Podcasts about Metacritic

Den Batman: Arkham-oplevelse, vi har manglet?Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight er et action-adventure-spil udviklet af det britiske studie TT Games Studio og udgivet af Warner Bros. Games. Spillet er faktisk det fjerde Lego Batman-spil. Denne gang kaster serien et blik på hele Batmans legendariske historie, fortalt gennem alle former for medier gennem årene. Det betyder, at Legacy of the Dark Knight hylder alt fra Batman-filmen fra 1989 og Batman: Arkham-serien til Christopher Nolans ikoniske Batman-trilogi samt mere obskure tegneserier. Alt er repræsenteret. Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight er på mange måder et greatest hits-album, men fortalt gennem en original historie sat i Legos underholdende univers.Spillet blev første gang annonceret under Gamescom Opening Night Live i 2025 og fangede med det samme gamernes interesse, da den tydelige gameplaymæssige inspiration fra Batman: Arkham-spillene var meget iøjnefaldende. Faktisk har studiet bag den spilserie, Rocksteady Studios, fungeret som støttestudie på denne Lego-produktion.Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight har fået gode anmeldelser verden over og har i øjeblikket en Metacritic-score på 84. Derudover har spillet allerede solgt 1,2 millioner eksemplarer i løbet af sin første uge på markedet. Men hvad synes vi om det her i Arkaden?Alt det og meget mere skal vi finde ud af nu.I denne episode deltager Morten VP, Felix Sanchez og Morten Urup.Tusind tak, fordi du lytter med.

Movie of the Year: 2006Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull StoryThe Tristram Shandy Podcast Opens the 2006 BracketThe Tristram Shandy podcast episode kicks off our brand new 2006 bracket on Movie of the Year. After crowning our way through 1971, the Taste Buds turn to a fresh film year. Moreover, we start with one of the strangest comedies of the decade. Michael Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story is a film about making a film of an unfilmable book. Consequently, it makes a perfect launch title for a show that loves movies about movies. In this episode, Ryan, Mike, and Greg dig into metafiction, gender, and the prickly chemistry between Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Additionally, two new segments make their debut. Above all, we want to set the tone for a wild 2006 season.About the FilmLaurence Sterne published The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman in nine volumes between 1759 and 1767. The novel is famous for being playful, digressive, and nearly impossible to adapt. Notably, the narrator barely manages to get himself born across hundreds of pages. Winterbottom and his team turned that problem into the whole joke. As a result, the movie follows a fictional crew trying to film the book. Steve Coogan plays a vain version of himself, plus Tristram and his father, Walter. Meanwhile, Rob Brydon plays a needling version of himself and Uncle Toby. The screenplay carries the pseudonym "Martin Hardy," although Frank Cottrell-Boyce actually wrote it. Furthermore, the cast includes Keeley Hawes, Shirley Henderson, Dylan Moran, Naomie Harris, Kelly Macdonald, and Jeremy Northam. Gillian Anderson and Stephen Fry also appear as heightened versions of themselves. You can read more at Wikipedia or the original Roger Ebert review.This is the first film episode of our 2006 season. To explore the wider bracket project, visit the Movie of the Year archive. If you enjoy this Tristram Shandy podcast deep dive, our A Clockwork Orange episode from the 1971 run pairs nicely with this conversation about cinematic form.Want to hear how the season began? Start with our 2006 season intro, then dig into the 2006 bracket reveal before this episode.Metafiction and the Unfilmable NovelMetafiction sits at the center of our first discussion. Sterne wrote a novel that constantly reminds you it is a novel. Similarly, Winterbottom built a movie that keeps reminding you it is a movie. The crew breaks the fourth wall, argues about the script, and screens its own dailies. Therefore, the film becomes a hall of mirrors about storytelling itself. The Taste Buds ask a simple question. How do you adapt a book that mocks the idea of adaptation? Furthermore, we trace the lineage from Sterne to modern self-aware comedies. Films like Adaptation and Day for Night come up as obvious cousins. Ultimately, we argue that Winterbottom found the only honest solution. He filmed the failure instead of the book. Consequently, the movie respects Sterne by refusing to tame him.The Battle of the Sexes on ScreenNext, we turn to gender and how the film portrays men and women. The male characters chase status, sex, and screen time with comic desperation. Coogan, in particular, frets about his shoe lifts and his billing. Meanwhile, the women in the film often hold the real power. Kelly Macdonald plays Jenny, who grounds Coogan with calm clarity. Naomie Harris plays Jennie, a production assistant who runs circles around the panicking men. Gillian Anderson arrives late and instantly reshapes the production. By contrast, the men flail and posture. So the Taste Buds debate a thorny point. Does the movie satirize male ego, or does it quietly indulge it? Additionally, we weigh how the battle of the sexes plays inside an 18th-century story. The novel and the film both poke fun at male pride. As a result, the gender comedy spans two very different centuries.Coogan and Brydon Anchor the Tristram Shandy PodcastAbove all, the Coogan and Brydon double act drives this Tristram Shandy podcast conversation. The two comedians play exaggerated, petty versions of themselves. Their rivalry over billing, teeth, and impressions fuels the funniest scenes. Notably, this dynamic later powered the beloved series The Trip. The Taste Buds dig into why their friction feels so real. Brydon needles, Coogan bristles, and the comedy snaps into focus. Furthermore, we discuss how improvisation shapes their banter. The closing Al Pacino impression duel becomes a highlight. Meanwhile, we ask whether the pair actually like each other on screen. The answer stays gloriously unclear. Consequently, their chemistry gives a chilly intellectual film a warm, human pulse.Rushmore: The Mount Rushmore of 2006 TelevisionOur Rushmore segment asks each host to carve a Mount Rushmore of 2006 television. The year was loaded with future classics. For instance, The Wire aired its acclaimed fourth season. Meanwhile, The Office, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights were all finding their feet. Additionally, prestige newcomers like Dexter and Heroes premiered to big buzz. The hosts each pick four shows and defend their choices. Naturally, the debate gets heated fast. Listen to the episode to hear which four faces each Taste Bud sets in stone.I Never Metacritic I Didn't LikeThis episode debuts a brand new game called "I Never Metacritic I Didn't Like." The premise is simple and a little dangerous. We pull up a film's Metacritic profile and put the critical consensus on trial. Specifically, we test whether the aggregate score matches our own gut reactions. Tristram Shandy earned strong reviews from critics on release. However, strong scores do not always survive a Taste Buds cross-examination. Therefore, the game lets us argue with the wider critical record in real time. Expect this segment to return throughout the 2006 season. Above all, it gives us a structured excuse to fight about numbers.Why Tristram Shandy Still MattersTristram Shandy still matters because it cracked a problem that had defeated everyone before it. Winterbottom proved you can film an unfilmable book by filming the attempt. Moreover, the movie launched a now-legendary comic partnership. The Coogan and Brydon collaboration grew into The Trip and its many sequels. Additionally, the film remains a sharp, funny lesson in adaptation. Film students and Sterne scholars both still cite it today. Ultimately, the Tristram Shandy 2006 podcast discussion shows why this small comedy punches far above its weight. Notably, it kicks our 2006 bracket off with brains and mischief.Related Episodes from Movie of the Year: 2006The 2006 season is just getting started, so this list will grow each week. For now, revisit the episodes that set up the bracket, plus a favorite from our 1971 run.Movie of the Year 2006: Season IntroThe 2006 Bracket RevealMovie of the Year archiveThe Last Picture Show (1971)FAQ: Tristram Shandy Podcast and FilmWhat is this Tristram Shandy podcast episode about?In this episode, Ryan, Mike, and Greg launch the 2006 bracket by breaking down Michael Winterbottom's comedy. They cover metafiction, gender, the Coogan and Brydon dynamic, and two new segments.What is the movie Tristram Shandy about?The film follows a crew trying to adapt an unfilmable 18th-century novel. As they struggle, the actors' egos and offscreen lives take over the production.Who directed Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story?Michael Winterbottom directed the film. Frank Cottrell-Boyce wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Martin Hardy."Is Tristram Shandy based on a book?Yes. Laurence Sterne wrote The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman across nine volumes between 1759 and 1767. You can read more on Wikipedia.Do Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves?Yes, mostly. Both actors play exaggerated, fictional versions of themselves, and they also play characters in the film within the film. See the full cast on IMDb.Is Tristram Shandy connected to The Trip?Yes, in spirit. This film first paired Coogan and Brydon with Winterbottom, and that chemistry...

Aside from the release of Christopher Nolan's period piece magician caper The Prestige, the year 2006 had one more trick up its sleeve in the form of Neil Burger's adaptation of Steven Millhauser's short story "Eisenheim the Illusionist." Set in turn-of-the-century Vienna, Austria, the film stars Edward Norton as a poor magician who falls in love with a countess (Jessica Biel) while rivals Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell) and Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) seek to discredit and apprehend him. With a star-studded cast and music by Philip Glass, Burger's film weaved in historical events to cast a spell over audiences and critics alike. And even though it pulled off the trick of getting into cinemas a month and a half before The Prestige, this flick didn't quite steal as much coin as Nolan's. However, both films scored Oscar nominations for their cinematographers - Bill Pope for this one and Wally Pfister for The Prestige - and are roughly tied on ranking sites like Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and Letterboxd. But where does reality end and imagination begin? We're pulling back the curtain to see if there is truth in The Illusionist!   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com    You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com    You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com    You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com, www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com    Show Music:Danger Storm by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  

Modern Warfare 4 got revealed, 007 First Light is finally out, and the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam beta dropped — so naturally we spent an episode on the franchise we swore off, a Bond game that isn't quite Hitman, and a beta that can't hold a frame rate. We get into the HLL: Vietnam open beta (the rubber-banding, the keybinds that won't stick, the studio's track record) and whether it's worth grabbing at the June 18 launch. Then 007 First Light: it's sitting at 88 on Metacritic and "best Bond since GoldenEye," but is it actually a let-down if you came in expecting Hitman? We break down why the reviews and the disappointment can both be right. Then the big one — Modern Warfare 4. Korea-but-modern is a genuinely cool setting, Ballistic Authority gunplay, DMZ is back, it skips last-gen. We also get into the death of the Warzone era, where extraction shooters go next (Tarkov, Arc Raiders), and a detour into Elden Ring. And we close on Aliens.gov: the site the UFO community thought was disclosure, that turned out to be something very different. Two friends, zero corporate takes. Jake's still open to it, Raz wants the whole thing to burn. 0:00 - Intro & what's on the docket 1:40 - Hell Let Loose: Vietnam beta — first impressions 8:54 - Will it survive a rough launch? (studio track record) 14:43 - Squad leader pains & why HLL needs friends 19:48 - 007 First Light — Hitman with a Bond skin? 25:08 - 7 hours in: the linearity let-down 31:44 - Why the reviews & the disappointment can both be right 34:20 - "Best Bond since GoldenEye?" 35:32 - Modern Warfare 4 reveal — the COD episode we said we'd never do 39:44 - Korea-but-modern: cool setting, Captain Price shoehorn 42:13 - Ballistic Authority, hipfire bloom & movement changes 49:00 - "We love feedback" — the minimap betrayal 53:50 - The death of the Warzone era & DMZ's return 59:24 - Where extraction shooters go next (Tarkov, Arc Raiders) 1:15:40 - Tarkov's update & the state of the genre 1:22:57 - Detour: getting pulled back into Elden Ring 1:33:37 - Closer — Aliens.gov: the UFO disclosure site that wasn't 1:40:07 - Discord, Patreon & sign-off _Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._ The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

