The NXpress Nintendo Podcast
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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
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 306: Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Review
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Wednesday Oct 19, 2022
Get ready for an NXpress of galactic proportions! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill review the most anticipated RPG to hit the Switch this month (well, one of them at least). Before Marc reviews Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, though, the gang responds to an urgent question from an NXpress listener: what’s the best Andross fight in the Star Fox series? The hosts compare the mad scientist’s appearances throughout Star Fox on the SNES, Star Fox 64, and Star Fox Adventures to assess which game has the best showdown.
After that, it’s on to the main event: Marc’s all-encompassing review of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, the sequel to one of 2017’s most surprisingly delightful Switch exclusives. This follow-up takes Mario and the Rabbids crew to the stars with an adventure that adds new dimensions to the original’s already solid strategic gameplay loop. It might be lacking in the writing and music departments, but Sparks of Hope succeeds where it matters most with creative and satisfying tactical gameplay that makes the game one of the best representatives of its genre on Switch. Tune in for Marc’s all-encompassing thoughts!
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!
Saturday Oct 15, 2022
Saturday Oct 15, 2022
Mushroom kingdom, here we come! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill share their thoughts on the first official trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie and review a delightfully wholesome indie game. Starting things out strong, the gang dives headfirst into analyzing asking the age-old question: how will it compare to the infamous 1992 live-action Mario movie? Chris Pratt might not be everyone’s first choice to voice Nintendo’s mascot on the silver screen, but the gang comes to a consensus: how about we give him a chance? Cautious optimism is the name of the game for Illumination and Nintendo’s feature film collaboration.
Next up, Marc and Campbell shine an indie spotlight on The Spirit and the Mouse, a charming 3D adventure collectathon that shows what life must be like as a little mouse solving problems in a beautiful French village. This little adventure is short but incredibly sweet: without even a damage system, the game lets its laidback puzzles shine, offering up a serene and relaxing experience that players shouldn’t miss.
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 Super Mario Bros. Movie Debut Trailer Discussion“New Donk City” – Super Mario Odyssey26:00 – Indie Spotlight: The Spirit and the Mouse Review“Opening Theme” – The Super Mario Bros. Super Show
Saturday Oct 01, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 304: Shovel Knight Dig and Taiko no Tatsujin Review!
Saturday Oct 01, 2022
Saturday Oct 01, 2022
Never too late to dig in. This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill grab their shovels and don their horned helmets to dive into Yacht Club Games and Nitrome’s latest concoction with an in-depth review of Shovel Knight Dig on Switch! The latest in a long line of Shovel Knight games, Dig takes the platformer in a new direction–namely, down. The hosts gush about this roguelike platformer, which takes all the charm and platforming mastery of the mainline games and successfully translates it to an addictive roguelike formula. Perhaps it doesn’t add as much to the wider Shovel Knight lore as some might hope, but for what it is, the gang agrees: Shovel Knight Dig unearths an excellent new direction for this beloved indie series.
Next up, Marc offers a musical breakdown with a review of Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival, the most recent of Bandai Namco’s long-running series of percussive perfection. This game might not reinvent the taiko wheel, but it does double down on everything that has made this series of percussion games so fun: addictive gameplay with a ridiculous amount of crazy songs to play. It even manages to make a subscription model work!
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:43 – Indie Spotlight: Shovel Knight Dig Review“Spore Judgement” – Shovel Knight Dig47:00 – Main Event: Taiko no Tatsujin: Rhythm Festival Review“TSUNAGARE! HINOGARE! UCHIAGARE!” – Taiko no Tatsujin
Friday Sep 23, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 303: The Splatoon 3 Extravaganza!
