Episodes
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Garfield has spent I donât want to think about how long being terrified for our entertainment, and somehow this is only the second time weâve noticed. Today weâre looking at two occasions Jim Davisâs laziest creation got shoved into a horror plot he absolutely did not sign up for: Garfieldâs Nightmare on the Nintendo DS and Garfieldâs Scary Scavenger Hunt, the Flash game that lived on Garfield.com back when âFlash game that lived on a dot-comâ was still a sentence people said out loud.
Helping us make sense of not one but two instances of âcat, but afraidâ is Dee Parson from Supr Dee, the syndicated cartoonist behind Rosebuds. A guy who, by his own account, actually learned to read on Garfield comics, which means this episode is less âguest bookingâ and more âthe student returns to grade the source materialâs video game output.â
So lock the pantry, keep an eye on the Scare-O-Meter, and letâs find out if either of these games earned the right to scare a cat who once ate an entire sandwich made of other sandwiches.
Learn such things as:
What horrible real world things can Garfield save us from?Is there anything scarier than having to face your own existence and mortality?Can lasagna solve all of the worldâs problems?And so much more!You can find the guest on Instagram @Suprdee2 and his website Supr Dee.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Gimmicks and Distant Echoes for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who wants nothing more in this crazy heat wave than to take a nap on a block of ice.
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Superman Returns came out in 2006 and asked audiences a very sincere question: what if Superman, but sad? Brandon Routh brooded his way across the big screen, lifting improbable objects and pining for Lois Lane, and somewhere in a boardroom, someone decided this emotionally complex theatrical event needed to be a video game on four different platforms. Five if you count the Game Boy Advance version, which is technically a different game but weâre counting it anyway because we <del>paid good money</del> decided that we just needed to talk about it.
The PS2 and Xbox versions let you fly around Metropolis, absorbing explosions with your face in service of a health bar that belonged to the city rather than Superman himself, which is either a genuinely clever design idea or the most passive-aggressive mechanic in superhero gaming history. The Xbox 360 version turned the whole thing into an open-world showcase for what next-gen hardware could do, which in 2006 meant âlook at those buildings.â The DS version was a side-scrolling beat-em-up. The GBA version was something else entirely. Superman Returns contained multitudes, is what weâre saying.
Joining me to dig through the whole sprawling, melancholy, city-defending mess is Adam Williamson, real-life friend, frequent Play Comics guest, and owner of a podcast idea that has been marinating for what I can only describe as a concerning length of time. Adam, I say this with love: at some point youâre going to have to actually make the thing. In the meantime, heâs here, the knowledge is flowing, and weâve got a Superman game across half a console generation to get through.
So settle in, try not to let the cityâs health bar drop to zero, and letâs find out whether Superman Returns deserved better â from Hollywood, from the games industry, and honestly, maybe from all of us.
Learn such things as:
Did we finally crack the secret on how to make a good Superman game buried somewhere deep inside this one?Are real estate moguls the true evil in todayâs society?Are you a deadbeat dad if nobody besides you knows that youâre the father?And so much more!You can find Adam on BlueSky @effectnotaffect and absolutely nowhere else except for on Play Comics where he writes comic reviews and appears on other episodes. Of particular interest to listeners of this episode are The Gimmick #1 and The Job #1.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Garfieldâs Nightmare and Scary Scavenger Hunt, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Big Game Saga Issue 2 and DC Specialcast for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who just wants the Supergirl movie to be good.
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Somewhere out there is a piece of Superman history that almost nobody remembers exists. Not because it was bad. Not because it flopped. It just⊠vanished off the internet one day, like it got caught in a Phantom Zone projector aimed at a server farm. Thatâs the story of The Multipath Adventures of Superman, and weâre about to dig it back up.
The whole thing started life as a CD project dreamed up with actual comic book writers, including Louise Simonson and Steve Englehart, before publisher Brilliant Digital Entertainment decided the format worked better as an ongoing online series. So you got Menace of Metallo on disc, and then a sprawling, branching, multi-arc saga that lived entirely on the internet, complete with a villain who time-travels just to make everyoneâs life harder. And then, because this is the late â90s internet weâre talking about, the entire thing quietly vanished. No re-releases, no remasters, just a bunch of dead links and a handful of people insisting this was real and they didnât dream it.