Er James Bond tilbage i topform?007 First Light er et tredjepersons action-adventure-spil udviklet og udgivet af danske IO Interactive.Som titlen antyder, er dette et spil sat i det populære James Bond-univers, skabt af Ian Fleming. Et univers, der har gjort sig gældende på tværs af medier siden 1960'erne, og som særligt blev sat på landkortet af det store filmunivers. Et filmunivers, der i dag tæller 27 film.At lave et James Bond-spil er derfor en stor ting, men det er bestemt heller ikke første gang, James Bond får et computerspil. Mest ikonisk er naturligvis GoldenEye til Nintendo 64, som populariserede multiplayer-aspektet i computerspil og for alvor bragte det ind i stuerne.Nu kommer IO Interactive med deres version af James Bond og skaber noget, vi aldrig har set før i filmuniverset: en oprindelseshistorie om, hvordan James Bond bliver den ikoniske agent 007.007 First Light har kostet mere end 100 millioner dollars at udvikle, hvilket svarer til over 642 millioner kroner. Det gør spillet til det dyreste danske kulturprodukt nogensinde, og noget tyder på, at pengene har været godt givet ud.Ikke alene har 007 First Light en Metacritic-score på 87 og bliver af flere spilkommentatorer omtalt som en "Game of the Year"-kandidat. Det solgte også mere end 1,5 millioner eksemplarer på blot de første 24 timer.Men er 007 First Light så godt, som rygterne siger?Alt det og meget mere skal vi finde ud af nu!I denne episode deltager Jacob Ege Hinchely, Daniel Møgelhøj, Lasse Rasmussen og Morten Urup.Tusind tak, fordi du lytter med.

This week on The Gaming Duo, we ask if Gears of War E-Day will actually launch with both a full single player campaign AND a full multiplayer suite day one, or if even Gears is about to give up on the complete AAA package. With the E-Day Direct just two weeks away, can The Coalition pull off what the rest of the industry has basically stopped trying to do?Plus, Bungie is reportedly planning another round of layoffs, ending Destiny 2 updates, and going all in on Marathon with no Destiny 3 greenlit. Epic announces Unreal Engine 6 with a Rocket League trailer, and we get into what all of this says about where AAA is heading.All that and more, where friendships are built through gaming.This week on The Gaming Duo, we ask why Xbox still can't win Game of the Year — even with Forza Horizon 6 landing a 92 on Metacritic. Is the industry biased against Xbox, or do racing games simply never get the same respect as cinematic AAA titles?Plus, Xbox officially becomes “XBOX,” two new controllers leak, and we discuss what all of this means for the future of the brand.All that and more, where friendships are built through gaming.This week on The Gaming Duo, we ask why Xbox still can't win Game of the Year — even with Forza Horizon 6 landing a 92 on Metacritic. Is the industry biased against Xbox, or do racing games simply never get the same respect as cinematic AAA titles?Plus, Xbox officially becomes “XBOX,” two new controllers leak, and we discuss what all of this means for the future of the brand.All that and more, where friendships are built through gaming.

Forza Horizon 6 dropped in Japan and we both went deep — Raz put in 27 hours, Jake is still learning. This week we break down everything: who this game is actually for, whether you need to be a car guy to enjoy it, and whether the critics are right about the Metacritic 92. We go hard on the manual vs. automatic debate (Jake is on manual with clutch, Raz is on automatic — and Jake has opinions about that). We talk tuning depth vs. accessibility, the "same loop new map" criticism, and why Japan is a better setting than you might expect. Then it gets personal: Jake refuses to drive Japanese rice burners in-game, breaks down exactly why a stock '69 Mustang beats a $300,000 Civic, and the Honda CRX takes a beating. Raz reveals his dream car is a 2010 Scion TC. It goes how you'd expect. We also cover: the Halo Warthog hidden in your garage, online racing first impressions, fast traveling in a driving game (yes, Raz is doing it), and whether Forza Horizon 6 belongs in the Game of the Year conversation. Jake thinks racing games should never win GOTY. Raz is slowly converting to manual. Neither of them know what camber is. 0:00 Intro – Fly Digi Racing Mode & Episode 588 3:49 Raz's Racing Game Resume (Gran Turismo 4 to 27 Hours of FH6) 5:40 Who Is Forza Horizon 6 Actually For? 19:59 Manual vs Automatic – Jake Makes His Case 23:10 Tuning Depth: Gear Ratios, Camber & Casual Accessibility 32:36 "I'm Not Becoming a Tradesman" – The Tuning Menu Rant 41:20 JDM vs Muscle Cars – Jake's Strong Opinions on Car Aesthetics 42:48 The Honda CRX Situation (And Why It's a Piece of S***) 1:03:57 Online Racing First Impressions 1:05:34 Raz's Dream Car Is a 2010 Scion TC (It's Not in the Game) 1:12:06 The Halo Warthog & Polaris Razor – Xbox Easter Eggs 1:15:57 Metacritic 92: Best Reviewed Game of 2026? 1:18:29 "Same Loop New Map" Criticism – Is It Valid? 1:21:57 AWD vs 4WD – Neither of Us Know Cars 1:33:49 Should Forza Horizon 6 Win Game of the Year? 1:38:31 Raz Is Fast Traveling in a Driving Game (On the Record) 1:41:56 Who Should Play This Game (And Who Shouldn't) 1:45:37 Outro – Patreon Plug & Next Week _Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._ The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz delivers a full key breakdown of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, the ambitious new open-world action game from TT Games and Warner Bros. Games.Released May 22, 2026, this fourth major LEGO Batman title blends classic LEGO charm with Arkham-inspired combat, deep stealth mechanics, character progression, and full Gotham City traversal using grappling hooks, cape gliding, Batmobile, and Batcycle. Players explore a massive LEGO Gotham filled with dynamic crimes, iconic locations like Wayne Tower, Arkham Asylum, and the Batcave.Analytic Dreamz covers the game's “definitive Batman story” spanning multiple eras, the focused launch roster including Batman, Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, Catwoman, and more, plus 100+ collectible Batsuits. The discussion also examines strong launch performance, 97% positive Steam reviews, Metacritic scores around 84-85, and how it compares to past LEGO Batman games.Tune in for in-depth analysis on gameplay systems, DLC plans, reception, and why critics are calling it the highest-rated LEGO title yet.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Det bedste racerspil nogensinde?Forza Horizon 6 er et racerspil udviklet af Playground Games og udgivet af Xbox Game Studios. Forza Horizon-serien er en spin-off-serie fra en anden Xbox-racingserie, nemlig Forza Motorsport, som udvikles af Turn 10 Studios. Hvor Forza Motorsport er en racersimulator, meget ala Gran Turismo fra PlayStation, er Forza Horizon et mere klassisk og let tilgængeligt racerspil.Det første Forza Horizon-spil udkom i 2012, men seriens popularitet er steget gennem årene, både blandt anmeldere og publikum. For at sætte det i perspektiv udkom det seneste Forza Horizon-spil, Forza Horizon 5, i 2021. Men sidste år, i 2025, udkom Forza Horizon 5 også på PlayStation for første gang i seriens historie, og spillet var et af de bedst sælgende spil overhovedet på platformen sidste år.Nu er Forza Horizon 6 ude, og selvom spillet i første omgang kun er udkommet på Xbox og PC, har det allerede rundet 6 millioner spillere i løbet af den første uge. Forza Horizon 6 har også fået ekstremt gode anmeldelser og har lige nu en score på hele 91 på Metacritic. Det gør det, den 24. maj, hvor denne episode udkommer, til årets højest ratede spil på Metacritic. Men er Forza Horizon 6 så godt, som rygterne siger? Alt det og meget mere skal vi finde ud af nu!I denne episode deltager Felix Sanchez, Kasper Hansen, Zigurd Kertesz og Morten Urup.Tusind tak, fordi du lytter med.

Press XJoin the Press X Discord: https://discord.gg/MAXtvmv2rwTopics:Nintendo photo game Pictonico! launches May 28 on Android & iOS from Intelligent Systems https://pictonico.nintendo.com/en/index.html / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONoxuXGAoMkYoshi and the Mysterious Book earns 81 Metacritic score https://www.metacritic.com/game/yoshi-and-the-mysterious-book/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch-2Tomodachi Life tops the rankings in projected April 2026 US game sales; Pokopia ranks 4th for total projected sales year to date so far https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social/post/3mmbxkhgi2d2vOrder of the Sinking Star adds Switch 2 version https://www.gematsu.com/2026/05/order-of-the-sinking-star-adds-switch-2-versionPlayStation State of Play set for June 2 with 60+ minutes of updates, announcements, & gameplay reveals https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/20/state-of-play-returns-tuesday-june-2/PlayStation confirms that narrative single-player games will be PlayStation-exclusive moving forward https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mm5jzsls5s2aEmbracer Group to split into two companies – Fellowship Entertainment and Embracer https://www.gematsu.com/2026/05/embracer-group-to-split-into-two-companies-fellowship-entertainment-and-embracerWarhorse Studios is making a new Kingdom Come game and an open-world Middle-earth RPG https://x.com/WarhorseStudios/status/2057008469920624696 Questions from Discord: Joe: You ever buy a game digitally because it was super cheap and despite already owning a physical copy you were just too lazy to get up and grab it?What we're playing: Mary: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Hades 2, Silksong John: Ori and the Will of the Wisps (finished), The Adventures of Elliot demoGreg: Marvel Rivals random Switch 1 games Brett L: Pragmata (beat)Brett M: Ghost of Yotei (beat) Stellar Blade

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz breaks down the launch of Forza Horizon 6, which released on May 19, 2026 for Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass. Developed by Playground Games with support from Turn 10 Studios, the game marks the franchise's largest entry yet with its expansive, stylized open-world recreation of Japan. Analytic Dreamz explores the massive map featuring Tokyo areas five times larger than previous Horizon cities, heavy verticality across mountain passes, dense urban districts, rural roads, and dynamic seasons that impact both visuals and gameplay. The segment covers the return of wristband progression from Rookie to Gold Legend, over 550 cars at launch with strong JDM representation, new customization options, and technical upgrades including 540° steering animations and advanced Triton audio. The discussion also examines record-breaking performance: over 500K Steam pre-orders, 1.19 million early access players, and concurrent peaks nearly doubling Forza Horizon 5 records. With universal acclaim, Metacritic scores in the low 90s, and day-one Game Pass availability, Forza Horizon 6 solidifies its place as a major 2026 release while preparing for its PS5 version later this year. Analytic Dreamz delivers the full breakdown of gameplay, multiplayer features, campaign length, industry impact, and launch controversies in this detailed segment. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This week on The Gaming Duo, we ask why Xbox still can't win Game of the Year — even with Forza Horizon 6 landing a 92 on Metacritic. Is the industry biased against Xbox, or do racing games simply never get the same respect as cinematic AAA titles?Plus, Xbox officially becomes “XBOX,” two new controllers leak, and we discuss what all of this means for the future of the brand.All that and more, where friendships are built through gaming.

