The NXpress Nintendo Podcast
Nintendo Podcast
Episodes
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Wednesday Feb 01, 2023
Are ya ready to engage, kids? This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill review two of January’s biggest (and perhaps controversial) Switch games: Fire Emblem Engage and SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake.
First thing first, Marc takes the gang to a pineapple under the sea to review SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake, the spiritual successor to 2020’s hit remake Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated. While this 3D platformer cleverly renders many fan-favorite ideas and locations from the show, its sense of humor and routine gameplay can make the game a bit of a hard sell for all but the most diehard spongeheads.
Moving onto the biggest talking point, we come to the beautifully mixed bag that is Fire Emblem Engage. Marc walks the gang through the highs and lows in this latest entry in the long-running strategy series: while the story can be almost laughably bad with generic worldbuilding and unlikeable characters, the gameplay has perhaps never been as fun as it is here. Despite its issues, is Engage still worth a recommendation? Marc answers all this and more.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Reviews“Stadium Rave A” – SpongeBob SquarePants23:00 – Main Event Continued: Social Links and More!“Fire Emblem Theme” – Fire Emblem Engage
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Baby, baby, baby! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill are joined by very special guest James Cook for another Persona spectacular. After their last all-out discussion of the Persona 5 Switch port a few months back, the gang is back together for a wide-ranging conversation on the long-awaited Switch ports of Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable. Now that these classic RPGs have finally made their debut on Switch, the question remains: is it worth returning to Inaba or climbing the tower of Tartarus once again?
Of course, both games are classics in their own right. Maybe they’re starting to show their age, but they still shine in their own ways: Persona 3 might just be the most thematically consistent entry in the series, and Persona 4 Golden thrives in its upbeat sense of style. From social links to part-time jobs to dungeon exploration to the all-important waifu wars, the gang dissects everything that makes these games work so well–while looking ahead to the future of the series altogether.
Whether you’re a first-time player coming from Persona 5 or a series veteran, these Switch ports offer a brilliant way to experience these cult classics.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: Persona 3 Portable & Persona 4 Golden Reviews“Opening Theme” – Persona 4 Golden44:00 – Main Event Continued: Social Links and More!“Pursuing My True Self” – Persona 4 Golden
Friday Dec 23, 2022
Friday Dec 23, 2022
The Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2022
Who will come out on top? This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill participate in a time-honored tradition: ranking the 22 best Nintendo Switch games of 2022. Before that momentous task, however, the gang celebrates the holiday season by sharing their top Nintendo-themed stocking stuffer hits. No matter how big or small your stocking might be, the NXpress crew has some surefire wins for the NIntendo fans on your holiday shopping list!
And then, to the main event–the moment we’ve been waiting for all year: ranking the best Nintendo Switch Games of 2022. It’s been a momentous year for the Big N, to say the very least, with releases ranging from eagerly anticipated sequels, shocking remakes, and long, long-overdue ports, making it no easy task for the Goomba Stomp team to rank this year’s best Nintendo titles. Yet rank them we did, so the NXpress gang is here to talk about each and every entry: from Splatoon 3 to Shovel Knight Dig, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge to Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the team combs through the year’s biggest Switch hits to see which one comes out on top.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Talking Point: Stocking Stuffers and Nintendo Switch Gifts“Silver Snow Story” – Kirby Triple Deluxe18:30 – Main Event: Ranking The Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2022“Super Mario Sleigh Ride” – The One Ups
Monday Dec 19, 2022
Monday Dec 19, 2022
And the award goes to…Bill Clinton? This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill celebrate Awards Season by reacting to the good, the bad, and the utterly bizarre at the 2022 Game Awards, along with reviews of the much-anticipated Switch RPGs Harvestella and Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion.
The gang kicks things off by running through the biggest announcements at the Game Awards of 2022 that were most relevant to Nintendo fans. From a sequel to one of the best roguelikes on the market to a surprise follow-up to a controversial award winner, the show certainly did bring a few exciting bits of news for fans of the Big N. Yet nothing compares to the biggest delight of the show: a new trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which goes where few other game movies have gone before: using music from the source material in the actual film. What a novelty!
Next up, Cameron turns things down a notch with impressions of two Square Enix RPGs that might fail to meet expectations. First up is Harvestella, the apocalypse-meets-farming-sim whose promising premise suffers under a repetitive, basic, and surprisingly barebones gameplay loop. Then, there’s the baffling Crisis Core, a followup to Final Fantasy VII with an excellent remaster for modern platforms that does little to address the oddities of the original release.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: The Game Awards 2022“Opening – Bombing Mission” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate27:00 – What We’ve Been Playing: Disappointing RPGs“Genova” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 313: Wind Waker Turns 20!