So yes, this episode is a little bit of a cheat. We usually stick to games you could buy off a shelf and put in a console. This is software, distributed on a CD-ROM and later piecemeal over a dial-up connection, that you had to install a special plugin just to run. But itâs a piece of Superman history thatâs basically slipped through the cracks of the internet entirely, and that felt worth breaking the rules for.
Helping me dig through the wreckage is Chris Baker from SuperHero.vg, who has spent decades working on actual superhero games at places like Marvel and LucasArts and literally wrote the book on this stuff with WRONG! Retro Games, You Messed Up Our Comic Book Heroes! If anyone can tell us whether this lost relic deserves to stay lost, itâs him.
So load up the B3D Projector, brace for some early-internet voice acting, and letâs see how many ways Metropolis can end before lunch.
Learn such things as:
What happens when a piece of officially licensed Superman media just disappears off the internet?Is watching a Choose Your Own Adventure even a game?Is anyone at DC kicking themselves now since thereâs probably dozens of people who want to see this?And so much more!You can find Chris over at SuperHero.vg or @cbake76 on BlueSky or Threads. Or both. And if you listened all the way to the end and want to read the review that Chris shared with me, hereâs the link he mentioned.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be [Episode Name Here], so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Gimmicks and Infinite Earths Guide for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who definitely does exist even though Iâve never seen physical proof with my own eyes.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Look, at some point you have to respect the audacity of putting the entire Justice League on a Game Boy Advance cartridge. Not one hero. Not two heroes doing a buddy-cop thing. The whole league. Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the works. All crammed onto a handheld that also had to share shelf space with Hamtaro games. Thatâs ambition. Thatâs vision. That might also be a cry for help, but weâre not here to judge.
Justice League Chronicles was Ubisoftâs love letter to the animated series, which means it had genuinely great source material to pull from and a screen roughly the size of a Post-it note to work with. The Justice League animated series was the kind of show that made you sit down and watch it with your kids because it was actually that good, and somehow that energy had to survive the trip to a device that ran on two AA batteries.
Here to help make sense of it all is Doug Adamson from The Monitor Tapes, a man whose podcast is literally named after the thing the Justice League uses to watch for trouble. Which means he was cosmically destined to appear on this episode whether he wanted to or not.
So pull up a chair in the Watchtower, try not to touch anything that looks important, and letâs talk about a DC animated tie-in that had no business being as earnest as it was.
Learn such things as:
Does it really matter if you end up fighting against someone elseâs villains?Does it really matter if you canât pick how youâre going to pair off the League members?Does anything really matter when youâre getting to play one of the best cartoons ever made?And so much more!You can find Doug on BlueSky @themonitortapes.com, Threads @themonitortapes (although it might actually be DC Dave running those, I donât know), his podcast The Monitor Tapes, and whatever else they decide to release over on Brick Crisis Network.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be The Multipath Advantures of Superman, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to The Earth 2 Podcast and The Last Comic Shop for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who would probably be the IT guy up in the tower whoâs actually making it possible to pull all of this world saving stuff off every episode.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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The year was 2006. The Game Boy Advance was winding down, the Justice League animated series had wrapped up, and someone at WayForward Technologies looked at a tiny handheld screen and said, âYou know what this needs? The Flash. Running very fast. On a cartridge the size of a business card.â And honestly? Bold decision.
Justice League Heroes: The Flash took the Game Boy Advance, the beloved animated series, and a Justice League comic run and asked the eternal question: how many Rogues can you stuff into a handheld beat-em-up before the whole thing starts wobbling? This episode, weâre finding out. Weâre covering the comics, the game, the cartoon connections, and whether Barry Allen or Wally West gets more respect in a world that keeps giving them both the speed force and zero chill.
Joining us to run this whole thing down is Marrilee OâNeil from Fear Coded, who brings exactly the right energy for a conversation about a game that moves fast and expects you to keep up.
So strap in, try not to blink, and letâs do this before the Flash gets impatient and reruns the episode himself.
