A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

Our Favorite Video Games by Genre

• Steve Bennet-Martin • Season 1 • Episode 177

Share episode

The Steves wrap up award season by discussing some of their favorite video games across all genres.

What are some of your favorite games? Let us know by e-mailing us at happylifepod@gmail.com or hit us up on IG, Tik-Tok or Facebook @happylifepod

Until next time everybody,
Stay Happy!

Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Support the show

Steve:

Hello, returning Happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennett Martin, and this is Steven

Stephen:

Martin Bennett, and welcome to a Lifetime of

Steve:

Happiness, the podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy. While hopefully you bring a smile to your face along the way.

Stephen:

And we're finishing up the award season for our podcast with presenting our favorite video games across all the genres, which will keep me from answering the Legend of Zelda for every question

Steve:

that will be a nice change from our past episode, although I love those Zelda games as much as you do. There were no real bad choices there. Yes. But out of all the genres out there some are you love more than others. What would you say is your favorite?

Stephen:

So I love adventure games like the Legend Zelda. I love the exploration. I love the characters you meet along the way. I love that the games are longer and like length to so that you're playing more and you can get really invested in them because I love sinking that much time into a game. There's something to be said for short games, but. I love. I feel like there's a bigger payoff once you've spent 50 hours with the game. Yeah,

Steve:

certainly. I can agree.

Stephen:

What about you? What's your favorite genre?

Steve:

RPGs of like pretty much any sort, whether that be tactical or strategy or J rrp G or Modern RPG or action r p G. Just you do love your.

Stephen:

J R P G?

Steve:

Yes, I do. But yeah, I would say that that's always the one genre where like if you see something that looks super Japanese, you're like, Hey babe, look at what I got for you. Normally, I absolutely do that. Yes, that's going on my wishlist. Yep. But I think that for many of us, our platforming started, or our gaming started with platform games for a lot of us. Especially with Mario.

Stephen:

Especially with Mario because whether you were playing Donkey Kong in the arcade when you were my age Yeah. Or you had a Nintendo system and you played one of the Super Mario Brothers games platform

Steve:

when I was your age. At your age where you were playing the arcades.

Stephen:

Yes. So, Let's talk. Favorite platform and game. You go first. I

Steve:

love conquers. Bad Fur day. I have never played it. It is every Imagine. I. Super Mario, 60 fours gameplay elements and inspiration with a little bit of the banjo Kazuo twist. But then you make it go like batshit crazy, inappropriate teenage boy humor where there's like a giant PO monster that you have to throw toilet paper at. And it all starts because he is hungover and can't remember what the fuck he did last night. And it just, it's like a very funny. Tongue in Chic platformer. That is just a good time to play in tee. Excellent.

Stephen:

What about you? I would say one of my favorites is shovel Night. It's a retro styled platformer where your weapon is a shovel. It's heavy on content and exploration. It's challenging, but not punishingly. So the story is wonderful and you can hop with the shovel, kind of like Scrooge McDuck and his cane and ducktails.

Steve:

Oh, cool. Yeah. Yeah, and I would say that I felt like we needed to put at least one Super Mario game on the list because they did make the genre. Yeah. And I chose Super Mario Odyssey being that it's the most recent entry, I feel like it took a lot of what it's learned from its predecessors while giving you a very good, solid platforming experience. It was beautiful. So beautiful. At the same time, you can play through it, enjoy it, beat the game, blah, blah, blah. Pretty much any skill level. Or you can try a hundred percent it or get close to it and then rage quit like I did. I mean, so some, some of that postgame content was really hard. Yeah. That's

Stephen:

like here find 13,000 stars. Yeah, yeah. No. So I understand that one of my favorite parts of that was the Mushroom Kingdom area around Peach's Castle. Yes. It was like they took. Super Mario 64 is an outside area and then they were like, here's what we really wish it could have looked like back then. Yeah, it was

Steve:

beautiful. Yeah. What about you for your favorite

Stephen:

Mario game? So it is another Mario game but it's Super Mario World and I really think that this was perfection for 2D Mario games. The soundtrack, the challenges, the levels I know by heart where every secret in the game is from playing it so many times and. Like, obviously the most important secret is in Donut Plains, the second world the Secret exit from the. Ghost house where you do all the power ups and you get all the power ups, that is the most important secret in the whole game. Excellent. So favorite shooter game is up next?

