Good Game Nice Try

Former President and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aimé, stops by to discuss his new book, “Disrupting the Game” and some of his favorite memories from his time at Nintendo. He also reveals he's a Super Mario completionist and shares which character is his go-to in Mario Kart.

We turn the tables on this very special episode of GGNT, and for the first time ever, The Golden 3 (Sonja, Bley and Jen) record together in-person and give their own best and worst video games!

Actress Janina Gavankar stops by to chat with Sonja and Bley about the upcoming Borderlands movie and why she sympathizes with geek rage. She also shares what she's currently playing and why she loves Portal.

Markiplier stops by this week to talk about his new interactive series “In Space With Markiplier” and getting his comedic inspiration from “Whose Line is it Anyway?” He also shares which game ending broke his heart and the importance of audio and sound design in horror games.

Expert of gaming psychiatry and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, Dr. K, joins Sonja and Bley to discuss the positive and negative impact gaming can have on mental health and how games like Tetris can help with trauma. He also shares how he's built a healthier relationship around gaming in his own life.

Composer Jaroslav Beck stops by to chat with Sonja and Bley about what goes into mapping songs on Beat Saber and why he loves to work with the modding community to make the game even better. He also shares exciting Beat Saber news including a new EDM music pack!

100 Thieves streamer BrookeAB stops by to chat with Sonja and Bley about her video game start playing Freddi Fish as a kid and how just because she's a Twitch streamer, doesn't mean she's actually good at video games. She also explains why she thinks the metaverse exists in GTA and what it's like living in the 100 Thieves House.

Ben Schwartz aka Sonic himself is back on the pod to chat all things Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and why fans of the games are going to love the movie. He also reminisces on old video game instruction manuals and what characters he'd love to see in the Sonic Universe.

Hyper RPG co-founder Zac Eubank joins Sonja and Bley to discuss how fan engagement with shows like Lost paved the way for audience engagement in his own projects. He also shares info on his new show, “KOllOK”, which horror films he draws inspiration from, and what character he wants Sonja to play.

Writer and comedian Ify Nwadiwe stops by to reminisce about the high school teachers who let him play RuneScape and StarCraft during class. He also discusses joining a martial arts club that became a Mortal Kombat fight club and shares what it's like to write for Apex Legends.

Nick from AR12 stops by to discuss what video game got him into cars in the first place. He also shares which car from Forza Horizon 4 he loved so much that he bought in real life! Plus, Bley gives his thoughts on Elden Ring.

Steven Spohn and Alanah Pearce stop by to discuss what it was like working together to organize the Video Game Accessibility Awards and the importance of educating people on accessibility in gaming. They also share how video games have strengthened their friendship and dish on who is more competitive of the two.

Just Dance streamer LittleSiha stops by to discuss her streaming origin story and how Sonja played a big role in her journey. She also shares what goes into her 3 hour speed run dance streams and why she loves the Mass Effect Trilogy.

Shen Ye stops by to chat about his journey to becoming Global Head of Hardware at HTC and what went into creating the Vive Flow VR Headset. He also discusses the HTC mission of putting humanity first when developing VR technology and shares how VR can be used as a tool for mental health, job training, rehabilitation, fitness, and more.

Game Developer Daniel Mullins joins Sonja and Bley to chat about what went into making Inscryption and how it got its start on a game jam. He also shares memories of playing Pokemon on the Gameboy Color. Plus, we continue with more #GameBookClub playing Firewatch!

Senior Director of AbleGamers Steven Spohn chats with Sonja and Bley about the impact Ultima Online had on him and how he worked for years in secrecy on the Microsoft Xbox Adaptive Controller. He also reminisces on playing Atari Tennis and gives his opinions on Star Wars Galaxies. Plus, we have a #GameBookClub update!

Actor and musician Arif Zahir stops by to share how he went from impersonating Cleveland Brown in Call of Duty lobbies to actually voicing the character on Family Guy. He also discusses his brief foray into magic on his Youtube channel and why he wants more Max Payne.

