The Besties

We continue our dive into the great and stealthy works of Solid Snake this week, as we've recently played Metal Gear Solid: Ghost Babel on the Game Boy Color. Does it hold up? We should probably stop asking that question of these things.Also discussed: Atomic Heart, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Destiny 2, Physical: 100, Analogue Pocket Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

The Yakuza series has a new name. "Like a Dragon" is a literal translation of the original Japanese title Ryu Ga Gotoku. Returning to where things started fits the latest release: a remaster of Like a Dragon: Ishin, an action-heavy spin-off set in the Late Edo. The historical setting and standalone story make Ishin a compelling starting point for a series we love. For the back half of the episode, Frush and Plante share their recommendations for listeners preparing to dive into the Game Boy and GBA games now available on Nintendo Switch Online. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Just one week after our episode about surprise game releases, Nintendo went ahead and stealth-dropped a remastered version of the classic GameCube Space Pirate-slaying Simulator, Metroid Prime. But is it still fun after almost 20 years and an intensive graphical spit shine? I mean, yeah, we said as much in the title.Also discussed: PSVR2, Forward: Escape the Fold, 20 Minutes Until Dawn, Knotwords, Dick Tracy  Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Nothing's better than when you don't know that a game exists, and then POOF! It's just right there on the homepage of whatever digital games distributor you use to get new games. Even better? When it's super fun, like Tango Gameworks' rhythm-based beat-em-up, Hi-Fi Rush!Also discussed: Forward: Escape the Fold, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Physical: 100, Rock Band, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, Season, Letterkenny, 20 Minutes Until Dawn Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

We expected 2023 to be an incredible year for video games with Zelda and Starfield on the calendar. However, we didn't expect to have so many great games by early February. This week, we talk about Hitman's incredible "Freelancer" DLC and the meditative experience collection game Season. Plus, Nuclear Blaze and our favorite language-learning app: Busuu. Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Join us as we revisit the USG Ishimura, the pride of Earth's planet-cracking operations and, also, the extremely monster-infested setting of EA's remake of their classic survival horror title Dead Space. Does it still hold up some 15 years after its initial release? (Spoiler alert: Yes. Yes it does.)Also discussed: Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, Half-Life, Fable, Burnout 3: Takedown, Metal Gear Solid, Metroid Prime, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Freelancer, Time's Ours, You Pod to Win the Game, My Perfect Console, Teardown, Vampire Survivors, Paul T. Goldman, The Traitors, Yakuza: Like a Dragon Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Intelligent Systems' long-running series of strategy-RPGs gets even longer this week with the release of Fire Emblem Engage! Join us as we discuss the evolved tactics in this new installment, as well as the ethics of trapping ghost soldiers in Cracker Jack prize rings.Also discussed: IGF Award Nominees, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On, Futureport 82, &Juliet Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

Today we're trying a new format called Better Know a Dungeon (a.k.a. Isn't It Levely). We pick an iconic stage or dungeon and perform an autopsy, revealing what makes it magical. For our experiment, we've selected Elden Ring's Stormveil Castle. For the back half, we help you pick which Persona to play, now that Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 are widely available.  Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

To kind-of-celebrate the almost-25th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid, we went back and played a couple different versions of the game to see how well Hideo Kojima's super spy thriller holds up. And hey, how's the pilot episode of HBO's adaptation of The Last of Us? Also discussed: Sea of Thieves, Traitors, Neon White, Industry, The Shout Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!

This week, we're joined by GameSpot's Lucy James as we discuss Squanch Games' joke-packed first-person shooter High on Life. How many full-belly chuckles did we experience during our time alien bounty hunting? Also, can J.B. Smoove do voices in every game? Also discussed: Disco Elysium, 100 Ft. Robot Golf, Towerfall, Overcooked, Portal 2, The Stanley Parable, Prey, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, The Past Within, Outpath: First Journey, Dragon Quest IXNote: The day after we recorded this episode and just hours before it went live, NBC News reported that Justin Roiland, the head of High on Life developer Squanch Games, is facing charges of domestic battery and false imprisonment.After a lot of debate, we decided to still publish the episode as is because we thought it wouldn’t be fair to the other people at Squanch Games, to our guest for this episode Lucy James, and to our listeners, to just not publish the episode.When our discussion doesn’t mention this alleged, abhorrent behavior, we wanted you to understand why. If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic abuse, help is available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233. You can also visit their website at https://www.thehotline.org/ Get the full list of games (and other stuff) discussed at www.besties.fan. Want more episodes? Join us at patreon.com/thebesties for three bonus episodes each month!