Hero with 1000 Potions

A SOLDIER revs up for his final ride, Nibelheim region is choco-gliding playground, and Nate one-shots Chadley while riding a six-legged horse. This episode begins at the fight with Roche and ends at the scene where Glen Lodbrok hacks a message into Midgar. Chapter 11: The Long Shadow of Shinra and ends after battling Galian Beast. Discord | YouTube | Twitch | Email | Show your appreciation #097

Cloud's hometown of Nibelheim experiences a hasty recovery, Cloud recalls a long-forgotten friend, a cartoon cat tumbles through the Shinra Mansion, and Matthew Mercer emerges from a coffin. This episode begins at the start of Chapter 11: The Long Shadow of Shinra and ends after battling Galian Beast. Discord | YouTube | Twitch | Email | Show your appreciation #096

Zach and Biggs find hope in the slums, the Gi explain the Black Materia, and the Canyon Region is ours to explore. This episode completes Chapter 10: Watcher of the Vale. Discord | YouTube | Twitch | Email | Show your appreciation #095

We feel spiritual fulfillment at Cosmo Canyon, get high on Chocobo gliding, and claw our way through the Trial of the Watcher. Did anybody remember to bring a Soft? This episode begins Chapter 10: Watcher of the Vale and ends at finding Seto.

A jungle brandishes a whale-shaped WEAPON, Tifa earns a scar for not having one, Whispers clash in Lifestream, and Rebirth's Cid loses his temper. This episode completes Chapter 9: The Planet Stirs.

OUR FIRST LIVE AND IN-PERSON EPISODE! Nate and Tyler record their first podcast episode while in the same room (Don't get used to it) and beef on Rebirth's revision of Corel Prison and Dyne, plus the storytelling consequences of things like modular reactors and Palmer's butt. This episode completes Chapter 8: All That Glitters.

We discover Gold Saucer's wealth of revised and suspiciously familiar mini games and discuss Rebirth's baffling betrayals of the spirit of Corel as presented in the original game. This episode covers Chapter 8: All That Glitters between being cut loose to explore the resort independently and arriving at Corel Prison.

By mine cart and grappling hook we cross the Corel mountains to a village of impoverished Barret haters which lies in the shadow of heaven on earth, the amusement park Gold Saucer ... except it's gray now? So, Gray Saucer? A fitting name for its fresh take on virtual, disembodied, not-actually-happening funtimes. This episode covers Chapter 7: Those Left Behind and Chapter 8: All That Glitters up to resting at the Gold Saucer hotel.

Take the segue to horny jail at Rebirth's most glowed up town. We review our preconceptions of Rebirth's Costa Del Sol, make comparisons to the original game, review each mini game, and more. This episode covers Chapter 6: Fool's Paradise.

Glorious Upper Junon unfolds before us, where Cloud wears a familiar uniform and gathers gaming's greatest gang of redshirts. This episode covers the second half of Chapter 4: Dawn of a New Era and Chapter 5: Blood in the Water.

We see how Mithril Mines expanded from a four-screen dungeon, feel the maritime wonder of the greater Junon Region, and go underneath the anchovy pizza at Lower Junon. This episode covers Chapter 3: Deeper into Darkness and half of Chapter 4: Dawn of a New Era.

From Queensblood to World Intel, the city of Kalm and the Grasslands beyond introduce the gameplay loops that will set the tone for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's open world segments. This episode covers Chapter 2: A New Journey Begins.

SEASON 2.5 BEGINS! Nate & Tyler kick off a spoiler-rich review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth with a look at Chapter 1: Fall of a Hero, covering Zack arriving at Midgar, Cloud's account of the Nibelheim incident, and a conspiracy about Tifa.   Thank you Youtube.com/SoundBiter for a sound effect.

YUFFIE QUEST! Nate & Tyler conclude their coverage of Final Fantasy VII Remake by playing through the downloadable extra mission featuring Yuffie's mission to infiltrate the Shinra building and steal its top secret materia. We also announce the game we will be covering next season. This episode begins and ends INTERmission chapter 2: Covert Ops.

YUFFIE QUEST! Nate & Tyler conclude their coverage of Final Fantasy VII Remake by playing through the downloadable extra mission featuring Yuffie's mission to infiltrate the Shinra building and steal its top secret materia. We also announce the game we will be covering next season. This episode begins and ends INTERmission chapter 1: Wutai's Finest.

Tyler narrates and reacts to the story and gameplay of Nier Replicant ver.122474487139... in a blind playthrough. Nier Replicant is a genre-shifting action RPG produced by Toylogic and published by Square Enix in 2020. It is an upgraded version of the original release that published in 2010 under the name Nier Gestalt. Music by Keiichi Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, Keigo Hoashi, and Takafumi Nishimura. Sound effects by youtube.com/justsoundfx and www.youtube.com/@AudioLibrary69.

