Expansion Pass #15 - The Last Of Part II SpoilerCast

Splinter Cell is a tough episode for me. I was once a secret agent that snuck into Government agencies to steal briefcases full of data sticks, and it isn't something I like to talk about. Also, it's a really impressive game, but it's a stealth game, and as an impatient dipshit, I fucking hate stealth games.  So this is one of those episodes where I'm trying to walk the line and explain why I don't really like it, but why there's not really a lot wrong with it, either. It's not perfect, but it's revolutionary as hell. And honestly, I think it has a better game engine than it's stealthy opposition, Metal Gear.  My buddy, Bradley McCue, returns to the show this week. He's a big Metal Gear fan, I don't particularly like stealth games, and I thought we'd be the perfect duo to review a stealth game that isn't Metal Gear. And before we anger all you Splinter Cell junkies, I sneak in (see what I did there?) another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we get into our most satisfying gaming moments. A listener asks me what I would have done differently if I could go back in time and call the shots at Sega. And will physical copies of modern video games be sought after like NES cartridges are in thirty years? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Xbox badasees: Hitman 2, Max Payne, and Thief: Deadly Shadows.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Bradley's Instagram at: @thegamingodyssey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10 Aug 20221h 24min

I feel like every time I try a PlayStation 2 game I missed out on back in the day, I talk about how much I regret sleeping on that damned console. That theme continues this week, because we're talking about June's Patreon Poll winner: Ratchet & Clank. And this game charmed the hell out of me. The PS2 really was a beast. I've played the modern 2 R&C games on the PS4 & PS5, but this was my first time checking out the origins of the franchise. The controllers and camera and stuff are a little wonky by today's standards, but the game is still fire. The voice acting, graphics, weapons, characters, gameplay; all great. I get why people that started with this game stuck with the franchise over the last couple decades now. I'm a fan.  Especially when it comes to Clank. Love that little bastard! My buddy Darren, who happens to be a Ratchet & Clank super-fan, returns to the show this week, and we spent a solid hour talking about what makes this game, and series, so damned charming. And before we talk about clanking ratchets, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about female gamers, and whether or not I know many of them. Someone throws a BRUTAL play one/remake one/erase one at me. And which major console has the proper button layout on their controller? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the highest rated games of 2002: GTA: Vice City, Metroid Prime, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Darren's Twitch streams over at: Twitch.tv/AdjectiveandNoun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3 Aug 20221h 44min

Pokemon episodes make me nervous. I love the passion, but you pokemaniacs are hardcore, and sometimes my limited pocket monster knowledge ends up getting me a little heat, because I just don't know that franchise well enough. And Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal is easily the generation of Pokemon games we've had the most requests for. So the pressure is on.  I put over 45 hours into my first ever play-through of Pokemon Gold just to prepare for this episode, and while I don't know everything about these games, I know why so many people consider Gen II to be top tier in the world of Pokemon. So does my buddy Miklos. He's a diehard Pokemon junkie, and he joined me on the show this week to talk about what makes Gen II so special.  AND this episode was sponsored by longtime community member, Deendonian, who swung by to talk about what these games mean to him, and we get into his hobby of speed running them, as well!  You can check his Pokemon streams out at twitch.tv/deendonian And before we talk about trapping animals in little balls, we serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about whether or not indie games can overtake AAA games for top spot on the gaming food chain. Which games are better story tellers; retro titles, or modern games? And who's my favourite Ninja Turtles villain? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 complete console libraries: The Game Boy Color, The Game Boy Advance, and The Nintendo DS. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

27 Juli 20222h 9min

I've been away on holidays, and to kill two birds with one stone, I've handed the keys to the S.S. RTG to someone else for the first time in our 4+ year history. FORMER RTG Hall of Fame Mark McCue and his bro Bradley are covering me this week, and talking about a game that I've had so many requests for I hear them in my sleep - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.  I hate this God damned game, I refuse to talk about it, and so the guys are covering me while I'm away AND crossing a game off my backlog at the same time. For all of you that have ben asking a Mask episode for years, this is it. This is the one. I hope you like it because that damned game is never getting another chance to be on my show.  And before the guys get into some weirdo named Majora and their freaky mask, the serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I don't remember what they talk about because we recorded this episode over a month ago. BUT, the blow in some cartridges. And we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 N64 heavyweights: xi, Super Mario 64, and Banjo-Kazooie. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And don't forget to check out Mark McCue's debut comedy album, Son of a Drama Teacher, on BandCamp! Thanks again for the cover, boys! You're both banned from the Hall, though. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