The Video Game Hall of Fame sits at 99 games strong. This inductee is special. In honour of what will be our 100th inductee, we are nominating games in the Metacritic Top 100. Also, Alex denunks his own conspiracy, Steve refuses to take his daughter to The Library, and Simon brings a gun and a cat to the recording. Vote for the game you want in the Hall of Fame over @vg_hof on Twitter, @vghof on Bluesky or @tvghof on Instagram. Send us an email to videogamehof@gmail.comCheck out the nominee pool here: https://tinyurl.com/7ez24yuvThe end credits music is from GTA IV and composed by Michael Hunter.

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, analytic dreamz dives deep into Tomodachi Life: Island Life, the highly anticipated third main entry in Nintendo's beloved social simulation series. Released April 16, 2026 for Nintendo Switch (and Switch 2 compatible), the game lets players act as an observer-god managing up to 70 Miis on a tropical island.analytic dreamz breaks down the expanded Mii system featuring advanced customization, non-binary options, inclusive romance preferences, 16 personality types, and a dynamic robotic voice system powered by custom phrases. Explore the open-ended sandbox gameplay focused on solving Mii problems, building relationships, marriages, and family trees while growing the island through the Wishing Fountain and creative Palette House tools.This segment covers launch performance including Japan's record 565K physical copies in four days, critical reception with a 78 Metacritic score, major features like emergent AI humor, real-time progression, and local multiplayer. analytic dreamz also addresses key discussions around sharing restrictions, inclusivity improvements, and long-term engagement.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Our pal KDB returns to get draftin' and he's aiming for two victories in a row for the first time. Can he do it? Can he do it without colluding with David to screw over Alex? Find out, as the lads draft 10 games each from 2013 and aim for the highest total Metacritic score. Follow us @winnerisyou on BlueSky, and check out what we're playing in the lead up to the pod on rankone.global/awinnerisyouDon't forget the pod is on YouTube, and if you have no attention span we're also on TikTok

We have a fun bonus for you this week! We're trying something new (borrowing from what other shows have done in the past) and making a contest out of 2026's Summer Movie season.Gorey Gamer Matt Murray put together 15 films that are coming to theaters from May through August and Nathan and Reed have to predict what they'll make at the box office in their domestic opening weekend as well as what their Metacritic score will be. Consider this your Summer Movie Preview Guide with a fun, competitive twist.Play along with us and we hope you enjoy!2:36 - The Rules of the Game5:35 - HOKUM9:21 - MORTAL KOMBAT II14:52 - OBSESSION18:28 - PASSENGER23:16 - STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU30:53 - BACKROOMS37:07 - SCARY MOVIE41:45 - DISCLOSURE DAY47:01 - Snack Break51:27 - TOY STORY 556:44 - SUPERGIRL1:01:15 - THE ODYSSEY1:07:51 - EVIL DEAD BURN1:12:12 - SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY1:20:18 - ICE CREAM MAN1:24:53 - INSIDIOUS - OUT OF THE FURTHER1:29:54 - Wrap-UpSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Perfect Dark talk starts at 45:00.Eric and Michael discuss the first half of Perfect Dark, the Rare N64 Classic that lives between the shadow of two monumental games of the FPS genre: Goldeneye and Halo. Does Perfect Dark earn its place as the 7th highest rated game on Metacritic, or is it the victim of a rapidly changing genre?We also talk about selling Metroid Prime 4: Beyond to buy better games, if Exodus or The Expanse has the juice to be the next Mass Effect, and......Hello Kitty Island Adventure?Next Episode: We finish Perfect DarkFollow @StateOfTheSave on Instagram and Bluesky for updates, and catch streams, clips, and highlights on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Subscribe and leave a review—every rating helps more listeners discover the show.Timecodes:0:00 - Intro4:00 - Metroid Prime 4: Beyond15:25 - Hello Kitty Island Adventure18:10 - The Witcher 327:10 - Metro 203932:23 - Exodus and The Expanse45:00 - Perfect DarkMusic:Jungle Mood — Peyruis [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/AE4AWGTNa-A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Download / Stream: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://alplus.io/JungleMood⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Metro — Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtu.be/NPKwINq8D_4⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free Download / Stream: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://alplus.io/metro⁠⁠⁠⁠

Follow The Trophy Room Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Pstrophyroom Ko-Fi - https://ko-fi.com/pstrophyroom Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/2PglU1a Discord: https://discord.gg/wPNp3kC Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSTrophyRoom --------- Summer Game Fest is right around the corner, and we're breaking down our biggest predictions for what PlayStation and the industry could have in store. From surprise reveals to long-awaited updates, what should we expect from SGF this year? We also dive into changes happening at Xbox, as Asha Sharma looks to reshape Game Pass strategy with help from PlayStation veteran Shawn Layden. Plus, we share our review thoughts on Pragmata and predict where Saros could land on Metacritic. Join us as we talk Summer Game Fest predictions, Xbox strategy shifts, Pragmata impressions, Saros expectations, and more gaming news.

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠In this segment Analytic Dreamz breaks down Pragmata, Capcom's brand-new sci-fi action-adventure IP that just achieved a massive commercial milestone. The game sold over 1 million copies worldwide in only 48 hours after its April 17, 2026 launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and with early Nintendo Switch 2 support.Analytic Dreamz examines the key performance metrics: 1+ million pre-launch wishlists, top 5 pre-order rankings on the PlayStation Store in multiple regions, a 97% positive Steam user rating, 93.87% SteamDB score, and Metacritic scores in the 85-87 range with outlets like GameSpot awarding 9/10. Capcom's stock rose 10% post-launch, continuing the publisher's strong run of titles scoring 80+.The discussion covers the game's hybrid gameplay blending third-person shooting with real-time hacking puzzles, its near-future lunar station setting controlled by a rogue AI, and its main characters Hugh Williams and android companion Diana. With a focused single-player structure, no live-service elements, and playtimes of 10-12 hours for the main story or 18-20+ hours for completionists, Pragmata proves new IPs can still deliver elite commercial results.Analytic Dreamz explores how a playable demo, extensive marketing, multi-platform strategy including Switch 2, and positioning as fresh sci-fi action drove this success despite a development cycle spanning over four years with multiple delays. This segment highlights why Pragmata challenges industry trends around live-service dominance and reinforces Capcom's momentum in high-quality single-player releases. Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode, the trio ranks and discusses the scores of iconic video games based on Metacritic ratings, revealing surprising insights and personal favorites. From Last of Us Part 2 to Wii Sports, they analyze what makes these games stand out and how reviews shape our perceptions.Join Kaylan, Adam and Chris as they delve into the big news stories in the gaming industry, as well as gush and rant about the past, present and future in video games!https://linktr.ee/pixelplaypodcastJoin us in our Discord! - https://discord.gg/j2bN8YCmXKWant to send us a mail to be read on future podcasts? Message us at askpixelplay@gmail.com!Follow us on Twitter! - http://twitter.com/pixelplaycastFollow us on Instagram! - http://instagram.com/pixelplaycast Our Intro Music ///Epic Song by BoxCat Games https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Bo...​Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_epic-song​Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/yjh43qblURI​#metacritic #gamereviews #reviewscore

Tyler and Mike make tier list of the top twenty first person shooter games according to their metascore on Metacritic. The theme music is by RoccoW. The logo was created by Dani Dodge.

Happy! is a black comedy action series based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson's four-issue graphic novel, with Brian Taylor directing most of its early run. It premiered on Syfy in December 2017 to strong reviews (81% on Rotten Tomatoes, 65 on Metacritic) and paired Christopher Meloni's self-destructive hitman Nick Sax with Patton Oswalt's relentlessly optimistic imaginary unicorn. Season 1 works because it's tight—an ultra-violent Christmas redemption story grounded in trauma, fatherhood, and the intrusion of hope. Renewed quickly, Season 2 expanded into bigger mythology and louder chaos, but lost the precision that made the premise hit. The result is a show built like a miniseries stretched into escalation. Cancelled in June 2019 just after Season 2 aired, Happy! ends not with resolution, but with a concept that outgrew its own design.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

