Brain Lords: Video Games of the Mind

We had just finished recording our Brain Lord playthrough, when an unexpected guest arrived...
This week on Brain Lords we seek an audience with non other than The BRAIN LORD. Y'know, He Who Sits On The Brain Throne. The ancient, interstellar extradimensional being that gives us all our cool takes on video games, and life advice. The Father and final form of our Podcast. Not the game, the guy. That Brain Lord. 
Find out where we get all our wisdom, knowledge, and more importantly, episode ideas on this behind the scenes interview with the most powerful gamer in the Nightmare Frontier. Today we truly are playing Video Games of the Mind.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Brain Lord - The Brain Lord
THINGS DISCUSSED
Food Stamps, Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin
Where does Brain Lord Come From? (0:06:00)
The Nightmare Frontier, Parallax Scrolling
My Blood Sugar is Awfully Low What Game Should I play to Fix it? (0:06:36)
Dynamite Bready
What's The Best Game to Play in the Woods? (0:06:55)
Pile of Wood
What Video Game Best Represents Each of The Four Seasons? (0:07:31)
Earth Seasons, Optimum Aesthetics
Why does the old Gameboy not have a backlight, Is Nintendo Stupid? (0:09:08)
Going Outside, Several Light Sources, David Lynch, TFT Reflective Membranes
What is the best mom in video games? (0:11:40)
Advocacy for Video Game Moms
I accidentally swallowed my copy of Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! on the DS should I call poison control? (0:12:03)
Blessing of The Brain Lord, Ryuta Kawashima
What is the next genre of game we'll slap gambling mechanics onto? (0:13:18)
The Outcome of Everything and Anything, Pachinko, Cousins, Second Cousins
Brain Lord can you please let me know if my copy of Opoona on the Wii will continue appreciating in value? (0:16:12)
Orange, Disrupt the Market
I just bought a Sbarro's franchise, what arcade game should I put in it? (0:17:36)
Super Sbarrio Brothers, Free Vegan Pizza
Why is Spirits Within the best Final Fantasy? (0:19:04)
Hironobu Sakaguchi, Resonant Arc
Brain lord, would you happen to know off hand which of the new pokemon starters will have a sexy final evolution? (0:20:20)
130 Million Users Strong
What is your highest score in Bubble Bath Babes? (0:22:20)
Modest Real Life High Scores, Memory of Several Eons
What is Wii U Nostalgia Going To Look Like? (0:24:27)
Feeling of Freedom, Yowamushi Pedal
In the Brain Lord's opinion, what is the best console? (0:25:44)
Gunpei Yokoi
What Game Studios Output Is Most like the Chaotic Menu Items of Taco Bell? (0:27:40)
Vegan Menu Options
Fuck, Marry or Kill: SCII covers for PS2, GC and XBOX (0:31:03)
The Commandments of the Brain Lord
What Kind of Video Games Would a Wizard Like to Play? (0:33:58)
Brandish, Brandish II, Brandish III, Brandish VI, Brandish V
What Wisdom do you, Brain Lord, impart on the youth of today? (0:36:00)
The Brain Lord's Prayer
What are you Hopeful for in the Future of Video Games? (0:36:42)
Fan Translations
Rec Room (0:38:30)
SuperStation one, Jegged.com, Volunteer With Your Local Non-Profit, Eat More Copies of Brain Age and Big Brain Academy
UNTITLED 2026 - By Brain LordWe hope you enjoy this special April Fool's episode. We will return to our regularly scheduled programming on April 15th, stay tuned!

