Video Game Hangover

Take a listen to some alternate intro and outro songs from VGH history in this week's playlist episode!

The Backlog Attack concludes as Randy takes a trip to spooky El Paso, Elsewhere, while D.J. finds himself in a bygone era of gaming in Shenmue. Also: What actually happened on Pony Island? Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Pony Island (21:41) - Shenmue (46:15) - El Paso, Elsewhere/El Paso Nightmare (1:11:26) - Outro

Randy goes for a ride through the desert in Sable. D.J. fights off spooky aliens in 1994's Marathon before hanging out with the Drasles in Dragon Slayer IV. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Switch 2 (10:19) - Marathon (23:51) - Borderlands minute (26:03) - Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family (44:36) - Sable (1:04:11) - Outro

We kick off the summer Backlog Attack and immediately get into our first two games: Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, and New Pokemon Snap! Also: Old Pokemon Snap! Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Game shows (9:11) - Backlog Attack (28:03) - New Pokemon Snap (53:37) - Crimson Skies (1:10:01) - Outro

Randy once again finds himself in a Luigi mansion in Luigi's Mansion 2. Meanwhile, D.J. wonders if there's more to life than talking to another three NPCs in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Also, it's true: Suika Game. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/AI, VR, SPQR, etc. (13:10) - Xbox store closing (18:42) - Suika Game (31:43) - Luigi’s Mansion 2 (48:05) - FFXIV Dawntrail (1:11:15) - Outro

D.J. sets course for new shores in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Meanwhile, Randy comes to terms with being a cat in Little Kitty, Big City. Also: Stumbling through Legend of Zelda: Four Swords in 2024. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (3:04) - Legend of Zelda: Four Swords (21:34) - Little Kitty, Big City (37:40) - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail (1:07:13) - Outro

Randy finally gets to see what all the fuss is about in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Meanwhile, D.J. outsources his FFXIV expansion prep. Also: All the news and non-news from fake E3. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Still Slaying (11:47) - Fake E3 season (27:22) - One week left (34:53) - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (1:00:33 - Angeline Era minute (1:06:09) - Outro

Randy makes friends in caves in Animal Well. Meanwhile, D.J. is still playing the same Final Fantasy. (No, not that one.) Also: Trying to make sense of We Were Here Expeditions. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/D.J. abroad (12:57) - We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip (28:28) - New music feat. rj lake (30:31) - 9 Final 9 Fantasy (43:52) - Animal Well (1:07:34) - Outro

D.J. shoots up an entire overworld map in Minishoot' Adventures. Meanwhile, Randy tries to solve the mystery of plants in Botany Manor. Also: Which enormous RPGs to take on your overseas vacation. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Content Warning (12:05) - Vacation gaming (29:06) - Minishoot' Adventures (51:07) - Botany Manor (1:10:20) - Outro

Randy and D.J. return from jaunting around the snail-infested Old World in Content Warning. Also: Screening aliens for therapy in Mars after Midnight, hurling lizards in Dragon's Dogma II, and Final Fantasy IX: What is it? Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Steam Deck exists (19:26) - Content Warning (36:44) - Final Fantasy IX (45:58) - Dragon’s Dogma II (57:47) - Mars after Midnight (1:20:35) - Outro

With help from a horde of interdimensional weird guys, D.J. slowly figures out how to play Dragon's Dogma II. Meanwhile, Randy enjoys(?) the royal double-feature of Princess Peach: Showtime! and Super Princess Peach. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Secret Games: Even Secreter (13:04) - Dragon’s Dogma II (42:35) - Princess Peach: Showtime! (55:30) - Super Princess Peach (1:11:38) - Outro

D.J. spends hours meticulously prepping his Unicorn Overlord army just to skip to the end. Randy revisits the racehorse-solitaire classic, Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On. Plus: Princess Peach's big debut, yet more Persona 3, and an exciting new Xbox game. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (5:53) - FFXIV on Xbox (10:01) - Persona 3 (27:31) - Princess Peach: Showtime! (34:06) - Unicorn Overlord (58:45) - Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On (1:14:10) - Outro

Randy gets Jokerized in poker roguelite Balatro. D.J. goes on an educational photography tour of virtual Japan in Shashingo. And menacing fish monsters draw near in Splatoon 3: Side Order. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (9:10) - Balatro (28:23) - Shashingo (49:41) - Splatoon 3: Side Order (1:08:22) - Outro

Randy and D.J. (re-)visit yet another haunted island in Another Code. Also: Secret games, deciphering that weird Xbox announcement, and accosted by endless hordes of sujimon in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Secret games (15:35) - Splatoon 3 stream! (20:44) - Special Podcast Update on the Xbox Official Podcast’s Updates on the Xbox Business (34:53) - Another Code (58:30) - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (1:09:38) - Outro  

Randy and D.J. compare notes on the first 100 hours of the Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth tutorial. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/A world of pals (12:28) - Like a Dragon Gaiden (18:40) - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (1:10:15) - Outro

D.J. attempts to speedrun Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name to get ready for even more Like a Dragon (if that's even what it's called). Meanwhile, Randy goes where no deck of cards has gone before in Cobalt Core. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (16:39) - Like a Dragon Gaiden (46:51) - Cobalt Core (1:13:10) - Outro  

What were the best games of 2023? Someone please tell us. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro (11:28) - Resident Evil 4 (15:40) - Cocoon (18:37) - Chilla’s Art: Parasocial (20:40) - Dredge (26:04) - Dave the Diver (34:35) - Final Fantasy XVI (39:49) - Super Mario Bros. Wonder (44:02) - Oxenfree II: Lost Signals (49:35) - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (1:02:12) - Street Fighter 6 (1:13:01) - Honorable mentions (1:24:18) - Outro

TEKKENNN 8! NEEEW CHALLENGERRRRR! GAAARRRYYYYYY BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSEEEYYYYY!   Episode Timeline (0:00) - Part 1 (1:13:50) - Part 2

Listen to our favorite game music of 2023 (and 1998, apparently) in this musical mega-episode. Featuring songs from Street Fighter 6, Dave the Diver, Final Fantasy XVI, Dredge, Oxenfree 2, and more!

Randy heads back to the space mines to do a little civic planning in SteamWorld Build. Meanwhile, D.J. flees from the cops and that classic EA racing dialogue in Need for Speed: Unbound. Also: Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. Episode Timeline (0:00) - Intro/Doing the big work (9:09) - Black Friday (13:11) - Need for Speed: Unbound (37:22) - SteamWorld Build (1:01:38 - Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (1:12:56) - Outro