On today's show, Sean and Amanda bring back the Summer Movie Preview game—with some additional clarity around scoring—where they preview every major release slated across the summer and predict its box office and Metacritic score (4:47). Then, Sean is joined by Daniel Goldhaber to discuss his new film, ‘Faces of Death,' starring Barbie Ferreira. He cites how the attention economy has drastically impacted young people's lives, why he's pushing the envelope of including radical leftist politics into his work, and breaks down his personal experience with the studio system (1:28:52). Have a question for our 900th episode mailbag? Email us at bigpicmailbag@gmail.com or call us at 323-488-3241 and leave a message!  Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Guest: Daniel Goldhaber Producer: Jack Sanders Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the Blink of an Eye (2026), directed by Andrew Stanton and written by Colby Day, is a science fiction drama starring Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, and Daveed Diggs. Premiering at Sundance on January 26, 2026—where it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize—it was released on Hulu February 27. The film weaves three timelines: a prehistoric family 47,000 years ago, a present-day scientist, and a future space mission to the Kepler system. Influenced by 2001, Magnolia, and Interstellar, the ambitious structure drew heavy criticism. Despite strong visuals, production design, and a Thomas Newman score, critics panned its execution, citing shallow characters, forced emotion, and unfocused storytelling. It holds an 18% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 37 on Metacritic, widely seen as a misfire that reaches for universality but fails to connect.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?sid=tindogpodcast&_pgn=1&isRefine=true&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l49496 Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a 2001 American animated science fiction adventure film directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, produced by Don Hahn, and written by Tab Murphy. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation, it stars Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer, Don Novello, Phil Morris, Claudia Christian, Jacqueline Obradors, Florence Stanley, David Ogden Stiers, John Mahoney, Jim Varney, Corey Burton and Leonard Nimoy. Set in 1914, the film follows young linguist Milo Thatch, who gains possession of a sacred book, which he believes will guide him and a crew of mercenaries to the lost city of Atlantis. Development of the film began after production had finished on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Instead of another musical, directors Trousdale and Wise, producer Hahn, and screenwriter Murphy decided to do an adventure film inspired by the works of Jules Verne. Atlantis: The Lost Empire was notable for adopting the distinctive visual style of comic book artist Mike Mignola, one of the film's production designers. The film made greater use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any of Disney's previous traditionally animated features and remains one of the few to have been shot in anamorphic format. Linguist Marc Okrand constructed an Atlantean language specifically for use in the film. James Newton Howard provided the film's musical score. The film was released at a time when audience interest in animated films was shifting away from traditional animation toward films with full CGI. Atlantis: The Lost Empire premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 3, 2001, and went into its general release on June 15. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Budgeted at around $90–120 million, Atlantis grossed over $186 million worldwide, $84 million of which was earned in North America; its lackluster box office response was identified as a result of being released in competition with Shrek, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Fast and the Furious and Dr. Dolittle 2. As a result of the film's box office failure, Disney cancelled a planned spin-off animated television series, Team Atlantis; an underwater Disneyland attraction; and a volcanic Magic Kingdom attraction based on it. Atlantis was nominated for several awards, including seven Annie Awards, and won Best Sound Editing at the 2002 Golden Reel Awards. The film was released on VHS and DVD on January 29, 2002, and on Blu-ray on June 11, 2013. Despite its initial reception, reception in later years became favorable and has given Atlantis a cult following[5] and reappraisal from critics as a mistreated classic, due in part to Mignola's unique artistic influence.[6][7] A direct-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo's Return, was released in 2003. Plot In 1914 Washington, D.C., archaeo-linguist Milo Thatch obsesses over finding the legendary lost city of Atlantis, believed to have sunk thousands of years ago. His employers ridicule his theories, but he gains an unexpected ally in eccentric millionaire Preston B. Whitmore, a friend of Milo's deceased adventurer grandfather who also sought the city. Determined to honor his old friend's quest, Whitmore recruits Milo for an expedition to Atlantis, having recently uncovered the Shepherd's Journal, an ancient Atlantean manuscript that contains directions to the lost city. Aboard the submarine Ulysses, Milo meets his teammates: Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, Lieutenant Helga Sinclair, demolitions expert Vincenzo Santorini, geologist Gaetan "Mole" Molière, medical officer Joshua Sweet, mechanic Audrey Ramirez, radio operator Wilhelmina Packard, mess cook Jebidiah "Cookie" Farnsworth, and a platoon of mercenaries. Upon reaching a cave entrance leading to the lost city, the submarine is destroyed by a massive mechanical leviathan, killing most of the crew. Milo and the survivors escape in smaller craft, navigating through the cave to emerge among ancient ruins. Milo translates the journal, guiding the team through caves beneath a dormant volcano until they reach the worn remains of Atlantis. There, they are greeted by Princess Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, who, despite being around 8,500 years old, has the appearance of a young woman. She leads them to her father, King Kashekim, who orders them to leave. Learning that Milo can read their language—a skill lost to the Atlanteans over millennia—Kida asks for his help in uncovering their forgotten history and highly-advanced technology, without which the city has declined and resources have dwindled. Milo learns that Atlantis is powered by the Heart of Atlantis, a massive crystal that grants longevity and health to its citizens through the smaller crystals they carry. Rourke betrays Milo and the Atlanteans, revealing his true intention to steal the Heart for profit, despite knowing the Atlanteans will perish without it. He mortally wounds the King while seizing control and uncovers the crystal's hidden location beneath the city. Sensing the danger, the crystal merges with Kida, who is then captured by Rourke. He departs with the crystallized Kida and his mercenaries, except for Vincenzo, Molière, Sweet, Audrey, Packard, and Cookie, who refuse to take part in the Atlanteans' destruction. Before dying, the King reveals that Atlantis was devastated by a megatsunami after he attempted to weaponize the crystal's vast power. To protect the city, the crystal merged with a royal family member, Kida's mother. This created a protective dome over the city's inner district, shielding it from total destruction as Atlantis sank beneath the waves, but Kida's mother never returned. To prevent the crystal from ever merging with Kida, the King hid it, inadvertently accelerating Atlantis' decline. He warns Milo that Kida will be lost forever if she is not soon separated from the crystal and pleads with him to save her. Alongside his allies, Milo rallies the Atlanteans to reactivate their long-dormant flying machines. Together, they eliminate Rourke and his mercenaries in the volcano. Milo and the others fly the crystallized Kida back to Atlantis as the volcano erupts. Kida ascends into the air and awakens Stone Guardians, who erect a barrier that shields the city from the lava flow. With Atlantis saved, the crystal separates from Kida and remains suspended in the sky. Milo chooses to stay in Atlantis with Kida, having fallen in love with her. Before returning to the surface, Vincenzo, Molière, Sweet, Audrey, Packard, and Cookie each receive a small crystal and a share of treasure. The six reunite with Preston on the surface and agree to keep their adventure a secret to protect Atlantis. Preston opens a package from Milo containing his own crystal and a note thanking him. The newly crowned Queen Kida and Milo carve a stone effigy of her father to join those of past rulers floating beside the Heart of Atlantis, as the city stands restored to its former glory. Voice cast Production layout sketch of Milo and Kida. Milo's character design was based in part on sketches of the film's language consultant, Marc Okrand. Michael J. Fox as Milo James Thatch, a linguist and cartographer at the Smithsonian who was recruited to decipher The Shepherd's Journal while directing an expedition to Atlantis. James Garner as Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, the leader of the band of mercenaries for the Atlantean expedition. Cree Summer as Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, the Princess of Atlantis and Milo's love interest. Natalie Strom provided dialogue for Kida as a young child. Summer also voiced the unnamed Queen of Atlantis, Kida's mother and Kashekim's wife who was "chosen" by the Crystal during the sinking of the city. John Mahoney as Preston B. Whitmore, an eccentric millionaire who funds the expedition to Atlantis. Lloyd Bridges was originally cast and recorded as Whitmore, but he died before completing the film. Mahoney's zest and vigor led to Whitmore's personality being reworked for the film.[8] Claudia Christian as Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair, Rourke's German-born second-in-command. Don Novello as Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini, an Italian demolitions expert. Phil Morris as Dr. Joshua Strongbear Sweet, a medic of African-American and Arapaho descent. Jacqueline Obradors as Audrey Rocio Ramirez, a Puerto Rican mechanic and the youngest member of the expedition. Corey Burton as Gaetan "Mole" Molière, a French geologist who acts like a mole. Jim Varney as Jebidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth, a Western-style chuckwagon chef. Varney died in February 2000, before the production ended, and the film was dedicated to his memory. Steven Barr recorded supplemental dialogue for Cookie. Florence Stanley as Wilhelmina Bertha Packard: an elderly, sarcastic, chain-smoking radio operator who is also the expedition's photographer. Leonard Nimoy as Kashekim Nedakh, the King of Atlantis and Kida's father. David Ogden Stiers as Fenton Q. Harcourt, a board member of the Smithsonian Institution who dismisses Milo's belief in the existence of Atlantis. Production Development The production team visited New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to get a sense of the underground spaces depicted in the film. The idea for Atlantis: The Lost Empire was conceived in October 1996 when Don Hahn, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, and Tab Murphy lunched at a Mexican restaurant in Burbank, California. Having recently completed The Hunchback of Notre Dame,[9] the producer, directors and screenwriter wanted to keep the Hunchback crew together for another film with an "Adventureland" setting rather than a "Fantasyland" setting.[10] Drawing inspiration from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870), they set out to make a film which would fully explore Atlantis (compared to the brief visit depicted in Verne's novel).[11] While primarily utilizing the Internet to research the mythology of Atlantis,[12] the filmmakers became interested in the clairvoyant readings of Edgar Cayce and decided to incorporate some of his ideas—notably that of a mother-crystal which provides power, healing, and longevity to the Atlanteans—into the story.[13] They also visited museums and old army installations to study the technology of the early 20th century (the film's time period), and traveled underground in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to view the subterranean trails which would serve as a model for the approach to Atlantis in the film.[14] The filmmakers wanted to avoid the common depiction of Atlantis as "crumbled Greek columns underwater", said Wise.[15] "From the get-go, we were committed to designing it top to bottom. Let's get the architectural style, clothing, heritage, customs, how they would sleep, and how they would speak. So we brought people on board who would help us develop those ideas."[16] Art director David Goetz stated, "We looked at Mayan architecture, styles of ancient, unusual architecture from around the world, and the directors really liked the look of Southeast Asian architecture."[17] The team later took ideas from other architectural forms, including Cambodian, Indian, and Tibetan works.[18] Hahn added, "If you take and deconstruct architecture from around the world into one architectural vocabulary, that's what our Atlantis looks like."[19] The overall design and circular layout of Atlantis were also based on the writings of Plato,[18] and his quote "in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea"[20] was influential from the beginning of production.[9] The crew wore T-shirts which read "ATLANTIS—Fewer songs, more explosions" due to the film's plan as an action-adventure (unlike previous Disney animated features, which were musicals).[21] Language The Atlantean letter A, created by artist John Emerson. Kirk Wise noted that its design was a treasure map showing the path to the crystal, "The Heart of Atlantis". Main article: Atlantean language Marc Okrand, who developed the Klingon language for the Star Trek television and theatrical productions, was hired to devise the Atlantean language for Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Guided by the directors' initial concept for it to be a "mother-language", Okrand employed an Indo-European word stock with its own grammatical structure. He would change the words if they began to sound too much like an actual, spoken language.[16] John Emerson designed the written component, making hundreds of random sketches of individual letters from among which the directors chose the best to represent the Atlantean alphabet.[22][23] The written language was boustrophedon: designed to be read left-to-right on the first line, then right-to-left on the second, continuing in a zigzag pattern to simulate the flow of water.[24] The Atlantean [A] is a shape developed by John Emerson. It is a miniature map of the city of Atlantis (i.e., the outside of the swirl is the cave, the inside shape is the silhouette of the city, and the dot is the location of the crystal). It's a treasure map. — Kirk Wise, director[25] Writing Joss Whedon was the first writer to be involved with the film but soon left to work on other Disney projects. According to him, he "had not a shred" in the movie.[26] Tab Murphy completed the screenplay, stating that the time from initially discussing the story to producing a script that satisfied the film crew was "about three to four months".[27] The initial draft was 155 pages, much longer than a typical Disney film script (which usually runs 90 pages). When the first two acts were timed at 120 minutes, the directors cut characters and sequences and focused more on Milo. Murphy said that he created the centuries-old Shepherd's Journal because he needed a map for the characters to follow throughout their journey.[28] A revised version of the script eliminated the trials encountered by the explorers as they navigated the caves to Atlantis. This gave the film a faster pace because Atlantis is discovered earlier in the story.[29] The directors often described the Atlanteans using Egypt as an example. When Napoleon wandered into Egypt, the people had lost track of their once-great civilization. They were surrounded by artifacts of their former greatness but somehow unaware of what they meant. — Don Hahn, producer[30] The character of Milo J. Thatch was originally supposed to be a descendant of Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard the pirate. The directors later related him to an explorer so he would discover his inner talent for exploration.[31] The character of Molière was originally intended to be "professorial" but Chris Ure, a story artist, changed the concept to that of a "horrible little burrowing creature with a wacky coat and strange headgear with extending eyeballs", said Wise.[32][33] Don Hahn pointed out that the absence of songs presented a challenge for a team accustomed to animating musicals, as action scenes alone would have to carry the film. Kirk Wise said it gave the team an opportunity for more on-screen character development: "We had more screen time available to do a scene like where Milo and the explorers are camping out and learning about one another's histories. An entire sequence is devoted to having dinner and going to bed. That is not typically something we would have the luxury of doing."[16] Hahn stated that the first animated sequence completed during production was the film's prologue. The original version featured a Viking war party using The Shepherd's Journal to find Atlantis and being swiftly dispatched by the Leviathan. Near the end of production, story supervisor John Sanford told the directors that he felt this prologue did not give viewers enough emotional involvement with the Atlanteans. Despite knowing that the Viking prologue was finished and it would cost additional time and money to alter the scene, the directors agreed with Sanford. Trousdale went home and completed the storyboards later that evening after visiting a strip club where he boarded the new sequence on a napkin.[34] The opening was replaced by a sequence depicting the destruction of Atlantis, which introduced the film from the perspective of the Atlanteans and Princess Kida.[35] The Viking prologue is included as an extra feature on the DVD release.[36] Casting Kirk Wise, one of the directors, said that they chose Michael J. Fox for the role of Milo because they felt he gave his characters his own personality and made them more believable on screen. Fox said that voice acting was much easier than his past experience with live action because he did not have to worry about what he looked like in front of a camera while delivering his lines.[37] The directors mentioned that Fox was also offered a role for Titan A.E.; he allowed his son to choose which film he would work on, and he chose Atlantis.[38] Viewers have noted similarities between Milo and the film's language consultant, Marc Okrand, who developed the Atlantean language used in the film. Okrand stated that Milo's supervising animator, John Pomeroy, sketched him, claiming not to know how a linguist looked or acted.[24] Kida's supervising animator, Randy Haycock, stated that her actress, Cree Summer, was very "intimidating" when he first met her; this influenced how he wanted Kida to look and act on screen when she meets Milo.[39] Wise chose James Garner for the role of Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke because of his previous experience with action films, especially war and Western films, and said the role "fits him like a glove". When asked if he would be interested in the role, Garner replied: "I'd do it in a heartbeat."[40] Producer Don Hahn was saddened that Jim Varney, the voice of Jebidiah Allardyce "Cookie" Farnsworth, never saw the finished film before he died of lung cancer in February 2000, but mentioned that he was shown clips of his character's performance during his site sessions and said, "He loved it." Shawn Keller, supervising animator for Cookie, stated, "It was kind of a sad fact that [Varney] knew that he was not going to be able to see this film before he passed away. He did a bang-up job doing the voice work, knowing the fact that he was never gonna see his last performance." Steven Barr recorded supplemental dialogue for Cookie.[41] John Mahoney, who voiced Preston Whitmore, stated that doing voice work was "freeing" and allowed him to be "big" and "outrageous" with his character.[42] Dr. Joshua Sweet's supervising animator, Ron Husband, indicated that one of the challenges was animating Sweet in sync with Phil Morris' rapid line delivery while keeping him believable. Morris stated that this character was extreme, with "no middle ground"; he mentioned, "When he was happy, he was really happy, and when he's solemn, he's real solemn."[43] Claudia Christian described her character, Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair, as "sensual" and "striking", and was relieved when she finally saw what her character looked like, joking, "I'd hate to, you know, go through all this and find out my character is a toad."[44] Jacqueline Obradors said her character, Audrey Rocio Ramirez, made her "feel like a little kid again" and she always hoped her sessions would last longer.[45] Florence Stanley felt that her character, Wilhelmina Bertha Packard, was very "cynical" and "secure": "She does her job, and when she is not busy, she does anything she wants."[46] Corey Burton mentioned that finding his performance as Gaetan "Mole" Molière was by allowing the character to "leap out" of him while making funny voices. To get into character during his recording sessions, he stated that he would "throw myself into the scene and feel like I'm in this make-believe world".[47] Kirk Wise and Russ Edmonds, supervising animator for Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini, noted Vinny's actor Don Novello's unique ability to improvise dialogue while voicing the role. Edmonds recalled, "[Novello] would look at the sheet, and he would read the line that was written once, and he would never read it again! And we never used a written line, it was improvs, the whole movie."[48] Michael Cedeno, supervising animator for King Kashekim Nedakh, was astounded at Leonard Nimoy's voice talent in the role, stating that he had "so much rich character" in his performance. As he spoke his lines, Cedeno said the crew would sit there and watch Nimoy in astonishment.