Learn such things as:
Why couldnât this have just been part of Justice League Heroes?What is the best way to experience time manipulation?Does it really matter if you get to play as Wally or Barry here?And so much more!You can find Merrilee being the main driver of the Fear Coded account on BlueSky @fearcodedpod.bsky.social on her podcast Fear Coded.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Justice League Chronicles, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba and The Monitor Tapes for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who already did that thing you wanted to get done and you didnât even see it getting done because it got done too fast.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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At some point in the early 2000s, someone looked at the Dragon Ball Z manga and anime, a story full of screaming men who power up for entire episodes, hair that defies physics, and villains who monologue long enough for the protagonist to reach a new power level, and said, âYes. This. But make it a fighting game. On two, and only two, consoles.â And thus, Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2 arrived on PS2 and GameCube, ready to let you spend an unreasonable amount of time unlocking characters and pretending you know what a Fusion Dance is supposed to look like in real life.
This episode, weâre going Super Saiyan on the whole thing. The game, the manga, the anime, the drama, the capsules, the questionable story mode decisions. All of it. And joining us to power up the conversation is Russell Moran from Kaiju ComiCast, who brings exactly the kind of kaiju-sized enthusiasm this franchise demands.
So take a deep breath, squeeze out every last drop of ki youâve got, and letâs get into it. Your hair may or may not turn gold by the end. No promises.
Learn such things as:
Whatâs worse than taking a risk and totally failing?Whatâs keeping us from getting the epic Toriyama Universe fighting crossover event that we all want to badly?Can you really say that the roster has 50 different characters when 10 of them are different versions of the same dude?And so much more!You can find Russell on BlueSky @kaijucomiccast, Instagram @kaijucomiccast, and of course at his podcast Kaiju ComiCast.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Justice League Heroes The Flash, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to âFunâ and Games and Anime Field Guide for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who only does things at levels of 9000.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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If youâve ever wondered what would happen if professional wrestling, superhero nonsense, and a generous helping of âdid they really just do that?â collided in a PS2-era video game, congratulations youâve found your people.
This episode dives headfirst into Galactic Wrestling Featuring Ultimate Muscle, a game that asks the important questions, like how many absurdly named wrestlers can fit into one ring and whether flexing harder is a legitimate combat strategy (it is). Along the way, weâre joined by Josh âAnoriandâ Fagundes. Yes, that Anoriand from Twitch. He brings his streaming-honed wisdom and an appreciation for delightful chaos.
Between the manga roots, anime flair, and a game that absolutely commits to the bit, thereâs plenty to grapple with here. So lace up your boots, oil up your⊠everything, and get ready for a match thatâs less about winning and more about how spectacularly weird the journey can get.
Learn such things as:
How do you make a sequel to a game and not have it on the same console?What happens when the humor and moral values of such different societies donât really match up?Does this game have anything surprisingly good in it, and does it even matter if it does?And so much more!You can find Anoriand on Bluesky @anoriand, TikTok @anoriand, YouTube @AnoriandGD, and Twitch @anoriand. And he was on Super Deluxe GamesCast but as this is getting published, it was announced a few days ago that theyâre changing the name to Maximum Hearts and I want to make sure that this horrible timing is saved for prosperity.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Lee Carvalloâs Podding Challenge and Peace Down and Down for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who would probably have a glitch somehow as a special move.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Somewhere in the mid-2000s, a group of developers looked at the Justice League and said, âWhat if we made a game where all your favorite heroes team up⊠and then we just kinda vibed with that idea instead of sticking to any specific comic storyline?â Which kind of works actually because they got Dwayne McDuffie to write it but thatâs not the point. So anyway, Justice League Heroes burst onto the scene for PS2, Xbox, PSP, and Nintendo DS like a Watchtower alarm that nobody remembers installing.
This week on Play Comics, we grab our capes, charge up our vaguely canon-adjacent superpowers, and dive into a game that absolutely has Batman, Superman, and friends⊠ummm, friends are definitely there I promise and sometimes they have to be there because of contractual obligations. And sometimes even the best version of those friends if youâre lucky and the best version of that hero had been invented already.
Joining the adventure is Gavin Mevius from The Mixed Reviews and The Q Division, bringing along just the right blend of insight, chaos, and âwait, was that ever a comic plot?â energy to help us make sense of it all.