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Thursday Dec 08, 2022
Deck the halls with Triforce shards! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill ring in the holiday season with the help of Nintendo’s green-capped hero. All three hosts have holiday memories with the Zelda series, so the gang shares their favorite Christmas and Hanukkah moments with the series, from A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo up to the Switch’s own Breath of the Wild.
After that, the gang keeps the Zelda love coming as the beloved once-controversial The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker turns the big 2-0! For The Wind Waker’s 20th anniversary, the hosts celebrate this innovative title for its timeless visuals, inventive design, and surprisingly impactful story. It may not have been what audiences wanted in 2002, but twenty years later, it stands strong as one of the franchise’s most memorable entries. (Dear Nintendo, what better way to celebrate the occasion than a Switch port? Pretty please?)
Lastly, Marc closes things out with hands-on impressions of all the multiplayer titles on the N64 Nintendo Switch Online collection. Not all titles in the lineup may have aged gracefully, but between Mario Party, F-Zero, and even Star Fox 64, the console still shines as a multiplayer destination–and it’ll only get better whenever we finally get GoldenEye 007 on the service.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: Zelda Memories and The Wind Waker’s 20th“Title” – The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker35:00 – What We Have Been Playing: N64 Expansion Pak“White Land” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Wednesday Nov 30, 2022
Roll aroundat the speed of sound towards brighter frontiers! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill spindash into an all-out extravaganza discussion of everyone’s favorite blue blur. Before reviewing Sonic Frontiers, the gang shares their thoughts on the latest trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie in all its glory. The trailer gave us a first look at Peach and Donkey Kong in the new film, as well as sneak peeks at so much more – will this partnership between Illumination and Nintendo raise the bar for video game movies?
Speeding along to the main event, Campbell and Cameron share their thoughts on the long-awaited, much-criticized Sonic Frontiers–and hell may as well have frozen over, because their impressions are downright glowing (at least by Sonic standards). After years of the Sonic cycle, Sonic Frontiers goes a massive way towards realizing the full potential of the 3D Sonic gameplay formula. The gang gushes about Frontiers’ excellent exploration, nuanced storytelling, head-banging music, and surprisingly satisfying combat–among much else. The game certainly isn’t perfect, but the boys feel optimistic about the future of the blue blur after Frontiers!
Last up, Marc caps off this speedy discussion with an indie spotlight on Lunistice, a bite-sized high-speed platformer that sets the bar for Sonic-likes.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: Mario Movie Second Trailer and Sonic Frontiers Review“Genshi” – Sonic Frontiers51:20 – Indie Spotlight: Lunistice Review“Theme of Koco” – Sonic Frontiers
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
Sunday Nov 27, 2022
Mixed feelings, I choose you! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill are joined by friend of the show and Pokemon expert Bradley (AKA Yoshiller) to dive deep into their thoughts on the latest and quite possibly greatest entries in the Pokemon franchise, Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. In this wide-ranging discussion, the panel dissects the games in all their glitchy glory by asking the big questions: is its open-world gameplay loop an improvement from previous games? How does the Tera mechanic work, and how does it affect competitive play? Does the lineup of included Pokemon meet expectations? And of course, the Cufant in the room: how bad is the performance really.
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet may be trending on Twitter nonstop for all its insane glitches, but under the technically iffy surface lies one of the best Pokemon games in recent memory. The hosts share their varying experiences with the franchise leading up to this newest entry: whether you’re in it for the competitive mechanics, new Pokemon, or just the sweet vibes, the Paldea region truly does have it all, leading to the most refined Pokemon gameplay loop in years.
While the hosts grapple with the mountains of technical issues plaguing the game, at the end of the conversation, its clear that Pokemon fans will have something special to look forward to in Scarlet and Violet. All this and so much more in this Terastallized discussion!
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 310: The Wii U Turns 10
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
Wednesday Nov 16, 2022
10 years ago, the Wii U tripped, fell, and died–all so that the Switch could run. This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill commemorate the Wii U’s tenth anniversary, along with a healthy dose of new game impressions. Before that, though, the gang runs through the newly announced nominees for the Game Awards 2022, highlighting the obvious winners, underdogs, and bizarre inclusions (does Bayonetta 3 really deserve Best Action Game?).
Moving onto the main event, the gang celebrates 10 years since the Wii U made its big debut on November 18, 2012. The console was a mixed bag, to say the least: it paved the way for the Switch’s innovative hybrid structure, delivered some of the best multiplayer games in Nintendo’s catalog, and began Nintendo’s tight relationship with indie developers. At the same time, it struggled to hold third-party support, suffered form lackluster marketing, and a controller that, creative as it was, was severely limited. The hosts reflect on the good and the bad of the platform’s legacy, from its iconic games to its legendary Miiverse posts.
