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Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast (Patreon)

Published:
2025-07-08 17:58:02
Edited:
2025-07-08 17:58:44
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

We won't get to it in time for the podcast, but we'll be reacting live to the State of Play showing off gameplay for Ghost of Yotei this Thursday at 4pm Central on YouTube. Also, in case you missed it, here's our Max Spoilers for Jurassic World Rebirth - https://youtu.be/Ou6E7P3BQUY

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, guest cohort Kyle Bosman, Kelsey Lewin, and Sarah Podzorski. 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...

Our "Game of the Summer" so far, please submit your own! We'll share it!

Tamagotchi Plaza

Death Stranding 2

Umamusume: Pretty Derby

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy

Mario Kart World

Grim Grimoire Once More

Everybody at the Backstage Pass tier can watch us record the show live on Wednesday at 1pm 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 Toem for Switch for sale in iam8bit’s online store, and you can use the promo code WORLDUFODAY 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

Lance Roberson

What video game made you so emotional, that even though you loved it, you hesitate to play again? Mine is Stray.

Travis in Fargo

When you play competitive video games with kids, or otherwise less skilled/experienced players, do you hold back in an effort to make it more fun for them, or do you give it your all, no holds barred, and attempt to crush the feeble competition?

Stevelution

When in Rome, should you do as the Romans do?

Malcolm Holliday

If you were a digi-destined what would your partner Digimon be? Bonus: which crest would you have?

Neal McMahon

Hey maxers, Over the last few years since purchasing my steam deck and playing a lot of PC games, I’ve noticed that it’s usually only the PC games that have a quick save function. I recently played through Death Stranding: Directors Cut on PS5 in preparation for the sequel and there is no standard quick save. This means every time I want to avoid doing mundane tasks over and over I have to go to the menu scroll down and click save and this waste a lot of time. Should we be seeing more of quick, save functionality on consoles? Was this solved in the sequel?

Jacob Mazanowski

If you could only eat one of the following for dinner every night for a year, what would you eat? Tacos, Pizza, Burgers, Pasta, Curry, Sushi, or a Roast

Badmonsterman

Howdy gang! What piece of media has had the biggest impact on your life?

Neal McMahon

I was watching an episode of the Rewatchables from the ringer podcast network, where Bill Simmons at the very end talks about their 400th episode and I just realized that the Mac show’s 300th episode lines of near perfectly with the Rewatchables 400th episode. When are we gonna get a collaboration with Bill Simmons? PS how does it feel to be technically connected to the Rewatchables with the folks from blank check being guests on the Ringer’s brother show, The Big Picture?

PhillyYeetSteak

On a trip to Korea as a teen, i tried to tell a friend that i thought she was "hyper", but instead i accidentally told her she has "high sexual endurance." Do you have any translation mishap stories?

Neal McMahon

Are puzzles and games just not worth it? Although I find myself loving many games with puzzles like Uncharted, Zelda, and more recently Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I am always left just googling the answers. Maybe as I’m getting older I just feel like I have less and less patience for puzzles. What do you guys think?

Daniel May

Hi MinnMax, I have a pedantic question for you: I've been sinking a lot of time into Rematch, and have been mildly annoyed by the discussion about "meta". It's a soccer game! You're not playing as different characters with different skillsets, you're playing soccer! Do you have any particular pedantic hookups in gaming you love to rant about?

Mike Lynch

-Have you encountered something you were very excited to experience (movie, music, books) but were put off by it because it used generative AI?

God's Garage

Hey folks, Has anyone dug into the Zelda notes feature on the Switch 2 through the companion app? I’ve been replaying TOTK and it’s been a wild experience having Zelda pop up and give story context to a geographic location, or track down Koroks on the app.

Jason Wojnar

Last week I slept in my bathroom (not so much slept as lay down trying to go sleep). What's the most uncomfortable place you've ever had to sleep?

Adam Castellanos

If death stranding is a game about walking and delivering packages , what other simple everyday task could translate well from a weird Kojima video game adaptation of that task? Thank you for the podcast!

Brent Carroll

Rematch is my game of summer, easy. Maybe by next summer people will learn to pass the ball!

Maestro_T

If we had no fall damage in real life, what would be the best place in the world to jump off of?

Victor Pham

Did you know that the original concept by Satoshi Tajiri for Pokemon (Capsule Monsters) was based on the capsule monsters from Ultraseven? But because of that, they had trouble trademarking it and eventually called them Pocket Monsters (aka Pokemon) instead? What are some other lesser known pieces of Pokemon trivia do you know?

Arturo Perez

Hello Minnmax! Using all the information available, who do you think is the Rumour Meister? I think it is only too convenient that the second Kelsey's dog joined Minnmax, we suddenly had our first rumours.

takeshikitano3

I am obsessed with Death Stranding 2 so it is by far my game of the summer

Sam Worms

Why is Hideo Kojima such a big deal? Full disclosure - I’ve never played any of his games, but the way people are constantly talking about him like he’s the “second coming” puts me off a little, if that makes sense? This isn’t me trying to pick a fight. I genuinely want to know why he’s thought of so highly. (asking for a friend please don’t come at me, comments section)

AnAttackCorgi

Howdy Cohorts! If you could enchant the last object you held in your hand with a perk, what would it be? Coffee cup with +15 damage to structures? PC Mouse + 5 keyboard dexterity?

Ray Sweat

I beat the Dead Space remake earlier this year and am now playing through my old copy of Dead Space 2 on the PS3. It has aged incredibly well and is just as atmospherically creepy as the Dead Space remake on PS5. How is this possible? Is the PS3/Xbox 360 era the last big leap we will experience? As great as these new systems are, a lot of this PS3 era games still rock. Am I crazy?

Aaron U

Are there any franchises you think would work as another genre? For example: I think several of Mortal Kombat's characters and its lore would work well in the action genre, like a Ninja Gaiden style game.

Dan from Canada

You share a microwave at an office, there is someone’s food in the microwave but nobody around and timer is done. How long do you give before you move the food and microwave your own? Is this a faux pas? What’s the protocol here?

ran

What a surprise to see Grim Grimoire on here! Speaking of Vanillaware, I wanted to bright up how a lot of their games get misattributed to Atlas, despite Atlas only serving as their publisher (or NIS or Marvelous). I feel like this happens a lot. Why do you feel that it's hard for the gaming community to know who is making their games? And is there anything that can or should be done to make "who do what" more clear?

DubZe27

Hey MinnMax, It's a fellow Bos Baby here (what Kyle calls his fans) to say I love how MinnMax's Better Quest and Kyle's art show try to foster and encourage your communities to create art and showcase it. It's really helped me in my own journey. My question is, if you were an elite painter (like Haley), what would you paint? Thank you all, DubZe27

Donald Wieden

Just had to have an emergency tooth extraction, and was stuck in bed. Because I couldn't think clearly I played the Sea of Stars in game board game over and over. This got me thinking about all the in-game mini-games that exist and I would love to know some of your favorites!

Travis in Fargo

If you could magically give any game dev from the past, present, or future an additional $1 million and 6 months of development time, upon whom would you bestow this generous gift?

Sabai

Hi all. For the longest time, my dad despised the actor Liam Neeson. He had no good reason for this, just couldn't stand him and refused to watch movies he starred in. That was until he saw Neeson in a cameo role on the show Derry Girls. He had never seen him do comedy and thought he was absolutely hilarious. That single scene completely changed his opinion on Neeson as an actor and now the naked gun reboot is his most anticipated film of the year. Have you ever totally changed your opinion on a entertainer based on one performance?

Christian Hall

Hey MinnMax! With games like Peak getting so popular and Big Walk releasing next year, I was wondering, why is proximity chat fun? Why is it more fun than just chatting with someone in person?

Jump On Everything

Hey minnmax crew, what's a film or game that would be improved by adding dinosaurs? Also my game of the summer is Chrono Cross which I have been playing for the first time along with the deepest dive, it has great summer vibes.

Fancygraham

What age do you think you will you stop playing soulslikes?

Jordan Rogers

Hello all! Since Umamusume started getting big I've kind of been conflicted on the scale of "let people enjoy things" and "this is genuinely harmful to society." In the sense that, as far as I know, the game is pretty well designed and has a lot of effort and art behind it, it's not just purely sexualized gambling like many of its genre contemporaries. At the same time though, it still literally objectifies women (in the sense that it makes women the objective) and is a legal slot machine. Any cohorts that are enjoying the game, how do you reckon with this?

Chandler

kojima has a unique amount of fame and influence in the gaming space. He also has a specific personality and makes games that are weird in a unique kojima way. I often wonder if he's the best person for this position. If you could transfer the power and prominence of kojima to another person would you do it? Would you reroll kojima? Also does Kyle prefer hosting or guesting the podcast? Just curious.

Jared Piers

Hello Minnmax! Have you ever cried because you died/ lost progress in a video game?

Michael Baker

What is your favorite thing about Daffy Duck's superhero persona The Green Loontern? Isn't he just great?

Cath

Hey guys! When do you feel like a grown up? I am hitting 35 and sometime I still look for an adult in the room that isn’t me.

TekWriter

Hello Hello! I was recently walking around the Eden Prairie Mall and came across a store called High Score Video Games. It had the usual latest and used games you would expect, collectables and some Pokemon cards of various worth. But the thing that stopped me in my tracks was the retro section which had games and equipment that looked older than me - your standard issue 43 year old Scandinavian male. I was lighting up multiple times seeing so many things I had forgotten about. My question to you is what gaming treasures (games, collectables or peripherals) have you stumbled across that made your inner child squeal and your wallet cry?

Toke F.

What is the wildest thing you did in April?

Bloody Waffle

How is it hanging? Do you notice that you constantly fidget by pulling on your chin hairs?

JorSneezy

I always find it funny that the sequel to The Legend of Zelda is called "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link." Does that leave room for Nintendo to make a game called, "The Legend of Zelda 2/II?" They could remake Zelda II in the overhead perspective and just call it that. Are there any video game name quirks that amuse you?

CptCobblePot

My kids didn’t realize that media had improved visuals until they were around three years old. I only showed them older movies/shows so they could appreciate the visual improvements. With kids, and they’re of age to start consuming media beyond Bluey or toddler-focused programs, what TV show, movie, and/or games are you going to show them to start?

notweirder

Hey crew! In order to get a better sense of how your brain works, I've prepared a list of colours, and all you have to do is say the first game that comes to mind when it's mentioned. I'm looking for the name of a specific game, not a character or series. 1) Blue 2) Red 3) Green 4) Yellow 5) Black 6) Purple 7) Pink 8) Orange 9) White 10) Turquoise

SlyCut

Hello all, Please rank the following: Doritos Goldfish Potato Chips Pretzels Cheetos Any version/flavor of all of the above is acceptable. Dips and the like being added are not acceptable.

thejjuan1

Hi Minnmax crew and Kyle Bosman. Are you excited for Cyberpunk Edgerunner 2? Basically the show that saved Cyberpunk 2077 reputation back in 2022.

Casey Mattos

Hello lovelies, first time long time. With last week's news of the sweeping layoffs across Microsoft and the gutting/deletion of several studios/projects, I'm kind of puzzled by the lack of discourse around Phil Spencer specifically as the gaming division's spearhead. He was mentioned briefly in y'all's (very insightful) conversation last week, but aside from Jade King's excellent piece for The Gamer* I don't see or hear much discussion about how he's led a campaign to subsume a large swath of the industry for upwards of 100 billion-with-a-B dollars to take Xbox from last place to last place as both a console maker and publisher. I know his public image has generally been very positive but it seems like this has been almost too effective in shielding him from culpability as nearly 10,000 people are out of work that could almost have assuredly been financed solely by half of his own yearly salary. Having an earnest guy in charge is I'm sure much preferred to a maniac like WB CEO David Zaslav - and it pains me to make this comparison - but I don't think the ways these two men have bungled multiple properties and left creatives out in the cold is entirely dissimilar. Why isn't there as much of a push for Spencer's ousting as there has been of other CEOs/leaders who have arguably done a less bad job steering their respective companies away from scandal and financial ruin? Is a new CEO even the answer for Xbox at this point, or are they too far gone? Love y'all, thanks for reading this far if you took the time! *(https://www.thegamer.com/xbox-layoffs-phil-spencer-microsoft/)

resnet

Hi MinnMax! What's your favorite non-video-game play experience?

King Promethus

Hello friends, Apologies for the interruption to the regularly scheduled gaming content but I just wanted to say that Fantasy Football is back for the year! Signups are in the sports channel in the MinnMax discord. Come join a league that is purely for fun, no stakes but bragging rights. Okay back to the games!

JHerb

Hey Cohorts! My game of the summer has been Oblivion Remastered. It was the first open world RPG I played back in the day and shaped my gaming tastes immensely. Going back to it now is pure comfort food and chill podcast gaming, even with its more apparent flaws/limitations in the year 2025.

sandeezy

Hey gang! following up on last weeks discussion about video game sequel naming conventions, i wanted to share a little story i don’t hear talked about nearly enough. Street Fighter III was hated at launch, but became one of the most legendary fighting games of all time. Since everyone agrees that game rules now, not many people remember that it didn’t even launch as Street Fighter III. The first iteration of that game was going to be called “New Generation”, but they later changed it to just the word “Three”, written in the Street Fighter 2 font. The name was later retroactively changed to Street Fighter III: New Generation after its sequel, 2nd Impact, came out. Can you guys think of any other interesting name changes in this same vein? It’s one thing to have a prototype name, but you rarely hear of a game changing its name after it’s already been released. thanks crew!

Mabroon

Do you guys think there are video game quotes that rival some of the all time great movie quotes. I'm talking on the level of "No, I am your father", "I'll be back", "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn"

Travis in Fargo

What’s your favorite creative project you’ve worked on that was just for fun, and wasn’t work-related at all?

MadSwell

Hello Minnmax! When I was young, a new kid moved in from Laos and told us that over there, they were years ahead in the Power Rangers series and that they will eventually introduce a brown Ranger in future episodes. Sadly, there has never been a brown Ranger, ever. What myth or rumor did you believe for a long time only to find out you were lied to?

Michael Rohrssen

My games of the summer are Armored Core 6 and MGS V. My question is what would it take for you all to become mecha sickos? It's a really big genre but it feels like no one I know in America thinks it's cool, and also a lot of people I know just think that robots are lame for some reason?

Matthew Hornyak

My game of the summer has been Ghost of Tsushima!

Cameron Pulsford

In your recent interview with him, Chris Plante mentioned that Death Stranding 2 is the greatest video game ever made. Is he correct? He may not be wrong.

Swansonge

Hello Minns and Maxxs, what is your current song of the summer?

Nick deVries

Hi MinnMax, my games of summer are currently Plague Tale: Innocence and Requiem (they both rule so far!). For my question, I was listening to a new sports podcast, and the podcaster was noticeably...less talented compared to the other pods I consume. It got me thinking, when you all started speaking into a microphone for a job, did you do anything to practice or to improve at it? Is it just a natural talent combined with repetition? Did Ben practice "be good, have fun, lets gooo" for months before deploying it? Thank you all for the fun, easy-to-listen-to content!

RickyWinterborn

Is it just me or has anyone noticed that kids aren't very hyped for the switch 2? Out of curiosity I've asked the kids and parents I know and pretty much everyone either didn't notice it came out or are not in a rush to get one or play mario kart world. Is the entirety of the record breaking sales millennials getting them to fill a void in their soul?

Floof Queen Emily

My game of the summer has been Rematch. I haven't played a competitive PVP game this much fun since the glory days of Overwatch.

Tess

Hey MinnMax! Which game would you love to see a Muppet's version of, and which Muppets would play each character? For example, 1000xRESIST where Watcher is played by Kermit.

Charles Davis

What existing switch titles would be top tier picks for a higher resolution 60 FPS update? putting them on par with performance on other consoles

JeffM's Backlog

Recently I've been using common MinnMax phrases as corporate jargon for meetings or work chats. "How does the whole thing operate?" has been become a real staple. It's easy to use, especially with how often I'm confused about something at work. Can you help me come up with some more? They can be video game related and not just MinnMax specific.

Xavier Porraz

Heard this question from the Insert Credit pod and thought I would ask y'all. What was the first game you played where you said to yourself "this is my favorite game" and then what was the next game to replace that?

CrabPalace

It's been 4 years since Before Your Eyes released. Have we seen as big of an innovation in controls since? And when are they releasing the sequel, Before Your Nose?

Justin Peigowski

Hey Minn Max! I just found out I'm going to be a father, and I'm super excited! I already find myself creating game folders on my consoles and on Steam of the games I want to play with my future child. I want to ask the parents of Minn Max for advice with how your life and gaming habits changed when you had your child/children? Did the types of games you play change, or did you have create a separate space to game in peace, ect? Thanks for all you do! Justin P. from Youngstown, Ohio

Luca Alberti

Howdy MM crew! Since chasing trends seems to be the thing most game companies flop at, what are some currently niche/old school genres that you could see having a revival in the upcoming years like MVs and Boomer Shooters did recently?

MrBump

Your on your death bed, surrounded by love ones. You take your final breath. What videogame dying noise comes out your mouth? A Pac-Man woo woo bloopbloop? A crash bandicoot woah?! Something else?

Clayton Conduff

Question for the week: Let’s feel nostalgic together; if you could magically wish into existence an open world, character action game (think along the lines of the Batman Arkham games, or Ghost of Tsushima, etc.) using one of your childhood favorite IPs, what would that game be?

LivingZombie00

What's a game that you really wanted to love based on the premise, but the execution just wasn't there to pull it off? Maybe the writing was off, maybe it just didn't have the budget, or maybe it was something else? As a Vampire the Masquerade fan that didn't have a PC growing up, I desperately wanted to love the Xbox 360 game, Dark (2013) as a stand in for Bloodlines (2004). Unfortunately, it was definitely not a great experience and I ended up dropping it soon after the first mission. Bonus points if you can explain how you'd "fix" your example to be what you dreamed it would be!

Axel Jrpg

alright ben picture this : You wake up and see an envelope in your front porch. You open it up and you see a check for $500 million dollars and a note attached. The note says “i want minnmax to create the best gaming event the worlds ever seen; enough to make geoff keighley cry!” What event are you guys making with that kind of money? Have any of you ever had bizarre ideas for an event that only an infinite budget would make you do it ?

Poofydoo

Are the announced Animal Crossing Crocs completely random, or could this mean next year the next Animal Crossing is likely?

Limp Bizquick

Hi MinnMax X Bosman (you pronounce the “X” as “cross”)! What is the best pattern? Chevron? Argyle? Plaid? Houndstooth? Something else??

Felix davin

Hello Minnmax et les maxi monstres. Is there a region or city from our world you'd like a game to take place in ? Which one ? Have a good day !

Spencer

Is Amazon Luna secretly a success/disaster? It's still out there, but I haven't heard anyone talk about it, unlike Stadia and Xbox Cloud.

Dragonhunter

Hello everyone! I'm really excited for the new Donkey Kong after the direct, but it made me also remember how I played tropical Freeze when it released on Wii U and I remembered how I never liked how heavy Donkey Kong felt to control. So I exclusively played as all the other characters and only used Donkey Kong if I had no other choice. Isn't it kinda weird to make the titular hero of the game the worst feeling to control? And did anyone on the panel prefer to play as Donkey Kong in tropical freeze?

Qax

I'm watching the ads before a movie. What's your go to movie theater snacks and rituals? I love popcorn with cinnamon sugar on it!

Machine Gun Keeley

Dear MinnMax, What happened to all the hoverboard games? When i was a kid we had all time great titles such as Airboarder 64, psybadek, Streak, and Trickstyle, to name a few. The gaming industry was pumping out these flawless titles at an unprecedent rate. Now, the closest thing i can find is a DLC in Riders Republic -- a game that Leo's adoration has almost certainly doomed to an early grave. So, what gives? I think we can all agree that hoverboards are objectively the best way to method of travel ever conceived. Why have they gone the way of the grandfather clocks?

Mason Cowell

Hello all! My question is simple and vague. Many small enemies, or just a few large enemies?

Chris Fantry

Hi MinnMaximos. My game of the summer so far is Monster Train 2. I love the factions they added and the new mechanics they included into this awesome sequel (it also helps being able to start and stop without any concerns when having a baby around). What are your thoughts on daylight savings time, standard time and switching the time twice a year?

Chris Fantry

Hello MinnMax! If you were a character in a Bethesda style RPG where you leveled up every time you did a certain skill, what skill or skills would you have maxed out by now?

Christian Jimenez

Hello, What gameplay mechanics haven't been explored yet?? For example, what if in a horror game looking at the monster is game over but why hasn't there been a mechanic where you could close your eyes and have moments where that is the solution to advance forward? Thoughts. Thanks.

Michael Berry

Sharks vs spiders Which animal do you think would be easier to design a good game around? Which animal would you prefer to communicate and understand, Dr. Dolittle style?

Dill Pickles

Howdy Minnmax! Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but from what I understand, every week Ben goes through the questions submitted and picks out a few, and then that week’s cohorts vote on which ones they want to answer. Do you ever feel bad not picking/voting for certain questions? If there’s too many good questions do you ever save them for later or do you just let them all drift off to the void? And finally, is Travis from Fargo secretly in cahoots with y’all or is he just really good at asking questions!?

Tokyo Game Life

Donkey Kong Bananza launches next week. So call it now: will King K. Rool be in the game?

Aging_Poorly

Let’s play “higher/lower”. I give you a topic and a number… you give whether you think the actual number will be higher or lower, and why. Number of words said by Link in the upcoming Zelda movie: 9.5 words. Number of playable characters in the main story of Resident Evil Requiem: 1.5 Metacritic for Silksong: 89.5 Number of full length songs song by Pauline in DKB: 2.5

Ryan K

Missed joke opportunity during the six-shooter duel last week. Ok, not exactly a joke. But when discussing the upcoming Hyrule Warriors game, someone (most likely Ben) could have said "No Midna? Sounds mid, bruh".

Vinicius Alexandre

What is your pick for a great but wasted box art? A great box art that you would proudly display, but stuck in a not that good game. I'd say dying light 2 and resistance 3

Tom Brien

Have you read any good books lately? Look I just want the Toem to be honest.

Emily Webb

What is your favorite plant that you like for non-food-related reasons? Why? My spouse and I spend a lot of time gardening in the summer so we’re curious!

Ary Rose

Hey Max, what's your dream nintendo game that nintendo will never make, even though they easily could/should?

CptCobblePot

What’s one thing you know you are doing the “wrong” way, but you enjoy doing it that way? My partner says I use too many dishes because I use a fresh dish per item. IE I’m not using the same knife for the PB I just used to cut the banana.

Phelix Diaz

I share a bday with Kojima on 8/24. I have sent bday messages to him a couple of times over the years with no reply! So I'm glad he finally decided to celebrate me with the bday easter egg on DS2. It's about time! Who do you wish would surprise you at your next bday?

GreenMountainState

Hey All, What's the best video game trailer of the year so far? Is it the GTA trailer, was that a good trailer? How would you cut together a trailer for a game?

Juniper Cain

Hi everyone! On the topic of Summer gaming, when was the first time you remember worrying about a console overheating? What age do you think you were when a slice of adulthood suddenly struck and you thought "I can hear the fans in this, is that bad?"

Internet.Levi

Hey Minnmax, How many coffee table books do you have? Which one is your favorite?

Jeorin

Hi MinnMax crew and Kyle, too! What is your favorite dinosaur?

Talyn

Hey gamers! With all the Xbox layoffs last week and the news that the three heads of Unknown Worlds, and original creators of Subnautica, being let go for one guy with multiple statements about getting the game out fast, what is the future of the games industry? My brother wants AI to write dialog for quests so it’s much more reactive. Is this our inevitable future? Less developers and more AI? -Seth M

Travis in Fargo

A group of buddies and I get together often to watch movies. My wife pointed out today that we never watch comedies. I thought about it for a moment, and - gadzooks - she’s right! I couldn’t think of a single comedy from recent memory that I’ve been interested in seeing. Is the theatrical comedy dead, are people not talking openly about the good ones, and what’s a comedy from the past few years that YOU would recommend?

Travis in Fargo

Is it possible to enjoy your nightmares?

Adam Walters

What's something you want to do before the end of the year?

Nate Voris

With the horse girl gacha now out in the west, how long until there is an anthropomorphic airplane gacha for Sarah the Plane Guy?

b_wood

Congratulations to Future Leo on getting hitched! Weddings are a beautiful time to reflect on how amazing love is no matter the type. Love is strong and precious. It takes work & sacrifice but it is beyond rewarding to form a deep bond with someone who gives themselves to you and you to them. But that's what love means to me. What does love mean to you? What moment(s) did your partner/parents/siblings/friends make you feel truly loved or vice versa?

Michael Nickley

Hey MinnMax! I’m wondering what games have given you the greatest sense of wonder? For me, it would probably be Journey—sliding down those golden sands, the city racing past as the music ebbs and swells: just pure magic. What games have left you all with a feeling of awe?

LukePpang

Hi Minnmax, When I was in school a classmate told me I look like Jude Law after we watched Gattaca in class... I look absolutely nothing like Jude Law. The only celebrity I have been told I look like that I somewhat understand is Darren Criss (Jacob Geller wouldn't be a bad comparison for me either, but nobody has ever told me that) So what celebrities or characters has someone told you, you look like, but you do not see the resemblance to at all? and/or What celebrities do you get compared to that you do see the resemblance?

Luis

Regarding Pretty Derby, Cygames (publisher/developer) is threatening lawsuits over “inappropriate” fan art to protect the reputations of real racehorses their characters are based on. Cygames recently issued strict new guidelines banning explicit, political, or reputation-damaging content, warning they may take legal action against violators. Should companies police fan creativity this strictly, or does it go too far? Will the threat of a lawsuit curb fan art?

David (Lumpy Larper) G

With development times getting out of control, RGG has had a great track record or reusing assets with little pushback. What other franchises could use this same method of creating a new story in an existing environment?

Zae

Hey cohorts, What’s a turn off in games for you? I don’t like score combos and all that so I don’t enjoy Tony Hawk or bayonetta all that much. I’ve never played Devil May cry either.

Toon Force Cooper

Hey Cohorts. I did something a little crazy. I recently took about two weeks to create a comprehensive list of every video game I've ever played (for at least a few minutes) to the best of my ability to collect and recall them all. This required scouring dozens of lists and thousands of video games across half a dozen console generations, as well as inquiring with friends and family about games I may have forgotten. Arcade games, mobile games, nothing was off the table. The process was illuminating. As the list grew, at first I was horrified at how much of my life was spent on this hobby. But as it continued, I developed a newfound appreciation for what these games have meant for me through different eras of my life. I found games I'd forgotten existed, and even discovered a game from my childhood I'd started to believe I'd hallucinated because I could never find it in previous attempts (it was Shining Force on Sega Genesis). So my question is this: do any of you archive and categorize the games you play, and to what capacity? At the time of this writing, my tally was 807. :) See you in August. :)

Henry Rosenberg

Hey Maxxynistas!!! I am listening to last week’s episode as I write this, and the discussion about whether Bop-It is a roguelike is driving me nuts. Bop-It is in no way a rougelike, Bop-It is an ARCADE GAME!!!! While it is technically, by the loosest definition, if you squint hard enough, a “run-based” game, it’s runs have far more in common with PAC-Man or Galaga than with Rogue. The skill expression in Bop-it comes purely from physical dexterity, not from any deep understanding of the systems at play?!? You play until you can’t keep up with the game anymore and screw up then get a highscore at the end and, as an added bonus, it exists in physical space just like the arcade cabinets of yore! Bop-It is an arcade game, Simon is an arcade game, Tag is an FPS, Hide and Seek is a walking simulator, thank you and good night! Love, Henry

Jake

Yooo Toenail milkshake once or only be able to play ubisoft games for the rest of your life

Eric

Is videogame journalism or streaming a job that allows you to grow? I am just so curious. Meaning, I live in the Netherlands, so when I finished, I started with a 30K gross/Year job, then went up to 50K and now it’s about 90K after 5 years of career. The average salary in the Netherlands is about 50K now. This helped me buy an apartment, have a car, and have kids. My wife is in the range. What you earn in your line of business, does it allow you to grow in this manner? Are these milestones (buying an apartment, car, etc.) something that you seek?

Scott Castro

As much as I’ve enjoyed the Death Standing games, as a Dad to a toddler, Lou’s crying has always felt like nails on a chalkboard and a bit triggering. Has any video game sound made you feel some type of way? Make you squirm, recoil, or the like?

Harrison Holt

The other week I saw a PlayStation Store listing for “Titanic Escape Simulator”. The game screenshots turned out to be AI generated but it made me wonder about what is and isn’t okay when it comes to games about great human tragedies. I don’t bat an eye at games that are about war like Call of Duty or Medal of Honour. Is it just that I’m accustomed to those is or there something that bristles about other historical events that make them uncomfortable? Curious for your thoughts.

Kolel Pryor

Hey all, with all of the layoffs, I've been wondering if the "A delayed game is eventually good..." quote is doing more harm than good. I like the sentiment of giving developers more time to polish products but not if that means they never release. I think we should lean more toward something like "A perfect game is never finished, a finished game is never perfect". Transitioning from my game dev soapbox to podcast question... Are there any popular quotes you take issue with nowadays? Game dev related or otherwise

Aurora Thiessen

Hey! After 150 hours I finally completed The Hundred Line, which gave me plenty of time to think about who I’d cast in the big Hollywood adaptation (link below for the full list). Have you ever been so struck by a videogame character’s likeness to a celebrity that they mentally became a stand-in for that character? The cast of Death Stranding 2 doesn’t count, of course https://backloggd.com/u/aurora/review/3063824/

Brian Sodano

I just spent another $10 on Marvel Puzzle Quest. A game i must have spent hundreds of hours on...and probably hundreds of dollars on as well. My favorite games are Suikoden 2 and Expedition 33. As I confirmed my dirty dirty Micro-transaction, I was thinking about the amount I pay for games and how much joy I get out of them compared to how much I spent. What game have you spent the most on? What did you spend on your favorite game? And what game do you think got the most value per dollar?