Friday Sep 23, 2022
Friday Sep 23, 2022
This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill are joined by Splatoon expert, maker of stuff, and longtime friend of the show, Marty Allen! Join Marc and Marty as they splat headfirst into a deepdive discussion of Splatoon 3, the latest and genuinely greatest entry in Nintendo’s standout cartoon shooter series. From the revamped online play to the expanded single-player campaign, Marty and Marc gush about nearly every aspect of the game in this in-depth conversation. Of course, it’s not long before they get to the most important question of all: who’s the Big Man on the podcast?
After that, the gang hops into a discussion of the latest courses released in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass, and receives some insight from the most authoritative of game critics–Marty’s four-year-old cousin, Joe. After racing through all the tracks that this DLC had to offer, the gang closes with an indie spotlight on the adorable Tinykin and delivers the final verdict on Haiku the Robot, a surprisingly atmospheric metroidvania that every fan of the genre deserves to experience during the agonizing wait for Silksong.
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:50 – Main Event: Splatoon 3 Review“Goldenrod City” – Qumu17:00 – Talking Point: Joe’s Thoughts on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course“Poké Mart” – Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver39:10 – Indie Spotlight: Tinykin and Haiku the Robot“Pokémon Center” – Pokemon Black & White
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Friday Sep 16, 2022
Folks, it’s that time of year again. This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill react to the long-awaited full Nintendo Direct of September 2022. After weeks of rumors about HD Zelda ports and Metroid remasters, did the latest big Direct live up to the hype? Of course not, but there was still plenty to love–especially if you’re a fan of farming sims.
From the opening announcement of Fire Emblem Engage to the surprise return of Pikmin 4 up to the climactic reveal of Breath of the Wild 2’s name and release date, this Direct was bursting at the seams with highlights. Fans of Square Enix’s absurd names were also eating well, between Octopath Traveler II, Various Daylife, and oh so many more.
Was every announcement a winner? Certainly not, and many headlines were almost comically biased towards life sims. But Cameron, Marc, and Campbell are here to guide you through the highs, the lows, and the farming sims of the Direct–and there’s plenty to unpack, so buckle in for a freewheeling discussion of everything you need to know about the September Direct!
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 301: Yacht Club Games’ Celia Schilling Talks Shovel Knight Dig
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Wednesday Sep 14, 2022
Shovels at the ready, it’s time to dig in! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill are joined by longtime friend of the show, Celia Schilling, for a sweeping discussion of Shovel Knight Dig! The gang picks Celia’s brain about everything there is to now ahead of the launch of this much-anticipated new entry in the Shovel Knight series.
As a roguelike platformer, Shovel Knight Dig is certainly a notable departure from other Shovel Knight games. Celia discusses Yacht Club’s partnership with famed browser game developer Nitrome, Dig’s place in the wider Shovel Knight pantheon, and what it takes to launch a successful spinoff. Shovel Knight fans will want to tune in for plenty of spoiler-free info about Dig ahead of its launch on September 23rd!
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:50 – Main Event: Shovel Knight Dig Interview“Goldenrod City” – Qumu“Halls of the Usuper” – Shovel Knight
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
Sunday Sep 11, 2022
We’re turning the big 3-0-0 with this episode! This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill celebrate 300 episodes of the show the only way they know how: by ranting about Pokemon trailers and chatting about their favorite new indie games like Anno Mutationem and Haiku the Robot.
First thing’s first: the gang reacts to the latest Pokemon Scarlet and Violet trailer, dissecting everything that the trailer does and doesn’t tell us about the next generation of monster-catching action. The trailer certainly left us with more questions than answers–what does moment-to-moment gameplay even look like, anyway?–but between the new character designs, storylines, and battle mechanics, Scarlet and Violet is giving us reason to feel cautiously optimistic…for now, at least.
Next up, Cameron and Campbell share their thoughts on the new Switch port of the formerly PS5-exclusive Anno: Mutationem. Possibly one of the most baffling games we’ve discussed on the show yet, Anno Mutationem is a surprisingly ambitious cyberpunk game that blends narrative-heavy adventure and exploration with a hectic 2D combat system, all wrapped in a stunning HD-2D aesthetic. That’s not all we have for this indie extravaganza, though: for the last spotlight, the gang reviews Haiku the Robot on Switch, a delightfully poetic little metroidvania that just might fill the Silksong-shaped hole in all our hearts.
