. All names censored.

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 21, 2021
Ep. 202 - Sincerely Sony Imagesoft, with Vincent Diamante
4156

Insert Credit Co-Founder and legendary video game music composer Vincent Diamante joins the panel to cover the Playstation conference, Frank Cifaldi’s necromancy of Clippy, and Daft Williams.

Questions this week:

  1. Since we’re recording on Dreamcast Day, what are your favorite Dreamcast memories? (03:23)
  2. What are the coolest ways to use specific instruments in a video game soundtrack? (09:12)
  3. What are the most interesting risk/reward mechanics in video games? (13:06)
  4. Which video game character would give the best deep tissue massage? (18:22)
  5. Improv Zone: Sony Keynote (22:33)
  6. Dirtbag Dilson asks: What is the most out of touch with reality game design idea you’ve ever heard? (28:09)
  7. Design a video game about the Nintendo 64 kid. (33:46)
  8. What is the most hellish assignment you can imagine for a video game composer? (36:54)
  9. Which video game set pieces would make the best Lego sets? (41:17)
  10. Who is the John Williams of video games? (46:26)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name That Game Tune (51:01)

This is the line of the episode description where I recommend discussing this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Specifically Not A Recommendation:

Brandon: Documental

Recommendations:

Frank: Kate Willaert, acriticalhit.com, Video Dames #0, Wild Gunman ‘74: Nintendo’s Forgotten First FMV Game

Vince: Kate Willaert, acriticalhit.com, Video Dames #0, The True First Easter Egg: Ready Player One Was Wrong

Jaffe: Congratulations Kelsey Lewin, The Sculptor

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 13, 2021
Ep. 201 - Lovely Ball Kicking, with Kris Graft
4778

Questions this week:

  1. Let’s talk about the rebranding of Gamasutra to Game Developer. (03:43)
  2. What are the best video game postmortems? (10:41)
  3. What are the most common mistakes when someone first gets into video games? (15:24)
  4. Which video game characters have the most complicated morning routines? (20:46)
  5. What video game or game adjacent companies should be renamed? (25:54)
  6. Dirtbag MoxBagel asks: Is it possible to have fans take games less seriously as an identity and more seriously as creative endeavors? (31:42)
  7. Why don’t you design a new item for Mario Kart? (38:26)
  8. Violence Island: forums.insertcredit.com Submissions (43:25)
  9. From Frank Cifaldi: Here’s whats up with that video about game price collusion (52:45)
  10. Who is the Mike Richards of video games? (59:08)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design: JAV Titles (01:01:34)

Don’t you think this would be a good episode to discuss in the forums?

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Check out the new GameDeveloper.com, Melissa’s self titled album, Ask Hershers Pizza for the Insert Credit, Enjoy with a D’Aquino Chianti Flask

Kris: Go to gamedeveloper.com, learn something new, Dishonored

Frank: Psychonauts 2

Jaffe: Superman Smashes the Klan

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Sep 06, 2021
Ep. 200 - Insert Credit Vs. The Dirtbag
6424

After Frank’s brief absences, the full Insert Credit panel reunites upon their two hundredth battle. The task? Their greatest foe yet: one hundred rapid fire questions from the more than 420 dirtbags at patreon.com/insertcredit. Each panelist has four skips, but will it be enough to survive your best? Find out now!

Have you considered discussing this episode in the forums?

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: Legend of the Eight Samurai (1983), Formula 1: Drive to Survive, JVC D series

Tim: The Last Dance with Michael Jordon

Frank Trailblazer Cifaldi: Do not own a CRT television

Jaffe: Usagi Yojimbo

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 30, 2021
Ep. 199 - Dreamcast Fruit, with Chris Kohler
4458

Editorial director of Digital Eclipse Chris Kohler joins the panel to cover bug-free cartridge games, on air game history research, and a brutal round of Famicom Feud. Original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. Mathew Kumar asks: What are the “phantom games” in your collection? (03:59)
  2. Which areas of games are most in need of preservation? (10:36)
  3. What’s the line between stealing an idea and iterating on it in video game design? (16:26)
  4. What are some mundane activities that would make good simulator games? (21:19)
  5. What would be on your cardboard sign at a wrestling event? (26:33)
  6. Dirtbag Seasons asks: Why and when did we start calling old games “retro”? (30:23)
  7. How, when, and where should games present content warnings? (36:39)
  8. Brandon Sheffield asks: What are your favorite side quests? (45:19)
  9. What is the Ghostbusters 2 of video games? (52:26)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Famicom Feud – Video Games Notable For Negative Reception (56:24)

