Player 2's Podcasts Player2.net.au

TBD

It's a two-man show this week. But take heart, because it's the finest two men as Tim and Hewso take to the recording chairs to ensure that the fortnightly podcast goodness remains delivered on time! Okay... so maybe only one of the finest men; it's up to you, dear listener, to decide which as they talk about games like it's the mid '00s!
We're still in a bit of a slow season, so we dug into a bag of topics and came up with asking ourselves about Metroidvania games in general. What, exactly, is the appeal? Have they actually been quietly infleuncing game design since the gaming stone age? Why have they exploded over the past decade or so? All of these questions will be semi-answered in this, the 137th episode of Player 2's Pixelcast!

Games: Beyond Good & Evil, Psychonauts 2
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc
Break Music: Title/Menu by Metroid Metal

Cast
Matt Hewson
Tim Henderson

Hyyyyyype Traaaaaaaiiiiiiiiin! Somehow, it happened! Amid all of the disappointment and despair in the industry, we got a Summer (Winter) season of announcements and updates that actually got us a bit excited. 2025 is actually looking kind of badarse now. And that was before Metroid Prime 4 went and got shown in between the time when this episode was recorded and when this post was getting typed.
Nobody but Hewso could be the captain for this one, and captain he did. Join him, Tim, Rob and Shaun as they spend way too long trying to cover everything while still somehow overlooking Gears of War. It's probably just as well that this fortnight's episode gets right to the topic from the get-go,

Games: Not today - too much goin' on!
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc
Break Music: The Edgerunner with Blazing Hair by Treyt

Cast
Rob Caporetto
Tim Henderson
Matt Hewson
Shaun Nicholls

Do you feel it? That summer heat? All of that there scorching excitement layered in sunshine as a Bubble O' Bill melts its way down the paddlepop stick offering your hand short cool reliefe that will soon become a sticky annoyance? No? Yeah... calander events should probably stop using actual seasons in their titles. Summer Game Fest only happens in summer for half of the planet.
That's what this episode is about, though. Tim's got everyone in to record early so he can go off galanvanting around... Australia, actually. Guess everyone on the cast is going to be cold when you hear this. The 'everyone' in question here consists of Renee and Rob, and together they all do a likely poor job at anticipating what this season of games reveals is likely to bring us.

Games: Wizardry Remake; Cozy Caravan; Horizon Chase 2
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc
Break Music: Honour, Pride, Green Tea by Tuberz McGee

Cast
Rob Caporetto
Tim Henderson
Renee O'flynn

You see, this Shaun fellow loves himself some kung fu. Tim, on the other hand, only knows what he has seen in a handful of movies, and so thought it fit to shove him into a pond because the master types in those movies aren’t exactually… nurturing tutors.
That is to say that Shaun is in charge on this one! He’s joined by Nick, Renee and Tim as they talk about a few games they’ve played over the past week or two, and then look even further back and mull over some gaming fads of past and present. At least, they eventually do, once they stop talking about rhythm games.

Games: Little Kitty, Big City; Harvest Island; Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc
Break Music: Honour, Pride, Green Tea by Tuberz McGee

Cast
Shaun Nicholls
Tim Henderson
Renee O’flynn
Nick Getley

Remember how clever design decisions or visual tricks just blew your mind as a kid? Maybe you do, but in our case, these things are things that we actually only come to appreciate years after the fact. That’s what this episode of Player 2’s PixelCast is about: finally giving some due to games (and gaming-related things) that did cool or innovative things that we played back in our school days that we just kind of took for granted, actually.
Tim’s in charge of this one, and he’s joined by the likes of Rob and Matt. Bring in a topic about remembering when you were are a kid and of course you’re going to attract the retro guy! Oh, and they’ve been playing some newer stuff, of course. That gets covered, too.

Games: Lunar Lander Beyond, Phantom Fury, Tears of the Kingdom
Theme Music: Visitors from Dreams by Mathieu Stempell Dma-Sc
Break Music: The Sound of Speed by OceansAndrew, Scaredsim

Cast
Matt Hewson
Tim Henderson
Rob Caporetto