The Games That Owned Me in 2025 (Game of the Year)

2025 comes to a close with my Top 10 Game of the Year breakdown. I revisit my mid year rankings and reflect on how my tastes shifted over the course of the year. From surprise indie standouts and retro revisits to one all consuming obsession, it is a year that certainly defined me as a "Gamer". I also look ahead at what's waiting in the backlog next and what's in store for the podcast in 2026! THE SHOW NOTES Episode 112 - Final Fantasy VIII A Review: Issue #12 Super Metroid: Recipe For A Classic Slice The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

It's Game of the Year season once again, and the panel from last year's Symposium returns to finish what we started. Matt Storm, Eric Gess, Kade Call, and Phil Morgan join me for a 2.5 hour deep dive into how GOTY conversations have (or haven't) changed over the past year. We dig into the flood of new releases, the strange rules around what "counts," and the ongoing dominance of exclusives. It's a thoughtful, funny, and honest look at why we still care about celebrating the games we love. THE SHOW NOTES Catch Up With Last Year's Discussion Find & support my guests: Matt Storm | Fun & Games/ Reignite Kade Call | Gaming Memories Phil Morgan | Deleted Saves Eric Gess | The Unlockables The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

BIG MONEY! BIG PRIZES! I LOVE IT! In this episode of The Main Quest, I team up once again with SeekYeWisdom to dive into Super Smash TV, Williams' hyper violent, game show inspired twin-stick shooter that set the tone for arcade excess in the early '90s. We unpack how Smash TV connects to the DNA of Mortal Kombat and Robotron 2084, and how its mix of satire, capitalism, and gore made it a cult classic. We compare it to the arcade original, and debate how well the console version translates without true twin sticks. WARP ZONES We're Playing Remnant 2/Space Marine 2 and Titan Souls (5:12) Development (26:26) Previous History's (53:15) Story & Gameplay (59:21) Presentation (1:35:40) Final Thoughts (1:44:13) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over on Twitch Smash T.V. cover performed by Medley Man The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

What's left to say about Super Mario World? I'm finally doing the damn thing with returning guest Eric Gess (The Unlockables, 9 To 5 Bears). Instead of regurgitating the same analysis, we break the game down by "worlds", exploring its timeless design, hidden secrets, and why it still feels perfect decades later. We're heavy on the nostalgia, dumb jokes, and a few spicy takes on why Mario 3 might not actually be the king. WARP ZONES Guest Intro (2:43) World 1: Previous Histories (12:43) World 2: Discoverability (35:16) World 3: Gameplay (58:30) World 4: Vibes and Presentation (1:15:08) World 5: Legacy (1:36:40) World 6: Throat Goat (1:55:33) World : Final Thoughts (2:3:59) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at Unlockables | 9 To 5 Bears Sonic Raving VS Mario Kart World The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

In this Ghoulcade finale, I am joined by Matt Storm and Chris Dominguez to dissect Nintendo's 1994 masterpiece, Super Metroid. From development hurdles and poor sales to speedrunning innovations and the infamous Meridia, my crew debates whether Super Metroid truly deserves its legendary status. Along the way, we share personal histories, hot takes, and community recollections that cover everything from Chozo jump scares to why Samus might secretly be gaming's most terrifying protagonist... WARP ZONES Intros (3:22) Previous History (14:33) Development (26:28) Retro Recollections (51:15) Story (57:15) Gameplay (1:15:00) Ridley's Believe It Or Not! (2:00:15) Presentation (2:09:15) Final Thoughts (2:19:13) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guests: Matt Storm - Fun and Games | Reignite Chris Dominguez - A Novel Console | Consoles N Stuff The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

Enjoy this free preview of a Patreon exclusive episode! THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at: Toby VonDoom and Secret Levels Shane and Retro Hangover Phil and Deleted Saves | BlueSky All of the music contained in the full episode can be enjoyed on Spotify The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

Springfield deserves better. Bart chases his homework through a janky hub world, awkward mini-games, and one of Acclaim's messiest licensed efforts. Leatcho returns to break down why this game feels more Shelbyville than Springfield, from the chaotic design to the surprising development story of Bill Williams. Plus: community retro recollections and plenty of Simpsons references along the way. WARP ZONES Aliens, Ghosts & Oblivion (3:42) Previous History's & Development (19:00) Retro Recollections & Story (36:41) Gameplay (49:02) Back That Ad Up (1:27:08) Presentation (1:33:51) Final Thoughts (1:40:27) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at The Afterglow | Grimglow The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

The Ghoulcade returns! Phil and I sink our fangs into Super Castlevania IV! Konami resurrects their spooky NES franchise and refines what Castlevania actually plays like. Refining controls, messing up timelines and dividing fans. Remake? Reboot? Or just one of the weirdest Castlevania games out there? WARP ZONES AI Movies & RPG's (4:39) Previous History's (20:25) Development (30:29) Retro Recollections (51:49) Story (1:01:54) Gameplay (1:08:18) Sucks To Suck (1:34:11) Presentation (1:47:19) Final Thoughts (2:00:37) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at Deleted Saves | X | Bluesky The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

On today's Patron selected episode I'm discussing one of the most beloved Game Boy Advance titles. Golden Sun has a lot going for it and is Camelot Software's golden child but is it everything it's cracked up to be? Should it have been a Gamecube game? Does it need a remake? And is this possibly the best soundtrack in the entire GBA catalog? Come on in as I talk about all of this and a ton more on this special episode! WARP ZONES Intro (2:36) Previous History's (4:28) Development (6:58) Story (19:14) Gameplay (30:09) Presentation (44:56) Final Thoughts (53:44) THE SHOW NOTES The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More

Cecil may have a redemption arc, but the rest of the party is completely irredeemable... Matt Storm is back, and we're talking about the first 16-bit Final Fantasy! From its conception and "spoony" localization, to a cast of characters so dumb they nearly hand the planet over to the bad guys but still fall backwards into saving it. WARP ZONES Previous History's (5:12) Development (20:35) Game Design (34:41) Story (1:07:00) Presentation (1:23:00) Legacy (1:47:39) Sorry I Tried To Kill You That One Time (1:52:58) Final Thoughts (2:02:20) THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at "Fun" and Games Podcast | Reignite The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - Lars Uncle - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Rob Worthen The intro and outro was supplied by the artist Adhesive Wombat from the 2016 album Sticky Tracks To easily submit your own Retro Recollections or hang out with other like-minded gamers, come join the Discord Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More