Quick, now’s your chance! Discuss this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Frank: The new Twilight Zone series

Brandon: Vote no on recalling Newsom if you live in California, even if he sucks he’ll get replaced by somebody a whole bunch worse

Chris: The Ultimate History of Video Games vol. 2

Jaffe: The Many Deaths of Laila Starr

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 23, 2021
Ep. 198 - YSCBA, with Ash Parrish and Liz Ryerson
5311

Fan favorite panelists Ash Parrish and Liz Ryerson return triumphant to to cover Knuckles, vaporwave, and the multitude of things the hell wrong with video games.

Questions this week:

  1. Let’s talk about Idris Elba as Knuckles (05:02)
  2. What are some cool video game collections you know about? (10:42)
  3. If you were in charge of a Fortnite music fest, who would you feature? (17:22)
  4. Are video games part of vaporwave? (23:00)
  5. Dirtbag Sleepy Nice demands: Name five metal genres, then assign five video games to them. (27:44)
  6. What the hell is wrong with video games? (33:19)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Initial Design (01:16:18)

A lot of smart people will have more to say about this episode in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Liz: The Blood Zone, death’s dynamic shroud

Ash: Pig (2021)

Brandon: G.I. Samurai, Oddtaxi

Jaffe: The Nice House on the Lake

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 16, 2021
Ep. 197 - Myst Opportunities, with Chris Remo and Mathew Kumar
4750

Game designer, composer, and co-creator of Idle Thumbs Chris Remo joins the panel along with Mathew “Agent of Chaos” Kumar to cover the Honda Prelude, Crossword of the Dead, and live on-air cat noises.

Questions this week:

  1. Jeff Gerstmann asks: What’s the coolest vehicle to ever appear in a video game? (04:54)
  2. Are the Myst games still good? What should people play instead? (10:55)
  3. What kind of feeling does acoustic guitar give to a game? (16:41)
  4. What’s better in a video game, an elevator or stairs? (22:45)
  5. What six C-list video game villains would you recruit for a government black ops team? (28:20)
  6. Dirtbag Gaagaagiins asks: What’s the best autoscrolling section in video games? (33:08)
  7. When and how do games successfully recontextualize frustrating tropes? (40:28)
  8. Review the concept of crossword puzzles based on their graphics and mechanics. (44:57)
  9. What are some of your favorite harmless video game hoaxes? (50:41)
  10. What is the Waiting for Godot of video games? (56:48)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design – Jodi Picoult (01:01:44)

Don’t you wish you could share your answers to the prompts? You can do exactly that in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

Recommendations:

Brandon: To Kill With Intrigue (1977), Walker (1987)

Mathew: Gold Ninja Video fundraiser

Chris: Police Story (1985)

Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.

 Aug 09, 2021
Ep. 196 - The 420 Episode, with Patrick Miller
4050

Insert Credit Fighting Game Correspondent Patrick Miller rejoins the panel to cover questions from the world’s hottest editor and producer, as well as lightly flavored sparkling water, the hottest games in palladiums, $5 bets, and WEEEEEED, DUUUUDE!!! Original music by Kurt Feldman.

Questions this week:

  1. What game characters smoke weed, and what game characters are narcs? (06:11)
  2. What are some underrated gamer snacks? (11:52)
  3. What are memorable video game dreams? (17:42)
  4. Do you think Bayonetta and Lady Dimitrescu know each other? What’s that like? (22:06)
  5. Do you think Sonic the Hedgehog gets tired of all the Chronic the Hemphog jokes? (26:09)
  6. Describe the worst Flash game you can remember, and give constructive criticism. (31:14)
  7. What’s with the weird relationship between video games and movies? (36:15)
  8. What can we say about the Winners Don’t Do Drugs campaign in palladiums? (41:51)
  9. Esper Quinn asks: What’s a game that’s just alright? (47:28)
  10. Who is the Willie Nelson of video games? (53:39)

LIGHTNING ROUND: Untimed Video Game Weed Parody Titles (55:09)

Puff puff pass on by the discussion thread for this episode in the Insert Credit Forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED: