Fine Time (Fine Time)

The year was 2002, and Capcom made one of the boldest game annoucements of all time: a collection of original GameCube games that fans quickly dubbed the Capcom Five. Are the reputations of these games properly deserved? In this first part of a two-part discussion, the returning duo of Dre & Trey talk about the announcement of the games, the climate of the video game industry at that time, the impact, and the first three games to release: P.N.03, Viewtiful Joe, and Resident Evil 4.

Join us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Trey: @InternetTrey

Alright, we're gonna be honest up front this time: the Tekken anime was really bad. But Steve and Andre are well accustomed to wading around in crap and finding the funny, and that's exactly what they did today. And trust us, there is a LOT of funny. Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Let Steve & Kevin to embiggen your podcast feed about America's Funniest Family, The Jetsons -- er, Simpsons (yes that'll do). A perfectly cromulent discussion about some of their favorite episodes, what makes them tick, and why they're still revered by many today. Listen to it in your car hole!

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

A trip down the Animal Well, a punishment of Balan Wonderworld, Square Enix's new strategy, the triumphant retrun of JAV Titles: Real Or Fake, and more! Thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:45] Animal Well

[38:30] Let's Break!

[40:50] Steve survived Balan Wonderworld

[01:05:27] Let's Shower!

[01:07:04] Did Our Tears of the Kingdom Sales Predictions Come True?

[01:11:46] Square Enix's New Multiplatform Strategy

[01:22:20] Marvel Reviving the Marvel Television Banner

[01:30:11] JAV Titles: Real Or Fake?

[01:38:06] See You Next Time!

Andre deeply criticizes Super Mario 3D World ten years after release, Kevin enjoys an Early Access delight, and the gang ponders deep questions about the industry amid inappropriate jokes. Because what's a Big Deal without inappropriate jokes, right? As always, thank you for joining us for another fun variety show. Timestamps are below the socials. Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:08] Andre explores Super Mario 3D World

[23:57] Steve got a new dog!

[30:02] Kevin played XENOTILT in early access

[33:30] A teaser of next week's show...

[35:55] Break #1

[37:21] Pokemon Company basically releases a dildo

[41:22] Xbox 360 Digital Store closing in July 2024

[46:58] Nintendo Direct in September? Expectations?

[49:49] Why don't video games have the same prestige as other forms of art?

01:04:35] Break #2

[01:05:39] Will there ever be a good Superman game?

[01:09:44] Baldur's Gate 3 caused discourse about developers and expectations

[1:31:05] Outro

We have a wide-ranging discussion about the life and times of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, including the mindset going into the generation, the stage being set after the infamous E3 2013, how Sony delivered in the face of no competiton, the rise of the live service game, mid-gen hardware refreshes, and tons more topics and hot takes all about the happenings of the previous decade.

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Advance Wars, Tchia, Sega buys Rovio, the return JAV Titles, Street Fighter 6, the Burning Shores DLC for Horizon Forbidden West, and tons more! Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[02:42] Steve played Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp

[15:00] We all played Tchia

[34:09] Break #1

[35:07] Street Fighter 6 Presentation and Demo Impressions

[45:22] Sega is purchasing Rovio for $776M

[50:16] Quick thoughts on the UK rejecting Microsoft's acqusition of Activision Blizzard King

[51:57] Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League delayed to Feb. 24th, 2024

[54:57] Would Hi-Fi Rush have done better if it wasn't shadowdropped?

[59:44] Indie World! ... or was it Indie Cat World?!

[01:10:03] Break #2

[01:10:58] JAV Titles: Real or Fake?

[01:19:38] What Disney movie does Steve think is the most overrated?

[01:22:46] Thoughts on bands replacing their vocalist

[01:27:21] The current rise of Pac-Man

[01:31:06] !!SPOILER DISCUSSION!! Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores DLC

[01:48:13] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Willow was a childhood VHS favorite, but as we all know, childhood favorites are often hideous in hindsight. How does Willow stand the test of time? Steve and Andre watched it again with adult eyes and re-evaluate this late 80s fantasy classic.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

This week Kevin sits down with friend of the show and Twitch streamer Adan to talk about the ins and outs of what it takes to spearhead an online community, the emotional impacts of streaming, the benefits and downfalls of pre-online gaming, eating spicy nuts, and more! 

Catch Adan on Twitch! http://twitch.tv/manicsocratic

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Adan: @Manic_Socratic

After four long years, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is finally here, and it's everything we could have ever hoped for and so much more. Andre and Vin talk about key character moments, great music, favorite scenes, and of course those last two chapters in depth in this super-sized FF7 Rebirth blowout!

FULL SPOILERS IN THIS EPISODE - If you want to keep the experience fresh for yourself, DO NOT LISTEN until you've played the enitre game!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin on Bluesky: @lucentai.bsky.social

[00:00] SPOILERS AHEAD!!

[01:15] Intro and Thoughts  On Previous FF7 Games

[09:33] Overarching Thoughts On Rebirth

[16:26] Cloud and Sephiroth - Characterization and Voice Acting

[23:32] Red XIII and Yuffie Chracter Interactions

[28:13] Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith's relationship(s)

[36:43] Cait Sith, Beachwear, and Vincent Valentine

[41:25] Barret, Corel, and NPCs

[47:08] Red XIII's Vocal Performance

[49:58] The Turks (Fuck 'Em)

[52:18] Music Direction and Key Music Moments

[01:08:01] Loveless

[01:12:24] Opening Scene with Zack, Junon, and The Bald Bar

[01:17:07] Queen's Blood Tournament and Chadley

[01:20:00] Back To Nibelheim, Dyne, and Marlene

[01:24:17] Costa Del Sol

[01:27:26] Gold Saucer Intro and Dio

[01:29:44] Moogle Design and Cait Sith's Identity

[01:32:26] The Last Two Chapters

[02:08:23] The Future and Closing Thoughts

[02:18:03] No Promises Await At Journey's End

Andre hates Jak II, Kevin somewhat defends Blossom Tales, Steve is wowed by Returnal, and all three guys play the Live-A-Live demo. Other topics include Ubisoft's delisting of an Assassin's Creed game, more laughing at Amico, Phantasy Star Online 2 finally getting a North American PS4 release, JAV Titles: Real or Fake?, an update on Place Your Bets, and our very first Twitter Mailbag!

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Kevin is joined by Stockton as they take a trip down memory lane about their formative years of playing educational games on PCs at school, the early days of using the internet, gaming at home with the late 90s and early 2000s classics, cereal box software, graphics cards and peripherals, internet Flash games, and other fun stuff in this All-Canadian bonus content.

Andre finishes off the rest of the Uncharted series, Kevin gets into Hogwarts Legacy, and our thoughts on all topics surrounding the Nintendo Direct including us playing the demos of Sea of Stars and Octopath Traveler II, as well as the shadowdropped Metroid Prime Remastered, all in this new edition of Fine Time. Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[02:25] Andre plays the whole Uncharted series

[18:46] Kevin plays Hogwarts Legacy

[37:45] Steve plays Stories Untold

[41:56] Break #1

[44:41] Pikmin 3

[49:43] Xenoblade 3 and Fire Emblem Engage Expansion Passes

[52:09] Splatoon 3 DLC

[58:46] Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Wave 4 DLC

[01:00:01] Samba De Amigo Party Central and Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

[01:02:07] The Return of Level-5: DecaPolice, Fantasy Life i, and a new Professor Layton

[01:06:35] Disney Illusion Island, We Love Katamari REROLL

[01:11:40] Sea of Stars Demo

[01:19:25] Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection

[01:24:32] Break #2

[01:27:10] Advance Wars 1+2: ReBoot Camp gets back on the schedule

[01:28:39] Game Boy and Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online

[01:33:54] Metroid Prime Remastered

[01:44:08] Octopath Traveler II Demo

[01:52:00] Baten Kaitos I & II HD Remaster

[01:56:21] WBSC eBASEBALL: Power Pros

[01:58:10] The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Price Hike or One-Time Zelda Tax?

[02:05:51] Outro

Our first show is here! Kick back as we talk Clockwork Aquario, Deadly Premonition 2, Halo Infinite, Skyward Sword HD, Shin Megami Tensei V, hopes for Sonic Frontiers, the strangeness of Nintendo Switch Online, when the next Nintendo Direct might be, game development and release expectations under COVID-19, a rousing game of 'Pokemon, Or Name I Just Made Up?', and much more!

Andre played Penny's Big Breakaway, Kevin runs through a smattering of arcade games, we talk about the Stellar Blade demo, and much more on our latest.  If you listen on Apple Podcasts, please give us a five-star review! Thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro and Chill

[08:15] Andre played Penny's Big Breakaway

[23:57] Kevin's Arcade Extravaganza (RayForce, Pigskin 621 AD, Cowboys of Moo Mesa, Wonderboy 3: Monster Lair,  Magic Sword, etc.)

[53:53] It's Time To HIt The Showers!

[55:42] Stellar Blade

[01:19:45] Goodbye, Super Mario Maker

[01:32:46] See You Next Time!

Andre plays Soul Hackers 2, Steve plays Mega Man X7, Kevin plays Tearaway, and everyone participated in the Splatoon 3 Splatfest Premiere! Then the guys talk about Sony and Microsoft's battle over Call of Duty, the latest in the Amico saga, Halo Infinite cancelling couch co-op, The Pokemon Company suing Chinese companies over clone games, and the potential Nintendo Direct this month. Then they talk about the music fidelity on streaming services, Arctic Monkeys' current musical direction, and the first sexy things they remember in video games.

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

More than ten years after its release, Steve and Andre decided to tackle After Earth, taking us back to the time Will Smith and Jaden Smith tried to make a summer blockerbuster helmed by M. Night Shyamalan. Was it unfairly malinged at the time? As it turns out, no, it wasn't! Our disbelief is palpable in this episode, so we hope you enjoy the carnage.

Follow the show on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

At the dawn of the 90s, the cinematic platformer was seen as the future. While it never did become the future, the games in this highly influential subgenre are still felt today, and the technology used to makes them still impresses. In this first of seven epsiodes in this miniseries, Andre and Steve dive into the one that started it all, Prince of Persia.

Follow Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Award shows are destined to piss everyone off, but what about The Game Awards? Do they often get it right with their Game of the Year? Of course not! The dynamic duo of Dre and Trey talk about the Game of the Year nominees from every year, debate if they made the right choice, and talk about their memories from the years in question.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Trey on Bluesky: @internettrey.bsky.social

[00:00] Intro

[02:56] 2014

[11:30] 2015

[22:46] 2016

[30:33] 2017

[38:30] 2018

[44:03] 2019

[48:45] 2020

[58:26] 2021

[01:04:49] 2022

[01:13:04] Predictions for 2023?

[01:15:34] Outro

The guys talk about Gran Turismo 7, Demon's Crest, Beyond Oasis, Pokemon Brilliant Diamond / Shining Pearl, StarFox, Sony's excellent State of Play last week, Perfect Dark remake's development troubles, a game of 'Capcom, Taito, Or Sega?', predict future announcements with some friendly betting, games that blew us way when we first saw them, and even more! Enjoy!

Andre and Steve are back with another round of pint-sized reviews of games availble on Nintendo Switch Online! They tackle Devil World, Snake Rattle 'n' Roll, Super R-Type and more in this latest installment.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[03:43] Devil World

[11:20] Journey To Silius

[19:04] Snake Rattle 'n' Roll

[25:24] Battletoads In Battlemaniacs

[34:14] Super R-Type

[46:04] Wrecking Crew '98

[55:38] Until Next Time!

Gungrave G.O.R.E., Atelier Rorona, a Rocket Knight collection is coming, a larger debate about the game design philosophies of the Turrican series, and much more this week on Fine Time. Enjoy the show, and thanks for listening.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me 

[00:00] Intro - Good Morning To You

[01:58] Andre played through Gungrave G.O.R.E.

[16:22] Steve played through Atelier Rorona

[27:17] Break #1

[28:35] Felix the Cat and Rocket Knight collections are coming!

[32:31] ... But not for Xbox?!

[38:54] What's the next Konami collection?

[41:32] Did GameShark leak the Switch 2 release date?!

[47:33] Are Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves coming to other systems?

[53:46] Break #2

[54:31] Turrican Re-Evaluation: Andre Strikes Back

[01:17:14] "The Computer" is forever

[01:20:13] Outro

The guys talk Splatoon 3, Nintendo Direct, the Grand Theft Auto 6 leak, State of Play, Tokyo Game Show, and the demos released during TGS of Valkyrie Elysium, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and Star Ocean: Divine Force.

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

The Taito Egret II Mini party continues! Andre and Vin pick up their discussion by talking about the impact of the Zuntata sound team, the early 90's high-art shmup trilogy of RayForce, Metal Black and Darius Gaiden, briefly cover other assorted shmups like Scramble Formation and Gun Frontier, tackle the insanity of Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories, rounding up the paddle and trackball games of Syvallion, Cameltry, Puchi Carat and the Arkanoid trilogy, beat-'em-ups The Ninja Kids and Runark, and a smattering of overarching questions at the end. Thanks for joining us!

Keep up with the show at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur
Vin: @lucentai

Do you want to get the inside scoop on development of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise? Or do you want to know if little green men are sucking up cows in your backyard? Belly up to the table, because this week you can do both - Kevin sits down with a Neversoft Entertainment founder and the THPS Technical Director to chat about the franchise's early development, the series’ peaks and valleys, and leaving it all behind. Afterwards, Kevin chats with modern UFOlogy’s most prominent debunker (and prominent debunker of other topics as well) - previously appearing on outlets such as CNN, CBS and BBC, as well as numerous podcasts, he now adds the illustrious Fine Time Podcast to his interview career. Spoiler alert, it’s the same guy - Mick West!

Want some more background on these topics? Check out the following links:

Mick's THPS Podcast Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIZ2tu_C5zQ

Pretending I’m a Superman film - https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Pretending_I_m_a_Superman_The_Tony_Hawk_Video_Game?id=skp4OMt1Qzw.P&hl=en_CA&gl=US

Mick’s Book Escaping the Rabbit Hole (Revised and Updated in 2023) - https://play.google.com/store/books/details/West_Mick_Escaping_the_Rabbit_Hole?id=JDeCDwAAQBAJ&hl=en_CA&gl=US

December 2017 New York Times Article Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html

Tales from the Rabbit Hole Podcast Episode #53 - Lue Elizondo Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eozxt_HnPu4

Mick’s YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@MickWest

We Are Not Alone: The UFO Whistleblower Speaks NewsNation David Grusch Interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLZzDhDYMcw

Mick’s David Grusch Response Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvhMMhW-JN0&t=430s

December 2022 The Military-UFO Complex Reason Magazine Article by Mick West - https://reason.com/2022/11/15/the-military-ufo-complex/

July 2022 New York Times Article Bipartisan Measure Aims to Force Release of U.F.O. Records - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/us/politics/ufo-records-schumer.html

Follow Mick on Twitter: @MickWest

Follow us on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

The mystic heroes of an ancient past come to the big screen, but the eternal question remains: Is it good? By God, it is! Steve and Andre share their enthusiastic thoughts on the movie adaptation of Dynasty Warriors.