Renowned auto detailer Larry Kosilla stops by to share how his passion for car detailing has led him to the video game world with a new car detail simulator. He chats with Sonja and Bley about the process of creating his new DLC and how game designers got so many details right - including what's in his studio fridge.

Esports commentator Maven joins Sonja and Bley this week to talk about the evolution of esports and his journey to commentating for Call of Duty League. He also shares what games make him rage quit and how he susses out COD cheaters.

For actor Rahul Kohli, video games are the foundation of his being. He stops by the pod to discuss his love of Red Dead Redemption and video game remasters. He also shares how Joel from The Last of Us inspired his look on Midnight Mass and what video game soundtracks get him pumped on set.

Game Designer and professional Dungeon Master Gabe Hicks joins Sonja and Bley to share details about his new Goblin dating sim. He also discusses his early DnD characters and gives some tips on what makes a good DM. 

YouTuber Unspeakable stops by to dish on the planning that goes into his crazy stunts and videos (giant ball pit, anyone?). He also discusses the longevity of Minecraft and its impact on the gaming community. Plus, Sonja and Bley give an end of year gaming recap.

Pro League of Legends player Sneaky stops by to chat about his path to becoming a professional gamer, how he keeps 11-hour streams fun, and his journey into crossplay.

BioShock creator Ken Levine stops by this week to discuss all things BioShock and share his thoughts on the evolution of narrative games. He also answers your burning BioShock questions. Plus, we wrap up our first ever Game Book Club!

Game Designer Jonathan Blow stops by to discuss the process behind making the critically-acclaimed games Braid and The Witness. He also gives his thoughts on VR and shares some of the games that inspire him.

Comedian Jackie Kashian joins Sonja and Bley to chat about the time she called Nintendo's help line. She also shares how she got into video games through a bowling club in high school and confesses to spending thousands of dollars on romance novels.

Jonny Cruz stops by to share how he tapped into the voice of Lúcio in Overwatch. He also dishes on being a video game completionist and discusses what Zelda has meant to him over the years.

Legendary voice actress Tara Strong joins Sonja and Bley to give the scoop on what it was like to enter the MCU as Miss Minutes on Loki. She also shares the advice Stan Lee gave her and discusses why she thinks her role of Raven speaks to so many people.

Adam Sessler joins Sonja and Bley this week to give the scoop on the re-launch of G4! The X-Play host shares his thoughts on the evolution of the gaming industry and how he went from working at a bank to playing video games as a career.

Sam Riegel stops by this week to give the scoop on Critical Role's third campaign and the upcoming Critical Role animated series. He also shares the epic text thread between the cast and why he'll choose the Fantastic Four over the X-Men any day.

Ashly Burch has been a gamer for as long as she can remember and she joins Sonja and Bley to talk about the early N64 games she loved and what games she's looking forward to playing next. She also shares what it was like to reprise the role of Aloy in the highly-anticipated Horizon Forbidden West! Plus Bley and Sonja take on another fan request.

Jason Kelley joins Sonja and Bley to talk about his journey from working in a cubicle to voicing Colt Vahn in this year's critically-acclaimed game Deathloop. He also shares how golfing video games have improved his real-life golf skills and looks back fondly on his first gaming console, the Atari Blip.

Liam O'Brien stops by to discuss his nerd journey, from his first gaming console, the Vectrex, to playing Dungeons and Dragons professionally with Critical Role. He also shares his long list of favorite games and dishes on the game that makes him rage quit.

Giancarlo Esposito joins Sonja and Bley to talk all things Far Cry 6! As the franchise's latest villain, Antón Castillo, Giancarlo discusses the preparation that went into the role, what it was like to act in a video game, and who he thinks is the best villain of all time. Plus, listen for your chance to snag your own copy of Far Cry 6.

Professional Game Master Timm Woods is this week's guest and he gives Sonja and Bley a crash course in RPGs. He shares his tips for becoming a good Dungeon Master and dishes on his favorite world to play in. From Dungeons & Dragons to Star-Crossed, a game of forbidden love, Timm shows us that when it comes to RPGs, the possibilities are endless!