20 Juli 20221h 50min

I'm away on holidays this week, so I thought I'd give everyone a free bump and release a previously Patreon exclusive episode of Expansion Pass. This time, it's Expansion Pass #26 - Gamer Confessions. One of the most popular episodes of XP we've ever done. Listeners confess their darkest gaming secrets, and I judge them accordingly. This originally went live in September of 2020, and it was such a hit, we published a second edition last September. And Gamer Confessions III will show up this Fall. I hope you enjoy the extra episode, and if you do, consider supporting us on Patreon for $2/month. You'll get instant access to over 200 bonus podcasts, and get 2 additional episodes every week!Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

13 Juli 202256min

This episode of 'Remember The Game?' is sponsored by Ekster wallets. You know exactly which wallets I'm talking about - those rad ones with the push button where your cards pop out of the top. It looks like something James Bond would carry. I have one, and I absolutely LOVE it.  Plus, it has a tracker in it, so I can't lose it like I have so many others over the years.  The hot dogs can save up to 20% on their purchase by using the promo code 'RTG' at shop.ekster.com/RTG Check them out athttps://www.instagram.com/eksterwallets/https://www.facebook.com/eksterwallets https://twitter.com/eksterwalletshttps://www.tiktok.com/@eksterwallets What can we say about WWF No Mercy that hasn't already been said a million times? The best wrestling game from the best wrestling era ever. As good as it gets for multi-player on the Nintendo 64. Tight controls, awesome gameplay, fantastic modes. This game is everything a pro wrestling video game should be.  In fact, it's so good, we're doing a second episode about it. I knew we were going to continue our 'revisited' series after episode 200, and I also knew that WWF No Mercy was gonna be the next one we were going back to. I love this game so much, I could probably do a weekly show about it.  My buddy Marc Majeau (who also co-hosts the outstanding MCTV podcast) makes his RTG debut this week, and we spent over an hour just marking out about ladder matches, the 3D, hitting opponents with a ring bell, and Scotty 2 Hotty's infamous worm (if you know, you know).  And before we show little mercy, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the dude that bought $40,000 worth of Nintendo stock just to ask where the hell F-Zero is. What kind of screen do I play my retro games on? And was JBL a good WWE Champion? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 wrestling classics: WWF Attitude, WWF SmackDown, and WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And if you're interested in checking out Marc's podcast, MCTV, you can find it here: Twitter: @MCTVPodcastInstagram: @MCTVPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/MCTVPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6 Juli 20221h 38min

I don't know how to describe Snake Rattle N Roll. A cult classic? A hidden gem? I think people that grew up with it, love it. And if you didn't play it as a kid, you probably won't like it now. But for my money, it's one of the best, most creative games on the NES. And it's about damned time it got its own episode of RTG. If you've never played it, you control a snake and you have to climb a mountain and eat pieces of yourself without getting stepped on or blown up, and the whole game is in an isometric view and features some of the toughest platforming on the NES. And if that didn't convince you? You also get to fight toilet seats. C'mon now. My brother Josh and I used to play this all the time as kids, so this felt like the perfect episode for him to make his RTG debut. We talk about how stupidly difficult Snake Rattle N Roll was, why we loved it anyway, he tells me about the final boss (as I've never got there before), and yes, we tell a couple stories about fighting as kids. And before we Rattle and Roll, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about Mario sports games, and whether or not the magic is gone. What's the best time of day to do your gaming? And will Breath of Fire ever get some love around these parts? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 Rare developed NES gems: Battletoads, RC Pro-Am, and NARC. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

29 Juni 20221h 20min

This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. They offer affordable, confidential online therapy with trained counselors that specialize in a variety of topics and issues. Visit BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame and get 10% off your first month. Taking care of your mental health is important, and talking to someone is the first step.  Betterhelp.com/RememberTheGame Sports games are weird, because "old" sports games, like NHL '13 or Madden '14, are completely worthless today. But "older" sports games, like NHL '94, NBA Jam, and Tecmo Bowl, are timeless. Absolutely timeless. In twenty years, nobody will be playing this year's Madden game, but people will STILL be hosting Tecmo Bowl tournaments. THAT'S how good this damned game is. I didn't play a lot of sports games as a kid, aside from hockey and wrestling, but I'm slowly making up for lost time in my old age. Tecmo Bowl happened to find it's way to the top of the list, and holy hell, I get it now. I get all of it. The tournaments. "No Bo". Why people still play these games over Madden. It's just, immaculate. So simple to learn, so fun to play. I'm mad at myself for not playing it sooner.  My buddy Brad DID play Tecmo Bowl as a kid, and we almost got through an entire episode without arguing with each other, because we both just agree that this game slaps, and it should have gotten an episode of RTG a long time ago. It's time to right that wrong. And before we Bowl some Tecmo, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I lay out my stance on reproduction cartridges of retro games. What do I think of the situation with Vince McMahon right now? And do I have any interest in attending E3 in person anymore? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 NES sports classics: Baseball Stars, Tecmo Super Bowl and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

22 Juni 20221h 30min