Next up, it’s time for a round of gameplay impressions. Cameron kicks things off with his initial thoughts on Harvestella, Square Enix’s farming-sim-turned-apocalyptic-RPG that may have a ludicrously slow pace but also features a creative and compelling gameplay loop. Campbell then shines an indie spotlight on Once Upon a Jester, an improvised medieval theatrical adventure that might just be one of the Switch’s silliest indies yet.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: 10 Years of the Wii U Discussion“Nintendo Land Melody” – Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U44:00 – Spotlight: Lonesome Village Review and a Little to the Left Impressions“Menu Theme” – Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo Wii U
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 309: November 2022 Indie World Spectacular!
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
Saturday Nov 12, 2022
it’s the most wonderful time of the year! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill celebrate a beloved holiday tradition: a discussion of the end-of-year Indie World Showcase. This year coming a bit ahead of schedule in November, the November 2022 Indie World Showcase was positively brimming with exciting indie announcements for Switch. Maybe there wasn’t a Hollow Knight Silksong, but there was still plenty to look forward to.
Sleeping on a capybara in Aka, working to restore the world’s work-death balance in Have a Nice Death, and save the world through the power of sports in Sports Story–these are just a few of the many exciting titles shown off in this month’s Indie World. The gang run through every reveal of the show and share their thoughts and reactions in this in-depth discussion
Following all the news, the gang then delves into two rounds of impressions and reviews: first up is Lonesome Village, an Animal Crossing-like that doesn’t quite hit the mark, followed by A Little the Left, a clever (if slightly infuriating) new puzzle title. All this and more in the gang’s wide-ranging conversation!
it’s the most wonderful time of the year! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill celebrate a beloved holiday tradition: a discussion of the end-of-year Indie World Showcase. This year coming a bit ahead of schedule in November, the November 2022 Indie World Showcase was positively brimming with exciting indie announcements for Switch. Maybe there wasn’t a Hollow Knight Silksong, but there was still plenty to look forward to.
Sleeping on a capybara in Aka, working to restore the world’s work-death balance in Have a Nice Death, and save the world through the power of sports in Sports Story–these are just a few of the many exciting titles shown off in this month’s Indie World. The gang run through every reveal of the show and share their thoughts and reactions in this in-depth discussion!
1 second, of 6 seconds, Volume 0%
Following all the news, the gang then delves into two rounds of impressions and reviews: first up is Lonesome Village, an Animal Crossing-like that doesn’t quite hit the mark, followed by A Little the Left, a clever (if slightly infuriating) new puzzle title. All this and more in the gang’s wide-ranging conversation!
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Main Event: Indie World November 2022 Discussion“Town of Luncheon” – Chicory: A Colorful Tale45:10 – Spotlight: Lonesome Village Review and a Little to the Left Impressions“Fisherman’s Tune” – Toem
Friday Nov 04, 2022
Friday Nov 04, 2022
It’s showtime for some hot takes! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill deliver a show packed with nostalgia, collaboration, and controversial opinions. Before getting into the show’s spiciest review this year, though, it’s time for some listener fan mail. In honor of the impending Super Mario Bros. Movie, the gang reflect on their most cherished memories with the Super Mario Bros. series, ranging from the original release on the NES up to the Wii era with Super Mario Galaxy.
With that wholesome positivity out of the way, it’s time for the main event: Marc’s review of Bayonetta 3. Hopes were high for this long-awaited installment in the fan-favorite action series, but Marc’s review paints a whole different picture: he rails against the game for its uneven gameplay, nonsensical story, and disappointing performance on Switch, among many, many other criticisms. Bayonetta 3 reviews might be overwhelmingly positive, but when stacking up the game against its predecessors, Marc makes one thing clear: there’s no comparison. Get ready for a Witch Time combo of negativity in what has to be one of the spiciest rants in NXpress history!
astly, the gang steers the show towards positivity with Campbell’s review of the delightful It Takes Two on Switch. The Game of the Year of 2021, It Takes Two is unlike any other multiplayer title on a platform that is already known for its masterful co-op library–and best of all, it’s received an excellent Switch port.
Don’t forget: If you want to suggest a discussion topic, share your thoughts on a recent episode, or simply chat with the NXpress crew, feel free to email us at videogameseditor@goombastomp.com!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:39 – Fan Mail Discussion: Favorite Mario Memories“Overworld 2” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate10:30 – Main Event: Bayonetta 3 Review“Hit The Climax” – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate37:40 – Talking Point: It Takes Two Switch Review“Jukebox Memories” – It Takes Two