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Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2025-01-28 16:26:48
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Hey everybody, we appreciate your patience with the delay on The Deepest Dive of Onimusha: Warlords. Several of us got sick so we pushed the first episode back to now recording on Twitch on Monday, February 3rd and it'll be up on YouTube and in the bonus podcast feed on Tuesday the 4th.

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, Jeff Marchiafava, Leo Vader, Janet Garcia, and Alanah Pearce for the final time so get any Alanah-focused questions in. It's your turn to make the show better by leaving a question, news story, BetterQuest goal, or anything else for us to read on the show as a comment below! We’ll choose our favorite and iam8bit will ship out the great prize below for the winner! We'll stop pulling questions around 8am Central on Wednesday.

On this week’s episode we’ll be talking about...

Dynasty Warriors Origins

Ninja Gaiden Black 2

Assassin's Creed Shadows

Sniper Elite: Resistance

Eternal Strands

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders

Everybody at the Backstage Pass tier can watch us record the show live on Wednesday at 2:30pm Central, with an exclusive pre and post show. The unedited archive will be available to view after the fact. You could do us a favor by subscribing to the audio version of the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, telling a friend, leaving a review, and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://apple.co/3lRbzbE

https://www.youtube.com/minnmax

You can also find the World of WarCraft Burning Crusade vinyl for sale in iam8bit’s online store, and you can use the promo code TWOTWOSANDONEFIVE for 10% off everything under $100. Psst… please don’t post that promo code anywhere else on the internet. It’s a MinnMax-exclusive thing. https://www.iam8bit.com/collections/all

Files

Comments

Travis in Fargo

What defunct video game developer from the 8- or 16-bit era would you choose to resurrect as a contemporary studio?

Blobarsmartin

Racing games excluded, why aren’t there more open world games where violence isn’t one of the primary verbs?

SlyCut

Hello all, Describe your perfect breakfast based purely on the pleasure of eating it. Health is not taken into account.

Shakenbake67

Hey MinnMaxers, Giant bomb assigned “funishments” to their crew for losing a bet. Games they think the other person would never play but might like. Can you guys rotate around the zoom calls assigning funishments for each other and explain why? No pressure for you guys to do it, I just think it’s a fun exercise Y’all rock!

Alex McMillan

Hey gang, What’s the best colour of food? For me I think it’s between yellow and brown. Yellow has stuff like cheese, french fries, and bananas, whereas brown obviously has chocolate, peanut butter, and arguably bread. All the best, Alex McMillan

Travis in Fargo

How are your New Year’s resolutions going?

Fancygraham

The Mikiri counter from Sekiro might be one of the most satisfying moves to pull off in gaming. Can you think of any other game that encourages you to dive headfirst into an “unavoidable” attack rather than scramble away? Why haven’t more games replicated this maneuver?

Frostphorus

L3 and R3 should be abandoned. They're too difficult to press accurately while also controlling the stick. I'm glad more controllers now have back paddles so I can set them to L3 and R3 forever. What do you map paddles to? Is it a specific button or a function in games? Also I'm really glad that Haley loves me but I'm not really ready for a parasocial relationship, and I think we should just be parasocial friends.

Aging_Poorly

Question for Alanah, did you listen to Minnmax’s Deepest Dive on Ragnarok, or do you know if any writers at Sony Santa Monica did? Anything stick out as especially satisfying or unfair?

K-Ham

I’ve always had a soft spot for the standard collectible items in platformers. Mario has coins, DK has bananas, Banjo has music notes, and the list goes on. If you were the protagonist of your own platformer, what object would you choose to be your standard default collectible?

Travis Manick

We all know that Ben hates actors, but Alanah recently posted a picture on Instagram where she was at an event with Kumail Nanjiani, his wife Emily Gordon, and others. So Alanah, please tell Ben your favorite interaction with an actor to prove him wrong.

Neal McMahon

Hey all, I just started playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and am also watching the Deepest Dive along the way! (I love that it is a group of best friends talking games). I love the game so far but I’m noticing that so many of the linear story sections have Cloud crouching inch by inch over an Inn in Chapter 2, walking SLOWLY every few minutes during dialog, or literally QTE-ing his way through a slow crawl in the fire in another section. My question is why?!! Why do we still need this in games. I understand it is meant to be a story telling tool, but my god, if anything it makes me just want to get on with the game it’s this nonsense. What do you all think?

Anthony Brown

During the GOTY debates and in general multiple people have talked about the value in finishing a game and it gave me an idea for a question. Which is a better game? A game you liked a lot but only played half of or a game you played for half the time as the first and finished but liked half as much as the first. Assume you will never go back to either game.

VMEArcana (Very Much Earthed Arcana)

One of the many things I find hilariously serious about the gritty metroidvania “Kong: Survival Instinct” is the warning at the beginning of the game warns that game contains giant monsters, death, and losing contact with your family. What is the most memorable content warning you’ve read? Are there any content warnings that get you excited about playing a game?

RevRando

What’s everyone’s desert island albums? If you could only have one music album to listen to for the rest of your life what would it be? I think I would have to go with “Powerslave” by Iron Maiden.