There sure are a bunch of furry mascot characters in video games. Returning guest Oceanity helps us cover everything from platformer icons like Sonic and Sly Cooper, to modern day indies gems like Atlyss and Pseudoregalia. Are these characters just syndical cash grabs or do they appeal more to classic folklore than we often give them credit fur... err, for, excuse me. 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Izzy - Oceanity  
THINGS DISCUSSED 
The Secret of NIHM, An American Tail, Ninja Gaiden Black, Super Smash Bros, 
What is a “furry game” anyways? (0:14:48) 
Baldur’s Gate 3, Elden Ring, Elder Scrolls Online, Dispatch, Final Fantasy XIV, Stardew Valley, Cult of the Lamb, Gater Game, Ori and the Blind Forest, Rivals of Aether, Dusk an Elysium Tail, Night in the Woods, Hollow Knight, Atlyss, 
Why are there so many Furry 90s platformer mascots? (0:28:20)
Bubsy, Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Fox, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Aero the Acro-Bat, Gex, Awesome Possum, Rocky Rodent, Tidus the Fox, Rockin’ Kats, Battletoads, Spyro the Dragon, Crash Bandicoot, Punky Skunk, Jersey Devil, Croc Legend of the Gobbos, Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill, The Cheetahmen (Action 52), Sparkster, Rocket Knight, Bubsy 4D, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Super Mario Wonder, Super Mario 3D World, Sly Cooper and the Thevius Racoonus, Ratchet and Clank, Seken Densetsu 3, Beath of Fire, Ihatovo Monogatari, Unicorn Overlord, 
Game Ratings: Video Game Furry Awakening Characters (0:51:03)
Sonic Adventure 2, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Star Fox Adventure, Star Fox Command, Star Fox 64, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bloody Roar, Kingdom Hearts II, Them’s Fightin’ Herds, MLP: Fighting is Magic, Skullgirls, Breath of Fire, Fara Phoenix
Would Furry Characters still work if they were human? (1:16:59)
Metal Slug, Lightspeed Lina, Wild Blue Skies, Ex-Zodiac, Night in the Woods, Tunic, Pseudoregalia, Fright Train, Deadlocked
What does it mean to “go legit” as a Furry game developer? (1:32:13)
Dot Hack, Phantasy Star Online, Cosmobreeder Yiffai, Pipistrello and the Cursed Yoyo, NieR Automata, Stellar Blade, Kings of Hell, Pawperty Damage, Rampage, Rampage World Tour, Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game, Bubsy 4D, Demon Turf, Demon Tides, Squeakcross, Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Breeze in the Clouds
The Question Zone (1:53:33)
What game seems the most like a Furry Game on the surface but isnt actually one - Fursona Non Grata. 
Tiny Toons Adventure: Buster Busts Loose, Undertale, Nine Sols, Parappa the Rapper, Um Jammer Lammy, 
The Rec Room (2:01:51)
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter, An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West, On Your Tail, The Noss Saga: Wolf of Withervale, Pokemon Odyssey, Pokemon Prism, Pokemon Quetzal 
 

This week on Brainlords we attempt to solve the origins of the khaki cargo shorts/green Zelda tee combo. Special guest Jiikae helps us dive into the clash between personal aesthetic and what marketers tell us our vibe should be. Would my life actually be better if I got the Kim Kitsuragi replica jacket? Terrible example, yes actually, it would.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Jiikae
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Melty Blood, Virtua Fighter, Tekken, King of Fighters, Craig of the Creek, The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past
What was the vibe of the retro console generations? (0:13:59)
Music - BKNapp, Thousand Arms, Pokemon Red, Pokemon Blue, Final Fantasy IV, Sonic the Hedgehog, Scott Pilgrim, Grand Theft Auto 3, Mortal Kombat, Halo: Combat Evolved, Final Fantasy VII, God of War
Why does video game fashion look like that? (0:38:36)
 Death Stranding, Shin Megami Tensei, Pokemon Black Milk Collection, The Mothman SMT Sweater, Sonic Timberlands, FFXIII Lighting Luis Vuitton collab, The Acronym Death Stranding Collab, Kith Megamn Shirt, Online Ceramics Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4, Disco Elysium Kim Kitsuragi Jacket, Megan Thee Stallion Jojo look, No More Heroes
Game Ratings: Games with Hip-Hop Soundtracks (1:02:37)
Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Persona 3, Persona Trinity Soul, Sonic Adventure 2, No More Heroes III, Romeo is a Dead Man, Parappa the Rappa, Mad World, Anarchy Reigns, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Saint’s Row
When is Gaming Memorabilia self expression vs overconsumption (1:26:58)
Xenoblade Chronicles, Sonic Mania
Can you be a performative gamer? (1:36:28)
Shin Megame Tensei Digital Devil Saga Nocturn, Genshin Impact, 
The Question Zone (2:01:14)
Do you think consoles have tried to go too aesthetic in a way that actually hurts the design and implentation of it within a home? Why do you think gamer fashion is so anchored in t-shirts? Is it a production cost thing or something else? Why don't we see more pants or skirts or scarves for example? -I tried to put the bee movie script, but Google told me no
Why do games where the characters are fly as hell have really ass looking merch? Kyo looks like that but the best you can do is a 3d render on top of a hand brush font of that characters name? -Ratan Hate
King of Fighters
Do you think the overconsumption of gamer memorabilia is tied to the enshitification of the world and rising costs of living? -I brake for hot monsters
The Rec Room (2:11:20)
Rochelle Jordan - Through the Wall, Romeo is a Dead Man, Mainframes, Go get a prostate exam! Pew Pew Bang Podcast, Cairn,  Jiikae - Utada Hikaru Video