We played Beyond Shadowgate, Resident Evil Village, Meteos and the new mobile Pokemon TCG. Then we talked about Nintendo's grip of annoucnemnt and our favorite comfort games. Thanks for being such great listeners!

Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Public Penis Announcement

[05:12] Andre played Beyond Shadowgate

[20:24] Kevin played Meteos

[36:48] Kevin and Steve played Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

[48:27] Steve played Resident Evil Village

[57:54] SHOWER TIME

[59:05] Taste Test: Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry

[01:02:30] Nintendo, What Is You Doin Baby?! Pt. 2

[01:14:24] Our Favorite Comfort Games

[01:42:26] JAV Title or Frog & Toad?

[01:49:55] Thank You For Listening

The beautiful bonanza of Fake E3 press conferences are upon us, and the whole gang is here to deliver all the takes you can handle! Come recap the shows and laugh along with us. Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro (An Ode To Orcas)

[03:30] Summer Game Fest (Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Mortal Kombat 1, Sonic Superstars, Lies of P, Alan Wake II, Final Finatasy VII Rebirth, etc.)

[44:20] Break #1

[44:57] Day of the Devs (Beastieball, Hyperlight Breaker, Hellskate, etc.)

[56:18] Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy (The Talos Principle II, Baby Steps)

[01:01:49] Xbox Showcase (Fable, South of Midnight, Payday 3, Avowed, Fight Simulator 2024, Path of the Goddess, Persona 5 Tactica, etc.)

[01:26:44] Break #2

[01:28:09] More Xbox Showcase + Starfield Direct (Towerborne, Clockwork Revolution, Series S 1TB)

[01:36:50] Ubisoft Forward (Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, XDefiant, The Crew Motorfest, Star Wars Outlaws)

[01:56:52] Capcom Showcase (Mega Man X DiVE Offline, Pragmata, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Apollo Justice, Ace Attorney Trilogy, Exoprimal)

[02:05:56] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

The first brand-new Mana game in many years came to us last month, but was it any good? Andre and Vin are here to break down Visions of Mana, including characters, evironments, story elements, battles, and everything else. Is this the first good Mana game since the 90s? Listen and find out!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin: @lucentai.bsky.social and twitch.tv/lucentai

[00:00] Intro - Expectations of Mana

[05:21] Premise of Mana

[09:52] Graphics, Art, and Presentation of Mana

[15:54] Towns, Dungeons, and Exploration of Mana

[26:42] Characterization of Mana

[37:25] Break of Mana

[39:00] Equipment, Classes, and Magic of Mana

[48:49] Battles of Mana

[56:35] Bosses of Mana

[01:03:57] Pacing of Mana

[01:07:47] Music of Mana

[01:11:42] Tidbits And Conclusion of Mana

[01:19:38] Spoiler Wall of Mana

[01:20:31] Spoilers of Mana

[01:43:02] ~FIN~

Steve and Andre have a nice chat about every man’s favorite activity, passed down from father to son: watching stylish action movies with a high body count. They talk about their favorite scenes, lore, characters and kills of the John Wick trilogy up to this point, and where it can go from here. Rated R for graphic bloody violence throughout, and pervasive strong language.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Forspoken, Diablo 4 beta, Redfall and Microsoft's current strategy, our thoughts on launch lineups of the past are all in this new Big Deal. Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[03:57] Andre beat Forspoken

[18:27] Steve played through Valiant Hearts: Coming Home

[26:13] Kevin on the Diablo 4 Beta

[39:15] Kevin's gripes with Everybody's Golf

[42:19] Break #1

[44:00] The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Did We Like It?

[01:02:51] Did Miyamoto hint at a new Mario game coming soon?

[01:05:54] Is Sony working on a new handheld called Q Lite?

[01:09:47] Redfall at 30fps and Starfield speculation

[01:14:42] Kevin's quick thoughts on E3 dying

[01:15:41] Break #2

[01:17:15] Place Your Bets!

[01:29:17] Launch Lineup Hot Takes

[01:49:21] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Mario is back and so are we! We spend a long time dissecting Super Mario Bros. Wonder from every possible angle that we can think of before we get to a couple of finishing questions. Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin on Bluesky: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Welcome to the Super Mario Bros. Wonder Super Show!

[02:45] Shaking off the New Super Mario Bros. feel

[08:57] Are Poplins creepy?

[12:13] Too easy? No time limit?

[22:01] Can we talk about Bowser Jr.? Boss encounter discussion

[27:53] Wowie Zowie!

[30:37] Break #1

[31:38] Music and sound effects

[38:09] Search Party and Music Break courses... why? And fun callbacks

[43:24] Post-level screenshots and online functionality

[45:18] Favorite Wonder Flower scenarios

[48:54] Snappy loading times

[50:52] Art style, animations, and aesthetic

[55:23] Is 2D Mario maxed out?

[01:01:13] Break #2

[01:02:08] What can Nintendo do to provide more challenge to the core player?

[01:10:52] Who's the most influential musician of our lifetime?

[01:23:22] Andre hates the term 'hack and slash'

[01:25:09] See You Next Time

Andre is joined by Aaron from SuperPod Saga to celebrate the life and times of the Dreamcast classic, the GameArts masterpiece, their favorite RPG ever, Grandia 2. You're gonna have to do better than that to beat us!

Fine Time on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

SuperPod Saga on Twitter: @SuperPodSaga

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Check out all the shows on SuperPod Network at superpodnetwork.com!

[00:00] Intro & SuperPod Network

[07:53] Release, Reception and Legacy

[22:23] Graphics and Presentation

[40:43] Characters, Dialogue, and Voice Acting

[58:21] Plot Oddities and Linearity

[01:06:56] Battle System and Dungeons

[01:25:13] Music

[01:38:04] Random Bits, Criticisms, and Conclusions

[01:50:00] See Ya!

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of Arcade Archives games available and you had no idea what to buy? Andre and Vin provide a starting point for beginners looking to expand their horizons on arcades games, providing picks from the Konami, Irem, and Namco libraries.

Full List of Recommedations

Circus Charlie

Life Force

Block Hole

Sunset Riders

Lightning Fighters

Mr. Goemon

Moon Patrol

In The Hunt

Kid Niki

Ninja Spirit

X-Multiply

Heroic Episode

Libble Rabble

Mappy

New Rally-X

Rolling Thunder

Super Pac-Man

Legend of Valkyrie

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Vin: @lucentai

PalWorld takes over, a State of Play came along, and the guys play Another Code: Recollection and a smattering of Super Scope games in our latest. Rate, review, and enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me 

[00:00] Intro

[01:53] Steve and Andre played Another Code: Recollection

[30:26] Kevin's Super Scope Super Special! (Yoshi's Safari, Battle Clash, Metal Combat: Falcon's Revenge)

[46:14] Break Time, Pt. 1

[48:08] The PalWorld Saga

[01:09:39] Dragonball Sparking Zero! 24 Characters Revealed!

[01:11:07] Break Time, Pt. 2

[01:11:52] State of Play (Stellar Blade, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Silent Hill: The Short Message, Sonic X Shadow Generations, etc.)

[01:35:58] List 'Em Off! -- Top 12 selling games of 2023

[01:46:04] Outro

Mega Tokyo just isn't safe anymore, not even the Hot Legs bar! Steve and Andre talk about themselves as anime watchers and how they got into the artform before they take on one of the biggest anime classics of all time, Bubblegum Crisis.

