NerdsPLUS

The Mandalorian is only three episodes in but by some metrics is already more popular than Stranger Things, proving the force is strong even in a story with no jedi. This week Newshub's own jedi master and Entertainment Editor Kate Rodger joins Finn Hogan and Jordan Tini to chat about the latest and greatest in a galaxy far, far away.The nerds also unpack their hopes and fears for Rise of Skywalker, their thoughts on Baby Yoda and how exactly the Mandalorian eats if he never removes his helmet.

This week the nerds offer their hottest takes on Watchmen, the Mandalorian and His Dark Materials while Finn finally gets his chance to weigh in on Death Stranding.

In this special bonus level of NerdPLUS, Finn talks to the cast of Doctor Sleep, including Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson and Director Mike Flanagan about the challenge of following up such an iconic piece of cinema.

This week Finn unpacks everything he saw on his trip to LA, including all the highlights of Blizzcon and interviewing the cast of Doctor Sleep. We round out the show with Daniel Rutledge and Jordan Tini sharing their somewhat mixed feelings on a tiny indie game that no-one has heard of, called Death Stranding.

The latest from Taika Waititi is marketed as a film that 'goes to war on hate' but is it another irreverent masterpiece or disjointed mess? This week Newshub Verticals Editor Daniel Rutledge and Digital Producer Sophie Bateman join Finn to discuss.

This week freelance gaming journalist Oskar Howell joins Finn and Jordan to break down everything he saw at PAX but not before Finn shares his thoughts on the sequel to Zombieland. Spoiler alert, he was less than impressed.

This week Newshub Verticals Editor Daniel Rutledge rejoins the podcast to talk everything Playstation 5.

Depending on who you ask, Joker is a masterpiece of cinema or a problematic mess which glamorises the worst sort of person.This week on NerdsPLUS, host Finn Hogan is joined by queen nerd and Newshub Entertainment Editor Kate Rodger, as well as Digital Entertainment Editor and The Snack podcast host Mon Barton and podcast regular XenoJay. The nerds unpack the controversy, discuss Joaquin Phoenix's Oscar chances and ask whether this is even a Batman film anymore.

Newshub Entertainment Editor Daniel Rutledge returns to give us the latest on Minecraft Earth and to help the nerds process the still unfurling controversy surrounding Joker. Also on the agenda, Ad Astra, Playstation State of Play and a podcast which may or may not have reduced Finn to tears.

After a small gap on our regular scheduled programming, the nerds are back with some mighty reckons about Rambo: Last Blood, It: Chapter Two and Ad Astra. In their eternally unnamed video game section, they tackle colonisation simulator Greedfall, talk Borderlands 3 and Final Fantasy 8 remaster.

In this special bonus level fo NerdsPLUS, Finn interviews Kiwi Boy Jay Ryan and talk about his starring role in the upcoming sequel to the biggest horror film of all time - IT Chapter Two.

Well, D23 was ALOT you guys. This episode the Nerds digest the latest expansions in the Disney empire and Finn gushes over Control, the latest from Remedy.

It's been a big week in cinema, Matrix 4 with the original team? Spiderman cruelly torn from Marvel's grasp? FINN AND JORDAN NEED HELP. Also, you can Pee in Death Stranding. Because, well. Of course you can.

In this very special horror-themed episode of NerdsPLUS Newshub Entertainment Editor Daniel Rutledge joins the podcast to talk Midsommar, the latest cinematic masterpiece from Ari Aster. Spoiler warning from 20:00 to 25:00. Then the nerds talk more broadly about cinema etiquette, their formative horror experiences, death/torture porn and of course, horror video games.

This week the nerds tackle Amazon's new superhero series 'The Boys' and Finn gives his hot take on Big Little Lies Season 2 before singing the praises of new Nintendo Switch game Fire Emblem Three Houses. Also on the agenda: Fire Force anime, Fortnite world champs, Minecraft and more.