Before bringing the show to a close, the gang make their wildest predictions for the upcoming September direct that may or may not happen…will Twilight Princess and Wind Waker HD ever come to Switch? Will Metroid Prime 4 ever release? Time will tell, but that won’t stop us talking about it!
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:50 – Opening topic: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Trailer Discussion“Goldenrod City” – Qumu17:00 – Indie Spotlight: Anno: Mutationem“Poké Mart” – Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver39:10 – Indie Spotlight 2: Haiku the Robot“Pokémon Center” – Pokemon Black & White
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
NXpress Nintendo Podcast 299: WayForward’s Tomm Hulett Talks Spidersaurs
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
Saturday Sep 03, 2022
Spidersaurs Director Interview
Bet you were looking (way)forward to this one. This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill are joined by a very special guest–WayForward’s own Tomm Hulett, director of the inventive run-and-gun Spidersaurs, which recently saw its debut on Switch. In this wide-ranging interview, the gang picks Tomm’s about all things spiders, dinosaurs, and everything in-between.
Spidersaurs is a tribute to the classic run’n’guns of yesteryear, taking place in a dystopian future where spiders and dinosaurs have been fused together for disastrous effect. Tomm reveals how the project came to be, describes what it’s like to revisit the game for its console release, and hints at what the future of the run’n’gun genre might hold.
Along the way, the gang also digs into Tomm’s previous game development experience, spanning industry figureheads like Konami and Atlus–and how much of that background culminated in Spidersaurs. All this and more in this interview of Jurassic proportions!
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:50 – Main Event: Interview with Tomm Hulett pt. 1“Intro Movie” – Spidersaurs32:20 – Tomm Hulett Interview pt. 2“Laboratory” – Spidersaurs
Friday Aug 26, 2022
NXpress 298: Cursed to Golf Review + What’s the Point of Treehouse Live?
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Friday Aug 26, 2022
Ready to tee up? This week on the NXpress Nintendo Podcast, Cameron Daxon, Marc Kaliroff, and Campbell Gill hit the golf course for a review of the charming indie Cursed to Golf, yet another emotionally charged Sonic Frontiers discussion, and a discussion of a truly existential question: what’s the point of a Treehouse Live presentation these days, anyway?
The gang starts off by reacting to the objectively single biggest piece of news from this year’s Gamescom: Sonic Frontiers might actually be good? Sega has unveiled a new story trailer that gives some reason for hope that the blue blur’s next quest won’t be another letdown. Not like we’ve been let down before…
This week the Indie Spotlight takes the main event, as Marc and Campbell hit the greens and review Cursed to Golf –an inventive rogulike twist on the golf game formula. Following a golfing champion who meets with an untimely demise, players will have to golf their way through fiendish obstacle courses to get out of Golf Purgatory. This title is wildly inventive and charming, but does its roguelike gameplay structure do it any favors, or is it just an arbitrary way to pad the game? Heated debate ensues!
Lastly, the hosts close the show by reacting to the news that Nintendo will host a new Treehouse Live this week by asking a simple question: why? What’s the future of Treehouse Lives, and why does this presentation formula feel so stale?
You can listen to our show on YouTube | Stitcher | iTunes | Podbean | Spotify | Listen Notes | iHeartRadio | Player FM | Amazon Audible
Playlist:LFXIV – NXpress Intro0:50 – Opening Topic: Sonic Frontiers Release Date Discussion“Seaside Hill” – Sonic Heroes19:20 – Main Event: Cursed to Golf Review“Scottsman Theme” – Cursed to Golf40:20 – Talking Point: What’s the Point of Treehouse Live?“Scramble With Scotty” – Cursed to Golf