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Andre and Vin tackle the new Namco compilation, Pac-Man Museum+. The good, the bad, the ugly, and the weird all get their due! How do these games hold up today?

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Vin: @lucentai

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Steve and Andre talk about F-Zero 99 and Etrian Odyssey HD before they dive into the latest Nintendo Direct, the incredible mess Unity had made for themselves, and more. Enjoy the show and rate and review us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[05:41] Steve loves F-Zero 99!

[13:33] Andre explores Etrian Odyssey HD

[27:38] Break #1

[29:34] Nintendo Direct! (Splatoon 3 Side Order, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Super Mario RPG, Another Code: Recollection, Princess Peach: Showtime!, Tomb Raider I-III, Detective Pikachu Returns, Contra: Operation Galuga, Unicorn Overlord, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door)

[1:02:39] Break #2

[01:03:38] Elon Musk had ex-girlfriend Amber Heard dress up as Mercy from Overwatch, LMAO? Y/N

[01:05:03] Nintendo showed "Switch 2" to the press at Gamescom behind closed doors

[01:12:05] Unity, what the hell are you doing????

[01:25:22] Outro

The latest from Remedy Entertainment is here and Alan Wake has returned, but was this sequel worth the long wait? Andre is joined by Patrick to discuss the worldbuilding, techinal prowess, setpieces, plot, and characters of Alan Wake 2. FULL SPOILERS AHEAD, so be warned!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Patrick on Bluesky: @kaineandrews.bsky.social

[00:00] Spoiler warning and intro

[02:23] Basic overall assessment

[04:35] Tonal shift to horror, Mind Place, and new gamefeel

[12:11] Graphics, technical wizardry, music, and live-action FMV

[26:16] Combat, traversal, and inventory

[41:15] Saga, Alan, and main scenario

[59:06] Alan Wake: The Musical

[01:04:26] Mr. Door, Zane, Alice, and ending

[01:21:39] Next Time on Alan Wake

The Mega Man & Bass defenders have logged on! Andre and Vin take a look at why the reputation of a game they love has been besmirched over time, dive into the reasons why they love it, and then a spirited breakdown of the complains people levy towards it.

Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin: @lucentai.bsky.social

Catch Vin on Twitch at http://twitch.tv/lucentai

Vin (@lucentai) and Ampy (@Ampyluxe) chat about their experiences with rhythm gaming and delve into notable oddball titles and obscurities across the genre's long history. Come share some laughs as they dive deep into these games' zaniness!

[13:54] Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call

[28:14] Rhythm Heaven

[35:56] Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan & Elite Beat Agents

[45:57] Frequency

[51:54] PaRappa the Rapper

[56:11] Hatsune Miku Project Diva Future Tone

[01:03:12] Persona Dancing (Persona 3 Dancing in Moonlight & Persona 4 Dancing All Night & Persona 5 Dancing in Starlight)

[01:08:09] Donkey Konga

[01:14:54] Pop'n Music

[01:21:26] DJ Max Technika

[01:25:23] DJ Max Technika Tune

[01:27:58] Pump it Up Pro and In the Groove

[01:31:37] IA/VT Colorful

[01:33:38] StepManiaX

[01:36:28] Eat Beat Deadspike-san

[01:38:05] Tone Sphere

[01:40:11] Closing Remarks and Big Questions

Kevin talks Grand Theft Auto Vice City, Andre talks Alan Wake Remastered, then Andre and Steve yell at each other about Zombie Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol before Steve talks about the 2019 version of Resident Evil 2. Then they talk about The Callisto Protocol being denied a CERO rating in Japan, Microsoft's Game Pass revenue, and the multiple R-Type projects in the pipeline. They finish up with a bevy of random topics including a album quiz game, the new Arctic Monkeys album, favorite meals of all time, and cancelled games we still think about.

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

The guys have a long spolier-free chat about Final Fantasy 16 as well as cover some recent news and some random topics. Sounds like a Big Deal, right? Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[02:36] Final Fantasy 16 (Overall thoughts, time spent, sidequests, dark tone and vibe, graphics, level design and navigation, combat, difficulty, pacing, Eikon battles, spectacle vs. gameplay, music)

[41:52] Break #1

[44:47] More Final Fantasy 16 (story themes and characters, Active Time Lore, meeting expectations, series future)

[01:02:00] CD Projekt Red asserts that people "piled on" Cyberpunk 2077's bad launch

[01:03:26] Niantic is in big trouble!

[01:07:44] What the hell happened with Everybody 1-2 Switch?

[01:16:30] Break #2

[01:17:33] Is the Pixar zeitgeist over?

[01:23:45] Types of moments and formulas in music

[01:33:52] Unpopular (Mostly) Gaming Opinions

[01:47:33] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Steve and Andre played the latest and greatest from PlatinumGames! But was it really the greatest? Nope! Listen to the guys thoughts on Bayonetta 3 in this new edition of Postgame Show. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Andre tries out the new ports of Doom and Doom II, Steve plays another Atelier game, and then we dive into the presentations over the last week including Gamescom and the Nintendo Indie World + Partner Direct combo platter! Hope you're hungry, because we got the meat! Thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:38] Andre played the new ports of Doom + Doom II

[18:20] Steve played Atelier Totori

[29:22] Steve Ruins Shower Break!!! SMH

[30:45] Goodbye, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp

[34:42] Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024

[01:06:02] Break Time!

[01:06:43] Nintendo Indie World

[01:12:15] Nintendo Partner Direct

[01:34:34] See Ya!

Join Kevin and Stockton in the second half of this conversation as they continue trying to work out what components of an artist's library result in their greatest music.

Check out the corresponding Spotify playlist: https://spoti.fi/3C4Yipl

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Stockton: @Bimmysucks

What was once one of the most infamous games to never leave Japan, the third installement of the Mana series finally did come to America in 2019, and a remake came in 2020. Good things come to those who wait, but was Trials of Mana worth the time? You bet it was! Andre and Vin talk about every aspect of this incredible game and compare the Super Famicom original to the PlayStation 4 remake! Which one is better?

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin: @lucentai.bsky.social

[00:00] Introduction and Premise

[05:01] History of Mana: The Journey to Trials

[19:27] Game Structure and Comparsions To Secret of Mana

[26:25] Reasons We Love Trials of Mana

[31:43] Graphical Fidelity, Character Models, and Art Direction

[46:20] Level Design, Control, and Quality of Life

[01:02:05] Combat

[01:17:01] Programming Quirks and Class Changes

[01:33:45] Music

[01:37:41] Bosses

[01:47:07] Remake-Only Additons

[01:52:44] Visions of Mana

[01:56:37] Bye!

One more time, welcome back to the Namco Museum Tour! This time Andre and Vin visit the final PlayStation museum with Vol. 5, then a wrap-up discussion including why the museum concept went away and what a Namco Museum could look like today. Also, they rank all five volumes! Thanks for taking this journey with us.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin: @lucentai.bsky.social

If you missed Part 1, you can listen here!

And if you missed Part 2, you can listen right here!

[00:00] Again Hello!

[01:11] Welcome To Namco Museum Vol. 5! (Dragon Spirit, The Legend of Valkyrie, Metro-Cross, Baraduke, Pac-Mania)

[02:18] Vol. 5: CGI Intro and Loading Animation

[05:28] Vol. 5: Museum Layout and Game Rooms

[20:34] Vol. 5: Cool Stuff To Look At

[24:44] Vol. 5: The Games

[32:16] Vol. 5: The Legend of Valkyrie

[45:19] Question and Break Time

[47:51] Namco Museum Closing Thoughts

[01:20:07] Ranking The Volumes

[01:28:07] Thanks For Joining Us!