This week New Zealand's preeminent Marvel fan-boy Mr Jordan Tini joins the podcast to talk everything Phase Four. Also on the agenda: Persona 5, Metro Exodus, Slay the Spire and some niche anime no-one has heard of about superheroes at university. Ludicrous concept, it'll never take off.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

Billion of dollars is being spent worldwide to find the next Game of Thrones and so this week the nerds rank all the pretenders to the Iron Throne of television.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

The nerds give their thoughts on Spider-Man: Far from Home and praise the lord it's excellent. Also, the disappointing second season of Big Little Lies and the horny second season of Kakegurui.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

Does killing prostitutes in Grand Theft Auto make you a misogynist? On this special bonus episode of NerdsPLUS, host Finn Hogan joins the women from The Snack podcast to female representation in gaming.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

This week the nerds bask in the post-E3 glow and hold a very special ceremony to crown their new monarch.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

E3, the biggest event in video gaming, has come around again and our nerds are here with all their hottest takes. NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

E3 is moments away so let's find out who can peer into the future better between Finn and Jordan.NerdsPLUS is a weekly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the video games, anime, comics and petty arguments about fictional characters you wish were on the 6pm bulletin.www.newshub.co.nz/podcasts

Finn gushes over HBO's Chernobyl mini-series, Jordan runs us through Dauntless, and all three of us wonder if Star Citizen will ever actually come out. Then we check in with how the gaming industry is doing at self-regulating loot boxes. Spoiler alert, not well.

This week we finally get to stop talking about Game of Thrones and start talking about Pokemon, with Jordan bringing us his spoiler-free impressions of Detective Pikachu. Also on the show, Subnautica, SteamWorld Quest, Overcooked, Sony and Microsoft team-up and the chill joy of No-Clip video game documentaries.

This week our nerds tackle the much-maligned Episode 5 of Game of Thrones and the much-lauded third entry into the John Wick trilogy. Then they discuss the latest State of Play, that tiny morsel of Final Fantasy 7 remake content and touch base with the latest in Randy Pitchford's Twitter meltdown.

Game of Thrones is ending with a whimper and Finn is less than impressed. The nerds also head off to see the not-so-wonderful wizard of games, Randy Pitchford, and then update you on the latest in the depressing world of game worker exploitation.

Beware: this podcast is dark and full of spoilers. It's time for our nerds to take a deep dive into the two biggest pieces of media on the planet, with a brief aside to process the Sonic trailer.

What the hell, Sony. The new console had a very strange unveiling and our nerds were not prepared. Then the team is forced to Git Gud and solve the difficulty in video games debate, Jason Schreier has even more to say about Bioware and the future of Dragon Age, EA brags about not microtransacting a game, and we celebrate everything Star Wars. NerdsPLUS is a fortnightly podcast coming to you from the Newshub newsroom, where three friends bring you all the content you wish was on the 6pm bulletin.

Hot dang From Software done got us again. Plus we consider the future of the video game industry (some more), discuss Jason Schrier's fascinating deep dive into Anthem's troubled development and Camille plays Witcher 3 for the first time. Plus, Jordan convinces us why Borderlands is the world's best schlooter.

We took a break and things went bananas in the world of video games. Let's process it all together. Most of the stuff we talked about this weekStadia: Google has (partially) pulled back the curtain on their streaming service. Are the console wars over now? (probably)Division 2: The most obviously political non-political game of all time Valve and their hands-off approach to content moderationHow goddam excellent Devotion is, if only people could buy it. The smoking sexy style Devil May Cry 5Far Cry 5: New Dawn and the consistency of Ubisoft gamesA new character in Dota 2 and Finn becomes literally gobsmacked at how much money and time his co-hosts have spent on that game.Next week's homeworkReturn of the Obra Dinn - Latest form indie darling Lucas Pope. Never has nautical insurance adjusting been so fun. Final Space - Netflix animated comedy that Jordan insists is revolutionaryUmbrella Academy - Because the one thing the Black Parade album was missing was super-powered teens

This week we try to spark with sexy monsters, and Claudia becomes a salamander with fire powers. Buckle up...

Anand is overconfident of his gaming prowess, Jordan makes us consider Daffy Duck’s knees, and Claudia loves paperclips.Most of the stuff we talked about this week:Xbox Adaptive Controller: We we sent one, it’s great and fun.DC meets Looney Tunes: The crossover you didn’t know you needed.A Dark Room http://adarkroom.doublespeakgames.com/ : We spent too much time talking about Universal Paperclips instead.My Hero Academia: All powers are not created equal

Why is it so hard to kill Sean Bean?? Plus we become obsessed with paper clips, and Jordan’s bad thing backfires.