Tyler narrates and reacts to the story and gameplay of Nier Replicant ver.122474487139... in a blind playthrough. Nier Replicant is a genre-shifting action RPG produced by Toylogic and published by Square Enix in 2020. It is an upgraded version of the original release that published in 2010 under the name Nier Gestalt. Music by Keiichi Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, Keigo Hoashi, and Takafumi Nishimura. Sound effects by youtube.com/justsoundfx

Tyler narrates and reacts to the story and gameplay of Nier Replicant ver.122474487139... in a blind playthrough. Nier Replicant is a genre-shifting action RPG produced by Toylogic and published by Square Enix in 2020. It is an upgraded version of the original release that published in 2010 under the name Nier Gestalt. Music by Keiichi Okabe, Kakeru Ishihama, Keigo Hoashi, and Takafumi Nishimura. Sound effects by youtube.com/justsoundfx

We realize the extraordinary consequences of breaking with fate, Aerith's melancholic farewell gets patched out,, and Tyler and Nate give their final thoughts on Final Fantasy VII: Remake before the unknown journey continues to INTERMISSION and beyond. This episode completes Chapter 18.

We draw comparisons to Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children as we pass through The Singularity, the Whisper Harbinger blows our minds, a showdown with Sephiroth takes us into outer space, and Square Enix rapidly completes its checklist of obligatory series-defining moments. This episode begins at passing through The Singularity and ends after the scene at the Edge of Creation.

After junking Motorball we arrive the end of our coverage of the original game, meanwhile a showdown in the wastelands makes us scratch our spiky-haired heads, and Aerith issues a grave warning on the consequences of taking Sephiroth's bait. This episode begins at the start of Remake's chapter 18 and ends before entering The Singularity.

We decompress the history of Jenova, meet Rufus Shinra, battle the Arsenal, and flee the Shinra building. This episode completes Chapter 17.

We navigate a labyrinthine lab, two bigshots taste the Masamune, and a strange interstellar specimen gets spicy. This episode begins after Chapter 17's first cutscene and ends after the Jenova Dreamweaver encounter.

Nate drops a totally spoiler free review of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, covering what to expect from gameplay, combat, and the world of Rebirth. Nate shares his opinions on the nature of the direction that Square Enix's developers have taken in their approach to this game and the greater "VII Remake" series and the current state of the games industry surrounding those choices.

Red XIII explains the meaning of the Whispers. Nate & Tyler discuss theories, review every instance of a Whisper encounter thus far, the dual-meaning of Remake, and what the Whispers may represent outside of the game. This episode covers the first scene of Chapter 17.

We storm Hojo's Lab, destroy flesh monsters, recover Aerith, and meet Red XIII. This episode completed FFVII Remake's Chapter 16.

We meet the Midgar mayor, battle in VR, and infiltrate a Shinra executive board meeting. But the real question on everyone's mind is ... what's that &^#$# smell!?

Cloud, Barret and Tifa tour the Shinra Building museum with exhibits on President Shinra, Shinra Corp's five major business divisions, the city of Midgar, and the Cosmos Theatre, whose IMAX-caliber presentation reveals the ruinous company's horrific master stroke. This episode completes Final Fantasy VII Remake Chapter 16's museum tour and the brief scene between Palmer and Sephiroth afterwards.

Night falls on Midgar as Cloud, Barret, and Tifa ascend elevators and stairwells to reach the Shinra Building's upper floors. This episode covers Final Fantasy VII Remake chapter 16 up to the start of the museum tour, and Final Fantasy VII original up to meeting Deputy Mayor Hart and Mayor Domino.

By wire and grappling hook Cloud, Tifa and Barret climb a pile of garbage to break into the Shinra Building. In FFVII original, Tyler covers breaking into the lobby and Nate covers climbing the side stairs. This episode completes Remake's Chapter 15 and begins Chapter 16, finishing at entering the Shinra Building's lobby after "infiltrating" the parking garage.

A tomboy bandit causes mischief in the Sector 5 slums, Tifa compels Avalanche to help the people, and Leslie helps us get topside after we help him find Don Corneo's hidey-hole in the sewer system. This episode completes chapters 13 and 14.

Barret and Tifa plumb the Underground Test Site, witness people in tanks, honor the memory of Biggs and Jessie, and Cloud speaks with a special someone in the gardens outside Aerith's house in the wee hours of the night. This episode completes chapter 13 and begins chapter 14, ending after a tender conversation with either Aerith, Tifa, or Barret.

