8-4 Play 12/15/2023: GIFTWRAP IT UP

With the gang trapped in the old hotel meat locker, they have no choice but to answer listener questions until a kindly old psychic lets them out. Oh wait, am I... I might be thinking of The Shining.   Time — Topic Discussed 03:30 – Nicknames 10:32 – Hades II impressions 17:17 – Listener Q&A

17-Bit buddy Jake Kazdal joins us for his umpteenth 8-4 Play appearance to talk Dragon's Dogma 2 and update us on his Tears of the Kingdom journey, while Gabe dives deep into the wild and wonderful life of robot beavers. Time — Topic Discussed 01:19 – Nicknames 07:36 – Dragon’s Dogma 2 16:08 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 29:27 – The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom 33:02 – Timberborn 42:02 – News: Wii U & 3DS go offline, Final Fantasy news, Pokémon hacker arrested, and more!

We dragged Roy away from Dragon's Dogma 2 just long enough to get the rest of us psyched about making pawns of our own someday...once we finish FF7 Rebirth, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, and Dermot's deathly planking drills, that is. Plus news! Time — Topic Discussed 00:53 – Nicknames 11:24 – Dragon’s Dogma 2 26:39 – Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 48:02 – Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road beta 56:43 – News: Final Fantasy VI turns 30, PlayStation rumors, and more!

Sakura buds yet / Play shy, and yet here the games / Blossom for us all / Mars After Midnight / PC-FX Weebo shit / Sand Land / Rando news / You can stop counting syllables   Time — Topic Discussed 01:17 – Nicknames 15:20 – Cavern of Dreams 21:14 – Sand Land demo 27:04 – Dragon Quest XI 29:17 – JP’s new PC-FX 38:34 – Mars After Midnight 56:22 – Llama Soft: The Jeff Minter Story 1:06:10 – News: PS5 Pro Leaks, Shin Megami Tensei V release date bumped, and more!

Four out of five 8-4 Play podcasters agree--to disagree, that is, about the early hours of FF7 Rebirth. Park yourself at the nearest Chocobo Stop and tune in for a Tight 56 of first impressions as well as all the news that’s fit to…fit in the last 15 minutes or so. Time — Topic Discussed 00:50 — Nicknames 06:36 — Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 39:13 — News: Pokémon Presents, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth disc labels, Mar10 Day rumors, and more!

The future waits for no one, including Nintendo Directs and shit-hot Elden Ring DLC trailers, so take a trip backwards through time with us as we kick off with thoughts on both of the above, then wind the clocks back one night to talk about (older) news, games we've been playin', and predictions for...the part of the podcast you already heard in the first half? It'll all make sense, trust us. Time — Topic Discussed 01:39 — Nicknames 04:54 — Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree trailer impressions 20:10 — Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase 41:40 — News: Microsoft Business Update, Helldivers 2, Switch 2 rumors, and more! 1:07:52 — Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion 1:13:47 — Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth demo 1:20:11 — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth 1:24:22 — Neutopia 1:26:16 — Apex: Legends 1:30:02 — Sonic Superstars

Zip around town on your two-wheeled, self-balancing transporter of choice while we engage in our own high-speed chitter-chatter about Tekken 8, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, FF7: Rebirth, Microsoft and Nintendo rumors, and, well, ya know…that kinda stuff! Time — Topic Discussed 00:50 — Nicknames 10:12 — Tekken 8 20:45 — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth 32:19 — Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth State of Play Impressions 37:46 — Gran Blue Fantasy: Relink 42:24 — News: State of Play, Microsoft rumors, Switch 2 rumors, and more!

Jeopardy categories for this episode: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, 8-4 Play Alumni, Twilight Fan Fiction, Palworld, Weeaboo Nintendo Franchises, and Potent Portables. Time — Topic Discussed 01:03 — Nicknames 08:57 — Welcome Back, Dermot! 19:22 — Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth 32:50 — Star Ocean The Second Story R 35:39 — Another Code: Recollection 38:22 — Palworld 54:31 — News: AGDQ, Foamstars Launches, Elden Ring DLC, and more!

Brand new year, same old crew...or is it?! Tune in for the exciting details of our high-octane holidays, plus random talk about hot new releases like FF14, Cyberpunk 2077, Project Zomboid, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (yeah, the first one). No Gabe, no news, no promises! Time — Topic Discussed 01:14 — Holiday Recap 21:51 — Project Zomboid 30:32 — Final Fantasy XIV 32:52 — Baldur’s Gate 3 50:40 — Apex Legends 56:06 — Cyberpunk 2077 1:05:58 — Too Many Games

You know the way you feel about work or school that last day before the holidays? This is that feeling in podcast form. (PS: The answer to Mark’s TG-16 R-Type credit Q is in the podcast image.)   Time — Topic Discussed 04:03 — Nicknames 10:28 — Some Christmas Stories 24:08 — Dodonpachi and Radiant Silvergun 32:59 — News: L is Real 2401, Last of Us Online Cancelled, and more!