[49] Animation For comparison, the top image (panoramic view of Atlantis) is cropped to Disney's standard aspect ratio (1.66:1); the bottom image was seen in the film (2.35:1). At the peak of its production, 350 animators, artists and technicians were working on Atlantis[50] at all three Disney animation studios: Walt Disney Feature Animation (Burbank, California), Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida (Orlando), and Disney Animation France (Paris).[51] The film was one of the few Disney animated features produced and shot in 35mm anamorphic format. The directors felt that a widescreen image was crucial, as a nostalgic reference to old action-adventure films presented in the CinemaScope format (2.35:1), noting Raiders of the Lost Ark as an inspiration.[52] Because switching to the format would require animation desks and equipment designed for widescreen to be purchased, Disney executives were at first reluctant about the idea.[16] The production team found a simple solution by drawing within a smaller frame on the same paper and equipment used for standard aspect ratio (1.66:1) Disney-animated films.[52] Layout supervisor Ed Ghertner wrote a guide to the widescreen format for use by the layout artists and mentioned that one advantage of widescreen was that he could keep characters in scenes longer because of additional space to walk within the frame.[53] Wise drew further inspiration for the format from filmmakers David Lean and Akira Kurosawa.[16] The film's visual style was strongly based upon that of Mike Mignola, the comic book artist behind Hellboy. Mignola was one of four production designers (along with Matt Codd, Jim Martin, and Ricardo Delgado) hired by the Disney studio for the film. Accordingly, he provided style guides, preliminary character, and background designs, and story ideas.[54] "Mignola's graphic, the angular style was a key influence on the 'look' of the characters," stated Wise.[55] Mignola was surprised when first contacted by the studio to work on Atlantis.[56] His artistic influence on the film would later contribute to a cult following.[57] I remember watching a rough cut of the film and these characters have these big, square, weird hands. I said to the guy next to me, "Those are cool hands." And he says to me, "Yeah, they're your hands. We had a whole meeting about how to do your hands." It was so weird I couldn't wrap my brain around it. — Mike Mignola[56] The final pull-out shot of the movie, immediately before the end-title card, was described by the directors as the most difficult shot in the history of Disney animation. They said that the pull-out attempt on their prior film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, "struggled" and "lacked depth"; however, after making advances in the process of multiplaning, they tried the technique again in Atlantis. The shot begins with one 16-inch (40.6 cm) piece of paper showing a close-up of Milo and Kida. As the camera pulls away from them to reveal the newly restored Atlantis, it reaches the equivalent of an 18,000-inch (46,000 cm) piece of paper composed of many individual pieces of paper (24 inches [61 cm] or smaller). Each piece was carefully drawn and combined with animated vehicles simultaneously flying across the scene to make the viewer see a complete, integrated image.[58] Scale model of Ulysses submarine by Greg Aronowitz, used by digital animators as reference during production.[59] At the time of its release, Atlantis: The Lost Empire was notable for using more computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any other Disney traditionally animated feature. To increase productivity, the directors had the digital artists work with the traditional animators throughout the production. Several important scenes required heavy use of digital animation: the Leviathan, the Ulysses submarine and sub-pods, the Heart of Atlantis, and the Stone Giants.[60] During production, after Matt Codd and Jim Martin designed the Ulysses on paper, Greg Aronowitz was hired to build a scale model of the submarine, to be used as a reference for drawing the 3D Ulysses.[59] The final film included 362 digital-effects shots, and computer programs were used to seamlessly join the 2D and 3D artwork.[61] One scene that took advantage of this was the "sub-drop" scene, where the 3D Ulysses was dropped from its docking bay into the water. As the camera floated toward it, a 2D Milo was drawn to appear inside, tracking the camera. The crew noted that it was challenging to keep the audience from noticing the difference between the 2D and 3D drawings when they were merged.[62] The digital production also gave the directors a unique "virtual camera" for complicated shots within the film. With the ability to operate in the z-plane, this camera moved through a digital wire-frame set; the background and details were later hand-drawn over the wireframes. This was used in the opening flight scene through Atlantis and the submarine chase through the undersea cavern with the Leviathan in pursuit.[63] Music and sound Since the film would not feature any songs, the directors hired James Newton Howard to compose the score after they heard his music on Dinosaur. Approaching it as a live-action film, Howard decided to have different musical themes for the cultures of the surface world and Atlantis. In the case of Atlantis, Howard chose an Indonesian orchestral sound incorporating chimes, bells, and gongs. The directors told Howard that the film would have a number of key scenes without dialogue; the score would need to convey emotionally what the viewer was seeing on screen.[64] Gary Rydstrom and his team at Skywalker Sound were hired for the film's sound production.[65] Like Howard, Rydstrom employed different sounds for the two cultures. Focusing on the machine and mechanical sounds of the early industrial era for the explorers, he felt that the Atlanteans should have a "more organic" sound utilizing ceramics and pottery. The sound made by the Atlantean flying-fish vehicles posed a particular challenge. Rydstrom revealed that he was sitting at the side of a highway recording one day when a semi-truck drove by at high speed. When the recording was sped up on his computer, he felt it sounded very organic, and decided to use it in the film. Rydstrom created the harmonic chiming of the Heart of Atlantis by rubbing his finger along the edge of a champagne flute, the sound of sub-pods moving through the water with a water pick, while a ceramic pot from a garden store was used for the sounds of the movement of the Giant stone guardians.[66] Release Atlantis: The Lost Empire had its world premiere at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on June 3, 2001[67] and a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on June 8; a wider release followed on June 15.[4][61] At the premiere, Destination: Atlantis was on display, featuring behind-the-scenes props from the film and information on the legend of Atlantis with video games, displays, laser tag, and other attractions. The Aquarium of the Pacific also loaned a variety of fish for display within the attraction.[68] Promotion Atlantis was among Disney's first major attempts to utilize internet marketing. The film was promoted through Kellogg's, which created a website with mini-games and a movie-based video game give-away for UPC labels from specially marked packages of Atlantis breakfast cereal.[50] The film was one of Disney's first marketing attempts through mobile network operators, and allowed users to download games based on the film.[69] McDonald's (which had an exclusive licensing agreement on all Disney releases) promoted the film with Happy Meal toys, food packaging and in-store decor. The McDonald's advertising campaign involved television, radio, and print advertisements beginning on the film's release date.[70] Frito-Lay offered free admission tickets for the film on specially marked snack packages.[71] Home media Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released on VHS and DVD on January 29, 2002.[72] During the first month of its home release, the film led in VHS sales and was third in VHS and DVD sales combined.[73] Sales and rentals of the VHS and DVD combined would eventually accumulate $157 million in revenue by mid-2003.[74] Both a single-disc DVD edition and a two-disc collector's edition (with bonus features) were released. The single-disc DVD gave the viewer the option of viewing the film either in its original theatrical 2.39:1 aspect ratio or a modified 1.33:1 ratio (utilizing pan and scan). Bonus features available on the DVD version included audio and visual commentary from the film team, a virtual tour of the CGI models, an Atlantean-language tutorial, an encyclopedia on the myth of Atlantis, and the deleted Viking prologue scene.[72] The two-disc collector's edition DVD contained all the single-disc features and a disc with supplemental material detailing all aspects of the film's production. The collector's-edition film could only be viewed in its original theatrical ratio, and also featured an optional DTS 5.1 track. Both DVD versions, however, contained a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and were THX certified.[72][75] Disney digitally remastered and released Atlantis on Blu-ray on June 11, 2013, bundled with its sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return.[76] Reception Box office Before the film's release, reporters speculated that it would have a difficult run due to competition from Shrek and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Regarding the market's shift from traditional animation and competition with CG-animated films, Kirk Wise said, "Any traditional animator, including myself, can't help but feel a twinge. I think it always comes down to story and character, and one form won't replace the other. Just like photography didn't replace painting. But maybe I'm blind to it."[61] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly noted that CGI films (such as Shrek) were more likely to attract the teenage demographic typically not interested in animation, and called Atlantis a "marketing and creative gamble".[77] With a budget of $100 million,[3] the film opened at #2 on its debut weekend, behind Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, earning $20.3 million in 3,011 theaters.[78] During its second weekend, it would drop into fourth place behind the latter film, Dr. Dolittle 2 and The Fast and the Furious, making $13.2 million.[79] The film's international release began September 20 in Australia and other markets followed suit.[80] During its 25-week theatrical run, Atlantis: The Lost Empire grossed over $186 million worldwide ($84 million from the United States and Canada).[4] Responding to its disappointing box-office performance, Thomas Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, said, "It seemed like a good idea at the time to not do a sweet fairy tale, but we missed."[81] Critical response Atlantis: The Lost Empire received mixed reviews from critics,[82][83][84] many of whom criticized its story.[85] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 48% of 144 professional critics have given Atlantis: The Lost Empire a positive review; the average rating is 5.5/10. The site's consensus is: "Atlantis provides a fast-paced spectacle, but stints on such things as character development and a coherent plot".[86] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 based on 29 reviews from critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[87] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[88] While critics had mixed reactions to the film in general, some praised it for its visuals, action-adventure elements, and attempt to appeal to an older audience. Roger Ebert gave Atlantis three-and-a-half stars out of four. He praised the animation's "clean bright visual look" and the "classic energy of the comic book style", crediting this to the work of Mike Mignola. Ebert gave particular praise to the story and the final battle scene and wrote, "The story of Atlantis is rousing in an old pulp science fiction sort of way, but the climactic scene transcends the rest, and stands by itself as one of the great animated action sequences."[89] In The New York Times, Elvis Mitchell gave high praise to the film, calling it "a monumental treat", and stated, "Atlantis is also one of the most eye-catching Disney cartoons since Uncle Walt institutionalized the four-fingered glove."[90] Internet film critic James Berardinelli wrote a positive review of the film, giving it three out of four stars. He wrote, "On the whole, Atlantis offers 90 minutes of solid entertainment, once again proving that while Disney may be clueless when it comes to producing good live-action movies, they are exactly the opposite when it comes to their animated division."[91] Wesley Morris of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote positively of the film's approach for an older audience: "But just beneath the surface, Atlantis brims with adult possibility."[92] Other critics felt that the film was mediocre in regards to its story and characters, and that it failed to deliver as a non-musical to Disney's traditional audience. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+ rating, writing that the film had "gee-whiz formulaic character" and was "the essence of craft without dream".[93] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the storyline and characterizations were "old-fashioned" and the film had the retrograde look of a Saturday-morning cartoon, but these deficiencies were offset by its "brisk action" and frantic pace.[94] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Disney pushes into all-talking, no-singing, no-dancing and, in the end, no-fun animated territory."[95] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon wrote of Disney's attempt to make the film for an adult audience, "The big problem with Disney's latest animated feature, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is that it doesn't seem geared to kids at all: It's so adult that it's massively boring."[96] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post panned the film, calling it a "new-fashioned but old-fangled hash" and wrote, "Ironically Disney had hoped to update its image with this mildly diverting adventure, yet the picture hasn't really broken away from the tried-and-true format spoofed in the far superior Shrek."[97] In 2015, Katharine Trendacosta at io9 reviewed the film and called it a "Beautiful Gem of a Movie That Deserved Better Than It Got" and said that the film deserves more love than it ended up getting.[6] Lindsay Teal considers "Atlantis" to be "a lost Disney classic". Describing the film as highly entertaining, she praises the writing and characterisation – in particular, Sweet, Helga and Kida.[7] In particular, much praise has been given to the character of Kida.[98] Summer has regarded the character of Kida as one of her favourite roles and even considers the character among the official Disney Princess line-up. Themes and interpretations Several critics and scholars have noted that Atlantis plays strongly on themes of anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism. M. Keith Booker, academic and author of studies about the implicit messages conveyed by media, views the character of Rourke as being motivated by "capitalist greed" when he pursues "his own financial gain" in spite of the knowledge that "his theft [of the crystal] will lead to the destruction of [Atlantis]".[99] Religion journalist Mark Pinsky, in his exploration of moral and spiritual themes in popular Disney films, says that "it is impossible to read the movie ... any other way" than as "a devastating, unrelenting attack on capitalism and American imperialism".[100] Max Messier of FilmCritic.com observes, "Disney even manages to lambast the capitalist lifestyle of the adventurers intent on uncovering the lost city. Damn the imperialists!"[101] According to Booker, the film also "delivers a rather segregationist moral" by concluding with the discovery of the Atlanteans kept secret from other surface-dwellers in order to maintain a separation between the two highly divergent cultures.[102] Others saw Atlantis as an interesting look at utopian philosophy of the sort found in classic works of science fiction by H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.[103] Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water controversy When the film was released, some viewers noticed that Atlantis: The Lost Empire was similar to the 1990-91 anime Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, particularly in its character design, setting, and story.[104] The similarities, as noted by viewers in both Japan and America, were strong enough for its production company Gainax to be called to sue for plagiarism. According to Gainax member Yasuhiro Takeda, they only refrained from doing so because the decision belonged to parent companies NHK and Toho.[105] Another Gainax worker, Hiroyuki Yamaga, was quoted in an interview in 2000 as saying: "We actually tried to get NHK to pick a fight with Disney, but even the National Television Network of Japan didn't dare to mess with Disney and their lawyers. [...] We actually did say that but we wouldn't actually take them to court. We would be so terrified about what they would do to them in return that we wouldn't dare."[105] Although Disney never responded formally to those claims, co-director Kirk Wise posted on a Disney animation newsgroup in May 2001, "Never heard of Nadia till it was mentioned in this [newsgroup]. Long after we'd finished production, I might add." He claimed both Atlantis and Nadia were inspired, in part, by the 1870 Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.[106] However, speaking about the clarification, Lee Zion from Anime News Network wrote, "There are too many similarities not connected with 20,000 Leagues for the whole thing to be coincidence."[107] As such, the whole affair ultimately entered popular culture as a convincing case of plagiarism.[108][109][110] In 2018, Reuben Baron from Comic Book Resources added to Zion's comment stating, "Verne didn't specifically imagine magic crystal-based technology, something featured in both the Disney movie and the too similar anime. The Verne inspiration also doesn't explain the designs being suspiciously similar to Nadia's."[110] Critics also saw parallels with the 1986 film Laputa: Castle in the Sky from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli (which also featured magic crystals, and Atlantis directors Trousdale and Wise both acknowledged Miyazaki's works as a major influence on their own work)[104] and with the 1994 film Stargate as Milo's characteristics were said to resemble those of Daniel Jackson, the protagonist of Stargate and its spinoff television series Stargate SG-1 — which coincidentally launched its own spinoff, titled Stargate Atlantis; the plot of the 1994 film is also paralleled involving a group visiting an unknown world, a fictional language made for the other world's people, the main protagonist having apparent knowledge of the people's culture, falling in love with one of the female locals and electing to stay behind when the others return home.[111] Accolades Award Category Name Result 29th Annie Awards[112] Individual Achievement in Directing Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise Nominated Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Chris Ure Nominated Individual Achievement in Production Design David Goetz Nominated Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Marlon West Nominated Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Female Florence Stanley Nominated Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Male Leonard Nimoy Nominated Individual Achievement for Music Score James Newton Howard Nominated 2002 DVD Exclusive Awards[113] Original Retrospective Documentary Michael Pellerin Nominated 2002 Golden Reel Award[114] Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers, Mary Helen Leasman, John K. Carr, Shannon Mills, Ken Fischer, David C. Hughes, and Susan Sanford Won Online Film Critics Society Awards 2001[115] Best Animated Feature Nominated 2002 Political Film Society[116] Democracy Nominated Human Rights Nominated Peace Nominated World Soundtrack Awards[117] Best Original Song for Film Diane Warren and James Newton Howard Nominated Young Artist Awards[118] Best Feature Family Film – Drama Walt Disney Feature Animation Nominated Related works Main article: Atlantis (franchise) Atlantis: The Lost Empire was meant to inspire an animated television series entitled Team Atlantis, which would have presented the further adventures of its characters. The series would have been akin to an animated steampunk version of The X-Files and feature a crossover with Gargoyles. However, because of the film's underperformance at the box office, the series was not produced.[119] On May 20, 2003, Disney released a direct-to-video sequel titled Atlantis: Milo's Return, consisting of three episodes planned for the aborted series.[120] Disneyland planned to revive its Submarine Voyage ride with an Atlantis: The Lost Empire theme with elements from the movie. These plans were canceled and the attraction was re-opened in 2007 as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, its theme based on the 2003 Pixar film Finding Nemo, which was far more successful commercially and critically.[121] In addition, after the Submarine Voyage's Magic Kingdom counterpart, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage, closed down in 1994, four years before Disneyland's, there were proposals of a new attraction that would take its place, with one of them a volcano attraction inspired by that film's Vulcania location, being approved for the Magic Kingdom's Adventureland area. Around 1999, during development of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, it was decided that it would be themed to the movie, with it taking place in 1916, two years after the film's events. The ride would have focused on Preston Whitmore, a character from the film, seeking to make Atlantis existence public and offer expeditions to visitors in newly developed vehicles. However, due to mishaps, the vehicles would be forced to make a detour through the lava-filled caverns of the volcano. The attraction would have used a unique hybrid ride system, in which it would start as a standard coaster before the trains hook up to a suspended track midway through to fly through the caverns. The attraction would have been accessed by a new canyon path in between Pirates of the Caribbean and a re-routed Jungle Cruise that would have led to a Whitmore Enterprises base camp at the edge of the Walt Disney World Railroad path, with the mountain itself being built outside the berm. However, like the previous Submarine Voyage retheme, the ride was cancelled due to the film's disappointment in the box office.[122]