Modestbrock

With the addition of a second usbc port on the switch 2 I think this is the opportunity for Nintendo to get weird with add ons. A second screen for 3ds emulation? A sensor bar for Wii emulation? What would you like to see Nintendo do with this near limitless add on ability?

Seneca Kier

Hello! With a dash of get a load of this, AnyAustin released a great video about playing red dead redemption 2 on a CRT? What other modern game do you think would be just as if not more delightful to play on older hardware?

Christian Hall

Hey MinnMax! With Switch 2 and Xbox Developer Direct, it feels like we’re getting plenty of announcements to kick off 2025. What is the most disappointed you’ve been from a game announcement? For example, mine is Monaco 2. I was a huge fan of the first Monaco game, so when they announced that they were making the new game in 3D I was pretty bummed / skeptical.

JG

Hey CLCs, with the release of SE: Resistance this week and the general state of the industry, how do you guys feel about seeing more of these ‘expand-alone’ style games. I’m quite happy with them when we know that a studio is working on something more meaningfully unique at the same time (Atomfall for Rebellion or Spider-Man 2 after Miles).

Joshua Ayers

Are you happy with your name? Do you think another name would've suited you better? If you could change it so it had always been something else, what would it be? Alanah Pearce is a super striking name, helped inspire the question, but it goes for everyone!

Kevin Musto

In this age of remakes, reboots, comebacks, and legacy sequels... at this point, do you still have any dream announcements left?

Jordan

Howdy! On Bonus Pod this past week you all discussed Lost Odyssey, which brought a wave of buried dopamine to my brain as I nostalgically remembered its cable commercial promo which featured clips from the game set over Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” It was a great commercial that set a fantastic and eery tone. Are there any televised game commercials you all can specifically recall that made you all intrigued or psyched for a game (maybe one you hadn’t heard of yet), and what did you find effective about them?

Jordan Seefeldt

This year, I decided to start keeping a gaming journal where I make notes of my progress and thoughts after each gaming session. I know some of you write your thoughts for the podcast, but do you ever take notes about games even when you know they won't be used for content? If so, what kinds of things do you like to write?

ScottyDontKnovv

What is an older game that you like to replay or revisit from time to time? For me, it is Kingdom Hearts II and Final Fantasy X-2 (have to collect all the dresspheres and sphere grids baby!). KH2 was a game I played multiple times to 100% completion with my younger brother and we still bond over our love and experience with them. FFX-2 is batshit crazy and has an awesome job system that has never really been replicated, also brings me back utilizing to plane text GameFaqs guides. Thank you everyone!

Grizzled Gaming

Hey gang! Ben, tell JeffM Grizzled Gaming says "hello." He'll know what it means. What is the best-selling, least nostalgic console of all time?

Crayter

Yall ever have Culver's? Gosh that place is great.

Floof Queen Emily

Not a question, a but challenge put forth to everyone. As the self-proclaimed best Balatro player in the MinnMax discord I went ahead and tried to see how high of a score I could get in 1 attempt using the seed 'MINNMAX' in the game. I ended up getting a top hand score of 5.139e112 (which is a number with 109 0's). I challenge anyone to beat this top score by the time the next episode of the podcast is recorded.

Malcolm Holliday

Hey MinnMax, what video game character do you think really needs a hug?

Catpurrnicus

I was in Mexico recently I saw some Coatis, they look like lemurs. My partner and I thought they were very exotic, but the locals were pretty annoyed by them much like we would be if a raccoon was digging through our garbage. What would you consider an exotic animal? Is it completely based on where you live? Is one person's koala another person's squirrel?

Palo

Howdy doody MinnMax. It is prime advertisement season with 'the big game' coming up. On queue, during this weeks 'Bonus Pod' Haley and Charles even dove into a memorable Wii-U amiibo ad. Are there any video game advertisements (not simply trailers) that stand out to you all as memorable, impactful, or even just a little over the top? For me, nothing will top the spherical Playstation 9 ad from the late nineties, though I don't even remember exactly what they were selling in that one if I am being honest.

BEEFCAKE

What are your top five games where you kill Nazis?

James Medd

I just spotted YouTube Playables for the first time this week, touting their “no need to download anything!” message. We've come full circle to the era of browser-based/Flash games (still not quite over Apple’s role in ending that). It got me thinking about how much I loved those old-school web-based titles: from that text-based Mafia RPG* and Neopets, through Habbo Hotel, RuneScape, Newgrounds, and even Blaseball more recently. There’s something that remains appealing about being able to jump into a game with nothing more than a web browser. What are your favourite web-based games? * That Mafia game went hard: https://web.archive.org/web/20040210011357/http://www.mafia.org/news/faq.php

Eric Reitz

Hey, Ben and the MinnMax crew! It's been wonderful having Alanah on the show this past month, and I hope she can join again soon! As for a question, this Friday I'm having heart surgery for a lifelong heart condition. Recovery is going to be a tad daunting from what has been described to me. My question is, for those who have needed to recover from surgery or injury, what were your go-to's to pass the time and help pull yourself out of the stress of the situation? One of mine will be watching all the MinnMax shows, so thanks in advance! Eric R - Chicago

Boondock-Bandit

Hi y’all, Do you have a favorite food based mostly on memory? I’m a Raising Cane’s (fried chicken for the uninitiated) fanatic, but I’m thinking my love for it comes from the first time I had it - it was my first meal after a whole day of driving/moving in to a new place. I get that same comfort feeling everytime now. Any others?

Spectre

Howdy crew, I wanted to say that admire everything Alahnah has done in the video games industry and the great amount of insight she's provided to the community with her podcasts and content overall. So I wanted to ask Alanah and the rest of the MinnMaxers, looking forward, what do you still hope you can add or give a voice to in the industry?

Bloody Waffle

What bugs have you eaten before or you would be willing to try? I tried crickets recently and they tasted pretty good.

Adam Brungardt

What is your favorite video game that you feel like no one has played? Mine is a game called Timeshift, a first person shooter on the 360 back in 2007. I’ve only met one other person in my life that’s even heard of this game and we both swear by it. I imagine by the very nature of your jobs that there probably isn’t much you haven’t heard of when it comes to games, but are there any that stand out as incredible experiences that you feel you’ve been the only one to enjoy?

Cashewual

Dear Minnmaxers: The other day I tried looking up if the developer behind A Short Hike had made a new game or announced anything but came up with nothing much. This in turn reminded me how Eric Barone is taking his time (rightfully so) with Haunted Chocolatier. What are some indie devs you eagerly anticipating updates from?

Swansonge

Hey Minnmaxers, who’s a video game character you think you could take in a fight?

Travis in Fargo

What’s the biggest screen you’ve ever played video games upon?

Tyler Sticka

Greetings, cohorts! Do any of you suffer from imposter syndrome? If so, have you found any tricks or techniques to manage it?

Cath

Hey! First thank you Alanah for your amazing insight this month ! I have a question for you all. Is it weird I was on to speak 900$ for a ps5 but I can’t let myself do the same for a steam decks? maybe it’s because it look like a switch which is lesser price ? What’s wrong with me ? Or is it overpriced ?

Jeeo Banogy

Hey MinnMaxers, What a return for Dynasty Warriors! I was surprised with how tough a decision siding with one of the 3 kingdoms was in a series where I was casually blowing thousands of enemies away in one blow. Was there any game in recent memory that caught you off guard with a tough decision?

Garrett Kelley

Everyone owes Ben an apology ~ wait for apology ~ Final Fantasy VII Remake is a GREAT game, and the slander is misplaced. This is my first final fantasy game, and I am planning on going back through the catalog to see what I’ve been missing out on. The character development and story have been outstanding so far. What is a game or series that you passed on initially, only to fall in love with later?

Conner McCabe

Hi Ben and the moviegoers, When you go to the movies, how much popcorn do you eat? Do you get your fill before the previews end? Do you munch through the entire bag? I feel like I rarely eat more than 1/4 of whatever size I get and the rest sits sadly in the bag until the movie is over. How about you?

Travis in Fargo

Is VR basically dying, or what do you think it would take for VR to gain popularity? Or am I way off base and the state of VR is actually strong?

Victor Pham

Do you think the impending tariffs will impact your video game spending habits for the next few years?

Charnel

What is the perfect series? No duds, no misses. Some of my thoughts. DOOM. That's it. GTA had misses. Remakes count. Uncharted had that PSVita game. The last of us maybe isn't a series because it's only 2 games. Halo trilogy was great, but it kept going. Wolfenstien even had some slips. Tetris has had pretty bad ports. Mario and Zelda aren't immune. Lets hear yours.

Quillgrim

I'm a professor of medieval history and a millennial. When people ask me about my "historian origin story," the answer is video games. Playing Age of Empires in the 1990s is what sparked a deep, lifelong passion for studying history. And I'm not the only one with that answer. SO many of my peers/colleagues of millennial age talk about how Age of Empires influenced their interests and later career paths. So my question: What do you think about the role of video games as an influence on something like a person's career path? Do you think there are generations growing up now with such unprecedented levels of immersion that we'll be hearing about astrophysicists who were inspired by Starfield? Archeologists who played Assassin's Creed? Lawyers who played Ace Attorney? Dentists who played Mouthwashing? (That's what the game is about, right?)

Tess

Who are your favorite phrase people? Like Ready Freddie an Bold Susan

Liz Phillips

Not a question but I just wanted to say I totally get Leo’s love for Hitman. I’ve played Hitman 1,2 and 3 this month and had an absolute blast. I even dropped a toilet on a target’s head 😂

JTDenton

Here's a little game called "Can You Still Play It?". I will list some games; you tell me if their multiplayer modes are still technically playable in 2025. (For instance, if I said "Concord," you would say "No".) 1. Tomb Raider (2013) -- Yes 2. Dead Space 2 -- No 3. Mass Effect 3 -- Yes 4. Max Payne 3 -- Yes (at least on PC) 5. Gotham City Imposters -- No 6. Batman: Arkham Origins -- No 7. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag -- Yes 8. Bleeding Edge (this is that hero shooter by Ninja Theory) -- Yes Hope you enjoy!

Ken H (Kenny2Slice)

If people had to take a course before they could chime in about game development, what would be on the syllabus? Interviews, articles, books, documentaries?

