On this episode we take a look at the two modern classics in the The Legend of Zelda franchise, discussing their boundless creativity and making comparisons to other open world games, while also being a tad wistful for the Zelda games of yesteryears.

This episode takes a look at 16th entry in the beloved Final Fantasy series, a game that ended up being quite divisive due to the big swings it takes against the established formula of the franchise. Topics bounce between exhilarating kaiju battles, to milquetoast side quests. From amazing voice acting and localisation, to a story that tends to spin its wheels. There are no major spoilers for the game, but the whole story is covered in vague terms in order to pick out the things that work in this game, and the things that really don't.

This week Kev shines a light on some "hidden gems" from 2023, and takes a look at some of the best games that you may have missed from last year. The games covered range from first-person horror games and weird visual novels to cute climate-themed climbing capers. Check it out to see what you might have missed. Or maybe you've played them all already, in which case your Cool Gamer pin is already in the post.

Transport back to the days of waggling remotes, as we take a look at Nintendo's colossal console success story, the Wii. We get nostalgic about playing Wii Sports on Christmas morning, soaring through the cosmos in Super Mario Galaxy, and much more. But we also question the Wii's legacy, and we wonder, despite its success, did it actually change the industry for the better?

This week for the pod we welcome a very special quest, Stephanie! Steph has been an avid gamer since she was young, and today we chat about her early exposure to games via educational games, Animal Crossing, and, of course, the Mass Effect universe.    We had a few issues with sound on this one, so apologies!

On this episode we take a look back at gaming during 2023, starting with January and rattling through the months in the classic manner, not only discussing some of the notable releases, but also the news stories that defined the year for gaming.

On this episode we're taking a look at the big bads of the video game world. We discuss some of our favourite villains, as well as the numerous ways gaming can utilize a good villain. We also take time to chat about our least favourites too, because full positivity wouldn't suit an episode that's all about deplorable bastards.

All four of us gather for this episode, as we discuss the nominations for the upcoming Game Awards 2023. This year has been chock full of amazing games, so we use these nominations as an excuse to discuss six of the best: Baldur's Gate 3, Alan Wake 2, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Spider-Man 2, Resident Evil 4, and Super Mario Wonder.

In a world ravaged by horrible monsters, four survivors must brave a hazardous and slimy trek through a dark and ominous sewer, armed only with their waning courage and devices known as 'salt guns'.   Didn't quite get it out in time for Halloween, but this special episode of the pod is something a bit different, a spoooky short story, written and narrated by Liam Sheahan. Your regular programming will resume next week.

Spider Men, Bat Men, Super Men... we cover them all on this episode as we chat about a variety of games from over the years that are based on iconic superhero IPs. Our discussion leads us from lovingly crafted modern interpretations of classic characters, to 90s arcade cabinets, to infamous video game disasters. And thank you for supporting Hey! Look! Listen! and helping us get to our 69th episode (nice).