Mari Takahashi is back on the pod to talk all things Esports! As the newest co-owner of Esports organization Spacestation Gaming, Mari joins Bley and Sonja to chat about paving the way for others in the industry, being an ESports superfan, and why she's just looking to become the Ted Lasso of gaming.

Comic book author and TV host Sam Humphries joins Bley and Sonja this week to talk about his journey from dropping out of art school to writing Comics for Marvel and DC. He also shares how the movie Coco provided inspiration for Nightwing and what games he loves to zen out to.

Voice actor Darin De Paul stops by this week to share his journey into voicing some of gaming's most iconic characters, from Reinhardt in Overwatch to Dr. Samuel Hayden in Doom. He also talks about the glitz and glamour of Broadway (i.e. gaming backstage) and dishes about his upcoming role in the highly anticipated Halo Infinite.

Smosh co-founder Ian Hecox joins Sonja and Bley this week to talk about his love for Mass Effect and his current addiction to Civilization VI. He also shares where he sees Smosh going in the future (think SNL of the internet).

G4 host Kassem G stops by to give Sonja and Bley the scoop on the highly-anticipated G4 relaunch and shares why he thinks more people should get into comic books. Plus, Conan is back to give a Mario impression no one asked for.

Twitch streamer/Big Brother 10 winner Dan Gheesling joins Sonja and Bley to nerd out about the early days of DOS Command prompts, share the gaming console he purchased with his Big Brother winnings, and give what may be the spiciest answer for least favorite game in GGNT history.

YouTuber Courtney Miller stops by to dish on all things Smosh and shares what playing The Sims has taught her about real life. She also admits to being a video game fraidy cat and reveals which games scare her the most. Plus, Bley wrote a video game!

Game Grumps co-founder Arin Hanson joins Sonja and Bley this week to talk about how Napster played a pivotal part in his career. He also shares his love of the PS2 game Gitaroo Man and dishes on what went into creating the popular dating simulator, Dream Daddy.

Ethan Nestor aka CrankGameplays joins Sonja and Bley this week to chat about his YouTube journey and how boredom can help the creative process. He also dishes on his love/hate relationship with Super Smash Bros. and shares why he thinks Mario Party ends friendships.

Filmmaker Kevin Smith stops by to talk about his latest project, the Netflix series Masters of the Universe: Revelation. He also recounts the time he got an Atari 2600 from a farm in New Jersey and why he thinks Clerks resonated so strongly with people.

From video game fan to star of some of the industry's biggest titles, actress Erika Ishii talks a stroll down memory lane with Sonja and Bley to chat about the impact gaming has had on her. She discusses her introduction to gaming with Aladdin on the Sega Genesis, how important D&D has been to her, and why The Last of Us holds a special place in her heart.

Rick & Morty creator Justin Roiland joins Sonja and Bley this week to share why he thinks this may all be a simulation. He also discusses his journey to creating his own gaming studio and dishes on which game he disliked so much he sold it on Ebay after an hour of playing it.

Critical Role Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer joins Sonja and Bley this week to talk all things D&D, from how Critical Role got started to what it takes to be a successful Dungeon Master. He also shares how D&D helped him come out of his shell and why he has a soft spot for RPGs.

Guitarist and singer Wolfgang Van Halen stops by this week to educate Bley and Sonja on some very niche retro gaming consoles. He also shares what it was like to appear on Guitar Hero and why he thinks Super Mario RPG is one of the best games of all time.

YouTuber Drumsy stops by this week to take a trip down memory lane with Sonja and Bley. They reminisce about all things Game Boy and Pokemon Yellow. He also talks about his journey into VR and shares some very hot takes on Minecraft.

Actor and singer Frankie Grande drops in this week to share what it was like to play the real-life Among Us - Big Brother! He also compares the endurance needed to stream with the endurance needed for Broadway and dishes on gaming with his little sister Ariana Grande.