Steve plays Horizon: Zero Dawn for the first time, Andre revisits old Ys games, Kevin tries The Stanley Parable, and everyone plays the forgotten 2014 edition of Strider and discuss why it's so underrated. Then they get into the new Indie World presetation, Yuki Naka's beef with Square Enix, Square Enix divorcing Eidos and other western companies, the non-E3 landscape of summer announcement shows, Pokemon: Real or Fake (with visuals!), and our favorite fourth-wall breaking video game moments.

Play along with Pokemon: Real or Fake? with this link: https://imgur.com/a/iqtKSH9

Follow the show at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

The whole crew is back to talk about Stray, Space Channel 5, Freedom Planet, Jak 3, Jumping Flash, Fantavision, Red Dead Redemption 2, Splatoon 3 Nintendo Direct, the HBO Max roundabout, the Release the Synder Cut movement being spearheaded by bots, Knights of the Old Republic remake in big trouble, the age of the solo artist over bands, Nintendo's weird restrictions on 3DS and Wii U-era demos, and those video game ad campaigns that stuck with us.

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Steve plays Pokemon Scarlet, Kevin plays Pokemon Ruby (???) and checks out the Forza Horizon 5 Hot Wheels DLC, and Andre trudges through Death Stranding. Then they discuss the new Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer, if future Pokemon sales figures might be hurt by the reception to Scarlet and Violet, a Sony Santa Monica director being interested in doing a Castlevania, Blizzard pulling their online services out of China, Yuji Naka getting arrested, and Kotaku putting Retromags on blast. They finish up with talking about franchises they never want to see make a comeback, personal GOTYs, and the one game they're looking forward to most in 2023.

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

River City Girls Zero, Baten Kaitos Origins, a taste test of the brand new Peach Pepsi, a review of Burger King's Fiery Menu... wait, I thought this was a video game podcast?! We talk video games too, I promise!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:55] Andre played Baten Kaitos Origins

[19:39] Steve played River City Girls Zero

[32:00] EVO 2024 Recap with Vin

[01:02:19] Peach Pepsi Taste Test

[01:06:34] Paramount+ Cancels Halo TV Series

[01:11:51] Suda 51 Talks Killer7 Complete Edition?!

[01:17:09] Humble Games Is No More

[01:22:30] Olympics Ditched Mario & Sonic For NFTs

[01:26:06] Steve's Burger King Fiery Menu Review

{01:33:27] See Ya!

Steve and Andre finish off their anime extravanganza as well as 2023 with one last direct-to-video classic: Battle Arena Toshinden! Eiji and Kayin have tender moments on a mountaintop, Sofia takes a shower, Duke rides in on a horse, and I guess they fight a bunch too. But was it good, or was it "good"? Well...

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Andre and Vin join each other for the event of the century: the Taito Egret II Mini is here and it's fantastic! They go into the hardware and its peripherals, the early post-Space Invaders catalog such as Pirate Pete, Lunar Rescue, and Lupin the 3rd, late 80s gems like Raimais, Cadash, and with Violence Fight they use the term "gem" loosely. They also talk about their first-time experiences with Volfied, Elevator Action Returns, and Kaiser Knuckle / Dan-Ku-Ga. Part 2 coming in a couple weeks!

Keep up with the show at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur
Vin: @lucentai

The night is long, and so are we. Wait, what? Steve and Andre continue their journey of watching Bubblegum Crisis-adjacent anime series, this time landing on Parasite Dolls, a three-episode OAV from 2002. Can it stand up to other side stories like AD Police and Bubblegum Crash? Piece of cookie!

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

We're back for 2024 and our first show is a doozy! The Sega Five, the Insominiac leaks, Kevin played Gollum on purpose, Steve played Amazon Luna on purpose, and so much more in our first show of the year. Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me 

[00:00] Intro

[02:48] Kevin played Gollum for some reason

[14:57] Steve's adventures on Amazon Luna (Once Upon a Jester, Steel Assault, Bloodrayne Betrayal)

[24:48] Andre digs into Pinball M

[34:04] Break Time! Pt. 1

[34:59] Insomniac Studios leaks

[56:12] E3 is dead... forever

[01:04:32] The Sega Five is here... Let's overreact!

[01:20:17] Break Time! Pt. 2

[01:21:12] Name As Many Things As You Can In 45 Seconds!

[01:29:27] Why don't electronics look cool anymore?

[01:38:03] Outro

Andre and Vin dive into the most recent Inti Creates platformer, the 2D action game Gal Guardians: Demon Purge. What did they think about this spoopy Castlevania-like endeavor? Let's listen and find out.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin on Bluesky: @lucentai.bsky.social

We talk Astro Bot, the Okami sequel and other Game Awards announcents, pick our 2024 Games of the Year and more in this first Big Deal epsiode of 2025. Thanks for being here! 

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] RATE AND REVIEW US

[01:09] Welcome To 2025

[06:50] Kevin and Andre played Astro Bot

[43:15] Shower Time (Not Approved By HR)

[45:15] TASTE TEST: Shaq-a-Licious XL Gummies

[54:24] Okami sequel?? Directed by Hideki Kamiya?!

[01:00:54] Game Awards Announcements Recap

[01:13:37] Our 2024 Games of the Year

[01:35:33] Place Your Bets!

[01:46:20] Catch Ya Later!

Dre & Trey continue their discussion on the illustrious Capcom Five, going into why they love Killer7, what could have been with Dead Phoenix, and a chat about the perception of the Capcom Five being a flop, as well as the perception of GameCube and the generation as a whole.

This is part two of a two-part discussion. If you missed part one, you can hear it right here!

Join us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Trey: @InternetTrey

We go deep on Avowed, talk briefly about the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Closed Network Test, and have ourselves a round of JAV Titles: Real Or Fake. That's it, thats the whole show. Thanks for listening!

Fine Time on Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[07:02] Avowed: Pre-Release Thoughts

[19:18] Avowed: Our Characters and Classes

[29:44] Avowed: Combat

[39:03] Avowed: World, Art, and Architecture

[52:44] Avowed: Items and Systems

[01:05:50] Avowed: "Quality of Life", Or No Fun Allowed?

[01:18:13] Avowed: Lore and Worldbuilding

[01:23:40] Avowed: Decisions We Made (Spoiler-Free!)

[01:27:16] Avowed: Random Tidbits and Wrap-Up

[01:37:52] Shower Time

[01:39:34] Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Closed Network Test

[01:50:28] JAV Titles: Real Or Fake?

[01:57:00] Bye!

Dynasty Warriors Origins, Switch 2 musings, Toy Story's impact on animation, a Switch sales quiz, and plenty more awaits you in our latest Big Deal. Come one, come all!

Fine Time on Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[03:05] Andre loves Dynasty Warriors Origins

[21:48] Steve played Ninja Five-O

[32:39] Power Shower

[34:47] TASTE TEST: Switch Cartridges

[43:22] Reasonable and Shitty Switch 2 Takes

[01:03:55] They Made Bluepoint Work On WHAT?

[01:08:52] Are 2D Graphics In Fighters Dead Forever?

[01:12:44] Smoke Break

[01:13:44] Toy Story and the Rise of New Animation

[01:22:15] What Sold More? Switch Edition

[01:37:10] See Ya!

We thoroughly discuss The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Nintendo announces a clock for some reason, and a fresh round of Place Your Bets, a PS1 best-sellers guessing game, and tons more on this week's Big Deal! Like us, rate us, review us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[01:54] The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

[40:30] Shower Time!