This week we examine how much gaming is contributing to problem gambling, we learn Anand has old old eyes, and Dr Frost hatches his most villainous scheme yet.Most of the stuff we talked about this week:Batman Arkham Asylum https://bit.ly/2DCzN67: Finn says it’s ‘The best Batman comic. Period. Fight me!’. So we did. Lazarus https://bit.ly/2DQ2XeA: Sci-fi action comic that brought our love for comics back to life.Irredeemable https://bit.ly/2TxTJfZ: What if our heroes weren’t well adjusted people? Do we have the comic for you.Universal Paperclips http://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/: How even the most mundane AI can go rogue.

Unpacking Fallout 76's fallout, and Anand has a nuanced opinion of Berserk and all three hosts find out.What we talked about this week:Berserk: Because Finn won't rest till his co-hosts love it as much as he does https://mangarock.com/manga/mrs-serie-26314This War of Mine: The rare kind of game which focuses on the consequences of war instead of the combatants https://bit.ly/2tSGaLVParadigm: A point and click adventure ft. a mutant sloth who vomits candy, what more do you need from me https://bit.ly/2PWZmp2Fallout 76: The multiplayer Fallout that so very few people were asking for https://fallout.bethesda.net/Batman Arkham Asylum: The best Batman comic. Period. Fight me, internet https://bit.ly/2DCzN67Lazarus: Sci-fi action comic with a (spoiler) unkillable main character https://bit.ly/2DQ2XeAIrredeemable: A comic that asks the question 'What if Superman was a dick?" https://bit.ly/2TxTJfZ

Farewell to industry legend Stan Lee, welcome to guest host Mr Jordan Frost, and an update on the continuing dumpster fire that is Diablo Immortal.Most of the stuff we talked about this week:Berserk: Unquestionably, the world's STRONGEST fantasy manga https://bit.ly/2OKr2J7When Marnie Was There: A Studio Ghibli classic that takes a sharp turn into the bizarre https://bit.ly/2PpK2Si Papers Please: The most beautiful game about a low-level bureaucrat in a fascist state you'll ever play https://bit.ly/2x3pqGMNext week's homework: This War of Mine: A game that focuses on the consequences of war instead of the combatants https://bit.ly/2tSGaLVParadigm: A point and click adventure ft. a mutant sloth who vomits candy https://bit.ly/2PWZmp2

Blizzcon 2018 is a wrap so we sift through the ashes of our Diablo disappointments. Also on this episode: Finn and Anand discover they're surprisingly into Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Anand proves he has an ashtray for a heart and Claudia flees the country.Most of the stuff we talked about this week:Darkest Dungeon: A punishingly difficult Gothic rogue-like adventure RPGJunji Ito's 'The Enigma of Emigara Fault': One of the best pieces of manga horror form arguably the best horror mangaka of all timeChilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Betty Draper does blood magic now, what's not to love?Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion: Blizzcon 2018: Activision Blizzard manage to disappoint literally everyoneNext week's homework: Berserk: Unquestionably, the world's STRONGEST(These caps are essential Maggie) fantasy manga.When Marnie Was There: A Studio Ghibli classic which according to Claudia, takes a sharp turn into the bizarre. Papers Please: The most beautiful game about a low level bureaucrat in a fascist state that you'll ever play

Featuring Lebron James' reboot of Friday the 13th, Red Dead Redemption 2's launch and the apparently 100-hour weeks Rockstar's staff put in to finish it. Because as everyone knows, the real horror is workplace exploitation.

In the inaugural episode of Nerdshub, we discuss the downfall of Telltale Games, Jodie Whittaker as the latest incarnation of Doctor Who, and hear some thoughts from the one person on earth who hadn't yet played Skyrim.Most of the stuff we talked about this week:Skyrim: (Xbox 360 Version): If we have to tell you what this game is I'm astonished you're listening to this podcast. Made in Abyss: Crunchyroll's Anime of the year winner and all around fantastic piece of media with only a few more penises in it than you're expecting. Layers of Fear - PC horror game where you play a painter slowly losing his mind while trying to paint his masterpiece. Good, schlocky, hallucinogenic fun. Saga comic: A space opera which manages to creatively and believably combine magic, sci-fi, emotive storytelling and quips like 'suck my haemorrhoids'. Next week's homework: Classic 2008 Anime film Summer Wars which kick-started the age of Sword-Art Online.The absolutely chill and definitely not terrifying visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club. Dominion board game: Can't tell you much about it yet because we haven't played it but I feel like it's going to test our friendships.