Nintendo's new “Pokémon Champions” game is facing a negative response from fans who say the graphics are poor and the gameplay is limited, a stark reversal from the acclaimed “Pokémon Pokopia” game it released just weeks ago, as Nintendo erases the gains “Pokopia” helped its stock make. Key Facts Nintendo and The Pokémon Company released “Pokémon Champions” on Wednesday for Switch and Switch 2 devices, with a forthcoming mobile game slated to release sometime later this year.  Unlike most “Pokémon” franchise games, “Champions” is free to download for Switch devices but offers in-game purchases. But the fan response to “Champions” appears mixed-to-negative so far, with plenty of posts on X and the Pokémon subreddit describing poor graphics quality, a limited selection of Pokémon to use and other apparent glitches and gameplay limitations.  Nintendo released “Champions” as it loses most of the stock gains it made following the release of “Pokopia,” which sold 2 million copies in four days and earned strong reviews, lifting Nintendo's share price nearly 20%. Nintendo's stock closed at its lowest level in a month in Tokyo markets on Wednesday, sliding more than 1.5% from the day prior. What Are Fans Saying About “pokémon Champions”? A primary complaint among “Pokémon” fans is the graphics on “Champions” are allegedly poor. Many fans complained the game appears to run on a 30 frames-per-second rate, slower than previous games like “Pokopia,” which reports say can run close to 60 fps. Some players reported bugs with transferring their Pokémon from the Pokémon Home app, and other gamers made posts on Reddit and X reporting what appear to be gameplay glitches. Fans also complained the game does not support the standard 6 vs. 6 battle format, in which a player and their opponent both use a full team of six Pokémon to battle one another. The game instead supports using three or four Pokémon in single or double battles. Kenneth Shepard, a writer for gaming publication Kotaku, wrote he is “astounded by the limitations” the game is placing on battling, saying it is “constricting competitive play in a way” the Pokémon series has not before. Some negative posts about “Champions” garnered attention on social media. “How many months did we wait for to get a functionally worse game?” one user posted on X alongside a video depicting an apparent in-game glitch, garnering 3 million views and 18,000 likes. Centro Leaks, a widely followed social media account that posts Pokémon news and rumors, called the game's launch “TERRIBLE” in a post listing multiple alleged flaws, garnering 23,000 likes.  Key Background The release of the tepidly received “Champions” comes just weeks after Nintendo released its best-reviewed Pokémon game to date. “Pokopia” is the best-reviewed Pokémon game on Metacritic, a video game review aggregator, with a score of 89 out of 100. The game usurped the title from “Pokemon Y,” which was released for 3DS consoles in 2013. Some gamers noted the apparent irony of Nintendo releasing a well-received and a poorly received game back-to-back. “The Pokémon Company had to balance the scales somehow after getting all that goodwill from Pokopia's success,” a top comment on Reddit states. Tangent Other pressures have caused Nintendo's stock price to fall in recent months. Though the success of “Pokopia” gave Nintendo stock a boost after months of decline, Joost van Dreunen, CEO of gaming consulting firm Aldora and professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, previously told Forbes the success of one game wouldn't alleviate other structural concerns like the surging cost of memory chips. Increased demand for RAM memory chips by AI data centers has siphoned supply from consumer products, making these chips more expensive for game manufacturers. The gaming industry was also rocked over the past year by President Donald Trump's tariffs, which hit countries including China and Vietnam—where many gaming devices are manufactured—particularly hard, forcing some gaming companies to raise prices on their flagship consoles. Bloomberg also reported in March that Nintendo would pull back on Switch 2 console manufacturing as demand fell behind expectations during the 2025 holiday season, which caused the company's stock to decline as much as 6% in one day. Read the full story on Forbes: By Conor Murray https://www.forbes.com/sites/conormurray/2026/04/08/fans-blast-pokmon-champions-game-as-nintendo-wipes-pokopia-stock-gains/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest episode of Player 1 vs The World's StrangeCast x The Lost Records Journal podcast continues with ‘Side B.' Adnan Riaz and Adam Evalt continue to answer questions from our lovely Patreon users, with Deck Nine's Life Is Strange: Reunion taking centre stage for the episode!