Steve:

Yes. Would you kindly tell me your favorite? I

Stephen:

will. So it is metro prime remastered. So it is technically a first person shooter, though Nintendo calls it a first person adventure. I don't know. You're shooting. Yeah. Either way, this is it for me in terms of shooter games. I love it. It's beautiful, rich gameplay and story. I don't know. I just, I think it's one of the, my favorite games of all time.

Steve:

Yeah. And I understand, and surprisingly I would say mine was be bios shock because it just was at the time, I mean, you got to play it remastered and redone and everything, but when I played, played it in a came out, it was like unlike any sort of shooting or shooter game I had ever played before. Not only did you have your traditional weapons, but you can get like elemental base superpowers, which is just badass. And it took place in this like beautiful yet haunting and chilling rapture city that is

Stephen:

just somehow futuristic and set like it's in the 1950s.

Steve:

Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's just a beautiful location, beautiful characters, interesting story with good twists. Mm-hmm. All the while you're shooting things up and. Whether that be with bullets or with powers, it's very fun and really cool.

Stephen:

Yeah, it's amazing. And if you hadn't have put it on the list, I would've put it on the list. There you go. I very much loved it. For me, I. My other favorite shooter game is the platoon series. It may be a third person shooter, but it's still a shooter. Yep. And it's definitely one that I can get behind. I love the multiplayer aspect of it, which I usually don't like with games in general. Yeah. But the single player mode is fully fleshed out and worth the purchase all by itself. And then Nintendo would do those splat fests. Yeah. And you had the whole world playing at the same time. And. It really felt like you were part of something. Mm-hmm. When they were doing that. So yeah, I really enjoyed that. Bravo to them. And you have one more

Steve:

Perfect Dark because I was tempted to do Golden Eye just because of all the memories and nostalgia and everything that I have. But at the end of the day, like Perfect Dark was also made by Rare and took like all the lessons that they learned from Golden Eye and made like a it, but like futuristic and sci-fi. Yep. In a really cool way. So I would have to say perfect dark. Yeah, but one that I won't have much to say other than, yay, fighty Fighty. Kick Kick what is your favorite fighting game? So it

Stephen:

was X-Men Next Dimension. This was the fighting game that had me playing the longest, all my favorite X-Men and villains in one game. And you can unlock and play them all. And for the time I thought the graphics were absolutely amazing.

Steve:

Yes. And I lost many an hour and many a friend playing Super Smashed Brothers. Specifically the Game Cube was just the model that I spent most of the time on. Was that melee? Yes. But overall, like if I wanted to fight things with like cube characters that I know for my Nintendo franchise that fits the bill perfectly.

Stephen:

Yep. Growing up in the nineties, if you had an s n e s, you had Super Street fighter too. Yes. Who was your go-to? Chung Lee with her whirlwind kick.

Steve:

I loved it. I did the, the green huy guy with the electricity.

Stephen:

I don't even know any of their names except for Chung Lee. There you go. And you had one more that I've not played. It was,

Steve:

it's fine. Persona four Arena Al two Max was like this fighting ish sequel to Persona four, which was an awesome game that I loved. So it was fun playing through it, but I don't like, like the Fighty Fighty Kick Kick game. So, no, they're not my favorite either. So I was just, that was more there because I needed to do a second. And if you liked Persona four, it's worth playing through a fighting game. To get the extra story. And if you don't like persona for or fighting games, don't bother. Solid advice, darling. Solid advice. Yes. Thank you.

Stephen:

Favorite action game for me it's Bayonetta two. Yes. Platinum is excellent with their action games. It's their forte and like there is a level of difficulty that they call platinum normal, which would be hard. Made by any other company. And so whenever you beat a platinum game on normal level, I feel very accomplished. Yeah, because they're, they're tough. Benetta two is the best for me. I enjoyed the story more than the first one. The combat was better. Love the weapons. So if you wanna play the Bayonetta series, I say start with number two. And just watch a video on what happens in number one, because the story does continue in through all three games, and that's important to know. But I think number one, you will be too frustrated with. So start with Bayonetta two, I suggest Excellent.

Steve:

And what about favorite? My next one would be Marvel Spider-Man. Yes, because it feels like an adventure game with the scope of being able to fly through New York City and help with like web around and fight. Bad guys and do collectibles and side missions and stuff like that, but the battle is actiony with the fighting and the kicking and the punching and the combos and all of that. And it just is like a beautiful, fun experience, great graphics, if you love superhero stuff, it's what you would expect from a superhero game where it's some of what you know, it's some somebody that you don't, all together with a fun experience and I really enjoy it and I can't wait for what the next one is.

Stephen:

Well in that same vein, mine is Batman. Arkham City. Yes. Another

Steve:

great game.

Stephen:

It is. And you get to play is the Cape Crusader in a huge world with all the characters from the comics, cartoons, and movies. Amazing gadgets, fun gameplay, incredible story. I loved the sneak attack things on it, and I was so excited with the Nintendo Direct that all three of the Arkham games are coming to the switch

Steve:

this fall. I know you're very excited for that. Yes. That is a will purchase. Yes, for sure. And one that I feel like was a dark horse that no one saw coming. Hades was just an amazing Oh. So good action game. It was an amazing Roguelike game, which I don't normally dig, but I really dig that. Yes, like I, the story was great. The, the combat and everything was engaging. It was just, well, very well done, and I can't wait for that sequel. Agreed.

Stephen:

I'm very excited for that sequel, and I'm also excited for. That new Myth Force game that looks like a nineties cartoon version of Haes. So yeah, very excited. Now we're on to favorite adventure

Steve:

games. Yes. And this goes back to your what point and click Adventures pretty much. Ah-huh.

Stephen:

The Kings Quest series. So these games took adventuring mixed with fairytales, added in puzzles and quests, and created a world in games that were something truly magical. I started playing these in school on the Apple two e Computer in 19 88, 89. And so I've played six of them and I think there are more now, but there were six and like, they had fun tongue in cheek like titles. Like the second one was Romancing the Throne, which is a takeoff on the eighties movie Romancing The Stone. Yeah. And To air is human, but h e i r about a child. Yeah. So they're really, really good. I would like, if somebody found a way to update those, I would be all in.

Steve:

Excellent. And I loved, life is strange. It's this little slice of life game about a girl in like college, and she gets the ability to rewind time and how. What, like first seems like normal things that you're either like taking advantage of or doing to help save people or help yourself, like turns into this like weird, trippy narrative. But it's one of the games where like the choices you make have an impact on the ending and there are multiple different endings. And overall I was very pleased with the story that it told. It was a very unforgettable experience that's worth the six to six to eight hours.

Stephen:

I have talked about this game before, but Omi, yes. Or omi, depending on how you pronounce it. It's one of my favorite games of all time.

Steve:

Yes. You get to explore and heal ancient Japan as the goddess emer tours. Who in wolf form, which I've heard.

Stephen:

Yes. You have heard that the graphics have this gorgeous storybook quality to them. The game is challenging with great side quest and a main story that makes you work for it and put in the time and just when you think, oh, okay, that was a lot of hours. That's the end of the game. Yeah, that was like chapter one and you're like, damn.

Steve:

Well guess what? What? I have it downloaded. You're gonna

Stephen:

play it. I'm gonna play it.

Steve:

Yay. Yes. And then I threw on the list Fallout New Vegas, cuz I love all the Fallout games. But there was just something about the scale of it and the scope and the setting that I really enjoyed. The New Vegas iteration of it. Give me a post apocalyptic adventure where I can. Save the world or end the world. That's always a good time for me.

Stephen:

Now, I, I just like fighting games. You wouldn't think that this would be our exact genre, but we love several games in this Beat'em up games. Yes.

Steve:

I mean, you started with an arcade game. I did.

Stephen:

So back in the. Eighties and nineties there was the X-Men standup arcade game where you could play as Cyclops night, crawler Storm, Wolverine, Dazzler, I believe Colossus too. And you could, like, everyone could put in quarters and everyone play at the same time. That is awesome. It was really cool.

Steve:

Cool. And I mean, I've done my mentions before about my strange love and obsession for high roll warriors and it's. Infinite but fun gameplay loop of beat'em up content. I never

Stephen:

thought that they would be able to successfully blend Dynasty warriors Warrior style. Yeah. With

Steve:

the Legend of Zelda. And I played other games that like they, they've done as well and spin off like the persona and like other things, but it doesn't go as well as the, this

Stephen:

one does. What was the other one that you liked? The three houses. Fire

Steve:

Emblem. Fire Emblem. They did as well. Yeah. And they did a good Warriors game for that. But again, it's just, So there's something special about the way that the high rule mixes with it. Yeah. And some of the mixes with it that it's just awesome and I can't wait for hopefully a new kind of age of calamity version of the new game. Yeah.

Stephen:

Yeah, maybe. Oh, I have, yeah. So many things. Another game from back in the day was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Turtles In Time. It took the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game and got even better. I always loved being able to play his Donatello. It was my favorite purple turtle and it was fun to play co-op and beat the crap out of the foot soldiers as you traveled through time in history.

Steve:

That is cool. And similarly, I had good times in like college on my Xbox 360, which was like the one Xbox I had playing Castle Crashers with my friends, but it was just, okay

Stephen:

now Survival Horror. We love the movies, we love the games. For me, one of the first ones I played and really enjoyed was Parasite Eve, so it's more of a survival horror. Rrp G. Yeah. But Square annex headed out of the park with this one on the original PlayStation. And I honestly think it's time for a proper modern console remake of this classic. I would love

Steve:

to play that because I regret never playing it on the PlayStation.

Stephen:

I never got to finish it because I was about halfway through and I went up to turn off my PlayStation. Mm-hmm. And an arc of electricity shot out of my finger, wrapped around the PlayStation, deleted my memory card. It deleted Gross. Yeah, it deleted 15 hours of gameplay from Final Fantasy seven. It deleted half of my stuff from Parasite Eve, and I was so angry at that point. I was like, I am not replaying it. Aw. And then I got really busy with college and couldn't go back anyway. But yeah, I. I jubilee my PlayStation. Yes.

Steve:

And I, out of all the resident evil games, cuz they deserve a spot on that list, I would say Resident Evil seven because it's basically like a modern take on the original experience of having it be a mix of fighting as well as horror. And I feel like it does a great job with the horror. Oh my goodness. Yeah. It gives you the creeps in the best way possible. So yes, resident Evil seven biohazard.

Stephen:

My favorite that I've played because I only got, I watched you play seven. Yeah. Like it was a movie for me, but Resident Evil four Yeah. Always holds a special place

Steve:

for me. Of course it does. And also so does this

Stephen:

next game. Eternal Darkness Sanity. Requiem, this classic justly gets all the credit that it deserves. You haven't felt terror. So you see the popup on the screen, say full memory card data deletion. Yeah. And you're like, no, no, no, no, no. Cuz this is back when you had memory cards you had to put into the front of the console. It was on the game cube and like just thinking of wind waker data that was gone and all the different game data that was gone. And it was just the game messing with your head too. It had a great limb targeting combat system. Fun time hopping plot line and a hugely unnerving atmosphere like that bathtub. So that's one I hope they remake. So you can play.

Steve:

Yeah, I would definitely play that. And I mean, in terms of like the games that I was able to play, I also loved the ones like until done. But I do have to mention, if you're like, I'm a horror fan and a horror movie fan. And a horror game fan, outlast was so scary I couldn't play it. So I have to get that a nod where if you want something that is so fucked up and so scary and so terrifying, nothing like trying to go into a be a reporter in an insane asylum where everyone's trying to kill you. I mean, no thank you. Yeah. And Rhythm Games. I mean, I'll let you go first cause I don't have much to say about both of mine other than that they exist and they can be fun. Yeah.

Stephen:

So my first was Elite Beat Agents. It was for the DS or three Ds. I don't remember. But it was the first time I got the hang of Rhythm Games and had an over the top story where you're like, boy band dancer, secret agents that can save the world through synchronized dance. And I was like, yes, please. So it was fun. Rhythm games aren't my favorite though. Yeah,

Steve:

me either. I mean, I had fun learning how to play Dan Sam's Revolution at home. So then I could take it to the arcade and not look like the giant spaz that I am. And I enjoyed with friends doing rock band with the different, like playing the drums and the guitar. Yeah. And the karaoke and all of that. So, and

Stephen:

I enjoyed just dance cuz I was getting ready for a lead role in a play in Cincinnati and I needed to lose some depression weight from a cancer scare of 2010. So between this and we Fit, plus I was able to work out every day after work for an hour and I dropped 25 pounds. I also enjoyed Loving to be able to buy and download songs that I enjoyed. So it wasn't just the songs that came with the game. I got to do some eighties music. Yeah. So that