So get ready for teamwork, button mashing, and a Justice League game that is just kind of meh, especially considering the story that it had to work with.
Learn such things as:
When you can have Justice League adventures without Batman or SupermanWhy you donât need a 100% comic plot line to have a good comic plot line.What the world was like before micro transactions got involved with everythingAnd so much more!You can find Gavin on BlueSky @shhhitsgavin, Instagram @gavinmev, and of course on his podcasts The Mixed Reviews (a monthly film review show taking a deep dive into a subject, actor, director, or something else along those lines) and The Q Division (a monthly deep dive into James Bond).
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Galactic Wrestling with Ultimate Muscle, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Gimmicks and Spawnography for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, whose super power is always knowing exactly where to find that file youâre looking for.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Buckle up for a PS2 heist where Lupin III swaps manga mischief for blocky stealth antics in Treasure of the Sorcerer King, that 2004 gem channeling Monkey Punchâs rogue into disguises-gone-wrong and treasure hunts that test more patience than finesse.
Joining the vault-cracking crew this time is Robbie Sherman from Conversations with Robbie Sherman, dishing on how the game stacks up to the source chaos of Jigenâs aim, Goemonâs blade ballet, and Fujikoâs inevitable backstab.
So grab your best disguise and letâs see if you can sneak the treasure out of this one. Either way itâs going to be a blast.
Learn such things as:
When does homage become IP theft?Does it ever work to retcon multiple unrelated characters into a single one and act like itâs not weird at all?Do you really need those side characters? Canât we just get rid of all of them and follow the main character exclusively?And so much more!You can Robbie on BlueSky @convoswrob and his podcast Conversations with Robbie Sherman.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Justice League Heroes for the PS2, Xbox, PSP, and Nintendo DS. So get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Another GI Joe Podcast and Campus Comics Cast for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who might have been here the whole time without me realizing it.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Sometimes a game says itâs based on a comic. Sometimes a movie says itâs based on a comic. And sometimes a game says itâs based on that movie that says itâs based on a comic, and suddenly weâre three layers deep in adaptation lasagna.
This week, weâre cracking open Over the Hedge for the PS2, GameCube, and Xboxâa game that definitely follows the movieâs lead and only politely waves at the original comic strip from across the yard. Expect sneaking, snacking, and more suburban chaos than your average HOA meeting can handle.
Joining the show is Doug Fink (Walloping Web Snappers, Falling with Style, Novel Gaming, and Skreeonk) to help sort out what happens when animals, energy drinks, and licensed games collide in one very busy backyard.
Grab your energy drinks and questionable life choices. I hope you donât get pinched by the exterminator.
Learn such things as:
Is the key to all of this the friends you bring along the way?Are humans and urban sprawl the real villains here?Do you actually need to base a game on a thing to have it be based on the thing?And so much more!You can find Doug on BlueSky @ickybooley and of course all of his wonderful shows on the Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective, Walloping Websnappers, Novel Gaming, Falling with Style, and Skreeonk.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Lupin the 3rd Treasure of the Sorcerer King, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Carnival of Glee Creations and Distant Echoes for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who definitely wasnât feeding the animals yesterday and I have no idea why they keep following him around.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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There are games that make you feel like a superhero, and then there are games that make you feel like you forgot to read the instructions, lost the instructions, and maybe the instructions never existed in the first place. Uncanny X-Men on the NES proudly lives in that second category.
This week, weâre taking a look at a game that technically features some of our favorites from Marvelâs mutants, but in a way that raises a lot of questions. Mostly âwhy does it work like this?â and âwho thought this was a good idea?â Along the way, weâll try to connect the dots back to the comics and see what actually made the jump from page to cartridge.
Joining the show are frequent guest and actual real-life friend Adam Williamson, along with Miles Stokes from Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men, bringing the kind of X-Men knowledge and patience required to make sense of a game that absolutely refuses to explain itself.
So grab a friend, a pile of comfort snacks, and a security blanket because everything you've heard about this game is probably true. I hope you survive the experience.