As the N64 nearly turns 30, it’s fully moved on from a nostalgic console to a secondhand nostalgia console. What better way to celebrate it than a list of its top games with special guest Paper Dawn! But aren’t you tired of seeing the same handful of Nintendo and Rareware titles?  We’ve selected our best games with some extra challenging restrictions.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Dawn - PaperDawN
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Pokemon ZA, Pokemon TCG
Honorable Mentions (0:08:46)
Star Fox 64, Star Fox, Bonk’s Adventure, Crock: Legend of the Gobbos, Bomberman Hero, Ape Escape, Ucchannanchan no Honō no Challenger: Denryū Iraira Bō, Ucchannanchan's Flaming Challenger: Irritating Electric Stick, Kuru Kuru Kururin, 
ROUND ONE (0:21:23)
Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Megaman Legends, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Bakeru, Princess Peach: Showtime, Yoshi’s Crafted World, Yoshi’s Wooly World, Chameleon Twist, Glover, Quest 64, Undertale, Paper Mario,  
ROUND TWO (0:40:07)
Mischief Makers, Gunstar Heroes, Beetle Adventure Racing, Snowboard Kids, Snowboard Kids 2, Mario Kart, Diddy Kong Racing 
Game Ratings: N64 Controller Colors (1:00:30) 
Donkey Kong 64, Corsair April Fools PC
ROUND THREE (1:16:06) 
Rocket: Robot on Wheels, Sly Cooper and the Thevious Racoonus, Super Mario 64, Earthbound, Flying Dragon, Nintama Rinrao 64 Game Gallery, Hybrid Heaven, Legend of Lagaia
ROUND FOUR (1:42:09)
Getter Love!!: Chō Renai Party Game Tanjō, Ogre Battle 64, Unicorn Overlord, Tactics Ogre, Final Fantasy Tactics, Goemon’s Great Adventure, 
The Question Zone (2:18:42)
What is your favorite N64 Accessory? -Greg Hybrid Heaven, The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask, Pokemon Stadium, Wario Land, Perfect Dark, Densha De Go! 64, Paper Mario
The Rec Room (2:25:33)
Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Gex 64, Dumpling Lasagna, Eureka Mario 64 Romhack, Jada Toys Megaman toys, Mega Man X, Banjo Kazooie Recompilatoin, The Truman Show

Happy one year anniversary Brainlords! On this very special episode, we actually PLAYED Brainlords. What does a scrappy little Zelda-like by Enix say in 2026 and what have we learned from the past year of podcasting? We discuss our favorite episodes and our biggest mistakes as we reflect on the state of video games criticism in 2026. Thanks for sticking with us or even just being a part of our first year!
 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
 