Steve:

was fun. There we go. And a category I put just for you cause I love you so

Stephen:

much. Yeah. I was like, wait a minute. Yeah, all of these are mine except one. Yeah. Which I would've put anyway. Yeah. So it's Metro Vania. Yes. And so of course the first one is super metro. Yeah. The game they get made. The category. Yeah. It would be wrong to have a Metro Vania category and not have a Metro game or, or a Castlevania game, which is where the two came from. Super Metroid was the one that defined how 2D metro game should be. It got perfected with Metro Dread recently, but this is the one that set the

Steve:

legacy. Yes. And you wanna talk about the Sylvania and the Metro Vania

Stephen:

while you're at it? Yep. Sylvania Symphony of the Night. This was the Castlevania game, along with Super Metroid defined Metroid Vania. Kmi got so much right with this game, so many twists and turns with an amazing soundtrack. If they go back to doing Sylvania games again, This is the one that they need to look at again. Yeah.

Steve:

And I enjoyed my experience playing Steam World Dig. Oh, so which was like, normally I don't get into the Metro games cuz of all the Shooty shoots and this one said you were Diggy Diggy and that for whatever reason, that made it more fun. Mm.

Stephen:

All of the Steam world games are amazing. Steam World Dig and Steam World Dig Two so phenomenal. The first dig was great and then they just made it even better with two. Like so good. So, and then there's Axiom Verge. Yes. This was a one man team homage to classic metro Venia of the past. A scientist has a lab accident where he is transported to an alien world and has to fight for his life. It plays like a modern title but gives you the graphics and nostalgia for the older ones. It was quite good.

Steve:

Yes. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I remember that being one of the presents I got for you. Yes. That I was like, this is definitely just for you. Yes.

Stephen:

Visual novels. This is all you. Yes.

Steve:

Well, thank you my love. However, you did enjoy my experience playing the Dun and Ropa series. I did throw a whole bunch of teenagers into high school together and they're gonna kill each other to be able to survive. And it's a recipe for good times. Yes. And similarly by the same creators. I also liked the AI Somn files games, the first one, and the Nirvana initiative. Both were more like detective style and very well done mysteries with different branching paths that all kind of weaved together in a way that was really interesting, especially the second one, eating the internet to help me. Understand it a little bit more, but once I did it was really cool. So if you like visual novels and you haven't played any of the Duncan RPA games or the AI Somn and file games, go play them.

Stephen:

And now we're on to favorite puzzle games. For me, the top is the trying series. Mm-hmm. It's a puzzle platformer, where you can play as a warrior wizard or a thief, each with their own abilities that you must use to solve the puzzles, to gain power up and traverse the world. And you can switch between any of them at any time because they've been hit by the trying. So now they are a three in one. Yeah. And it's who you're letting control at that point. Gorgeous, gorgeous colors and lightings made these games a true joy to play as well. That as puzzles that had more than one way to solve them. And I always felt smart playing

Steve:

this game. That is awesome. I remember just the sweet short, like one sitting experience that playing through braid was being able to plug, it was kind of a platformer game where you could rewind time to solve the puzzles. It wasn't about like, The stomping on the bad guys, but getting through the obstacles and through the twist at the end, it's very well done. Or you think you're going in knowing one thing about how the story's playing and it actually turns out to be very twisted and dark and you know how I love twisted and dark. Yep. So definitely that's one where if they ever have it come out in the switch, I think you would love it.

Stephen:

I would try it. So my other favorite puzzle game is Zach and Wiki's Quest for Barbara as his treasure. This was the little We Game that deserves more attention than it got. Gorgeous cartoon visuals, challenging puzzles, adorable characters. I would honestly love a remake of this on the Switch, and I believe the time is right. Not that I think that Capcom is listening, but Capcom, if you're listening. Zack and Wiki,

Steve:

please. There you go. And just so I could do a second one, Pokemon pit Cross is technically puzzles and it was fun making Pokemon out of dots.