The rumors are heating up for 2026! ? On episode 804, we dive into: ?? Ocarina of Time Remake & New Star Fox? Reports suggest a reveal is coming in April, alongside a leaked Zelda-themed Switch 2. ? Mario Kart World Update 1.6.0 – Bob-omb Blast returns to battle mode with 10-bomb carrying capacity. ? Mario Galaxy Movie Reviews are IN – And they are rough. With a 35 on Metacritic, did Illumination focus too much on cameos and forget the plot? ? In Change the System: – Brandon checks out the Tomodachi Life demo and goes to a Collector's Con – Eugene wraps up Resident Evil and stays obsessed with Sektori – Justin brings the mystery game of the week Let's change the system.

Tonight we're talking about Metacritic's Publisher Rankings, PlayStation Price changes, Nintendo's physical game tax, and plenty more! ***** Watch the show LIVE Wednesday nights at 7PM Eastern - @benishandsomeyt ***** Reviews and subscriptions help us out so much. If you enjoyed the show, make sure to subscribe and leave us a review on iTunes. ***** Follow us on Twitter! Twitter.com/BenSmith2588 Twitter.com/csfdave Twitter.com/_gloriousginger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this week's Arcade, Uno's back from Japan and he gives us the lowdown about some of the cool stuff he did while he was there. He also spent all of his free time playing Pokémon Pokopia and Slay the Spire 2 this week. Meanwhile, Chugs wraps up Resident Evil Requiem and puts some more hours into Hollow Knight: Silksong and Borderlands 4.In gaming news, the boys check out the game trailers that dropped during the Xbox Partner Preview Showcase, Epic Games layoffs, Switch 2 production cuts, a look at Metacritic's top publishers of 2025, and more!Upper Deck 2026 Snapshots AEW: https://bit.ly/4bCoeeA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ILP# 440 3/29/2026https://lordsofgaming.net/LORDS AFTER DARK on Insider Game App! ANDROID: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.insidergaming.appIOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/insider-gaming/id67539846481) ADVANCEDGG Use Code "IRONLORD" for 10% off https://advanced.gg/pages/partner-ironlords?_pos=12) VALARI PILLOW Use Code "ILP15" valari.gg/?ref=ironlordspodcastroundtable3)  ILP MERCH: https://ironlordspodcast-shop.fourthwall.com/collections/allsofgaming.net/4) NZXT & IRON LORDS PC Use Affiliate LINK: https://nzxt.co/Lords5) HAWORTH Gaming Chairs & ILP Use Affiliate LINK: https://haworth.pxf.io/4PKj7M*********************************************************00:00 - ILP#440 Pre-Show21:02 - Lord Harold Goldberg Intro25:19 - "The Skinny" from "My Life Among Serial Killers."29:39 - Iconic NYC & Music backdrop for The Skinny (Green Day Cog LOL)48:07 - Gaming Influences On The Skinny58:13 - The future beyond The Skinny & Movies!1:08:16 - The Business of Making A Novel1:28:05 - New York Game Awards & NYVGCC Updates!1:33:30 - Harold Outro, Top 5, The Skinny Support1:39:56 - Road To Germany SOV, Super Chats, Patreon2:32:40 - Marvel Maximum Collection Impressions2:42:25 - PS5 Console Price Increases3:42:57 - Parris Lilly Enters The Realm4:17:02 -  Xbox Partner Preview4:38:15 - Metacritic Publisher Ranks4:56:50 - ILP#440 Outro*********************************************************Welcome to The Iron Lords Podcast!Be sure to visit www.LordsOfGaming.net for all your gaming news!ILP Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/6XRMnu8Tf1fgIdGlTIpzsKILP Google Play:play.google.com/music/m/Iz2esvyqe…ron_Lords_PodcastILP SoundCloud: @user-780168349ILP Itunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/iron-…uiR-IgF6cE9EQicIILP on Twitter: twitter.cm/IronLordPodcastILP on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ironlordspodcast/ILP DESTINY CLAN:www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Detail/178626The Iron Lords and the Lords of Gaming have an official group on Facebook! Join the Lords at:www.facebook.com/groups/194793427842267www.facebook.com/groups/lordsofgamingnetwork/Lord COGNITO--- twitter.com/LordCognitoLord KING--- twitter.com/kingdavidotwLord ADDICT--- twitter.com/LordAddictILPLord SOVEREIGN--- twitter.com/LordSovILPLord GAMING FORTE---twitter.com/Gaming_ForteILP YouTube Channel for ILP, Addict Show & all ILP related content: www.youtube.com/channel/UCYiUhEbYWiuwRuWXzKZMBxQXbox Frontline with King David: www.youtube.com/@xboxfrontlineFollow us on Twitter @IronLordPodcast to get plugged in so you don't miss any of our content.

Reupload. Microsoft Developer Direct Square Enix was Metacritic's No. 1 ranked publisher last year, thanks to 9 ‘good' games EA Is Ending Support for Its Most Controversial Battlefield Game Slay the Spire 2 has already earned more than Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 on Steam, apparently Sony announces major price hikes for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Portal Let us know what you think.The post Episode 776: Minecraft History first appeared on .

Reupload. Microsoft Developer Direct Square Enix was Metacritic's No. 1 ranked publisher last year, thanks to 9 ‘good' games EA Is Ending Support for Its Most Controversial Battlefield Game Slay the Spire 2 has already earned more than Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 on Steam, apparently Sony announces major price hikes for PS5, PS5 Pro, and Portal Let us know what you think.

This week we talk about Playstation 5's price hike, Xbox's Partner Preview reaction, Marathon reviews finally hit, Battlefield Hardline shutting down, Epic's layoffs and much more. Click this link for my socials, all of my other content and ways to support: https://linktr.ee/baundiesel

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠Dive into the explosive launch of Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss's ambitious open-world action RPG, released March 19, 2026, across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Mac. In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz breaks down the staggering Day 1 metrics and the mixed reception shaping its post-launch trajectory.The game shattered expectations with over 2 million copies sold worldwide in under 24 hours, generating an estimated ~$140 million in revenue. Pre-launch signals were strong: 3 million Steam wishlists and roughly 400,000 early PC sales contributing $20+ million. On Steam launch day, it rocketed into the Top 3 most-played titles, peaking at 239,045 concurrent players—trailing only Counter-Strike 2 and Dota 2—with over 16,000 user reviews yielding a “Mostly Positive” rating after an initial “Mixed” snapshot.Critically, Crimson Desert earned a Metacritic score of 78, reflecting mixed-to-moderately positive reviews. Players praise the massive Pywel world, deep combat, and sandbox systems like fishing, cooking, and hunting, but common complaints target complex controls, “janky” controller feel, overly dense menus, performance issues, bugs, weak story elements, and bland objectives. Controversies include accusations of undisclosed AI-generated assets in artwork and signage, raising potential Steam policy concerns.Investor reaction was sharp: Pearl Abyss stock plunged nearly 30% initially, with a 40%+ decline over five days, as the score fell short of lofty expectations tied to the game's long development and hype.Pearl Abyss responded humbly, acknowledging the “incredibly” strong sales, vowing rapid patches for controls, performance, and gameplay streamlining. With no microtransactions but Denuvo DRM in place, the $69.99 title stands as a maximalist single-player epic.Analytic Dreamz analyzes this as a classic high-hype AAA case: unmatched commercial momentum and engagement outpacing critical consensus. Long-term success depends on swift fixes to technical woes and controversies—proving sales dominance can fuel redemption in a demanding market.Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Hello one and all, and welcome back to another episode of Surviving the Horror! In this episode Colin, Josh, and Gary gather around the proverbial hearth to discuss one of the biggest horror releases of the year, Resident Evil Requiem. As long time fans of the Resident Evil franchise, we've all been looking forward to this game for quite some time. The prospect of returning legacy characters, deep pulls from forgotten lore, and exciting new revelations in the timeline had us all chomping at the bit to get our hands on this game. But did it live up to the hype? Selling 5 million units in it's first days on the market, and with a 9.4 user score on Metacritic, Requiem certainly seemed to be catching the world by storm. After several playthroughs, and three earned platinum trophies, Colin, Josh, and Gary give their thoughts on what aspects of the game worked well, if the story elements and characters were believable, and importantly if Capcom successfully balanced third person action gameplay alongside first person survival horror. This is a meaty episode with lots to say about a franchise that is near and dear to our hearts. We hope that you enjoy this review of Capcom's ninth mainline installment in the Resident Evil franchise.

Crimson Desert gets a 78 Metacritic score and, it once again begs the question...is that not...good? Also, a new visual mode for the PlayStation Portal and more!Join our FREE DISCORD and talk PlayStation with the PSD+ community:https://discord.gg/pEDZDp4kTGOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/@PlayStationDailyPodcastOUR INSTAGRAM:https://www.instagram.com/psdailypod/Intro music is "A Cup Of Liber-Tea" which is the main theme from the Helldivers 2 soundtrack.Outro music is the "Super Earth National Anthem" which is a special promotional track for the Helldivers 2 game.