David Dubs

Hey Gang, but specifically Leo and Ben. Ben mentioned in bonuspod that the Pissy-Zone after the game of the year discussions was one of the most successful ideas ever for Minnmax from the mind of Leo. With such a success, can we expect a milking of pissy content? I’m thinking of a monthly PissyCast, Pissy Write Ups, Pissy Daily News Show, or Pissy TV spinoff. Can we expect a PCU (Pissy Content Universe)? The Pissy ideas are endless!

RickyWinterborn

I have a ton of respect for Alanah leaving Santa Monica studio to pursue indy dev. My question is would you recommend ditching a steady job and taking a risk pursuing indy game development? I work as a freelance animator, and I technically could stop accepting work and live off savings for a year or two and focus on game dev, it's just so daunting. I learn in my free time but I feel like it will never be enough to actually progress. PS join Minnmax full time kbyeeee

Fred Dinovo

Do you all ever save an accessory or anything for a "special occasion"? For example, I got one of the 30th Anniversary Dual Senses, but I haven't played a game with it yet. It feels like I should save it for a big game OR a remake of a game from the PS1 era. (the ideal situation would be part 3 of the FFVII remake, but I'm not waiting that long).

Ben64

Hey CLCs! I recently watched an interview with Nickelback where they credited getting jokes made about them with their longterm success and place in pop culture. Is there a game or other piece of media where you feel it was dogpiled on by fans/internet at the time or shortly after release, but that that intense reaction led to new fans and a stronger legacy?

King Promethus

Howdy cohorts, I've been playing Veilguard a lot recently and have been enjoying the game for completely different reasons than I expected. I have been enjoying the combat mechanics, skill builds, and gear system more than I thought I ever would, as dragon age has never been a gameplay first game for me in any previous entry. As a huge dragon age fan it has been a bit of a shock. What was the last or biggest time you went into a game with expectations for one thing and came out of it liking it for a completely different reason?

James Elder

Question for Alanah: what are some common misconceptions about the development process you’d like to debunk? And what might be something that is quite accurate?

Mabroon

Hello MM! What do you guys think is the most impressive consecutive run of releases? Doesn't have to be video games. When a series, creator, or company released back to back bangers uninterrupted. One that I feel is a classic example in music is Michael Jackson's track run of Thriller -> Beat It -> Billie Jean on the Thriller album. 3 of the greatest pop songs of all time just back to back on one album. For video games, I think Rockstar's run of Red Dead Redemption -> LA Noire -> Max Payne 3 -> GTA 5 -> Red Dead Redemption 2 is wild.

AlexTheSnood

MinnMax, why are there more games about hitting someone with a sword instead of just punching them?

Chris Pelley

Some ideas to get through the rest of winter? Co-op board games to try for three that finished Gloomhaven Jaws of the Lion?

strategineer

What’s one long-forgotten game franchise that you’d love to see resurrected?

Gooseberry

Hola, The U.S. sucks right now. Any non profits or organizations you support or are planning to support to help your community? Consider United we Dream for immigrant rights advocacy if looking for ideas

Otsego12

Hey, Minnfolk, do you think Donkey Kong Country is the original soulslike? The amount of timing and memorization is frankly cruel. What are your thoughts?

Jacob Mazanowski

The idea of “id love to erase this game from my memory, so i can play it for the first time again” is always fun… I’m curious about the reverse of that for you. Whats a game that you hope you never forget or your skills never get rusty in? For me, I hope I always remember how Sifu flows and all the ins and outs of the combat. Learning that game was incredible, but being able to feel full control over the character is an amazing feeling I hope I will always have.

Lucas England

Hey yall, big fan of the podcast! Something I hear a lot in discussions about video game writing is that even the best stories and writing in video games are weaker than the writing found in books, movies, and other mediums. What’s everyone’s take on this idea, and if you disagree, what are some games with writing good enough to stand alongside the best films and books, in your opinion?

Jake Eckert

Did any of you play flash games in a big way? I played so many as a kid that I would say they were significantly formative for my early taste in games. Bonus points for some of them being uber-violent and totally flying under my parents’ radar. I miss them now, with lots of them being lost media after the end of Adobe Flash.

Ben E

What's everyone's thoughts on raytracing? For me, it is only enhancing things that I rarely pay attention to so it is never worth the hit to performance.

SuperCerberus

Now that we’ve seen how dangerous games like Roblox are when it comes to child exploitation, should the gaming community collectively apologize to Nintendo for complaining about their restrictive online policies all these years? The Switch is probably the only gaming platform where a kid can hang out and play games online unsupervised (and, let’s be honest, most of them are) without any risks.

Hovercow

Hi Minncrew/Maxcrew, just last year I played a demo for Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders during Steam's nextfest and fell head over heels for it. I spent a good 6 hours completing all the missions and playing multiplayer with folks online, I even got the max level attainable during this demo. After that I spent some more time fighting for a good leaderboard ranking on each track available. All that to say I bought the full game day-one because of how much I got out of the demo. When's the last time you played a demo that made you a day-one purchaser? Are demos or free early build previews something you think still offer value for devs these days?

Phelix Diaz

Hello MinnMax. I'm a mental health therapist and during the holidays I started playing Kind Words 2. It's a game were you start conversations with random avatars or reply to letters from people asking for personal advice. After work I usually feel drained with the type of emotional energy necessary for this type of work, but it has been surprising how much I have enjoyed the gameplay on this game, which is similar to my work. Maybe it's been able use those same skills but without the pressure and paperwork that comes with real work. Have you had a similar experience with a game before?

LawlWorthy

Ben & the baby gamers unite! We get it we get it! Souls likes are hard and everyone that beats them should be praised. But have they ever beat Brick Breaker, Streets of rage, or one btn bosses??? I have fallen in love with the fun of simple straightforward games. What’s some games you’d recommend to a baby ass gamer?

Joshua Novalis

Hey MinnMax! Coming at you with the important life questions: What drink that is typically only served cold do you think would actually taste good hot?

Donald Wieden

Would you rather be able to always successfully kick flip, or backflip?

Ampex

Hey MinnMax! On last week's New Show Plus, Jacob said that he thinks that 20 years from now, Outer Wilds will be more influential than Resident Evil 4. This led Ben to put a reminder in his phone 20 years from now to check if this will be true. This reminded me that I have a reminder in my phone that will go off in January 2034 called "Is Palworld still culturally relevant?". I made this in January of last year after Ben said on a podcast that "millions and millions of kids" will be nostalgic for this game and that it's going to be "a juggernaut for the next decade" in terms of cultural impact. Do you still stand by your words from a year ago, Hanson?

Travis in Fargo

What’s something you hated as a kid but now love as an adult?

Travis in Fargo

Is there any chance Nintendo will do retroactive rebranding on the Switch and call it the Switch 1? Maybe issue a new version of it with a big #1 slapped on the dock or something?

Trevor

Hey MinnMax, I'm visiting Japan for 3 months this March-May, in what will probably be the only trip I ever take. I'm traveling the country, both urban and rural areas. There are a few game related things I want to do, but my question is this: What is the one non-video game related thing I have to see or do? I have all of the basic stuff and personal interests covered (visiting towns from Murakami novels, seeing natural wonders, feeding deer in Nara, shrines in the mountains, etc.) I'm looking for the awe-inspiring things you think everyone should see, or once in a lifetime experiences at the top of your suggestion list. Thank you for your time. I can't wait to go Tokyo Drifting™!

Drinkwater

Period Tracker in Online Apps: Accidentally posted this on last week's post, moving it here for visibility. I pledged to the patreon just to make this comment, not a question or even intended to be featured on the show, but based off of a recent Get A Load Of This is feel it is relevant. In our current administration it is ill advised to use any period Tracker or app that has the ability to do so. Abortions are being criminalized and using any product that collects data and can inform any body that you may be pregnant or have missed a period can be detrimental to your personal safety. Please track your period and pregnancy independently from the internet. Thank you and look after your selves in these following years.

Blake Barber

I loved hearing about Allana's boxing adventures. If you could be the best in the world at one sport, what would it be and why? And no, JeffM, couch building is not a sport.

Spencer Botine

Hey Crew! With rumors swirling around the potential price of GTA 6 increasing to $100 USD and game dev cycle times extending to upwards of 6+ years, I have to wonder - how much of these industry pain points can be directly blamed at us, the consumers? I can't help but think if the masses weren't so concerned with the length of full priced games or how detailed/realistic these titles looked, we could reign in a lot of these creeping concerns of the community.

Chree McGee

Hello, Minnmax! I just finished reading the Mistborn trilogy (BrandoSando sickos rise up!) and it really feels like it's ripe for some sort of adaptation. The author has said he envisions the first book as a movie, followed by a television series to continue the story. What book/ other media do you think is ripe for an adaptation, and how would you choose to adapt it?

OhMyBlob

Hello Minnus Maximus, I’m currently playing through Ghost of Tsushima for the first time and simultaneously reading a great book about the entire history of Japan. The combination is really deepening my enjoyment of the game and the nods to Japanese history in the narrative. So my question is - have you ever expanded your appreciation of a game by reading a book that related to the history, location or subject of the story? I imagine Alanah had to read a lot of Norse mythology for God of War!

Adam Castellanos

I recently saw a movie called memoria for the first time and hated it except for one scene with a jazz band that ruled. What is the best scene in a movie you hated?

Jordan Watson

Hey MinnMax team! I recently dreamed that Leo and Hayley were importing my likeness into FIFA to horrifying results, as was popular in 00s sports games. Which misleadingly impressive feature/mechanic do you wish worked out better?

Poofydoo

Sorry to hear some were sick. 🤒 Do you ever feel like playing games when you’re sick?

Neal McMahon

What is the most polished game ever?

Neal McMahon

Hey all, I got a question for the cohorts. As someone who’s been sinking a lot of time into open world games lately from older Assassin’s Creed titles, to both horizon games, Ghost of Tsushima, and now FF7 Rebirth, I’m finding myself getting fatigued. In the past if I try to put a game down for a while to take a break, I typically fall off it for good so I try to not do that anymore and just get through it no matter what. I was wondering if the team had any tips for how to manage this feeling of never ending gameplay loops but dying to finish. I find myself so excited when I’m done with a game and get to choose with the next one is, but those moments are rare now. I probably only have time to get through around 8 to 10 games a year. Love the show.

RootFunction

What's the first game you remember finishing without any external help? So, tips and tricks presented in the game are fine but no assistance from outside guides, friends, family, etc. Also, I'm really enjoying this format with a new cohort every month. It's been great having Alanah on MinnMax content, and I look forward to finding out who will be joining in the coming months.

Cody A

Sniper elite reminded me that one of the first PC games i ever played was Cabella's Dangerous hunts, a hunting simulator in which you could take down deer as well as bears, mountain lions, and more. There was an option to highlight any of your targets with a red dot in the UI no matter how far away they were. This game also had a bullet cam so you could follow your shot all the way ( much like sniper elite, but way less graphic) This led me and my siblings to arching bullets over several mountains and finally hitting the target after a few minutes of airtime. What game brings to mind those sort of "sandbox" rulesets you created for yourself because the game allowed for fun/unique controls?

Neal McMahon

Hey all, What was that one game that you got lost in which totally shut down your social life? For me it was Stardew Valley back in 2016. I specifically remember my best friend wanting to hang out and me always saying no because I had my crops to attend to. What was that game for you all?

Javi

Alanah Pearce was recently in the (great!) indie horror film V/H/S Beyond, as a horror fan I’ve always been curious about the production experience for films like this. Was it fun, stressful, all of the above? How does an experience like that fare in contrast to game dev, or even voice acting like you did in Cyberpunk? (PS, Stowaway was the best in that anthology!)

Hector Aleman

What’s a modern game that you’d like to see a “Demake” version of? Similar to the Bloodbourne PSX fan project made by Lilith 'b0tster' Walther and Corwyn Prichard.

Bryce Blackmore

Alanah, how often do you go to Australia and what's one thing that stands out when you return in term of culture/lifestyle?

Michael Fahy

I have a dream job interview this week at a law firm. If I’m asked about hobbies, how do I talk about video games in a low-risk way?

Memory Card

What's the deal with all these indie sequels as of late? Citizen Sleeper 2, Oxenfree 2, even Hades 2! Are there any indie sequels you've liked more than the original game?

Spencer Jenson

Hey minnmax and minnmax affiliated! When I worked at GameStop and a parts store simultaneously I bought a power inverter for my car so I could play my brand new pre-owned Wii U in my car between my two jobs with the 30 minutes I had to spare. Until I decided two jobs plus college was too much I did that for weeks. Has anybody of minnmax ever had a period of there life where gaming was there for you when you needed it, or when you maybe didn't need it and resorted to it anyways?

Ian Miller

I know we're big fans of The Thing on this podcast, and I just remembered something recently. The first time I ever watched this masterpiece was in middle school....on the 3DS. The 3DS had a Netflix app, believe it or not. (Arguably the best way to watch gruesome horror movies while the parents watch Monday Night Football) So my question is this: In what ways have you engaged with media or entertainment in an untraditional way? There's gotta be some goofy anachronisms or oxymoronic experiences y'all are hiding. Toodles, Ian Miller

FelixA

Hi cohorts!, I recently beat Star Wars Outlaws and with AC: Shadows coming out soon I've had stealth mechanics stuck in my head. CQC and cool takedowns in particular bugged me. We haven't had a good one of those since MGSV. This is a question for Haley, but is it because Konami has that patented? Why can't we hold people up or CQC like in MGS? BTW, Outlaws is a solid 7 for me. even with the recently patch, there are a lot of design choices that irked me but the Star Wars was great.

Vilas

Hey MinnMax! Are there any games in which you struggle to find flaws? I don't think I can think of any substantial ones in Hades, for example. The game isn't on my personal top 10 or anything, but I can't find much wrong with it!

LlorchDurden

not a question but a prediction having absolutely no knowledge what so ever, the Switch 2 will release for 399 $ with Mario Kart 9 included (digital version only) on March 2026.

Neal McMahon

I have a love/hate relationship with JRPG murmur after a battle is over. After playing things like Xenoblade Chronicles and FF7 Rebirth, I’m used to hearing things like, “SPINNING CUTTAH!”, “SWORD BASHHH”, and “Wasn’t I pretty?!” during and after a fight. If you could write your own post battle line as a JRPG party member what would you say? Would Ben’s be, “JEASUSS CHRIST!” Or those strange sounds he makes when someone makes a joke on the show? (Jokes of my own are with love of course) Love the show.

Infinite

Hey gang, hope everyone is well! Question, how long into playing it did you realize that your favorite game of all time *was* your favorite game of all time? Was it a couple hours in, after your first meeting with the characters, world, or controls? Was it upon your first time finishing it, as the emotions and feelings of satisfaction swept over you? Or was it even years after you finished it, thinking back on how it affected you or how much fun you had? Thanks for being constantly and consistently awesome!

Boondock-Bandit

Hi cohort, Sorry for the double dip question. What's the last video game thing that legitimately made you jump for joy to get? As a spoiled only child I literally cried to my parents to get the PS3 (remember it being $600?), and legit jumped in joy when they surprised me with it. Any stories from the crew? PS: Parents can be awesome

Devin Atlee-Nutts

Howdy MinnMaxxers, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey is a notoriously long and sprawling game but I was still surprised that after 6 hours of playtime over multiple play sessions — and completing dozens of side missions — I was greeted with a late title card as I left the starting island. I couldn't help laughing as I realised I effectively just completed the tutorial zone, and this was still the beginning of the journey. Are y'all fans of late title cards as an artistic choice? How late is *too late*?

Felix davin

Hello Minnmax If Todd Howard were to grant you an extra free skill by touching your shoulder with his holy palm, would you choose : - being able to talk with horses. - always speak 25% louder and with incredible intelligibility. - having a stomach able to ingest any wild fruit or berries. - a spell that makes you look like JeffM for a duration of one minute. Cheers.

Sincerly, Eric

Hey. What's your favorite word? I personally like dichotomy a lot.

Danny Mather

Hey Minnmax, Assassin's Creed Shadows is including a 10 hour expansion (Claws of Awaji) as a pre-order bonus for all versions of the game. What's the biggest or wildest pre-order bonus you remember for a game?

KayBree

Stealing this idea from the Triple Click crew. If you won a bet, what game would you make the other cohorts play?

McGreevy

No real question this week. But as an outsider from Australia looking in: y'all doing okay? I hope you are all doing okay.

Nat

Hi cohorts!! As a doctor who works with kids, I am often confronted with the dissonance between the values of my colleagues who are often avidly opposed to kids playing video games and myself (obviously a huge game nerd!). I find myself looking for a way to show to my peers that games can be constructive in the right context. For example, games like Minecraft offer a place for kids to be creative and practice social skills. I am also excited to see more accessibility options for games this generation which can help kids with chronic illnesses more easily connect with others. I’m wondering if the cohorts have any thoughts on this in general or ideas of games that have similar attributes?

AnAttackCorgi

There are a lot of good looking games out there, and just as many bad games to boot. What’s the best-looking bad game? Stay warm MinnMaxers

resnet

Hi MinnMax! In the spirit of Dynasty Warriors Origin's release, which game or franchise that you would personally like to be able to create your own custom character in?

Vilis

Who is everybody's go to character in Dynasty Warriors? Xiaohou Dun for me.

Jeorin

Greetings MinnMax and friends, I need your expert opinion on a discussion that was held in the Discord: Has Kazuma Kiryu of the Yakuza series ever had sex? I personally think he's Ace.

Michael Berry

Hey Minnmax! I had a question for Alanah due to her experience in game development. With the video game industry becoming less sustainable with continually rising costs, why don't more companies focus on games with less visual fidelity? Like have the visuals of GTA 4 but have the city more interactive or destructive instead of trying to have the most graphically intensive game ever. Does the graphical push come from the demanding fans or publishers?

Adam Cohen

Hello MinnMax. This question is for all of you, but I'd really like Alanah's view since she's worked on the dev side... Are AAA games doomed? It seems like we get a never ending stream of news stories about AAA games falling short of their goals, most recently Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It almost always leads to layoffs, studio closures, and industry consolidation. With game development becoming longer and more expensive, and companies needing more and more money to stay afloat, is the whole AAA games industry going to collapse under it's own weight?

CozyWizardVibes

Hey MinnesotaMax! I couldn’t believe my ears when Ben mentioned ESPN Extreme Games the other day! I remember in 1995 at 9 years old, after a ton of begging, my parents let us rent a PS1 for the weekend. We were allowed to pick one game with it, and since it was right around launch, they only had a few to choose from. So we ended up with ESPN Extreme Games! I was immediately captivated, as it was my first experience playing an actual 3-Dimensional game, and I couldn’t get enough of it. My older brother and I stayed up all night playing this wonky, sprite-y racing game with Rollerbladers, Skateboarders, Bicyclists, and... Luge'rs… In a wild coincidence, this game popped into my head for the first time in years right around the holidays last month. I knew my brother was coming to visit for Christmas, so I had an idea to set up a PS1 in the basement, and load up a copy of Extreme Games as a surprise. It was a blast. I thought we were only going to do 2-3 races, but we ended up playing for a couple of hours. There's something about the momentum to that game and how your character moves that is strangely satisfying and addictive once you get the hang of it. Plus, one of the best and most visceral feelings in any game is when you slide to the left or right and kick someone off a bicycle or skateboard. It holds up and still feels great. We used to laugh at that every single time. Oh, and let's not forget about the most wonderfully 90s thing in existence, the 5-second long FMV cut-scenes of a woman in a sleeveless, denim vest, trash-talking you when you lose a race. And if you can believe it, my brother and I actually had a conversation about the fact that no one knows this game even exists, and that no one ever talks about it when discussing retro-games. So I was completely caught off guard when Ben Hanson just name-drops this thing out of nowhere like 3 weeks later. Wild. Anyway after all that, my question is: What’s a random, forgotten game from your childhood that you love, that you feel like no one else knows exists? All the best, -CozyWizardVibes

Zae

Hey Minnmax, Have you ever put furniture smack dab in the middle of a room? I want to put our bed in the center of our bedroom and my wife keeps saying no. Is there any furniture that isn’t a table that you don’t have against a wall? I want islands of furniture, and I’m sick and tired of being walled off.

Phil McKrackup

So I think my toe might be broken. It’s been swollen for awhile now. I went to a foot doctor and he said it looks like physical trauma and to ice it. Well I haven’t really been keeping up with the icing but you would think it would be better after a few months. The thing is I have no idea what happened to my toe. I have 0 recollection of stubbing it or dropping an anvil on it. Has anyone had something similar to this happen to you? Is it just me?

Josh Johnson

I'm a federal employee that is currently dealing with incredible job uncertainty. What strategies do you use to get off your phone and stop doom scrolling? I find that I really enjoy listening to music and playing games but the barrier to starting up something new seems insurmountable sometimes. Anyway, thanks for being a beacon of joy. Be good, have fun, let's go

Bradley Johnstone

Not a question and first time submitting something, it’s been genuinely so awesome having Alanah on MinnMax! I’ve been following her content for years now, easily one of my fav creators so seeing this collab has been a treat. Hope she enjoyed her time and hope she can return in some fashion!!

Josh Lamm

You know that "mystery" square button on the new Joycon? Rumor has it that it's a community button. If this is truly a button you push to enable voice chat, I hereby dub this the "swear square". So, what's your favorite swear word? (a note to Ben: replace the normal "bleep" with varied silly sound effects - foghorn, fart, old-timey car horn, dolphin, etc)

Rene Nunez

Phil Spencer has recently said that he hopes innovation drives people towards Xbox in the future. What new inventions or updates would make a big headline for Xbox, who has faced quite the decline the past two generations?

Andrew Clabaugh

Hey xaMnniM crew, Since David Lynch’s passing two weeks ago, it’s been beautiful to see everyone online sharing how much he and his art means to them. Who would you say is the artist who’s had the single biggest impact on your life, your creative pursuits, and/or personal interests?

Luca Alberti

Hello MinnMaxers, we don't have even a half picture of the Switch 2 lineup, but we do know what's not gonna be there: with TotK releasing in 2023 and EoW in 2024 there's gonna be a big triforce shaped hole in Nintendo's lineup for the next few years excluding some possible remasters, my question to you is: what game/s announced or unannounced could benefit from this gap in your opinion?

Thorn23

Hi MinnMax and Fellow-Aussie, Guest-Cohort Alanah! As promised, my Bonus Q (welcome back Haley! We, the community, missed u last week, =p) from last week gets a promotion lol; this is for Alanah - Thanks for ur time, and doing us proud on the World Stage! Is there a shout out to a particular game or dev, from you're (and my) humble shores you're particularly proud of, that has made it big in the world? (or maybe a handful, if u can't pick just one) (personally partial to Team Cherry, thanks to growing up with Ari Gibson's near-weekly drawings as Fan art, for years, in our local-alternative-to-GI-mag, the much-loved and often hilarious multi-format "Hyper" Magazine - R.I.P. - long before he broke big! Congrats! I see/saw you Ari! Shout out! ;D )

Kelsey Sims

There have been a lot of musou games spun off of other franchises; The Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem, Persona 5, One Piece, Gundam... If you could have a Warriors-like spin off of any piece of media, what would it be? I think it'd be hard to go wrong with Final Fantasy Warriors, and I wouldn't be surprised to see one based on Demon Slayer with how popular it is

Tony Mayato

Hey MinnMaxers! First off, I think Alanah has been an incredible guest on the pod. Her insight into the dev side of things has been so enlightening! After listening to the two tens I picked up 1000xResist on my switch and I’ve been playing it. One of the features in that game that I love, that I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else is turning off the ability to continue through the dialogue until it’s been fully read. This really forces me to slow down and doesn’t allow my intense desire to speed through things to take over. Are there any features in other games that you found unique in a really helpful way?

Graham Jones

Hey cohorts, what is the best strategies you have found to weed out the good vs bad side quests in a game?

Jaser Helu

What are your thoughts on how the Tiktok Ban impacted mobile games such as Marvel Snap, Mobile Legends, Land of Empires, etc.? While I only play (and have spent $ in) Marvel Snap, it was a strange experience to see the game cease to exist for a few days without warning. It made me think about the volatility of online only games, and that I should reconsider my approach to physical vs. digital altogether.

DarthBane79

I love having the Minmax show opening as my ringtone!! Question: last week when Alanah was answering the question about new show plus shows, Sarah shouted "she is gonna know we are a bunch weirdos!" My question is, what is the weirdest or funniest thing anyone on the show has had to do, see, or answer? To me the shower question where I think Leo said he uses shampoo to wash his whole body is still one of the weirdest and funniest moments in Minmmax history. Love the show! It is my favorite podcast!!

Jalopy Slow

Minnmax has been the exclusive arbiter of my 2025 obsessions so far. From Sarah: I finally got hooked on The Outer Wilds. From Leo: The pop musician Jade and her hit single "Angel Of My Dreams" has me salivating for every new single she releases. And from Ben: Into The Aether is now my #2 podcast (MinnMax being #1, obviously 🙄). All that is to ask: Alanah, got another obsession for me before you go? And thanks for being a part of Minnmax! You rock.

Ashley Malone

Question: In your careers what is something you had the opportunity to do -- but didn't -- and wish you would have done?

John Jenkinson

Hi all, Speaking of Dynasty Warriors, I always think back to my first time running into Lu Bu in Dynasty Warriors 3. He would appear on a certain part of a certain map and would be just about unkillable. In a game where you just plow through enemies it really caught me off guard. Does anyone have any 'holy smokes' moments from games that they still think about like this?