Stephen:

Now, best phone game. Now this is definitely more of a you category. Yes. But I found two things that I like to play. One being Wordle. Yes. The daily puzzle. Yep. I love word games and. It's probably good that I can only play it once a

Steve:

day. Yeah. And I enjoy my KioSoft games, which is anything like most recently was Dream Island story, but it's always management sims where you build a convenience store or a mall or an airport or an island or a zoo or whatever the fuck they're deciding to do, to basically replay the game, the same game elements, but recharge you another$5. But either way, every time that they do it, they can take my$5 and I enjoy the game for hours on end.

Stephen:

I also enjoy Words with Friends. I don't play a lot of phone games like I've said, but this is the one I play with Mom. And everyone knows it's just Scrabble. And I like that they have Daily Quest now where it's like, make a word of exactly six letters or make three words in one move or make two words O over 30 point score. And doing those daily Quest keeps it interesting for me. Cuz if it was just play. Yeah, that gets bored. But now each day I'm like, Ooh, what challenges do I have today to do so that I enjoy?

Steve:

Yes. And nothing beats waiting in line or having an awkward family moment then saying, let's play heads up. Yes. And so I just have to throw that out as a group party game to waste some time and some battery on your phone while making situations that could be uncomfortable.

Stephen:

Better. Yes. Now we're going into a category that I really enjoy. Action. R P G? Yes.

Steve:

Why don't you start My love.

Stephen:

So the Outer Worlds this, I decided to try because of how much I enjoyed Bios Shock. I wasn't sure I would love it, but once I got going, I was so hooked. The stories in the side Quest kept me going, and I was honestly sad when the game was done. It was truly amazing. I would be more than happy for another Outer Worlds game on

Steve:

the Switch. Yes. And I can't mention action RPGs without Dragon Age Origins, which some might argue is more RPG than action, but it definitely has action elements in it. And that is a game that, that I easily have spent over 200 plus hours playing over the years. It's a game that looks much better than I remember it being when I last tried it to the point where it was almost unplayable. But there's something about the origins and the. Bulk of the content and the story. That's just something special. Whereas as much as I enjoy all the games that came afterwards, something special about the origins. What about you?

Stephen:

X-Men

Steve:

legends. I think you like X-Men

Stephen:

games, babe. I do, but there's honestly not that many great ones. This is just a great game in general. I loved this game. You get a team of X-Men and you're going up against all the bad guys from the comics. Absolutely a blast to play. And I would love more of this, like I created a team of Wolverine, gene and Storm.

Steve:

Sounds like the dream team. Yep. And then I love my Atill games and I had to work them in. And the most recent series, the Atelier Array, the games are action RPGs because you have to hit the button to attack. So it's actiony and I could work it in. And I love the series and I love all the Tilia games, and they're a good time and play them.

Stephen:

Well, if we're already talking about rpg, let's talk about some turn-based rpg. And for me, tell me about

Steve:

the tears you cried when everyone worked together.

Stephen:

So many tears with bravely default. I know a lot of people don't love this game, but I did and it really got me, I had so much fun with it. And the ending, like you were in the other room when I was playing the ending. I was in tears cuz they all work together and any time a group of people all work together for a common good, ugh. I had so much fun with the story and those characters and it was just a great time.

Steve:

Yes. And I loved Earthbound because it takes like the RRP G elements, but makes it in like whether the time was modern times and fun and goofy and weird. Without being like gross and disgusting, like the conquerors I was able to play at a younger age. And it was a really good time and a really fun story.

Stephen:

I also enjoy the paper Mario series, but I want to say that Origami king cuz this was the first paper Mario game in a while to get it right after the horror that was sticker starved. Yes. Is great story, fun, combat, combat and exploration, beautiful visuals. I just really, really enjoyed that game. Yeah. Sticker

Steve:

Star was one where I got a for you as a gift, and then I felt bad for getting it for you as a gift. It, it's

Stephen:

not your fault because, I mean, it's paper, Mario. Yeah. They're good games. We just assumed that they wouldn't throw out everything that was right with Paper, Mario. And

Steve:

oh, well, what they did do right was Chrono Trigger, which again, is a Super Nintendo rpg, but that was the age of RPGs and I love it. And a game with different endings that makes you cry, that makes you lose your main protagonist for a good chunk of the story unexpectedly. And it's just a very good story. Very well done. It's everything you want in a turn base. Rrp G.

Stephen:

Now this one is all you.

Steve:

It's And it's all just one game.