Learn such things as:
Who is that silent superstar that put together the character bios for the manual?Why do doors hate the X-Men so much?How does Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men play into the origin of Play Comics?And so much more!You can find Adam on BlueSky @effectnotaffect and absolutely nowhere else except for on Play Comics where he writes comic reviews and appears on other episodes. Of particular interest to listeners of this episode are The Gimmick #1 and The Job #1.
You can find Miles over at @XPlaintheXmen on BlueSky or over at the official site for Jay and Miles X-Plain the X-Men.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Lupin the 3rd Treasure of the Sorcerer King, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Spawnography and Capes on the Couch for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, whoâs favorite X-Men character is Lockjaw.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Some magical girl stories are content with sparkly transformations and heartfelt speeches. This is not one of those stories. This time on Play Comics weâre warping through the glitter-strewn chaos of Sailor Moon: Another Story, the Super Famicom RPG that took the 90s manga and anime vibes, mashed them with branching timelines and turn-based redemption arcs, and asked, âWhat if destiny needed a save state?â Itâs console combat where emotional baggage weighs more than your inventory, and every villain monologue comes with a friendship discount.
Chris isnât battling cosmic paradoxes solo though. Cass Proffitt from Distant Echoes jumps into the senshi squad to help unpack how this game balances moon crystal lore with JRPG grind, and whether itâs a radiant tribute to Sailor Moon or just the sparkliest timeline meltdown in gaming history. Together theyâre digging into what survived the trip from Naoko Takeuchiâs pages to console controllers, complete with overdramatic plot twists and Jupiterâs undefeated punch stat.
Dust off your brooch, queue the theme song, and prepare for senshi squad analysis laced with villain rehab debates and moon prism power-ups that hit different on pixelated screens.
Learn such things as:
Why Another Story might actually be canon. Sort of. Maybe.How localization shaped the Western Sailor Moon fandom.What the point of it all is if you donât even have a cat to help guide you along the way.And so much more!You can find Cass on their podcast Distant Echoes.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
You can read the full thoughts from CountZeroOr here:
Why we never got them? Well, Iâd probably say itâs a combination of a couple factors: First, for much of the 16-bit console generation (and the 8-bit console generation before that), there was still a very considerable anti-Japan bias in terms of marketing of console games, based on the idea that American audiences wouldnât buy anything actively presented as being Japanese, so Anime presentations were out (this is part of the reason why the first Ranma 1/2 fighting game was changed into âStreet Combatâ) â the Golgo 13 games were viewed as something of an outlier.
While some later titles in the 90s would take chances on presenting themselves as being more anime (i.e. Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle), they were also titles for properties generally marketed to guys, as also around this time video game marketing was increasingly getting more gendered, something that would continue throughout the 90s and into the 2000s and beyond. As a property targeted for girls, Sailor Moon didnât fit in the gender essentialist marketing plans of the video game industry.
The fact that, since itâs a RPG, it also has a ton of text to localize and translate (versus to the Sailor Moon beat-em-ups), certainly didnât help.
The next episode is going to be Uncanny X-Men. Thatâs right, weâre taking another look at the NES game. What are your experiences with this one? If they remade it today what characters would you want included that werenât in the original?
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Anime Field Guide and To the Batpoles! for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who saves every cat just in case itâs magical. Especially the one thatâs a Red Lantern.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Springfieldâs favorite menace trades his skateboard for spandex in Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, and somehow the result ended up on both the NES and Game Gear. Whether itâs justice or just pure mayhem, this is one crossover nobody asked for but weâre glad to have anyway.
But Chris canât do this along, so heâs joined by the always enlightening Tommy Proffitt from Distant Echos and Lee Carvalloâs Podding Challenge. Together they unravel what happens when cartoon superheroes meet 8-bit hardware and common sense takes a vacation.
So grab your cape, your slingshot, and your best âEat my shortsâ energy, because things are about to get weird, nostalgic, and slightly irradiated. Just like Bart wouldâve wanted.
