The Besties

This week, Nintendo challenges the Besties to become elite speedrunners. Can they beat Mario in minutes? Will they transform into a morph ball in mere seconds? Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition helps the crew test the limits of their skills. Plus, Dungeons of Hinterberg blends Persona hangout session with Zelda’s dungeon-crawling combat. NOTE: This episode of the Besties was recorded before the announcement of the SAG-AFTRA strike against major video game publishers.

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2024

We have talked about dozens of awesome games in 2024, yet we still missed several tasty delights. This week, the Besties take solo journeys across the world of gaming and return with some fascinating discoveries. Want a remake of a ‘90s classic? Or an FPS about sneakers? Have we got the games for you!

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2024

We stand at the midpoint of 2024. Behind us, we see a towering pile of video games. We reach into the stack and pull something loose. It’s Balatro! We grab another game from the rubble! Like a Dragon! Together, the Besties retrieve the best games of the year from this mess and bring only the best!

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2024

Nintendo’s final year of Switch has been a bizarre mishmash of remakes and spinoffs. Luigi’s Mansion 2 continues that trend, updating the 2013 3DS jaunt for a 2024 audience. Can a decade-old game meet the expectations of Luigi’s Mansion 3 fans? And what other 3DS games should Nintendo update next?

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2024

Can the game of the year be a DLC expansion? This week, The Besties discuss Elden Ring: The Shadow of the Erdtree, the highly anticipated addition to one of the greatest games of all time. Is it too hard? How is it different from the original game? Can The Besties get gud? In the back half, what do we want from FromSoftware moving forward? Listen to find out!

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2024

Nintendo can't be stopped! With the Nintendo Switch 2 coming in 2025, we expected 2024 to be a slow year for the iconic game publisher. We were wrong. We open the show with a long convo about the big announcements, including a Zelda game starring Zelda. In the back half, The Besties hop into Destiny 2 one last time to try the last major update, The Final Shape. The MMO FPS launched in 2017 -- the same year Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4.

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2024

Hundreds of games were shown during the Summer Game Fest. The Besties spotlight some of their favorites, while discussing the strange and messy state of the video game industry in 2024. Is SGF the E3 replacement of our dreams? How should we feel about Xbox’s big moment? Are small games the future? We attempt to provide some answers!

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2024

Prince of Persia is back — again! For the second time this year, Ubisoft has released a new Prince of Persia game that shifts the series to a new genre. Rogue Prince of Persia is, as the name suggests, a roguelike. Built by the team that steered Dead Cells through its later updates, Rogue Prince of Persia builds on that game’s formula in clever ways. But! In a market full of killer games in this genre, where does this new one stand?

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2024

This week’s special guest is Mario! Or as some people say, Merry-O. The most popular plumber on our podcast returns with a remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. This might shock you, but Griffin is in love. What about the rest of the crew? In the back half, the Besties share their best guesses for Summer Game Fest.

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2024

Here’s a short list of indie games released in May: Crow Country, Animal Well, Arctic Eggs, 1000xResist, Skald, Hades 2, Indika, and the list goes on. We’ve already discussed some of those games. We'll discuss more in the future. Today, the game we’ve fished from the Great Indie Game Flood of 2024 is Lorelei and the Laser Eyes, the latest puzzling adventure from Simogo. Bring your notepad! It’s time to crack the case!

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2024

The Besties went through HELL to record this episode. With Griffin and Justin out, Frushtick and Plante prepared to record with a special guest. But after Plante spilled water all over his recording set up, Frushtick was left to talk about Hades 2 as the sole Besty. Fortunately, he had back up. Into the Aether's Brendon Bigley joined the show for the podcast crossover event of the year!

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2024

The gang has a spoiler-free discussion of one of the most intriguing games of the year, Animal Well. Will Griffin's life ever be the same? Probably not! We also dive into some of the horrendous studio closures happening this week.