THINGS DISCUSSED 
https://monkeyball-online.pages.dev/  Super Monkey Ball 2, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble, Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie,
What even is Brainlord (1993)?! (0:06:39) 
Brainlord, Magic the Gathering,  Soul Blazer, Ys, Irem, The Legend of Zelda, Diablo, ActRaiser, Robotrek, Secret of Mana
What were your favorite moments and episodes from year one? (0:27:28)
Final Fantasy, Yuyu Hakusho, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door
What was your biggest lesson from year one? (0:40:30)
Game Ratings: Brainlords Episodes (0:50:25)
Hollow Knight: Silksong, Gundam Hathaway, The Locked Tomb: Gideon The Ninth, Protomen: Act III, Mina the Hollower,
What is the voice of Brainlords? (1:00:02)
Gundam Witch from Mercury, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Watchdogs, Despelote, Blippo+, 
What do you think games analysis should be striving for in 2026? ()
O.D., The Verge, 404 Media, Jason Schreier, Aftermath, Remap Radio, PC Gamer Space Marine 2, Warhammer Space Marine, Final Fantasy II
What is your Brainlords Mission Statement? (1:13:24)
Deltarune, Andrew Gold, Big Butt Bobby, 
The Question Zone (1:37:15)
Dear Brainlords, 
In your episode, "What Even Is an Indie Game Anyways?" you highlighted the indie title, "Big Butt Bobby," which sparked some important questions in my mind. Who has the best booty in video games? Whose butt was the greatest missed opportunity? Are there any video game character designers who you admire for their dashing derriere designs?
Sincerely, TrueInky
Boogerman, Resident Evil: Village, Bayonetta, Stellar Blade, NieR: Automata, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Baby Steps, Ape Escape, Overwatch, Ninja Gaiden (2004), Dragon’s Crown, Metaphor: Refantazio, Anarchy Reigns
Rec Room (1:53:14)
Brainlord (not actually that cheap, sorry y’all!), Haha You Clowns, Cross Code, Tombstone (1993), Master and Commander, True Grit, No Country for Old Men

Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Depending on who or when you ask, indie seems to be a genre, a scene, a vibe and a controversy generator for the game awards. Why can't we seem to find any common ground on a term that seemingly just means independently produced? In today's episode, we discuss the different qualifiers (and disqualifiers) for anything from one person twine games to teams of 33-400 people with a roughly $10million budget. Y'know, the little guys. 
THINGS DISCUSSED 
MAGfest, The Protoment Act III, King’s Field, Katamari Damacy, Super Monkey Ball, Sim City, Paper Larva Artist, Magic The Gathering, Tunic, Awesome Games Done Quick 2026, XBLA, Cave Story, Yume Nikki, Braid, Castle Crashers, Braid: Critical Theory on the Joy of Ludic Expression - A Soulja Boy Review, Jonathan Blow provides his thoughts on women, Super Meat Boy, Bastion, Fez, Sword And Sworcery, Planet Coaster, Humble Indie Bundle (back when it was good), Aquaria
Is it an indie game if they don't have a publisher? (0:25:02)
Devolver Digital, Blumhouse Games, Outersloth, Aggrocrab, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Undertale, Big Mode, Animal Well, Star of Providence, Double Fine, Psych Odyssey,  
Is it an indie if they don’t have a big budget? (0:37:49)
Shovel Knight, Stardew Valley, Dwarf Fortress, World of Goo, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Deltarune, Laika Studios, Dave the Diver, Nexxon,  Valiant Hearts: The Great War, Mirror’s Edge, Despelote, Owlboy, FF7 Remake
 
Game Ratings: Game Awards Indie Game of the Year Winners (0:57:33)
Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Gone Home, Sea of Stars, Chrono Trigger, MGSV, Chrono Cross,  The Messenger, Limbo, Mario Party 1, Trials HD, Ms. Splosion Man, Journey, Disco Elysium
Is it indie if they don’t have a CEO? (1:26:17)
Sandfall Interactive, Remedy Games, Larian Studios,Supergiant Games
Is it indie if a small number of people worked on it? (1:45:08)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Our Valued Customers, Clair Obscur barred from Indie awards due to undisclosed AI usage, House House, Untitled Goose Game, Big Walk, Peak, Big Butt Bobby, Rayman Origins, Rayman 64
Closing Thoughts and Question Zone (1:59:04)
Beeb says - A game primarily funded either through the developers themselves or individuals who believe in their dream, e.g. working for free in their spare time, from previous game revenue, or from crowdfunding.
It should not involve investments from other corporations or individuals expecting a return of greater value. Critically, an independent studio does not have a publisher who isn't also themselves.
 