Learn such things as:
How has The Simpsons secretly wormed its was into your everyday life?What happens when you have such a character driven franchise and use hardly any of them at all?Were the Radioactive Man comics just a testing ground for future characters?And so much more!You can find Tommy on Bluesky @awkwardcomma, and his podcasts Distant Echoes and Lee Carvalloâs Podding Challenge.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
The next episode is going to be Sailor Moon Another Story, so get your thoughts ready and over to me if you want to hear them in the show.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to The Glitter Jaw Queer Podcast Collective and Gender Pop for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who still wears Bart Simpson underwear.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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They say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but in this case, itâs paved with quickâtime events and awkward platforming. Step back into 2010, when grim determination, button mashing, and a suspicious amount of artistic license gave us Danteâs Inferno on the PS3 and Xbox 360, the game adaptation no one asked for but we secretly loved anyway.
Joining Chris this time is Adam Williamson. You know, that guy whoâs somehow managed to pop up in both past and future episodes of Play Comics. Itâs like heâs got his own metaphysical time loop going, except with fewer torturous souls and more witty banter.
So grab your favorite medieval poetry anthology (or just pretend youâve read it. No judgment), crank up the overâtheâtop orchestral soundtrack, and prepare to descend through nine circles of beautifully rendered weirdness. Letâs find out how a centuriesâold Italian masterpiece got a glowâup full of demons, guilt, and surprisingly good level design.
Learn such things as:
How many sins can you commit before hitting a loading screen?What might Dante have thought of boss battles?Was someone just really into God of War? Itâs the God part wasnât it?And so much more!You can find Adam absolutely nowhere except for on Play Comics where he writes comic reviews and appears on other episodes. Of particular interest to listeners of this episode are The Gimmick #1 and The Job #1.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Kaiju ComiCast and Anime Field Guide for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who was wondering the whole time why neither of us brought up X-Men Inferno at all.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Look, Weâve seen a lot of comic-based video games in my time, but when a mafia hitman gets murder powers from an eldritch shadow monster so he can take vengeance on, well, everybody, you know weâve entered elite storytelling territory. The Darkness isnât here to make you feel good about humanity. Itâs here to make you ask if youâd trade your soul for a pair of talking demon heads who love street lamps way too much.
This week, weâre diving into The Darkness on PS3 and Xbox 360, that moody, gritty, and surprisingly heartfelt adaptation of the classic Top Cow comic series. And joining us for the chaos? None other than Sarah of Mars. Yes, that Mars. Because letâs be real: if youâre dealing with an ancient, malevolent cosmic force, you might as well bring in someone from a planet that already knows about hostile takeovers of a planetary variety.
So get comfy (preferably not in the subway tunnels of New York with a swarm of writhing demons), because weâre unpacking love, loss, corruption, and whatever dark surprises the game decided to throw at us just for kicks. Oh, and if your shadow starts talking back⊠maybe turn off the console.
Learn such things as:
How long did it take Chris to realize that the British band wasnât going to show up?Which band do you associate Mike Patton with, and is it the same band that makes the most sense to match with this character?Do you have to follow the source material to get a game that really feels correct?And so much more!You can find Sarah on BlueSky @sarahofmars.bsky.social, on that old blog Now I Write, and sometimes as a guest on Super Deluxe GamesCast.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Infinite Earths Guide and Gender Pop for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who really wants to hear a Mike Patton cover of Reading Rainbow.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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This time on Play Comics, weâre sneaking into the glittery, CGI-filled vault of early-2000s tie-in games and asking the question nobody demanded an answer to: âWhat if Catwoman, but make it even more 2004?â Between the leather, the eyeliner, and the wall-running, weâre checking out the Catwoman movie game that clawed its way onto GameCube, Xbox, PS2, and Game Boy Advance. Itâs the kind of experience that feels like someone motion-captured an energy drink and then gave it a whip.
To help make sense of this pixelated fever dream, Chris is joined by frequent guest Billy from his real life friend group, because if youâre going to suffer through mid-2000s licensed game nonsense, you should at least do it with someone who can confirm youâre not hallucinating. Together they dive into the bizarre elegance of magically convenient scaffolding, combat that thinks âpressing one button a lotâ is a personality trait, and a story that remembers itâs based on a movie just often enough to be legally distinct from fun. Expect more cat puns per minute than the ESRB ever intended.
So dust off your flip phone, crank up your nu-metal playlist, and prepare to swing through a world where glass windows are just suggestions and gravity is more of a guideline. Is this game an underrated gem, a misunderstood experiment, or the digital equivalent of stepping on a LEGO in high heels? Tune in to find out how this cinematic catastrophe translated to four different systems, and whether any of them managed to land on their feet.