Stephen:

It's mmo. R

Steve:

P G. Yes. Massive multiplayer online RPGs I normally avoid because of stranger danger, but nothing could keep me away from the beauty and majesty. That is the final fantasy 14 saga. I played. I played it too. Yeah, I played all the expansions. And it got up to like level 80 or 90 or whatever the last one was. And it just tells a story that like you can't find a normal game, like a normal game can't build on itself over 10 years and create this lore and bring you to these different continents and planets. And it created something that only I feel like ANR R PG could do, but it did it in such a way that just I, I love it.

Stephen:

And I got to play for months just doing side quests. Yes, it was great.

Steve:

There's more side quest than you could ever possibly want. Yep. So yes. That is when I will go back to the next time we do a big update. I'm sure. So Rogue

Stephen:

light games. Yes.

Steve:

I mean, I discussed my love for Hades already. We both loved it.

Stephen:

Yes. But for me, the binding of Isaac was my first introduction into rogue light games and was even more fun to play after Hades taught me to love rogue likes. It's a fun, dark game, but really thoroughly enjoyable.

Steve:

Yes, and slay the spire. Took my love of card games and my love of rogue light games and mixed'em together in a fun, cheap portable bundle. Awesome.

Stephen:

And now tactical R P G. Yes, cuz

Steve:

I spend hundreds of hours playing Fire Emblem three houses. I mean, I love all the fire emblem games, but if a game can make you wanna play replay through it, not just three, but four different times to find all the different routes, even though one of two of those routes are very similar to one another, I'm gonna do it because I love the game. I love the characters, I love the story, I love everything about the Fire Emblem series, but especially three Houses was just perfection.

Stephen:

I really enjoyed Mario and Rabbit's Kingdom Battle. I know it's more like tactical for beginners, but that suits me just fine. Yes, the story characters, animation made this so much fun. I love the rabbits, like I think they're hysterical. I always enjoy them and getting to see them, putting Mario Drag fighting along our he side, our heroes was a blast and I very much look forward to playing the new. Mario, you in Rabbit's game?

Steve:

Yes, and I love all the Dcaa games, but most notably DCA of Five. If you take what you basically understand tactical RPGs are, explain them to someone, and then that person does a whole bunch of shrooms and decides to make their own exaggerated version. That's what you get with Dcaa, where within two or three levels, your player is level 999, and your attacks go into the thousands and then millions and all your stats get ridiculous and it's very fun. I

Stephen:

also enjoyed Steam World Heist. I was actually gonna go with the game code name Steam for the three Ds. Yeah. But I just love all the Steam World games. No matter what genre they fall into, they're always excellent. So you have an amazing caster. Robot characters two D tactical combat the steam world. Devs just got this one, so Right.

Steve:

Yes, they certainly did. And a category that I feel like one of them you can talk to me a little bit about is Monster Tamer RPGs. So

Stephen:

I have fallen in love with the Pokemon Games, thanks to you. Yes. And I fell head over heels for Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. It was. How I've always wanted to play a Pokemon game. Yes, very

Steve:

well done. And then for those of you who Pokemon might not be your thing, check out Digon. Some of the world stories get very interesting and grindy and more Simuli, you know what I mean? Simulator, they more like simulation games, but the cyber store story, sleuth games that are a two-pack on the switch are a good play that take mostly just the. Turn-based RPG elements and mix them in with Digon. Well, if we're gonna

Stephen:

talk about simulation, let's talk about one of your favorite categories of life simulation. Yes,

Steve:

I love fantasy life. I could be a carpenter or a witch, or a knight or a fisher, or whatever the fuck I wanted to be. You could do literally any sort of profession you could want, or you could do them all. And by doing them all, you end up saving the world in the most beautiful, glorious way, and I love it. I see. For me

Stephen:

it's animal crossing. I love the animal crossing games. There's something joyful and relaxing about building your town and making friends and planting trees and fishing, and especially in the last one where I set up like an outdoor movie theater. And Elvira tarot reading area. Yeah. And even paying off a huge mortgage is somehow

Steve:

fun. If only they could take that and apply it to the real world.

Stephen:

Yes. Well, hey, honestly, if I could sell fruits from trees and get that much money from it, Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. Yes. And in talking of simulations, you have the Sims games, four being the most recent one and the most fun Again, if you wanted to micromanage a whole bunch of individuals personal lives, it's a good game to have fun with.