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2024

What if you combined Dark Souls and Diablo, then added a pinch of city-building mechanics and survivor elements? You’d get No Rest for the Wicked from Moon Studios, the team best known for the Ori games. It’s ambitious and bound to inspire conversations — even in its Early Access stage. In the back half, Plante updates the team on 2024’s best nun simulator: Indika!

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2024

Special guest Lucy James (GameSpot, Giant Bomb, Frames Per Second Podcast) joins Frushtick and Plante to discuss Another Crab’s Treasure. Have you ever wondered what it would have looked like had Rare made a Souls-like in the early ‘00s? Now you have an answer! Plus, the crew shares updates on other games they’ve been playing, from Stellar Blade to TopSpin 2K25.

Transcribed - Published: 26 April 2024

Duck and cover! This week, The Besties discuss the first two episodes of the excellent Fallout TV series. Then, they talk through the ways the Fallout approach could alter the trajectory of video game adaptations. Plus: a bunch of great listener recommendations!

Transcribed - Published: 19 April 2024

This week, The Besties share their favorite “rainy day” games! These are the games we dig out when we’re feeling blue and need something that provides a quick dose of comfort. Turns out our list is quite long! In the back half, we do the rare Besties spoilercast with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth — a.k.a. one of 2024’s best games.

Transcribed - Published: 12 April 2024

This week we've got a game inspired by the SNES era and a game that probably shouldn't have come out at all. We'll also find out just what Justin thinks about Dragon's Dogma 2, and what's going on with the Stardew Valley 1.6 update.

Transcribed - Published: 5 April 2024

Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the best game of the year? Or is it the buggiest? It might be the most divisive! This week, The Besties talk about the wildly ambitious (and difficult to run on most hardware) fantasy RPG from Capcom. Plus, we take a deep dive into the reader mail pool. Did we mention we keep all the letters in a pool, Scrooge McDuck-style? Because we do.

Transcribed - Published: 29 March 2024

Team Ninja has been busy! In the past five years, the studio released Dead or Alive 6, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Nioh 2, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Their latest game, Rise of the Ronin, compiles everything they learned into their most ambitious project: a sprawling open-world samurai adventure set in a recreation of mid-19th century Japan. Rise of the Ronin takes the “something for everyone” approach, blending the exploration and loot systems of recent Assassin’s Creed games with the quick-reflex sword fighting of the studio’s Nioh series. This video game smoothie is quite delicious — if you can stomach the occasional funky chunk of game mechanics. In the back half, we talk about our favorite under-appreciated open-world games.

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2024

This week, the squad puts on their armor, grabs their swords, and mounts their gallant steads to charge into Unicorn Overlord. The tactics RPG is the latest game from Vanillaware, the developer of niche masterpieces like Odin Sphere and 13 Sentinels. In the back half, Justin introduce the team to Banishers, a game that blends Witcher and God of War. How did we not hear about this one until now? And how often does a game depict a healthy marriage like this one?!

Transcribed - Published: 15 March 2024

The Besties take a trip into the not-so-distant future of video games, digging into a batch of awesome demos from Steam Next Fest. Whether you want to live the life of anime-style Duke Nukem or an alternate reality 19th century nun, you will be satisfied!

Transcribed - Published: 8 March 2024

This week, we're evangelizing for two indie games that have completely consumed every moment of our free time: The rock and stone-fueled auto-shooter Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, and the poker deckbuilder Balatro! We're going to go back to playing those, now. Enjoy the episode. Also discussed: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Helldivers 2, Riders of Justice, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Elden Ring

Transcribed - Published: 1 March 2024

The streak of hot new releases for 2024 continues! This week, we're talking about the opening hours of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and the many hours we've spent squishing bugs 'n' bots in Helldivers 2. Good hours, all! Also discussed: The Devil's Plan, Clubhouse Games, Deep Rock Survivor, The Floor