Learn such things as:
Can we really hold the story of this game against it (for the purposes of this podcast anyway) when it was just following the movie plot lines?Since when is the handheld version allowed to be the best one?Did we miss all of those jumps and grabs because some cat in the greater universe was pushing our character off the ledge?And so much more!You can find Billyâs writing nowhere because Commandercast seems to be dead. But if itâs not then someone tell me and Iâll switch this up.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Pop Culture Basement and The Last Comic Shop for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who thinks that the best catwoman is Felicia from Darkstalkers.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Some licensed games take you to fantastical worlds filled with wonder and adventure. This is not one of those games. This time on Play Comics weâre trudging through the smoke-filled, demon-splattered streets of Constantine (2005), the tie-in that asked, âWhat if we took Keanu Reeves, a theological horror film, and the PS2âs most dramatic lighting engine, and just⊠saw what happened?â Somehow itâs a third-person action game, a movie adaptation, and a vaguely spiritual experience about regretting your rental choices all at the same time.
Chris isnât wandering this half-lit hellscape alone though. Merrilee OâNeil from Fear Coded jumps into the exorcism circle to help figure out where this game lands on the spectrum from âsurprisingly solidâ to âshouldâve stayed in development hell.â Together theyâre digging into how much of the comic DNA and film mood actually survived the trip through Bits Studios and THQ, and how often it just turns into early-2000s âshoot the demon, ask theology questions laterâ energy.
So grab your PS2 or Xbox controller, light a metaphorical cigarette (or maybe donât, your lungs will thank you), and step into a world where holy relics share inventory space with questionable game design choices. Expect demons, exorcisms, and more snark than you can fit into one trench coat as Chris and Merrilee poke at what works, what doesnât, and why this particular slice of licensed weirdness still lingers like the smell of burnt incense in a game store bargain bin
Learn such things as:
Do demons care about hit points?How do the timelines of the movie vs the game development interact with each other?Did this game even have a chance when it had to pick between being true to the movie or the comic source material?And so much more!You can find Merrilee being the main driver of the Fear Coded account on BlueSky @fearcodedpod.bsky.social on her podcast Fear Coded.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Batman Knightcast and Adventures in Erylia for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, whose favorite demon is Speed Racer.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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If youâve ever dreamed of piloting a transforming jet while sorting through a love triangle and dodging alien laser fire, then without knowing it youâve been living in the Robotech: The Macross Saga timeline. Chris dusts off his Game Boy Advance for this one, only to find that the same intergalactic mess has crash-landed again, this time in crisp Switch resolution. Because nothing says âfuture of gamingâ like revisiting a handheld title from an era when batteries were a personality trait.
Helping navigate this space-time crossover is DC Dave from The Monitor Tapes, swooping in with the kind of insight only a seasoned comic podcaster can offer. Together, they dissect what happens when â80s anime melodrama meets early 2000s portable gaming. And spoiler alert: there are missiles, misunderstood heroes, and at least one existential crisis per level. And yes, they both have Opinionsâą about which version of Rick Hunter handles better.
So grab your nearest mecha (or whatever piece of furniture doubles as one), set your thrusters to ânostalgia,â and dive into a world where pixelated warfare meets the stirring strains of synth-pop destiny. Whether youâre a die-hard Robotech purist, a Switch newcomer, or just here for DC Daveâs hot takes, this episodeâs got something for every flavor of space soap enthusiast.
Learn such things as:
What does it takes to make a side-scrolling shooter feel like an interstellar soap opera?How did licensing rights in the â80s created a cosmic headache that still echoes today?When you have giant fighting robots, do you really need to add all of the war allegory?And so much more!You can find DC Dave on BlueSky @dcdavepodcast, and of course under his podcast The Monitor Tapes on BlueSky @themonitortapes.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Is It Jaws? and Capes on the Couch for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who refuses to acknowledge the passage of time and how what it means to any of us on a metaphysical level.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Some duels are fought with cards. Some are fought with dice. And then some⊠are fought with the Game Boy Advanceâs eternal struggle against decent menu navigation. This week on Play Comics, weâre shuffling up and drawing into Yu-Gi-Oh! Destiny Board Traveler and World Championship Tournament 2004, two games that take everything we love about Yu-Gi-Oh!, monsters, strategy, friendship laser beams, and cram it into a tiny cartridge that smells faintly of childhood and battery corrosion.