[42:55] Steve Tried the Krabby Patty Kollab Meal at Wendy's

[50:44] What The Hell Is Nintendo Doing?!

[59:17] Pouring One Out for The Simpsons: Tapped Out

[01:03:07] Davide Soliani starts a new studio

[01:09:41] Place Your Bets!

[01:20:09] Name Stuff That's On The Board: PS1 Best-Sellers

[01:30:32] See Ya!

In the second leg of their BioShock journey, Andre and Thrak are confronted with a familiar yet interesting sequel. Does BioShock 2 differentiate itself enough from the shadow of the original to carve its own path, or is it damned by its previous success?

If you haven't heard part one of this sereis where we discussed BioShock, you can hear that right here.

Hear Thrak on The 3DO Experience right here

Fine Time on Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro and Production History

[05:55] Why Don't We Do Asset Reuse Like We Used To?

[12:06] Premise and Story

[18:02] Characters

[24:15] Gameplay Refinements and Backsteps

[31:05] Effects of Game Length

[35:54] Truncated Gameplay Aspects

[40:27] Minerva's Den DLC

[47:50] Tidbits and Ending(s)

[50:23] See Ya Next Time!

Welcome back to the Namco Museum Tour! In this second installment of this three-part series, Andre and Vin visit Vol. 3 and Vol. 4 of this classic PlayStation compilation series. Enjoy the sights, sounds and wonders of the museum along with us!

If you missed Part 1, you can listen to it here.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Vin: @lucentai.bsky.social

[00:00] We're Back! (A Dinosaur Story)

[00:38] Welcome to Namco Museum Vol. 3! (Ms. Pac Man, Galaxian, Phozon, Pole Position II, Dig Dug, Tower of Druaga)

[04:12] Vol. 3: CGI Intro and Loading Animation

[09:20] Vol. 3: Museum Layout and Game Rooms

[21:38] Vol. 3: Cool Stuff To Look At

[30:36] Vol. 3: The Games

[41:16] Vol. 3: Wrap-Up, Questions, and Thoughts

[52:54] Welcome to Namco Museum Vol. 4! (Pac-Land, The Return of Ishtar, The Genji and Heike Clans, Ordyne, Assault) [55:37]

Vol. 4: CGI Intro and Loading Animation

[01:01:47] Vol. 4: Museum Layout and Game Rooms

[01:16:44] Vol. 4: Cool Stuff To Look At

[01:21:05] Vol. 4: The Games

[01:29:54] Vol. 4: Wrap-Up, Questions, and Thoughts

[01:38:09] See You Next Time in Part 3!

When the perfect song meets the perfect moment and the right visual, that's when video games ascend to a high plane and become magic in your hands. Andre is joined by Andrew Elmore to discuss those personal moments they had with video games where the music took them to places unimaginable.

Intro and Outro music taken from the Andrew Elmore album Lost Areas 01, available on Bandcamp here.

Andrew Elmore's Portfolio - https://elmore.design/

Check out Andrew's video on Resident Evil: Dead Aim right here.

Andrew Elmore on Bluesky - @elmore.zone

Follow Fine Time on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

[00:00] Intro, Introductions, and Premise

[05:11] Resident Evil Save Room (Makoto Tomozawa, Koichi Hiroki, Masami Ueda)

[15:11] Batman (NES) Game Over (Naoki Kodaka)

[21:37] Air Fortress Escape Sequence (Hideki Kanazashi)

[30:18] Castlevania: Rondo of Blood - "Portrait of a Ghost Ship" (Jigokuguruma Nakamura)

[38:17] Dragon Spirit (NES) Cave Road (Shinji Hosoe, arranged by Masakatsu Maekawa)

[48:34] Rez - Area 5 (Adam Freeland - "Mind Killer")

[01:02:39] HyperZone - Bioplant (Jun Ishikawa)

[01:13:38] Outro

Microsoft addresses the rumors, the potential power of the Switch 2, Kevin reviews the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and so much more on this new, hot, and fresh Big Deal. Enjoy the show, and thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me 

Watch Kevin's repair video for the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro and see his cool hair right here.

[00:00] Intro

[02:07] Kevin invested in a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro

[06:08] RP4P: Hardware Quality and Self-Repair

[12:50] RP4P: Emulation Expereince and Quality

[22:55] RP4P: Accessories, Docking, and Ease of Use

[27:41] RP4P: Our Approach To Emulation

[33:46] RP4P: The Advancement of Technology and Wrap-Up

[40:00] Break Time, Pt. 1

[41:52] No Nintendo Direct? But Why?

[46:27] Potential Price and Form Factor of Switch 2

[53:40] Xbox Addresses the Rumors

[01:27:04] Break Time, Pt. 2

[01:27:52] Is Arrogant Sony Back?!

[01:32:17] Place Your Bets!

[01:45:41] See You Next Time

Andre and Steve continue their cinematic platformer journey to Shadow of the Beast, the 1989 classic for Amiga. But is it really a classic, or is it just pretty? Find out in this bite-sized holiday episode!

Follow Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

We played the Splatioon 3 DLC as well as the newest Shiren the Wanderer, and then we discuss the marketibility of PS5 Pro, fast travel in video games, Switch2 facing competition from handheld PCs, and so much more in this latest edition fo the Big Deal. Thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:18] Steve played Splatoon 3 DLC Side Order

[10:58] Andre played Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island

[27:35] It's Time To Hit The Showers!

[30:45] How can Sony market PS5 Pro?

[39:27] Dragon's Dogma 2 director calls out fast travel

[52:02] Does Switch 2 face competition from handheld PCs?

[01:14:15] Break Time!

[01:06:49] Over/Under Game

[01:21:51] Fuck, I Was Wrong

[01:31:09] See Ya!

On our final episode of Cinematic Platformer Paradise, Andre and Steve take a trip to the PlayStation era and play one of the last games of its kind, Heart of Darkness. Does this late-era cinematic platformer impress, or is it a dud? Listen and find out!

Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

We all played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, Steve played Final Fantasy 15, and Andre played Jak and Daxter. Then we talk about Nintendo's rumored 1-2 Switch sequel, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, Overwatch 2, Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Celebration, the scattershot Final Fantasy 16 info dump, and the highlights of the Nintendo Drect Mini. We also chat about those games we really wanted to like but we just couldn't, plus a few mobile games recommendations.

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Does the next Nintendo system really need backwards compatibility? Does Ubisoft have have cold feet about live services? The guys also talked about Nour: Play With Your Food, Resident Evil 6, Sonic Advance, and tons more on this latest Big Deal. Thanks for joining us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin on Bluesky: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:26] Steve played Resident Evil 6

[13:43] Andre experienced Nour: Play With Your Food

[25:53] Kevin tried the Wizordum demo

[30:19] Kevin played Sonic Advance

[36:58] Break #1

[40:33] XDefiant gets its release date pulled

[49:34] The Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King saga is finally over

[54:30] Does the next Nintendo system need to have backwards compatibility with Switch?

[01:06:36] Break #2

[01:07:40] Place Your Bets!

[01:21:52] Candy: Real or Fake?

[01:38:09] Outro

It's a different kind of movie episode of Fine Time because Steve & Kevin actually saw this back in 2007! (On purpose!) Tie an onion on your belt (as was the style at the time) and you'll be able to hear about the  lead-up, some of their favorite bits, if this still holds up today, and the potential trajectory caused by it's success.

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

This time we talk Ghostwire: Tokyo, Steve's PS5 adventures, Inside, Phoenix Wright, House of the Dead Remake, Taito's home console ports via City Connection, Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, figureheads and spokesmen past and present for game companies, and a Horizon: Forbidden West discussion at the very end for easy skipping if you want to avoid spoilers. Enjoy!

Steve and Vin tackle Pokémon's extensive spinoff titles! From well-known games like Pokémon Snap, Pokémon Go, or Pokémon Mystery Dungeon to relative obscurities like Pokémon Channel, Pokémon Trozei, or Pokémon Conquest, they cover over two decades of history. Catch the good, the bad, and the odds and ends as they look back on their experiences and exchange plenty of laughs.

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Steve: @monotonegent

Vin: @lucentai

RoboCop: Rogue City, WarioWare: Move It!, Gargoyles Remastered, the upcoming Zelda movie and more all get discussed in our last Big Deal of 2023. Thanks for being with us these last two years and we'll continue to entertain you!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin on Bluesky: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro (RoboCop)

[01:57] Some quick housekeeping

[04:48] Andre talks about RoboCop: Rogue City

[19:59] Kevin played WarioWare: Move It!

[26:40] Steve destroys Gargoyles Remastered

[38:34] Break #1

[40:01] PlayStation revoming Twitter integration

[45:38] Zelda movie?! Expectations and hopes

[58:59] Coyote vs. Acme and Warner Bros. is being investigated

[01:04:20] Break #2

[01:05:45] Our Non-Tears of the Kingdom Games of the Year (Octopath Traveler II, Sea of Stars, Metroid Prime Remastered, Pikmin 4, Remnant II, Dead Space, etc.)

[01:23:29] The Marvels and the Disney+ Problem

[01:31:36] See You Next Year!

Lots of games including R-Type Final 3 Evolved, WarioWare: Get It Together!, and Tails of Iron, then a lot of discussion about Phil Spencer recent comments about Redfall and the future of Xbox, the wave of anger over Jedi Survivor's reviews neglecting to mention its performance, as well as a rousing quiz game! Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[02:46] Andre played R-Type Final 3 Evolved

[10:47] A Little To the Left (of Steve's Sanity)

[21:57] Steve played Tails of Iron

[25:51] Steve played Chivalry II

[29:45] Kevin revisited WarioWare: Get It Together!

[35:02] Kevin's quick note on Horizon Forbidden West

[36:56] Break #1

[38:29] Kotaku posts Tears of the Kingdom leaks

[47:42] Phil Spencer and the state of Xbox

[01:14:21] Break #2

[01:15:36] Band with a perfect discography?

[01:19:21] Name As Many Things As You Can In 45 Seconds!

[01:32:04] Jedi Survivor and the obligation (or not) of reviewers

[01:49:58] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

The guys discuss their current playtime with Blaster Master, Mega Man X6, Rhythm Heaven Megamix, VA-11 HALL-A, and Horizon: Zero Dawn. Then they tackle Bethesda delaying Redfall and Starfield, the all-new PlayStation Plus, video game violence as a political weapon, an arousing round of JAV Titles: Real or Fake?, PS3 Virtual Memory Cards, console generation graphical wow factor, and our personal aims for podcasting.

Keep up with the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

After talking Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake, we talk about the latest State of Play featuring Concord, Dynasty Warriors Origins, Marvel Rivals, Until Dawn, Astro Bot, Monster Hunter Wilds and more. We also took a look at this year's Marvelous Showcase featuring the new Story of Seasons and Daemon X Machina, a quick laugh at the Amico situation, and our thoughts on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and its box office take. Thanks for listening!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[03:02] Steve played the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door remake

[23:43] Break Time!

[24:43] Dragon Quest HD-2D Trilogy Rumors

[28:54] State of Play - May 2024

[56:58] Marvelous Showcase 2024

[01:06:06] LOL @ Amico

[01:10:19] Let's Chill, Y'all

[01:11:07] Furiosa vs. the Box Office

[01:28:18] See Ya!

We played Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Pocket Card Jockey, Nintendo files a lawsuit against the Switch emulator Yuzu, we cover the highlights of the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase, and tons more on this new Big Deal. Enjoy, share, and please rate us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[02:01] Mario vs. Donkey Kong

[28:26] Pocket Card Jockey

[38:03] Break Time!

[39:11] Steve Presents Pokemon Presents

[46:17] Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase 2.21.2024 (Epic Mickey Rebrushed, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Monster Hunter Stories, Unicorn Overlord, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble, etc.)

[01:18:42] Nintendo vs. Yuzu

[01:39:38] Spanish Peanuts

[01:47:28] See You Next Time!

Andre became enamored with the indie sensation UFO 50, so he felt compelled to give each and every game a mini-review in one breezy episode. How's that sound? Enjoy!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro - What Is UFO 50?

[03:36] 01. Barbuta

[04:21] 02. Bug Hunter

[05:11] 03. Ninpek

[06:11] 04 Paint Chase

[07:18] 05. Magic Garden

[08:01] 06. Mortol

[08:55] 07. Velgress

[09:52] 08. Planet Zoldath

[10:39] 09. Attactics

[11:30] 10. Devilition

[12:14] Break Time: Music

[13:09] 11. Kick Club

[13:55] 12. Avianos

[14:41] 13. Mooncat

[15:20] 14. Bushido Ball

[16:08] 15. Block Koala

[17:04] 16. Camouflage

[17:47] 17. Campanella

[18:44] 18. Golfaria

[19:24] The Big Bell Race

[20:10] 20. Warptank

[20:59] Break Time: Inspiration and Originality

[22:07] 22. Waldorf's Journey

[22:54] 22. Porgy

[23:54] 23. Onion Delivery

[24:37] 24. Caramel Caramel

[25:24] 25. Party House

[25:58] 26. Hot Foot

[26:31] 27. Divers

[27:24] 28. Rail Heist

[28:17] 29. Vainger

[29:13] 30: Rock On! Island

[29:47] Break Time: Unification In Concept

[30:54] 31. Pingolf

[32:06] Mortol II

[32:49] 33. Fist Hell

[33:22] 34. Overbold

[34:07] 35. Campanella 2

[35:13] 36. Hyper Contender

[35:55] 37. Valbrace

[36:44] 38. Rakshasa

[37:42] 39. Star Waspir

[38:46] 40. Grimstone

[39:42] Break Time: Let Me Clear My Throat

[42:08] 41. Lords of Diskonia

[43:05] 42. Night Manor

[43:53] 43. Elfazar's Hat

[44:35] 44. Pilot Quest

[45:28] 45. Mini & Max

[46:29] 46. Combatants

[47:05] 47. Quibble Race

[48:03] 48. Seaside Drive

[49:33] 49. Campanella 3

[50:24] 50. Cyber Owls

[51:22] We Did it! Bye!

An HD-2D remake of a never-seen-in-the-west Squaresoft RPG for the SNES? What could possibly go wrong?! For Andre, quite a bit, but for Steve, maybe not as much. Hear their differing opinions on the 2022 remake of Live A Live in this new post-game discussion. Be warned though, full spoilers ahead!

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Thanks for joining us for another fun chat on Fine Time! Any feedback is much appreciated. Here's the rundown for this week's Big Deal:

[00:00] Intro

[02:26] Kevin explores Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration

[13:20] Andre expereinces Doki Doki Literature Club

[19:16] Andre plays Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

[23:13] Steve tries Crossing Souls

[29:07] Steve gives The Red Strings Club a go

[32:25] Break #1

[34:39] Original Meta Quest discontinued and no longer supported

[40:37] The Wild Week of Ubisoft

[01:01:37] Steve and Kevin guess the top downloaded Playstation 5 games of 2022

[01:05:18] Break #2

[01:06:36] Hogwarts Legacy and the idea of consuming art ethically

[01:36:00] Have you ever leveled a JRPG character to Lv. 99?

[01:37:29] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

Steve played a submarine game for no particular reason, Andre gives his collected thoughts on Street Fighter 6, and Kevin gives his spoiler-free postgame thoughts on Tears of the Kingdom before everyone dives head first into last week's Nintendo Direct. Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro (Arcade Archives: IN THE HUNT)

[02:14] Steve played Shinsekai: Into the Depths

[09:54] Andre talks Street Fighter 6

[30:19] Kevin finished Tears of the Kingdom

[54:13] Break Time!

[57:16] Nintendo Direct Breakdown / Analysis / Hot Takes (Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Pikmin 4, Penny's Big Breakaway, Wario Ware Move It!, Batman Arkham Trilogy, Metal Gear Collection Vol. 1, etc.)

[01:40:17] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

After their original plans for a Flashback sequel got cancelled, they started over again in the third dimension, bringing us the early PlayStation hit Fade To Black. Does this wild sci-fi universe survive the polygon treatment? Hell, is this even a cinematic platformer at all?! Andre and Steve find out in the latest installment of Cinematic Platformer Paradise.

Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Aboard the USG Ishimura, an unspeakable tragedy has occured... again! Andre is joined by Patrick to talk about the Dead Space remake, compare it against the original, gawk at its visual splendor, talk favorite weapons, discuss plot and worldbuilding, and many other things too. BEWARE, FULL SPOILERS!

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

In the annals of music history, some songs get enshrined as gods, and many more fall through the cracks. Andre is joined by Evan to discuss their favorite topic: Is this popular song overrated, underrated, or properly rated in our current time?

If you want to listen to the songs as we talk about them, here's a playlist:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3uK7akb

Tidal: https://bit.ly/3uU2msf

[00:00] Intro

[04:33] Meredith Brooks - "Bitch"

[11:04] Christina Aguilera - "Dirrty"

[15:23] Bruce Springsteen - "Dancing In the Dark"

[20:14] Cracker - "Low"

[25:53] Taylor Swift - "Bad Blood"

[33:39] Christopher Cross - "Sailing"

[37:26] Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"

[43:09] Paula Abdul - "Promise of a New Day"

[46:38] Loverboy - "Working For the Weekend"

[53:58] Yes - "Owner of a Lonely Heart"

[58:16] Dr. Dre feat. Eminem - "Forgot About Dre"

[01:01:01] Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dani California"

[01:03:19] Matchbox 20 - "Real World"

[01:06:37] See you next time!

Did that guy just send a tornado from his sword? Is that allowed? Another TV special in Japan, this time brought to us on VHS by AD Vision, this Samurai Showdown anime has heart, but is that enough? Steve and Andre once again investigate the waters of 90s fighting game anime for you, the people.

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Some bearded guys with glasses talk about Ys 9: Monstrum Nox, Windjammers 2, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Sony's buyout of Bungie, M2's latest Toaplan Game Garage, the true impact of Final Fantasy 7, pizza vs. burgers, drooling over Gran Turismo 7, personal perception of music changing or changing with it, and other stuff too. Maybe.

Kirby's Return To Dream Land Deluxe, Minit, Hogwarts Legacy, State of Play, Nintendo quarterly sales figures, a game of Pokemon: Real or Fake?, what we want to see in a Switch successor and more are all in this new episode! Here's the rundown:

[00:00] Intro

[04:45] Andre played Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe

[13:41] Steve and Andre played Minit

[20:34] Kevin finishes Hogwarts Legacy

[27:06] Break #1

[29:20] Nintendo is skipping E3 2023. Should Microsoft take advantage?

[36:35] Latest Nintendo software sales figures

[44:20] State of Play Recap (PSVR 2, Tchia, Humanity, Baldur's Gate 3, Viewfinder, Street Fighter 6, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League)

[58:24] Pokemon Presents Recap (Pokemon Sleep is real!!)

[01:01:21] Break #2

[01:02:24] Pokemon: Real or Fake? (Bear Edition)

[01:11:48] What do you want to see or not see in a successor to Switch? (Twitter Mailbag)

[01:35:55] Outro

Follow us on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Kevin: @KevinFlevin89

When it comes to reminiscing about fast food items from days past, who better to trust than two fat guys? Andre and Steve spend some time daydreaming about defunct items from McDonald's, Arby's, Carl's Jr., and more. Are you hungry yet?

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre on Bluesky: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve on Bluesky: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Our topics today include Kirby and the Forgotten Land, early impressions of Ghostwire Tokyo, old Tony Hawk's Pro Skaters, the end of Dragalia Lost, the new PlayStation Plus tiers, Gran Turismo 7 review bombing, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe DLC, house rules, video game opinions we were wrong about, preachy music, and a Xenoblade: Future Connected spoiler discussion which is at the very end if you want to skip. Enjoy!

We played The Plucky Squire, watched the latest State of Play, took bets on Switch 2's release date, and dove deeper into Emio -- The Smiling Man and more on this week's Big Deal. Rate and review us!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Kevin: @kevinflevin89.fineti.me

[00:00] Intro

[01:47] The Plucky Squire

[41:33] Shower Time!

[42:25] Oreo Coke Taste Test

[48:10] Is Tony Hawk's Pro Skater Back?!

[52:24] State of Play - September 2024

[01:10:28] When Will Switch 2 Come Out? (Place Your Bets)

[01:14:06] Spoiler Warning!

[01:15:08] SPOILER HOURS: Emio -- The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club

[01:34:52] See Ya!

Steve and Andre continue their discussion on this incredible RPG by dicussing many character moments, chapters and plot progression, and the final chapter and ending. Beware, full spoilers within!

If you missed Part 1, you can listen here.

Follow the show on Twitter at @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Steve: @monotonegent

Konami's landmark survival horror sequel Silent Hill 2 is a game beloved by many, but can it survive the remake treatment? Andre and Patrick find out the answer as they explore the sights, sounds, and scares of this PS5 remake and take a trip deep into the frayed mind of James Sunderland.

Beware, full spoilers ahead!

Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

[00:00] Spoiler Warning and Intro

[04:48] The Lead Up To Release

[20:17] Graphics and Presentation

[33:23] Puzzles

[40:53] Characters and Story

[51:40] New or Not New?

[57:00] Combat and Monster Design

[01:08:55] Criticisms

[01:17:27] Endings

[01:27:47] Conclusions and Outro

We've reached the point of our Cinematic Platformer Paradise journey where we've finally arrived at Blackthorne, the Super Nintendo action-adventure classic. Did Blizzard learn from the cinematic platformer sins of the past? Spoiler alert: Yes they did! Andre and Steve dig into this stone-cold classic, right now on Fine Time. Thanks for listening!

Fine Time on Instagram: @finetimepodcast

Bluesky: @fineti.me

Andre: @pizzadinosaur.fineti.me

Steve: @monotonegent.fineti.me

Andre and Evan talk about one of their favorite obscure records from a band called ON. Released in June 2000, the album called Shifting Skin may be unknown, but its artist Ken Andrews and his other projects live on. Why is Shifting Skin and the ON project such a mystery? They talk about their discovery of this record, its inspirations, why it didn't catch on, the musical climate of which it was born into, and other stuff that happened In The Year 2000.

Follow the show on Twitter: @FineTimePodcast

Andre: @pizzadinosaur

Evan: @tryptonique