What starts as a lively episode with Polygon editor and podcaster Simone de Rochefort becomes something far more interesting when one panelist’s audio goes missing. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and Simone de Rochefort. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.
Questions this week:

From Frank Cifaldi: What is the Criterion Channel of video games? (10:48)
Sega just bought Rovio. Why? (25:29)
Simone, please convince the panel board games are good. (32:26)
What’s the deal with those TikTok videos that all have Minecraft or Subway Surfer footage playing at the bottom? (38:48)
Improv Zone - Video Game Pawn Shop (42:20)
Zara asks: Have you ever recognized something deeply personal from your real life inside of a video game? (48:29)
From Ash Parrish: Who is the American Mario? (55:24)

LIGHTNING ROUND: VIOLENCE ISLAND (01:02:24)
Recommendations and Outro (01:25:26)
A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:


Elden Ring


The Sun Also Rises


Charles Leclerc


Max Verstappen


decimate


The Criterion Channel


The Criterion Collection


Mega Man: Legacy Collection


Tubi


Letterboxd


Rocket


Legend of Zelda series


DF Retro


Shadow of the Colossus


GameTap


GameFly


Yoshio Sakamoto


Esper Boukentai


Super Metroid


Hollow Knight


Koji Igarashi


Sega is officially buying Angry Birds developer Rovio for $775 million


Angry Birds


Yakuza / Ryū ga Gotoku series


Persona series


Sonic the Hedgehog games


Bonk series


Square Enix launches its first NFT project


“It’s not Hitman without IO”: Why Square Enix set the franchise free


Small Town Murders


Sugar Blast


Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball


Proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft


Puzzle & Dragons


Forbidden City


Sleep No More


Among Us


Ticket to Ride


Minecraft


Subway Surfers


Fontanelle


Contra series


Gordon Freeman


Dragon Quest series


Shining Force series


Battle Chess


Coquí


Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999)


The Bear


Diego E. Garcia


Casual Birder


Sons of the Forest


Oh, Deer!


Bubsy series


Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel


Wild Woody


Sifu


Kao the Kangaroo games


Ty the Tasmanian Tiger


Vanquish


Ezio Auditore da Firenze


Grand Theft Auto series


Ray Liotta


Kratos


Diana, Princess of Wales


Depeche Mode - New Dress


Quiet


Shigeru Miyamoto


Toad


No One Can Stop Mr. Domino


Wild Woody


Dynamite Headdy


Miles “Tails” Prower


Penitent One


Satan


Recommendations:
Brandon: Echo Image, Spirit Posession, make more things like game stores and video stores so people can be paid to get baseline experience in a field they care about
Simone: Murder, She Wrote
Tim: Decision to Leave (2022), The Little Drummer Girl, Interview with the Vampire
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