Stephen:

Sports games, not our cup of tea. We've played some of the Mario sports games. They're cool. Yeah. I guess

Steve:

if you like sports, I'm sure Mario. Sports games are cool if you like Mario too. Yeah. So

Stephen:

favorite party games. Yes. Speaking

Steve:

of Mario Games,

Stephen:

Mario Party, these are the games that will make you laugh and also ruin friendships, especially when you get to steal a star from one of your friends. Or your husband?

Steve:

Yes. And as long as I'm not the person responsible for hiding secrets, the Jack Boxx party packs are fun games.

Stephen:

Yes. Especially games like Quil where I get to be dirty and foul to make people laugh and get them to vote for me. You

Steve:

are a pro at that. That is like one of your top personal skills. Thank you. And what about racing games? What about the game that made you get a boner for the water?

Stephen:

Water effects I fell in love with thanks to Wave Race 64. You're racing around on jet skis at different times of the day and different locations with water, and I'm sure that the game probably isn't as beautiful as I remember it being, but. Back in the na Tinder 64 days. I saw that water and I was like, wow. That's gorgeous. Yes,

Steve:

and it was fun. Yes, it was fun. And I will take your Super Mario Kart love you, come in new and raise you that it all started with Diddy Con racing the best. Except it didn't, except it did in my mind because Diddy Kong racing is the best Nintendo racing game. And as we

Stephen:

talked about, I didn't know how to play it.

Steve:

Yes. But Mario Cart eight was also cool. So that's my other one, I guess.

Stephen:

Yeah, F zero was the first racing game I fell in love with. I played it before Mario Kar on the s n e S. The s n e s F zero is so special. And I also really enjoyed that Mario Card eight had some F zero levels

Steve:

to us. Yes. And what about favorite franchises? I already know one of yours I'm guessing is going to be Metroid. Oh, I wouldn't have guessed that one to be one, but sure, go for it.

Stephen:

Metroid is one of my favorite genres of all time. I love the exploration aspect of it because I like any game where you are. Curiosity and exploration is rewarded. Mm-hmm. And because I like to see, okay, you can go down this path and you can either go to the left or the right. So I'll go to the right here. Okay, I've finished all that. Now I need to go back and go back all the way to the left. And by doing that and being very o c D about it, you get rewarded with power ups and secrets and stuff like that. I love Samis Aaron. I think she's amazing. The Metro games are fantastic, whether they're in 3D or 2d.

Steve:

Yes. And with Pokemon, gimme Pokemon anything, whether it's the mainline games, spinoff games, phone games, any games you slap on Pikachu and Squirtle and I will buy it. So I have to say, just the Pokemon Games is one where that ip, like pretty much can't go wrong. Like even when they go, not for me, like the Pokemon like. Royale where you fight other people and I lose half the time and that makes me sad. Even that I would play and I tried it because it was Pokemon. So anything Pokemon gets my money,

Stephen:

my favorite franchise of all time, shock to no one that listened to our last episode is the Legend of

Steve:

Zelda because they only have good to great

Stephen:

games, if not perfect games. Yes, there are no bad Zelda games. Even link's. Crossbow training was not a bad game. Yeah. Like these are all good games. Bravo, Nintendo. Thank you. Thousands of hours of my time have been spent. On Zelda games, and I'm a better person

Steve:

for it. Excellent. And same for me. I'm a better person for the at Tellier games as an adult. As much as it's sometimes fun to go to the science fiction world and save the world, or go to the fantasy world and save the princess, sometimes it's fun to just play as like a teenage. Girl learning how to make stuff in her cauldron and make friends and have feelings, and it's a perfect

Stephen:

escape. That's what I do every month for the full moon. Exactly,

Steve:

and that's what I love about these games. It's this gameplay loop of like, You go out and you get ingredients and you beat up monsters and get their ingredients to then go back to your lab to then make stronger stuff, to then be able to go out to fight stronger monsters. But every time you go back to town, you also get to check in on your girlfriends and your boyfriends and see how everyone's doing and you make lots of friends and everyone's happy and they get stronger together and they inform friendship and it's lovely. That is lovely. Yes. So I would love to hear what some of your favorite video games and genres are. Listeners. You can do that by emailing us anytime at happy life pod gmail.com, or you

Stephen:

can get in touch with us on the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter at Happy Life

Steve:

Pod. And until next time, everybody stay happy.