Joining Chris for this summoning circle of digital nostalgia is David from Anime Field Guide, who brings the kind of anime expertise that makes you question whether your life points can drop below zero if you cringe too hard at English dub dialogue. Together, theyâll explore why these particular duels feel like being trapped in a friendship-branded fever dream, complete with turn-based confusion and more âdraw phaseâ puns than anyone asked for.
So grab your duel disk, blow into that GBA cartridge like it owes you rent, and prepare to enter a world where forbidden memories and confusing mechanics go hand-in-hand. Itâs the heart of the cards⊠but maybe also a faint cry for a playerâs guide.
Learn such things as:
Whether the heart of the cards can survive low battery warnings.The surprising crossover between duel monsters and chaos theory.Why Destiny Board Traveler isnât just Monopoly with a Yu-Gi-Oh skin.And so much more!You can find David on BlueSky @anifieldguide.bsky.social, Threads @anifieldguide, and of course hear him over at Anime Field Guide.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to The Monsters that Made Us and Worst Collection Ever for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who is just sitting there waiting for me to spring the traps.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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Lucky Luke might be the fastest gun in the West, but nobody warned him about being jammed into a tiny Game Boy cartridge where his biggest foes are stiff platforming and whatever that enemy AI is trying to do. This episode of Play Comics moseys into the dusty frontier where classic European comics meet tiny Nintendo screens, occasionally in glorious Game Boy Color if you were lucky enough to live in the right place or know the right import guy. It is pixel dust, cowboy hats, and the eternal question of âIs this a faithful adaptation, or did someone just hear âcowboyâ and wing it?â
Riding into town for this one is the legendary Dr Queso de la Muerte from Chrisâs real life internet friend group, bringing a big-brained breakdown of handheld nonsense and exactly the sort of opinions you get when people have spent way too much time thinking about comics, games, and what happens when you mash them together. Together, theyâll pick apart what the game borrows from the Lucky Luke comics, what it completely makes up, and how well it all survives the journey into a two-button wild west. Expect detours into cultural differences, cartridge weirdness, and at least one moment of âwhy did they design the level like this on purpose?â
So grab your favorite handheld, adjust your imaginary cowboy hat, and get ready for a trip to the Old West filtered through green-ish screens, tiny sprites, and the unstoppable force of licensing. This is an episode for anyone who ever rented a random game from the video store, stared at the box art, and thought, âYeah, this is either going to be secretly amazing or the funniest mistake I make all weekend.â
Learn such things as:
Which comic story beats make it into the game and which are left wandering the prairie?Do we even want to introduce Lucky Luke to a new audience?How far can a character travel when the mythology is based so much on a specific geographical area of time and space?And so much more!You can find Dr. Queso on BlueSky @drquesodelamuerte.bsky.social and nowhere else unless you already know where to find him.
If you want to be a guest on the show please check out the Be a A Guest on the Show page and let me know what youâre interested in.
If you want to help support the show check out the Play Comics Patreon page or head over to the Support page if you want to go another route. You can also check out the Play Comics Merch Store.
Play Comics is part of the Gonna Geek Network, which is a wonderful collection of geeky podcasts. Be sure to check out the other shows on Gonna Geek if you need more of a nerd fix.
You can find Play Comics @playcomics.bsky.social on Bluesky, @playcomicspodcast on Threads, @playcomics on YouTube, or the Play Comics website.
If you want to hear Chris talk with Karrington Martin about the lessons we learned from childrenâs media and how crazy it is that weâre supposed to just forget about that now that weâre adults, then Sugar, Spite, and Everything is Fine is probably something you should check out.
A big thanks to Deconstructing Comics and Xandar Radio for the promos today.
Intro/Outro Music by Backing Track, who really wants French toast all of a sudden.
Support Play Comics by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/playcomics
Check out our podcast host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free with no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-89f00a for 40% off for 4 months, and support Play Comics.
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