Markers on the Map: A Gaming Adventure Markers on the Map

At last, the glorious return of SNES Revival. This week, we take a super deep dive into Todd McFarlane's Spawn for the SNES. It's a short but memorable 2D platformer and beat 'em up hybrid that those who have played both Street Fighter and Mega Man X will feel right at home with. Big sprites, vivid visuals, interesting life systems, and even more unique powers translate very well from the moody inked pages of this tragic antihero to the 16-bit world of the SNES. We've also got a few news stories this week as we continue counting down to Summer Games Fest! Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

The time has come: Bigmode. This week, we take a look at the first game published by Bigmode, Animal Well, a puzzle-based Metroidvania where a tiny blob must navigate the mysteries and strange horrors of an underground world. It may not be perfect, but it's one of the most interesting games in the genre we've seen in a while. That's not all, though, as we return for more Stellar Blade, Rise of the Ronin, and even Overwatch 2. It's the last couple of weeks before the onslaught of Summer Games Fest news! Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Come on, games industry. This week, it's a full episode of news as Microsoft is closing studios, including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and RedFall developer Arkane Austin. We go in-depth with our thoughts on these closures, as well as other closures, and the live service model. What's more, there's some wild news about Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League's missteps. It's not all bad, though, as we finally have confirmation on a brand new system from Nintendo. It's been a while since we had a whole episode about news, but the industry is in a strange place. Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Directly in competition with Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. This week, we take a look at, among other Star Wars-related topics, many of the Star Wars video games over the years. From Battlefront, to Republic Commando, and even Episode I Racer on the GameBoy Color, we weave through the endless history of Star Wars in the gaming space. We've also got Shiny Pokemon, a Donkey Kong Country 2 replay completed, and a new development with Helldivers 2 on PC that we just don't get. Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Our own little rock band. This week, we're delving into Stellar Blade, the latest PS5 action exclusive. EVE and her companions travel a ruined world full of monsters in an exciting blend of Devil May Cry and Dark Souls. It's stylish, it's fun, and it's one of the best first impressions in a while. We're also taking a look at the new PDP Riffmaster guitar controller - is it worth the asking price? After those topics, it's another one of our battle pass check-ins. All that and quite literally a bag of chips in this week's episode! Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.

Join us for a few distractions. This week, we've got a special bit of lore for the world of the podcast before the episode begins. After that, we go down the rabbit hole of cartoons and old programming blocks. And if that's not enough, we both built a really cool model kit recently. We're battling some gaming burnout here at the start with a bit non-gaming-related goodness. Then, it's onto the indie game space. Balatro is on the menu with its creative new take on the deckbuilding roguelike, and Nintendo's newest Indie World is here with a lot to look forward to, like Animal Well, Antonblast, and a new TMNT adventure! Check us out on X and BlueSky @MarkersOnTheMap.