Following the Sector 7 plate collapse, we search for a missing Marlene, explore a stunned Sector 5, and learn about Aerith's childhood in flashbacks with Elmyra. This episode covers Chapter 13 up to arriving at the Underground Test Site.

Cloud gets Pizza-TSD, Reno and Rude show us the Turks Two-Step, and a cartoon cat weeps in horror. This episode completes chapter 12.

As the Turks assault the Sector 7 pillar, Avalanche members begin dropping off, Reno has his sights on a rematch, and Aerith thinks about the children. This episode covers chapter 12 up to the end of Aerith's playable segment.

Things get dark and spooky once Cloud, Tifa and Aerith fall into Corneo's trap in the Midgar sewers. Finding the way out it isn't too hard, but a haunted train graveyard separates the team from the Sector 7 pillar, which they desperately need to defend. This episode covers all of Chapters 10 and 11.

We enter Don Corneo's world of Dionysian depravity and threaten to take away his favorite toy. Our heroes get the rug pulled out from under them when he spills the beans about Shinra's secret to plan to destroy Avalanche. Also we discuss the Kazushige Nojima novel "The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story." This episode completes Chapter 9.

How did Remake handle Wall Market's methods of getting Cloud into his iconic dress? We review the divergent ways each game turns Cloud into wife material, and analyze each game's highly unusual Honeybee Inn sequences. This episode completes Chapter 9 up to Cloud's yassification.

We explore Remake's lively and sprawling version of Wall Market, get personal about hand massages, and battle an abominable abode. This episode completes chapter 9 up to defeating the Hell House.

As Cloud and Aerith cross Sector 6's Collapsed Expressway, Nate and Tyler wonder about the sector's partial plate collapse and Midgar's economic development. Nate briefly reviews Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis. This episode explores Chapter 9 up to arriving at Wall Market.

Aerith speaks to the flowers and Cloud gets a Rude awakening after assisting the children, pickpockets, and Shinra interns of the Sector 5 slums. This episode completes Remake's chapter 8.

Mommy Scarlet makes it all better, Tyler and Nate discover Midgar's age, and Aerith questions Cloud about Tifa. This episode covers Remake's chapter 8 between arriving at the Sector 5 slums and questing in the Sector 5 slums.

Cloud survives a crash course on horticulture, Reno has an electrifying debut, and Aerith knows more than she lets on. Meanwhile 1990s Nate has a dead Cloud theory and Tyler plays his Stratocaster.  This episode covers Remake's chapter 8 up to arriving at Sector 5 slums' residential area.

In the Sector 5 rector, Barret & Heidegger break the news, AVALANCHE builds a boss, and Cloud loses his footing. This episode completes Chapter 7.

We fear heights, love lamps, roleplay President Shinra, and discover a bird and teddy bear trapped in stone as we cross the Underplate to the Sector 5 Reactor. This episode completes Chapter 6.

Plans get complex as Cloud, Tifa and Barret follow a plucky beagle through Midgar's train tunnels as Heideggar berates, laughs, and strokes his beard at computer screens. This episode completes Remake's Chapter 5.

OUR 50TH EPISODE! HOORAY TO US! Before we hop back into the action we discuss the wealth of recent RPG news including the three-minute FFVII: Rebirth trailer, the launch of FFXVI, and Switch Direct announcements for Super Mario RPG remake, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection, and Star Ocean 2: The Second Story remake, and more. Back in Remake's Midgar, the Sector 7 slums are under attack, and we set out with alternative plans for the next bombing mission. This episode completes Chapter 4 and gets as far as fleeing the train in Chapter 5.

Jessie's secret mission to the plate is Remake's first chapter-long departure from Original's plot. Two fabulous biker boys do the motordance, the gang discovers Jessie's past and motivation for ecoterror, and the secret mission turns into a full-on firefight. This episode covers Remake's chapter 4 up to the returning to the Sector Seven slums.

As Cloud and Tifa imitate water treatment technicians, we meet a variety of Sector Seven weirdos including a the hooded and sickly Marco, the peacocking greaser Johnny, and the Shinra intern Chadley. AVALANCHE begins to schism, pseudo-Yakuzas threaten Cloud, and Jessie's got ulterior motives. Also Tyler's butt goes out of control. This episode completes Remake's chapter 3.

Our rendezvous to Avalanche HQ reveals a paternal side to Barret, a promise made to a cocktail-slinging pugilist, and the vast contrast in setting between the two games' Sector Seven slums. Also, Texas is canon. This episode completes Remake chapter 3 up to entering Seventh Heaven.

We slash our way to the last train bound for the Sector Seven slums. The passengers reveal new perspectives on the meaning of Midgar, and Nate and Tyler discuss the 'rotten pizzas' that affect their own lives. This episode completes Chapter 2.