Mewd says - An indie game can be divided into categories of scale, none of which has an agreed upon term at present.
I think the maximum threshold for an indie game will be a title started and developed without initial support from a major publisher and visibly has a more restricted budget than major triple A releases.
On the lower end, an indie game is a borderline hobby game produced by a team that could fit in a motel room and is often characterized by strong artistic vision and experimentation aided by the small team size and relative lack of corporate oversight. These are more in the category of an art house indie game or passion project.
Ultimately, indie is a spectrum and a game feels MORE indie if it has a strong authorial voice, compensates for fewer development resources with innovation, and is less visibly under the direction of dominant publishers and marketing trends.
 
Andrew Bluett says - It's tough to pin down today when the term is so diluted and access to easy-to-use tools is the most open it's ever been, but an indie game to me is one which is made by a small studio or team with little to no financial backing from another party. Indie publishers complicate this and blur the line, but there's the matter of scale to consider with this. Is Demonschool an indie game despite being funded and published by Ysbryd Games? Based on the publisher's output of smaller titles with modest costs, you can easily say "yes". What about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which runs on UE5, is much larger in scope than what one would think of with independent games, but was still funded by Pacific Drive and Sifu publisher Kepler Interactive? Technically "yes". But as the number of publishers shrinks year over year and funding for independent projects becomes more scarce, the definition blurs further.
Maybe the term "indie game" should be redefined to consider the financial logistics of development and distribution less than the the level of creative control that developers have over the project. Games like Dave the Diver throw a wrench into this line of thinking as well, but these are the pitfalls of trying to define a term which has been misunderstood and at times pigeonholed into reflecting particular styles or aesthetics rather than simple realities of how a work came to be, and even then the complications don't end.
tl;dr fuck man if it wasn't made by Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, or Ubisoft, call it whatever you want
Whot says - When I think indie, I think that anybody could make that game if they had the skills rather than if they had the money. If you have the money to access stuff like mo-cap or a bunch of external contractors, it's hard to call that indie anymore. Games like Expedition 33 or even Dispatch, I feel are something in between AAA and indie. They deserve all the love and recognition of course, but I dunno, it's kinda hard to draw the line of whether to really call them indie games imo. But then there's a game like Date Everything where it's got a horde of AAA voice actors but leans more on the indie side in terms of the rest of their dev team. Again, I think we just really need a term for something between AAA and indie. AA? A?
AssistantTurtlemover says - An Indie Game is a game made made independently from a traditional publisher that could intervene financially, creatively or technically in the process of the creation of the game
The Rec Room (2:15:02)
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, Final Fantasy X, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon, Lost Odyssey, Andrew Bluett’s FFX Retrospective, Lonely Magic - Rebecca Sugar, Steven Universe is really really good yall - it turns out all the “Filler” episodes have setups and payoffs for worldbuilding and emotional beats IMAGINE THAT, Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Universe, Captain Harlock, Fantasian, Blue Dragon, Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club, Troll 2 4K Restoration, Best Worst Movie