It's real … but is it spectacular? Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman gather to discuss one of the most ambitious, most anticipated, and most enigmatic games of the year, open-world action-adventure epic ‘Crimson Desert.' They begin by breaking down why the game remained mysterious until its release, whether it lives up to the huge hype, how it incorporates some of the best aspects of other open-world classics, and some of its perplexing problems, along with their disagreements about the game, their shared wonder at its visuals and scale, and their sense of its significance. Then they predict the game's Metacritic rating, share their own personal scores, and pass along some non-spoilery tips and tricks to ease the early hours. Email us at ringerversegaming@gmail.com! Intro (0:00)First reactions to ‘Crimson Desert' (2:00)Predictions and tips (1:21:24)Outro (1:27:35) Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Steve AhlmanProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠Dive into the breakout sensation Pokémon Pokopia on Notorious Mass Effect with Analytic Dreamz. Launched March 5, 2026, as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, this cozy life simulation spin-off—developed by Game Freak and Omega Force—has become a surprise system seller, moving 2.2 million copies in its first four days, including 1 million in Japan alone.Players embody a Ditto transformed into human form in a post-apocalyptic world where humans vanished, tasked with rebuilding a Pokémon utopia through resource gathering, crafting, building homes and habitats, farming, cooking, and befriending Pokémon who aid with abilities like planting (Grass-types) or irrigation (Water-types). No combat—just pure relaxation, creativity, and multiplayer for up to four players online or local.Inspired by Animal Crossing, Dragon Quest Builders, and Minecraft, the game offers 15–25 hours for the main story, 50–100+ hours with side content, and endless open-ended play. It boasts hundreds of Pokémon as companions, stunning Switch 2 visuals, and an 89 Metacritic score—among the highest-rated Pokémon titles ever—for its fresh, charming take on the franchise.Analytic Dreamz analyzes its massive impact: boosting Nintendo's market cap by up to $14 billion, driving stock surges, topping eShop charts, causing physical sellouts, and validating the rise of cozy, non-combat games. This segment explores how Pokopia expands Pokémon beyond battles, attracts casual players, and signals Nintendo's shift toward experimental genres.Hosted by Analytic Dreamz on Notorious Mass Effect—your go-to for in-depth gaming breakdowns and industry trends.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Alex and Luke Talk Gravity, Stardust, and Nintendo Doing It Again.Super Mario Galaxy, developed and published by Nintendo, originally launched in November 2007 for the Wii and immediately redefined what a 3D platformer could feel like. By bending gravity, perspective, and level design into something playful and constantly surprising, Galaxy turns every planet into its own idea. It's not just about getting from point A to B—it's about how delightfully strange the journey can be along the way. Nearly two decades later, it still feels like Nintendo showing off.At the time of recording, Super Mario Galaxy holds a Metacritic score of 97, placing it firmly in all-timer territory. According to HowLongToBeat, the main story runs about 19 hours, though going for full completion (yes, both playthroughs) pushes that significantly further. In true Mario fashion: approachable on the surface, quietly demanding if you want to see everything it has to offer.Alex played this one the proper way—on the Nintendo Wii, pointer controls and all. Luke played via Super Mario 3D All-Stars on Nintendo Switch, trading motion fidelity for modern convenience. Both dig into how Galaxy holds up today—from level design brilliance to the occasional “what is happening right now” moments that define the game's charm.This episode is unofficially brought to you in part by vinyl records. Wax, bb.Audio Credits:Original theme music owned by Low Five Gaming.Send us a Voice Message. You may even be featured on our next episode!Tales from the Backlog is a a video games podcast where Dave Jackson and guests break down and discuss the games they play. Each episode looks at one game in depth, focusing on mechanics, story, music and other aspects, with no spoilers until a clearly marked spoiler wall in the middle. We all deserve a little break - a moment to just sit back, kick our feet up, and relax. Chillscape is the perfect companion for these moments.Every episode of Chillscape is a personally-curated collection of the best chill video game music of a different theme, broken-up into 3 mini-themed blocks to keep the vibes vibing and the flow flowing.Catch new episodes every other Wednesday.Support the show​​Visit us at LowFiveGaming.com.Join the Low Five Discord!Email us at hello@lowfivegaming.com.Low Five Gaming is a Studio Low Five Production.

The Kristian Harloff Show is back with another big day in entertainment news and fan interaction! Today we break down the major headlines surrounding Netflix's One Piece Season 2, which is already getting incredible early reviews from critics and fans. Early scores show the new season pulling in a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and around 80 on Metacritic, improving on the already strong reception of the first season. The live-action adaptation continues the adventure of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they sail deeper into the Grand Line with new allies, villains, and bigger stakes for the world of One Piece. Early reactions praise the action, performances, and expanded scope of the series, with many critics calling it bigger and more ambitious than the first season. On today's episode, Kristian Harloff dives into what these stellar reviews mean for the future of the franchise, whether the Netflix series has finally cracked the code for live-action anime adaptations, and how big the show could become going forward. Plus, today is Q&A day, meaning Kristian is taking your questions about movies, streaming, TV shows, comic book films, Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and everything happening in pop culture. From fan theories to industry rumors, this episode is all about engaging with the audience and discussing the biggest topics in entertainment. If you love movie news, TV breakdowns, Netflix series discussions, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and pop culture debates, make sure to subscribe and join the conversation live with the Kristian Harloff community. #KristianHarloff #OnePiece #OnePieceSeason2 #Netflix #MovieNews #TVNews #PopCulture #LiveShow #EntertainmentNews SPONSOR: FACTOR: Head to https://www.factormeals.com/kristian50off and use code kristian50off to get 50 percent off and free breakfast for a year! *Offer only valid for new Factor customers with code and qualifying auto-renewing subscription purchase. Make healthier eating easy with Factor. 

Join Patrick, Janet, Chia, and Danika for Remap Radio, where it's time for another upsetting trip into the world of “Hey, why did this live service game fail?” with Highguard and “Hey, it really feels like AI is rotting things?” with the news that a video game website was caught publishing an AI-written Resident Evil 9: Requiem review. We've also been playing video games, of course, with Janet and Patrick having finished Resident Evil 9, almost everyone dipping their toes into Marathon, and Patrick doing all the grind work in Pokémon Pokopia for his nine-year-old child. Links: Highguard is shutting down this month, Metacritic Removes Resident Evil 9 Review From Fake AI WriterDiscussed:8:13 - Highguard shutting down34:28 - Metacritic removes AI review of RE91:03:18 - Marathon1:36:17 - Resident Evil 92:07:16 - Pokémon Pokopia2:22:53 - Question BucketSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠ The Notorious Mass Effect segment delivers a complete analytical breakdown of Resident Evil Requiem (Resident Evil 9), Capcom's record-shattering launch on February 27, 2026. As Analytic Dreamz, I dissect the RE Engine-powered mainline entry set in Raccoon City's ruins 28 years post-destruction, featuring dual protagonists: new FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft (first-person survival horror with stealth, limited ammo, fear mechanics) and Leon S. Kennedy (third-person action with parries, upgrades, open areas)—switchable anytime, with interconnected choices and adaptive zombie AI. Gameplay blends claustrophobic puzzles, crafting, torch mechanics, bosses, and New Game+ (10-27 hours to 100%). Day-one on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Steam/Epic)—4K/60fps/ray tracing/DLSS, Steam Deck Verified. Launch crushed records: 344,214 Steam peak CCU (franchise high, 40th all-time, #4 most-played), 1.7M Steam copies (~$110M), 14.8M play sessions; UK physical #1 (PS5 54%, PC 36%, Xbox 6%, Switch 2 4%, outselling RE4 Remake/Village, sold out globally). Metacritic 88-92 (PS5 89), user score 9.5 (highest ever). Tops Steam Weekly Sellers. Despite Denuvo PC issues (stuttering/crashes) and leaks, it's a "love letter to fans" with legacy trauma themes—poised to rival RE2 Remake's 16.8M sales, reinforcing Capcom's PC dominance (50% revenue).Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Go to Factormeals.com/kindafunny50off and use code kindafunny50offto get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year. Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - Start - Fallout: New Vegas remaster hopium, Andy Chalk @ PC Gamer - Pokémon Pokopia is currently the highest-rated Pokémon game ever on Metacritic, Chris Scullion @ VGC - Ad - BREAKING NEWS:Highguard's final update arriving soon. Thank you for - Wee News! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠The Notorious Mass Effect segment analyzes Mario Tennis Fever, Camelot Software Planning's Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive released February 12, 2026. Hosted by Analytic Dreamz, this breakdown covers sales, reception, and controversies for the successor to Mario Tennis Aces. Japan physical: 39,522 week 1 (lowest franchise debut vs. Aces' 123k+), +14,577 week 2 (total 54,099; #1 Famitsu). UK: #2 debut, #7 week 2 (behind EA Sports FC 26, Mario Kart World). eShop top-seller US; digital unreported, tracking below Aces' ~5M lifetime—sparking "flop" discourse. Metacritic 77/100 (103 reviews; Generally Favorable): PCMag 90/100, IGN 70/100, praise for chaotic multiplayer/Fever system (freeze court, shrink foes, 30 rackets), tight tennis; critiques on 3-5hr Adventure (tutorial-heavy), $70 price, linear modes. HowLongToBeat: Main ~4hrs, Completionist ~15hrs. 38 characters (largest roster), 13+ courts, modes (Tournament, Tower, Ranked—region-locked), Joy-Con Swing. Issues: glitches, lag, reused assets, pricing backlash ($70 vs. Japan ~$52). Switch 2 hardware strong (Japan: 63k week 2). Analytic Dreamz assesses underperformance vs. benchmarks, multiplayer potential, patch reliance for longevity.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠The latest segment of Notorious Mass Effect dives deep into God of War: Sons of Sparta, the surprise shadow-dropped PS5 exclusive from Santa Monica Studio and Mega Cat Studios. Released February 12, 2026, for $29.99, this 2D action-platformer—marketed as a Metroidvania—explores young Kratos during his Spartan Agoge training alongside brother Deimos, framed by adult Kratos (voiced by T.C. Carson) narrating to Calliope.Analytic Dreamz breaks down the core premise, gameplay execution, and franchise implications. The ~12-hour experience features light/heavy attacks, parry/dodge mechanics, color-coded enemy attacks, and "Gifts from Olympus" abilities like double jump and slingshot. Exploration includes interconnected maps, collectibles (owls, lore, olive trees), optional bosses, and upgrades via blood orbs.Critically, it holds a 69 Metacritic / 70 OpenCritic score—the lowest in the 20+ year God of War series—praised for brotherhood themes and retro style but criticized for stiff combat lacking impact, shallow Metroidvania elements, limited backtracking encouragement, repetitive story loops, and basic progression. Visuals sit between retro and modern but lack cinematic scale. The co-op controversy—initial listings implied full campaign support, but it's limited to post-game challenge mode—sparked confusion and refund requests.User scores sit higher at 8.2, with some quick Platinum achievements. Analytic Dreamz examines if this low-risk spin-off serves as franchise maintenance amid Greek trilogy remake news, or falls short of mainline prestige.Tune in as Analytic Dreamz delivers a concise, no-holds-barred breakdown of this polarizing entry—serviceable but forgettable for many, yet a nostalgic Greek-era return for fans.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Click this link https://www.boot.dev?promo=KINDAFUNNY and use my code KINDAFUNNY to get 25% off your first payment for boot.dev. Thank you Boot.Dev for Sponsoring!Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - Round 1 - Round 2 - Ads - Learning About Our Contestants - Round 3 - Round 4 - Round 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Click this link https://www.boot.dev?promo=KINDAFUNNY and use my code KINDAFUNNY to get 25% off your first payment for boot.dev. Thank you Boot.Dev for Sponsoring!Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - Round 1 - Round 2 - Ads - Learning About Our Contestants - Round 3 - Round 4 - Round 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Click this link https://www.boot.dev?promo=KINDAFUNNY and use my code KINDAFUNNY to get 25% off your first payment for boot.dev. Thank you Boot.Dev for Sponsoring!Thank you for the support! Run of Show - - Round 1 - Round 2 - Ads - Learning About Our Contestants - Round 3 - Round 4 - Round 5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices