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[WRITE-IN] Marathon, Crimson Desert, and Super Mario Wonder Have a Hold on Us | Firelink Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2026-04-02 17:26:16
Imported:
2026-04

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Hey all! The Firelink crew is finally back together tonight to chat about the news, as well as our continued time spent with Marathon, Crimson Desert, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch 2.

Hit us up with your questions/comments/concerns about any of the above, or anything else in general. Also, I've been putting together a list of best/most unique title screens in games. Hit me up with some of your favorites if you're feeling frisky.

Cheers!

~Marty

Files

Marathon, Crimson Desert, and Super Mario Wonder Have a Hold on Us | Firelink Podcast

This week on Firelink, Nick, KC, and Marty are back together to chat about the news, as well as their continued time spent with Marathon, Crimson Desert, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch 2. Keep up to date on the standings of our Firelink Fantasy Critic Draft -- https://www.fantasycritic.games/league/6093c943-c06e-4f44-8206-157e410d7914/2026 If you dig the podcast, considering supporting us over at Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/SecondWindGroup Check out our excellent selection of merch over at our DFTBA store -- https://store.dftba.com/collections/second-wind

Comments

Jason Ferro

Crimson Desert was a bit divisive at launch but they've been pumping out updates and now people seem to love it. Is this the solution to all the unfinished games that are released? Simply finishing the game? Was it THAT easy?

Lil' Cass (CJ)

What are your thoughts on The Super Mario Galaxy Movie getting slaughtered with exaggerated negative reviews on April 1st? Because I think it was all done for April Fools clout farming

Luis Perez

Majora's Mask is my personal favorite. Just that mask staring at you with that slow title screen music gives me a small taste of whats coming in game.

Cameron Ehteshami

For title screens Metroid Prime sticks out to me. It was my first Metroid game and it was so intriguing to see this weird bio scan of some alien. I had no idea what it was until scanning metroids in the game and seeing we were inside one of them. So cool! And that music is awesome.

Cameron Ehteshami

Based on No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077, yes, I think so, keep your heads down and keep cranking away I guess.

Jason Ferro

I wish they would. Also I read your name in Marty's voice.

Steady Goblin Wood

I always love games with in media res openings. Love when the title screen just transitions seamlessly into new gameplay. Hits just right.

ImmenseCookie

I always enjoyed the announcer declaring "SOUL CALIBUR"

Jason Ferro

Those games got so much hate after their bad launches. It's wild to see them be beloved games now. But most of these big corporations don't have the stomach for playing the long game, I'm glad these games made it out of that purgatory

LaboratoryManiac

The first movie didn't have strong reviews either. It's a family-friendly popcorn IP movie that doesn't need support from critics to make a billion dollars.

LaboratoryManiac

If I 100-percented Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch, is the additional content worth the $20? I really enjoyed my Wonder playthrough but I haven't really felt drawn to revisit it, and am wondering if there's enough meat on this bone to draw me back in.

BlueTeamKS087

I went 50ish hours in Tales of Berseria Remastered before packing my Series X for a move. Incredible game. Hoping to start Persona 3 Portable when I get settled in.

Th3P4tM4n

Wind Waker's title screen is basically my brain's Windows 95 screensaver.

Tommy Salty

Howdy! I'm sure Nick has come back a better man, having basked in the glory of Ancient Rome and Greece. We'd love to hear whether he enjoyed Europe. And what he's learned. Speaking of title screens - obviously Persona 5. But I also really liked Deus Ex Mankind Divided, the music ans the vibe made it work for me. I'm old. Could Nick make a case for Crimson Desert? It looks like a bloated mess of unconnected stuff. I hate MMOs and their neverending gameplays, would Crimson Desert appeal to someone who is allergic to MMOs?

Ishterical

The Persona 5 starting intro is the only intro I dont skip. It's a bop.

Inverse Skies

How is marathon actually going? I have heard so little about it post launch I am unsure if it is a success or disappointment for Bungie.

Inverse Skies

For a title screen, I always liked how half life 2’s would change depending on which level you were on. There wasn’t music or anything, it simply was a shot of a scene from an in game level and you could hear the ambient sound effects. Sometimes an enemy would walk past but mostly it just drank in the atmosphere of that level.

Mrticketron

I just got back from seeing the mario movie and how delightful. Sure we'll hear more about it on Tuesday. But i really hope Nintendo sees the hype and gives us our Starfox game

toktok_woktok

I already mentioned that game in KCs recent article, but Spec Ops: The Lines opening with the US flag signaling distress above the city and the sand, getting more and more torn up the deeper you are in the game is iconic. Paired with the background guitar music becoming more and more distorted. Haunting.

toktok_woktok

Ah yeah, and the lookout/sniper dude is not so happy either. >_>

Inverse Skies

And of course you can’t go past banjo kazooies with its banjo sleeping / banjo cooking / banjo playing gameboy file select. Especially as you can launch him out of the house with correct timing!

Inverse Skies

Actually scratch that - that isn’t the title screen. That just has banjo kazooie plastered on screen with video of someone playing the game. Ignore my bk suggestion.

Shane Z

I'm going to give Crimson Desert a go after I knockout some backlog. Somehow I never finished Tears of the Kingdoms mainline quests so I'm knocking that out then on to Crimson. Game with sky islands to game with sky islands. Makes sense to me. Also taking the kids to see Mario tonight. We're Starfox!

Arcanum

I've been playing Crimson Desert a bunch, and while I haven't had a ton of difficulty with the combat (bosses or otherwise), I ran across a YouTube video that really changed how I thought about it and approached it. It's called "Combo Tech is a GAME CHANGER for Crimson Desert's Combat" by HC Casual. This is a very short and incomplete summary, but the core premise is that Crimson Desert's combat is more like that of a tournament fighter than anything else, especially when fighting bosses. It's all about finding ways to create and extend combos while interrupting your opponent's attempts to do the same, with some resource management thrown in. While he was fairly early in the game when he figured this out, he goes into some detail about exactly what that means and how to do it. It's super informative. I highly recommend everyone playing Crimson Desert watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToRXvXpOoWg

Inverse Skies

The zx spectrum had some great static title screens that look strikingly unique due to its limited and odd colour palate - have a look at games like cobra, Rambo, fire lord, commando tracer or S.O.L.O are some examples, but there are tonnes.

Inverse Skies

I think it’s also worthwhile pointing out some jrpgs that whilst having simple title screens have amazing music accompanying them - secret of mana, trails in the sky second chapter, xenoblade chronicles 3 and skies of Arcadia all have brilliant pieces of music elevating otherwise simple screens.

Marty Sliva

Ha, it was KC’s vid that got me thinking about Spec Ops, which then got me noodling my favorite title screens.

Lux

I'll bite, since the first step in overcoming addiction is admitting you have a problem. I'm an old fan of Destiny, Rise of Iron, met many of my friends through the game, got me through my fathers passing of cancer, etc etc. But damn I cannot for the life of me get into Marathon.

Lux

Its a cool aesthetic but its confusing af for me visually and it's really not my thing. I do wish though as someone who was really tuned in with the community around the game that they actually gave some real communication around the game. Like Marathon took over everything from Bungie and most of the community said they would and it was just saddening like watching something die slowly. I know it's a bit of hyperbole which means yeah it's time to move on, but still it saddens me to see so much comms and community good will go to dust.