This week on Brain Lords, sequels, remakes, and spiritual successors sure love to add more, but then why do we keep playing the original? We discuss the all too common additions that make their ways into flashy new games and when features like crafting, open worlds, and skill trees took an already perfect game and made it a little worse. 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com
Kyle - Cute Monster Props
Jorge - JMV
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Homestar Runner, Stinkoman 20X6, Brotato, Super Smash Bros
Games made worse by more loot and crafting (0:08:57)
Dragon Quest XI, The Last of Us, Resident Evil 2, Transformers Devastation, Bayonetta, Breath of the Wild, Nioh 2, Dark Souls
Games made worse by more skill trees (0:35:10)
Borderlands 2, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, Back 4 Blood, Left 4 Dead,  Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Super Mario Odyssey, 
Game Ratings: Games with Romance Mechanics (0:52:40)
Baldurs Gate 3, Hades, Unicorn Overlord, Little Goodie Two Shoes, Fire Emblem Awakening, Advance Wars, Tokimeki Memorial, 
Games made worse by open worlds (1:14:21)
Death Stranding, Metal Gear Solid V, Red Dead Redemption 2, Mirrors Edge 2, Mirror’s Edge, Mario Kart World, Forza Horizon, Burnout Paradise, Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom, Shadow of the Colossus, The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Banjo Kazooie
Games made worse in the remake (1:37:48)
AM2R, Samus Returns, Super Mario RPG (Remake), The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Resident Evil 4 REmake, You Don’t Hate Remasters Enough - Whitelight, Demon’s Souls, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, NieR Replicant, Metal Gear Solid Delta
Closing Thoughts (1:58:07)
The Question Zone (2:07:29)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Megaman ZX, Megaman Zero, Elden Ring, ActRaiser Renaissance,    
Pizza Tim asks: You have enough loose change for one last arcade game of the night, what are you picking and why?
Gunblade New York, Jurassic Park Arcade, Time Crisis 3, Bubble Bobble, SVC Chaos, Metal Slug
The Eggmanosphere asks: When artistic vision is lost in the process of modernization, how do you explain to others that remakes aren't necessarily better than the original, especially when they see the remake as better by virtue of being on a current gen platform?
 
Final Fantasy 7, Chrono Trigger
 
The Rec Room (2:18:41)
 
Slay the Spire, Balatro, Minus the Bear, The Far Side, Baby Steps 

Here it is, our 2025 games of the year…..oh crap we forgot to play any video games! This year join Kyle, Jorge, and special guest Esper Quinn (wahoo!) as your esteemed judges presenting their picks for Backlog games of the year. With so many good games, why did these must-plays just barely miss the mark for us? Enjoy such awards as “Best Game That Got Overhyped for Me and Now I’m Pushing Back on Principal”. In this extra long extravaganza we also share our actual games of the year and even a christmas skit full of humor just for the gamers (tm). Happy holidays y’all! 
 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props  
Jorge - JMV
Special Guest - Esper Quinn
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Puzzled Artist (warning: thick ladies), Sonic Adventure 2, Megaman Battle Network, Klanoa: Door to Phantomile, Blue Prince
Best Game That Was Too Rich for my Blood (0:11:40)
Donkey Kong Bananza, Donkey Konga, Donkey Kong Tropical Beat, Pokemon ZA, James Turner - Character Artist for Sword and Shield 
 
Best Multiplayer Game I Can’t Seem to Find a Group for(0:33:41)
Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Street Fighter, Super Smash Bros, Tekken, FBC: Firebreak, Control 2, Alan Wake, NieR: Automata, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Elden Ring: Nightrein, Dark Souls
 
Best Indie I Ought to Get Around to (0:49:55)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ball x Pit, Vampire Survivors, Balatro, Quartet, Quintet, Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, Despelote, Consume Me, Pokemon Snap, Baby Steps, 1000xResist, Horses, Molleindustria
 
Best Game I Clearly Want to Play but Imma Let This Cook a Little Longer (1:05:09)
Isopod, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Cid Meier’s Civilization 7, Hades 2, Bastion, Transistor, Pyre, Stardew Valley, 
 
Game Ratings: Games we DID play in 2025 (1:20:44)
To a T, Promise Mascot Agency, Paradise Killer, Candy Rangers, Sin and Punishment, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure, Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Marvel Rivals, Look Outside, The Magical Realms of Tír na nÓg: Escape from Necron 7 – Revenge of Cuchulainn: The Official Game of the Movie – Chapter 2 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa, Demon School, Lost Odyssey, Final Fantasy X,
The Best Game That’s Too Big for me to Get Through As A Person Working Full Time (2:02:51)
Silent Hill F, Sekiro, Paper Mario, Earthbound, Slitterhead, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Noita, Death Stranding 2
Best Game that Came Out in December What Were You Guys Thinking I am Far Busy for That (2:13:39)
Corgi Space, Spin Rhythm, Sockpop Collective, UFO 50, Gruun, Unbeatable, Angeline Era
 Best Game That Got Overhyped for Me and Now I’m Pushing Back on Principal (2:26:21)
Umamusame: Pretty Derby (a game that is on Jorge’s Backlog and therefor means he really really wants to play it and just can’t seem to be a goo-goo baby), Love Live, Mahjong Fight Club 
The Wrap Up (2:55:30)
Final Fantasy Tactics Remake, South of Midnight, Deltarune Ch 3+4, Absolum, Lies of P, Keeper, Ena Dream BBQ, Metal Gear Solid Delta, Mina the Hollower, Ghosts of Yotei, Tokyo Extreme Racer
The Question Zone (3:01:12)
A Less Cute and More Monstrous Kyle asks - Do you think that being Microsoft-published actually hurts games being nominated and winning awards? For example, Troy Baker gave a hell of a performance with the handicap of also keeping up an impressive Harrison Ford impression. People aren't really talking about it even if he's been nominated for a few awards. Some of this may be due to the release timing, but I've seen similar reactions to other Microsoft owned games and Epic Games Store paid exclusives.
Microsoft BDS Boycott, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Also, Hades II is my game of the year. Screw anyone saying Early Access disqualifies it.
Bowl of Lentils asks - Have you ever returned to a game in your backlog and it ended up becoming one of your all-time favorite games? For me that was Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3. Only played an hour or two and then dropped it for years. But when I finally got back to it, I ended up absolutely loving it and playing the rest of the series.
Demon’s Souls, Culdcept Saga
got kin assigned luigi by clients - at what point would an indie studio no longer be considered "indie" enough for the indie award categories
its luigi but i had more to say - do you think with how the push for games to be showcased during TGA is exacerbated because E3 died tragically from disease, and should E3 or something similar be brought back
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, Tomb Raider
The Rec Room (3:20:01)
UFO 50, TMNT 4K Restoration Trillogy,  Stop!! Hibari Kun!, Blippo+, Buying Ramune in twist off bottles. The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic, Magic the Gathering Pauper format, Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie, Insert Credit, 52 Pickup, DC Action News, Topic Lords, Esper Quinn!

This week on Brainlords we talk about our fascination with emulations from another nation. That's right, fan translations! Special guest Bowl of Lentils walks us through their work on the Sakura Wars 1&2 translation while we round robin our favorite games we could have never played without the fans doing it themselves. We talk the good the bad and the ugly, everything from selfless collaborations to petty disputes for clout in this Super Duper High School Level Episode.
 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com 
Kyle - Cute Monster Props
Jorge - JMV
Special Guest - Bowl of Lentils
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Detective Instinct: Farewell My Beloved, Arcturus: The Curse and Loss of Divinity, Falcom (Developer), Genealogy of the Holy War, Private Idol, Clock Tower, The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails
Bowl of Lentils Game 1: Sakura Wars 1 & 2 (0:10:07)
Translation lead by: NoahSteam, Sakura Wars Series, Mizzurna Falls, 
Jorge’s Game 1: Mother 3 (0:27:53)
Translation lead by Jeffman Chewy and Tomato, Mother 3, The Earthbound Anthology, Mother To Earth: The Untold Story of Earth Bound, Earthbound USA, Earthbound, Mother 1, Hobonichi Mother Merch,
Kyle’s Game 1: Cave Story (0:47:22)
Translation by Aeon Genisis, Dokutsu Monogatari, Yume Nikki, Jay is Games, Kero Blaster, Umihara Kawase, Blade Strangers, Daisuke Amaya Furry Art
Game Ratings: Video Game Dubs (0:58:52) 
Metal Gear Solid Master Collection, Lunar Silver Star Story Complete, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, Star Fox Command, Final Fantasy X, Megaman X4, Devil May Cry, Yakuza Like A Dragon, Yakuza 1, Yakuza Like A Dragon Infinite Wealth, Black Myth Wukong, Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Brave Fencer Musashi, Kid Ikarus: Uprising
Lentil’s Game 2: Famicom Detective Club Part II: The Girl Who Stands Behind (1:28:10)
Translation Lead by Bongo, Demiforce, Tomato, Famicom Detective Club, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Tales of Fantasia, Ace Attourney
Jorge’s Game 2: Princess Crown (1:37:56)
Translation Lead by CyberWarriorX and SamIAm, Princess Crown, Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, Dungeons and Dragons Shadows Over Mystara, Odin’s Sphere, Policenauts
Kyle’s Game 2: Danganronpa (1:53:26)
Translation done by Project Zetsubo, Danganronpa Screenshot LP, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havok, Siren, Virtues Last Reward, The House of Fata Morgana, 
The Question Zone (2:09:17)
What is the most formative game to you that was not in english when you played it? -LocalizerThunk
 
Fire Emlem: Mystery of the Emblem, SeGaGaGa, Moon Remix RPG
 
Are there any fan translations you are looking forward to? -Jerry Boy 3
Namco x Capcom, Project X Zone, Ex Troopers, Mado Monogatari: Fia and the Wondrous Academy, Puyo Puyo, Pokémon Trading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!, Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3, Moonlight Syndrome, Otoirisou video by Dungeon Chill, Click Medic, Shadow Tower Abyss
The Rec Room (2:22:51)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky, Metaphor Refantazio, Angels Egg, Wordless, Consume Me. Bowl of Lentils History of Chunsoft Sound Novels

This week on Brainlords special guest Bobvids helps us on Part Two of our P.T. series discussing the current era of liminal spaces in games. Even Baby Steps and 1000xResist have looping hallways, so are the lessons learned from this ludonarrative only limited to scares? We discuss our hopes for the future of spooky games in this raucous conclusion to our horror retrospective. 
 
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com
Kyle - Cute Monster Props
Jorge - JMV
Special guest - BobVids
THINGS DISCUSSED 
Lasagna Cat, The Spiritual Successor to Simpson’s Hit and Run, Item Label - Papupi, Silent Hill 2, Devotion, Outer Wilds, Outer Worlds, Undertale, Higurashi: When They Cry, Look Back, Crow Country
Despite being a non-existent game, how has PT influenced gaming since its release? (0:17:27)
P.T., Amnesia: Dark Descent, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Baby Steps, MiSide, The Blair Witch Project, Nexpo, Chilling Scares, Lethal Company, R.E.P.O, Phasmophobia, Allison Road, 
What is the difference between a game influenced by PT and a game influenced by Amnesia? (0:33:57)
Alien Isolation, Deltarune, Glittermitten Grove, Frog Fractions 2,  
How has the influence of PT become a positive and when/how does it become a negative? (0:44:52)
Dreams, PT Trailer, Earthbound, Layers of Fear, Devotion, Silent Hill F, Silent Hill 1, 1000 X Resist, The Stanley Parable, 
Game Ratings: Human characters in Silent Hill (1:16:21)
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Silent Hill 3, Silent Hill 4, Silent Hill: Homecoming
Why do Liminal Spaces work so well in video games? (1:33:39)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Bullet Storm, Call of Duty, Shenmu, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, MyHouse.WAD, Doom, House of Leaves, 
What do we hope for the future of horror games post PT? (1:46:49)
The Question Zone (1:56:19)
Bober Da Bober asks Do you think if you play PT in reverse it would be called TP, and climbing out of the drain of creativity symbolizes Kojima's time with Konami?
The Witness, The Looker
Gryphoneer, the Universally Beloved Online Icon asks Imagine Jovial Bob himself called you and offered to put you in charge of developing a video game adaptation of any of his properties. What would you pick to adapt and how would you adapt it?
 
The Park, Fatal Frame, MADiSON, 
 
Dial (The Dude) asks isn't it a bit funny how Resident Evil re-invented itself in a P.T.-like fashion with the original demo for Resident Evil 7, and then the final game was *anything* but that
anyways, I personally think it'd be really funny if Norman Reedus played Ethan Winters
 
Resident Evil: Village, Hereditary
 
LiminalLongJohnSilvers asks What is the cardinal sin of horror games who attempt to capture that PT and/or liminal aesthetic
The Rec Room (2:14:30)
Split Fiction, Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein: An Anatomy Lesson, Good Boy, Bring Her Back, Talk 2 Me, Stray Children, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, Super Mario RPG, Eraserhead, Poltergeist, Cave Crave VR