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2024

This week's episode is all about two games: Persona 3 Reload, the from-the-ground remake of Atlus' groundbreaking RPG, and Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior, a clever arena action game with a time-turning twist. Also, some big news about the future of The Besties! (No, we're not ending the show. Again.) Also discussed: The Connector, Zoey Ashe Trilogy, Helldivers 2, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor

Transcribed - Published: 16 February 2024

Maybe this won't come as the biggest shock in the world to you, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is not a very good video game. How did we get here? Genuinely: We do not know. But we're not having, like, the best time. Also discussed: Enshrouded, The Void Rains Upon Her Heart, Casey Neistat's Apple Vision Pro commercial, Lysfanga, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Orion and the Dark

Transcribed - Published: 9 February 2024

It's a big episode of the Resties! We're about to make some changes to the show, so we make time to share the results of our listener poll and reveal some behind-the-scenes info. But first, we have a cool video game to discuss! Anomaly Agent's creators have blended pixel art, anime design, 1990s arcade brawlers, and films like Inception and Paprika to create something delightful. And it's only $10 on Steam -- and a little more on Switch and Xbox. We love to hear your feedback, so be sure to subscribe to besties.fan.

Transcribed - Published: 6 February 2024

We're pivoting a bit this week, discussing a half dozen sweet, lesser-known new releases that we've been enjoying during what's been an otherwise action-packed first month of the year! Join us, why don't you? Discussed: Tiny Rogues, Tekken 8, Home Safety Hotline, Enshrouded, Lunistice, Lil Guardsman, Devil's Plan, Fargo, Taskmaster, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Chain Gang All-Stars, Piranesi

Transcribed - Published: 2 February 2024

Yakuza's back for like the eighth time, and it's never looked better! Join us as we discuss Ichiban and Kiryu's tropical vacation, and also the finer points of goose breeding. Also discussed: Tingus Goose: Weird Idle Game, Taskmaster, Cobalt Core, Football, Only Weird Games, Super Mario Odyssey, The Traitors

Transcribed - Published: 26 January 2024

When Rocksteady published its entire Batman trilogy within seven years, it became one of the most promising (and prolific) video game studios in the world. But now, seven years since its last major release, Rocksteady has lost its two founders and, seemingly, its creative identity. With its new game Suicide Squad weeks from release, we explain how this developer went from creating the best superhero games of its generation to producing a living game looter shooter. In the back half, Russ shares his thoughts on Cobalt Core. And we have a special survey for listeners at Besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 23 January 2024

We're only a couple weeks into 2024, and already, we think we've got a bonafide GOTY contender on our hands: Ubisoft's new Metroidvania reimagining of the Prince of Persia franchise! Also, we're not calling them Metroidvanias anymore. Also discussed: The Rest of the Prince of Persia series, Fleishman is in Trouble, Traitors, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, Threads

Transcribed - Published: 19 January 2024

This week, we're discussing two EXTREMELY different open-world adventures: Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which features a lot of tall blue people, and Lil Gator Game, which features a lot of short green people. Which delighted us (and returning guest Jordan Morris) more? Find out inside! Also discussed: Taskmaster, Dragon Age Dreadwolf, Haunted Chocolatier, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Rise of the Golden Idol, Sanabi, Baldur's Gate 3, We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Little Inferno, Mortal Kombat 1, Street Fighter 6

Transcribed - Published: 12 January 2024

It's that special time of year when the Resties make bold prophecies about the future of video games. Sometimes they come true! Other times... not so much. In this week's episode, Frushtick and Plante revisit their 2023 predictions and declare a winner of their annual bet. And in the back half, they make fresh predictions for 2024 -- with a big twist! See a list of all of the Resties predictions at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 9 January 2024

We're back after a brief holiday hiatus to discuss the biggest, Bestiest video game releases of the coming year. Spoiler alert: It gets real JRPG-heavy, real quick. Games discussed: Dragon's Dogma 2, Unicorn Overlord, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Baby Steps, Animal Well, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Alone in the Dark, Persona 3 Reload, Light No Fire, Hades 2, Prince of Persia, Brothers, Paper Mario: The 1000 Year Door, Skin Deep, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Visions of Mana, Death Must Die, Halls of Torment, Godzilla Minus One, Lair of the White Worm, Undertale, The Gnorp Apologue, Binding of Isaac

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2024

Once more, our watch has ended. We've put 2023 to bed, deciding on the definitive list of the top four games of the year. Catch y'all in 2024! Have good holidays! LYLAS!