Grantham Akerly

Hi Ben and Cohorts, My name is Grantham, and I’ve been a longtime listener, all the way back to the GI show days. I look forward to MinnMax every week not just for gaming content, but for the sense of connection, optimism, and the feeling that I’m hanging out with people who really care about games and the people who play them. Someone once called it "parasocial connection"? Whatever it is, it’s great! I wanted to share a quick story with you all, both because it’s personal and because it left me thinking about games in a new light. On July 4th, my family was caught in the catastrophic flash floods while visiting my wife’s 82-year-old grandmother and other relatives in Hunt, Texas. In the middle of the night, my wife and I grabbed our two kids (ages 1 and 3) and quickly climbed into a loft about 12 feet high in the family home. All four generations barely made it to the loft in time, just before tree trunks and appliances began crashing into the living room as floodwaters surged through the house. The water rose faster than you can imagine. My father-in-law led the charge to find a way out. He, my sister-in-law’s boyfriend, and I took turns pounding at the wall to create an opening so we could escape and swim to the roof. After carefully and quickly getting everyone up there, I held my 1-year-old daughter on the cold metal roof while my wife clutched our 3-year-old son. The rest of the family huddled around our sweet Nanda, taking turns yelling and whistling for help. The combination of pitch darkness, rushing water, the roar of rain on the roof, and blinding lightning, along with the colorful explosions of transformers on the horizon, is something I will never forget. After an hour and a half, the rain slowed and the water receded enough that we could climb down and make our way to safety. A neighbor up the hill later told us they heard the pounding on the wall and said it sounded like someone was hitting it like their life depended on it. And it quite literally did. We are incredibly fortunate to still have all our family members safe and intact. I know that if we hadn’t been visiting Nanda, she wouldn’t have survived, and we might have lost other loved ones too. Each person played a pivotal role in getting us out. We lost all of our cars, most of our clothes, nearly all of our kids’ belongings, and countless items with sentimental value. My wife’s family are descendants of The Secret Garden author, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and we’ve been amazed to see some of her original works being recovered from the wreckage. A far less significant but still emotional loss was my Tears of the Kingdom Switch OLED and the travel case of physical game cartridges I brought on the trip. I bought that system specifically for Tears of the Kingdom, which I’d been looking forward to for years. As a working parent, it became a rare moment of peace and joy at the end of long days once the kids were asleep. Losing it hit harder than I expected, probably because it was such a regular part of my routine. It’s just a device, but it was also a tiny piece of normalcy that helped me stay grounded during a busy season of life. I even wrote to Nintendo to ask if there was any chance of buying the same limited-edition system again, even at full price. I haven’t heard back, and I don’t expect to, but it felt worth a try. One unexpected outcome of all this is that I’ll almost certainly become a digital-only gamer from here on out. While the odds of being in another flood are slim, the odds of a game case getting lost, stolen, or damaged feel a lot more real now. I lost eight cartridges in the flood, about $400 worth, and I was lucky my Super Mario 3D All-Stars cartridge wasn’t in the case, since I’m not even sure I could buy that one again. Despite all the frustrations around digital licenses, the convenience and lower risk of loss now seem worth it. Of course, I want to emphasize that all of this is trivial compared to what really matters. I don’t plan on replacing any games for a while, not until our family has had more time to recover, especially for our two young kids and our sweet, resilient Nanda. I guess to qualify this for a "Question of the Week" segment: has anyone else had the realization that there may be more upsides to going all-digital than we originally gave it credit for? This is coming from a guy with a closet full of N64, Super Nintendo, NES, and Sega Genesis carts that you’ll have to pry out of my hands, haha. Our whole family is trying to keep this story alive and to inspire hope within our community and beyond. We’re also trying to share some of the positive things happening in the Kerrville, Hunt, and Ingram, Texas area. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received so far. If you have time, please check out the GoFundMe link below. In the description section, you’ll find links to a CNN interview, a Wall Street Journal article, radio interviews, and a public photo album. GoFundMe link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/penny-deupree-and-family-hunt-tx-flood-recovery Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. Even without my Switch to help keep my routine going, I still have the MinnMax Show. Your podcast continues to be a source of joy and thoughtfulness at a time when both are in short supply. I’m truly grateful for what you all do, so please keep doing it. All the best, Grantham Akerly (and the rest of the Akerlys and Deuprees)