Transcribed - Published: 22 December 2023

IT BEGINNETH ANEW. Join us for the first half of our annual Game of the Year determination, in which sixteen of the year's top titles (including four listener picks!) square off to see who moves on to the finals! There's at least one decision in here that we're sure to catch flak for, so, hey! Let's get this over with. Games discussed: Baldur's Gate 3, Chants of Sennaar, Alan Wake 2, Armored Core 6, Dredge, Dave the Diver, Blasphemous 2, Sea of Stars, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Spider-Man 2, Connections, Cocoon, Lies of P, Super Mario Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Transcribed - Published: 15 December 2023

Find the full Resties Required Reading List at Besties.fan! We have finalized the Resties Required Reading List and we can’t wait to share the results! Our goal was to collect a list of 25 games — from Pac-Man to modern day, 1980 to 2020 — that will help our listeners better appreciate this wonderful medium. We believe these are the games that everyone who wants to have a fundamental appreciation of video games should play or watch. They’re the games that will, in ways big and small, give you a richer connection with every other game you play. Think of it like a syllabus for Video Games 101. Or as the 25 games we’d built a museum around. Or just as a guide on how to spend some of your holiday break! This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh.com/restiesfree and use code restiesfree for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while the subscription is active. That’s free breakfast for life at HelloFresh.com/restiesfree with code restiesfree.

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2023

Join us for a look back at this year's biggest games through the lens of the annual The Game Awards show, and as we make some pretty out-there predictions about the announcements we'll see therein. Also, there's a new Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer! That's pretty wild, isn't it? Also discussed: Lunacid, Teardown, Baldur's Gate 3, The Steam Deck OLED, PlayStation Portal, Bottoms, Lil Gator Game

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2023

On this extra special episode of The Besties, the gang brings forth some truly excellent games from smaller devs that may have passed you by. Games discussed: Kingdom Eighties, Jusant, Lunacid, Backpack Hero, among others. We've also got some great suggestions from the readers! For the full list, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan. Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2023

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Half-Life, Valve updated the original game, released a documentary, and ran a brief PR victory lap. The standout achievement of the anniversary is the excavation of Half-Life Uplink, the original demo that crammed all of the game's big ideas into a 30-60 gauntlet of action. It's the antithesis of Half-Life's artful, but slow start. And it rules. In the back half of the episode, Frushtick and Plante talk about their surprising enjoyment of the Meta Quest 3. But does it have enough games? Get links to everything discussed on this week's episode by subscribing to our newsletter at Besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 28 November 2023

Nearly 30 years ago, Nintendo and Square teamed up for one of the wildest collabs in gaming history: A turn-based RPG adventure featuring everyone's favorite blue collar jumping man. How well does the remake, now on Nintendo Switch, fare? Well, that's what we're talking about today with our pal, Felicia Day. Also discussed: Third Eye, Scavengers Reign, Heroes vs. Hordes, Teardown, The National Museum of American History, Vampire Survivors, Naheulbeuk's Dungeon Master, Suika Game Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2023

Persona 5 has been reborn! For like the millionth time. For this iteration, we've got the XCOM-meets-JRPG fusion of Persona 5 Tactica. Let's find out how great these two great flavors taste together! Also discussed: Final Fantasy XIV, Pokeclicker, Good Omens Season 2, Halls of Torment, Our Flag Means Death Season 2, GUBBINS, A Haunting in Venice, Napoleon Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2023

It's the time of the year when families gather together to eat turkey, watch football, and play video games. With perfect timing, two new local (and online) multiplayer treats just appears on digital store shelves. We open the episode with Alien Hominid Invasion, a sequel of sorts to the beloved '00s Flash game Alien Hominid. For the B-segment, we bounce around KarmaZoo, a winning co-op game that allows for up to 10 players -- and features a special local multiplayer mode! Plus, we open the reader mail bag and share a classic Ghibli movies and a bold Ghibli adaptation.

Transcribed - Published: 14 November 2023

Our retrospective series on Hideo Kojima's oftentimes inscrutable spy thriller franchise continues today, as we discuss the highs and lows of jungle espionage in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. How does this pre-sequel hold up almost 20 years after its original release? Let's find out, together! Also discussed: Alan Wake 2, Super Mario Maker 2, Warcraft Rumble, Chants of Senaar, Rogue: Genesia, Like a Dragon: Gaiden Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2023

Thirteen years ago, a troubled fictional author by the name of Alan Wake stumbled into our hearts, yelling about shadow monsters and nightmares made manifest. Now he's back, and he's got a friend! What's changed in the intervening decade-plus-change? And how much of the original Alan Wake do we remember? (Hint: Literally none of it.) Also discussed: Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Bamboo Heart, Sea of Stars, The Sisters Brothers, Paranorman, Death Stranding, Shadow of Doubt Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2023

Happy Halloween! This week, The Resties celebrate the spooky season with World of Horror, the Japanese horror game inspired by retro text adventures and the artist Junji Ito. Plus, we shine the spotlight on Laika: Aged Through Blood, a game that's as gorey as it is cute. Find all the games discussed on the show by subscribing to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 31 October 2023

Super Mario Bros. Wonder is a wild ride, y'all. Mario can turn into an elephant, sure, but that's like, the tenth weirdest thing that happens as you progress through the game. What other tricks does everyone's favorite toilet repairman have up his sleeve? Find out inside! Also discussed: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Insomniac’s Wolverine, Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Tsushima 2, Last of Us Factions multiplayer, Last of Us 2 Remaster, Marathon, the works of Jason Rohrer, the Stanley Parable, Pokemon Unbound, World of Horror, Sea of Stars, Dungeons of Eternity, Wizard with a Gun Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2023

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is a triumph, boasting double the standard number of Spiders-Men playable in a single installment of this long, storied franchise. But is it better than literally every other Spider-Man game? Let's find out by comparing them one at a time, shall we? Also discussed: The Way of Kings, Killers of the Flower Moon, Teardown Art Vandals DLC, Super Mario Wonder Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2023

It's that time of the year when the temperature drops, the cider heats up, and the comfy blankets beckon. Yes, it's Cozy Games Season! Frushtick and Plante kickoff the festivities with Japanese Rural Life Adventure and then list some of their favorite cozy delights. In the back half, the Resties discuss Moonring, one of the year's coolest surprises. Did we mention it's free? Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan for the titles of everything discussed on the show along with bonus links!

Transcribed - Published: 17 October 2023

See, "nostabgia" is the experience of feeling nostalgia for an old-timey way of stabbing, which Assassin's Creed Mirage revels in. It's a return to sneaky form for the franchise, but how well do the old ways hold up? Let's find out with beloved guestie, Ron Funches! Also discussed: Chants of Sennaar, Pokemon TCG Live, "Shift," "Audienceology," Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways, Keith Haring Exhibit at the Brode Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2023

Running out of games to play? That's wild, because there's a LOT of good stuff out there, but on the off chance that applies to you, we've got you covered! Join us as we discuss some of our favorite indie jams of the past few months; regardless of what genres you're into, you'll find something you like here, we bet! Games discussed: Blasphemous 2, El Paso Elsewhere, Chants of Sennaar, Pizza Possum, Japanese Rural Life Adventure, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, Satisfye Grips, Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Apple Arcade Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2023