On Second Thought with Mike & Matt

Is there any chance Grand Theft Auto VI turns out to be a turd in a punchbowl? Matt doesn't think so, but Mike isn't ready to rule anything out. With the game's release just two weeks away, the guys discuss expectations, review scores, and whether Rockstar can possibly live up to the hype. Before getting to the games, Mike shares his ongoing adventures with questionable odors, unwanted basement visitors, and an $1,800 MSI Claw that disappeared from Best Buy just as he was preparing to trade in some old consoles. Meanwhile, Matt's phone takes a tumble down a concrete staircase, which leads to an expensive upgrade and the joys of setting up a new device. On the gaming front, Mike and Matt revisit Sulfur following its 1.0 release, hit the ice in Tape to Tape, and discuss their experiences with Erlik, Deadly Days: Roadtrip, Rakuworld, Brotato, and Enshrouded. There's also plenty of gaming news, questionable financial decisions, and the usual assortment of tangents. It's another episode of On Second Thought, where the conversation rarely stays on course for very long. What We've Been Playing Sulfur: A first-person roguelite shooter with intense gunplay, customizable weapons, powerful enchantments, and dangerous expeditions filled with loot and secrets. Enshrouded: A survival action RPG set in a vast fantasy world where players explore, craft, build, and battle powerful enemies to reclaim a kingdom consumed by a deadly fog. Erlik: A mythology-inspired bullet heaven that combines hordes of enemies, powerful upgrades, and character progression with a dark fantasy setting. Deadly Days: Roadtrip: A zombie-themed bullet heaven that combines frantic combat, scavenging, and strategic backpack management as players travel through a post-apocalyptic world. Brotato: A top-down arena shooter where a heavily armed potato battles waves of alien enemies with an arsenal of weapons, upgrades, and unique character builds. Rakuworld: A colorful bullet heaven where players draw their own heroes and unleash imaginative attacks against hordes of enemies in miniature environments. Tape to Tape: A roguelite hockey game where players build their dream team, recruit unique athletes, unlock powerful abilities, and make strategic choices on the road to hockey glory. Gaming News How large is the download file for GTA VI? https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2026/11/gta-6-ps5-file-size-confirmed-to-be-212gb-physical-map-available-but-not-in-boxed-copies Xbox Made an Alligator-Shaped Series X, and You Can Win It Before GTA 6 Launches https://www.ign.com/articles/xbox-made-an-alligator-shaped-series-x-and-you-can-win-it-before-gta-6-launches Bethesda reveals name of new Elder Scrolls game, still 2 years away https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/bethesda-has-officially-confirmed-that-elder-scrolls-6-is-called-sentinel/ The Division 2 DLC and Crossplay update https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/the-division/the-division-2 Phantom Blade Zero Put Up Some Massive Sales Numbers https://www.gamespot.com/articles/phantom-blade-zero-put-up-some-massive-sales-numbers/ Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Website - PlayItAgain.gg Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - Mike Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt

After more than a decade of knowing each other, Mike and Matt finally meet in person! Matt returns from his New England adventure with stories of beautiful fall foliage, Acadia National Park, questionable fashion choices, and lobster rolls that apparently require a second mortgage. $43 for a lobster roll? That's one way to spend your money! Once Matt finishes recounting his travels (and Mike finishes questioning his financial decisions), the conversation turns to Steam Next Fest, the upcoming GTA VI release, outrageous PlayStation 5 Pro prices, and whether the next generation of consoles will be even more expensive. The guys also reflect on their time with The Big Walk, share what they've been playing, and explore the increasingly complicated relationship between AI, game development, and emulation. Throw in some retro nostalgia, childhood toys, and the usual assortment of tangents, and you've got another episode of On Second Thought. Games we’ve been playing: Mike: Erlik, Wirehawk, Warhammer Survivors Matt: Enshrouded, ROG Ally gaming Gaming News: PlayStation 6 Memory cost alone is close to $700 USD per unit https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-6s-memory-costs-alone-exceed-680-per-console-its-claimed/ Jailbroken PS5s Can Now Emulate PS2 Games Using Physical Discs https://kotaku.com/jailbroken-ps5s-can-now-emulate-ps2-games-using-physical-discs-2000743781 Xbox Forms Labs Group for Vibe-Coded Game Ports https://www.digitalfoundry.net/news/2026/10/xbox-forms-labs-group-for-vibe-coded-game-ports He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Dragon Pearl of Destruction arrives February 2027 https://playitagain.gg/he-man-and-the-masters-of-the-universe-dragon-pearl-of-destruction-arrives-february-2027/ Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - Mike Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt

Monday started off like any other day, but then Chase reached out and said, "Me and Larry on an episode? The current state of gaming is making us go back to the golden age!" Los and I decided the only responsible thing to do was to make it happen. Welcome to Episode Four of Retro World Order. Mike is joined by Chase and Larry from Geeks Gone Raw. As for Los, well, yeah, sometimes the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry. Who said Mike wasn't well-read! The crew talks about revisiting older games on everything from original Xbox 360 hardware to the Steam Deck, Android phones, and modern retro handhelds. Oh, you want more? How about Steam Input, emulation, game preservation, DroidDeck vs. GameNative, and the realization that Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games are somehow becoming "retro." There's also plenty of discussion about why older games continue to pull us back, whether nostalgia is really responsible, and why today's AAA gaming landscape sometimes makes looking backward even more appealing. In This Episode 00:00 - Welcome to Episode Four 01:34 - F.E.A.R. 2, Steam Deck, and Steam Input 09:52 - Revisiting forgotten Xbox 360 games 15:06 - What counts as retro and why we're going back 24:25 - Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition 28:15 - Retro gaming and emulation on Android phones 35:58 - DroidDeck vs. GameNative 49:22 - Blur, Split/Second, licensing, and game preservation 55:15 - Xbox, PlayStation, and the state of modern AAA gaming 1:06:09 - GTA and the future of single-player games 1:06:42 - Single-player recommendations 1:11:51 - Agent 64: Spies Never Die Single Player Recommendations Larry: Heavenly Sword - Ninja Theory's PlayStation 3 action game starring Nariko. Larry thinks it's still worth going back and experiencing. Chase: Fallout: New Vegas - Chase's pick for an older single-player game that remains easy to get your hands on and still delivers a great experience. Mike: Singularity - Raven Software's 2010 shooter and a longtime favorite of Mike's. Now the question is whether it holds up as well as he remembers. Larry's Bonus Pick: Dark Sector - Digital Extremes' Xbox 360-era action game, remembered for its distinctive glaive weapon and its connection to the studio that would later create Warframe. Links & Resources Geeks Gone Raw Silent Hill 2: Enhanced Edition DroidDeck GameNative DroidDeck on the Retroid Pocket Nova XenDroid Agent 64: Spies Never Die Featuring Mike - Retro World Order / Play It Again Chase - Geeks Gone Raw Larry - Geeks Gone Raw Los couldn't join us for Episode 4, despite being assigned show-note homework in his absence.

Welcome to Mattober! Our annual fall celebration is off to an exciting start. Matt and his co-worker went to the 50th Annual Pumpkin Run Nationals Car Show to show off his buddy's truck, while Mike and his wife went out on the town to see Morrissey at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium. For the month of September, Mike has been hard at work on his website, and he's now ready to have people stop by and take a look. If you're interested in handhelds, emulation, shmups, and other assorted oddities, go check it out at PlayItAgain.gg or, if you prefer, bookmark MyLilDumbSite.com. As a gamer does in the fall (or autumn), we discuss the annual Steam Autumn Sale. Lots of good bargains to be had, for sure. Mike even prepared a Shmup Hunter post for those looking to add some overlooked shmups to their libraries. And finally... did you watch Mike Tomlin's Minecraft reveal? Yes, that Mike Tomlin. The former NFL head coach apparently has a 12-year-old Minecraft city, and naturally, we need to talk about it. Mike Tomlin's 12-Year Minecraft City — PC Gamer Games we’ve been playing: Mike: Castlevania Belmont's Curse, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered Matt: Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Valheim 1.0 Gaming News: Xbox Disc to Digital is now out for everyone https://www.eurogamer.net/xbox-disc-to-digital-convert-ownership-release Finally we hear something from Naughty Dog https://www.gamespot.com/articles/naughty-dog-is-working-on-two-new-the-last-of-us-projects/ Gears of War E-Day Reviews https://www.metacritic.com/game/gears-of-war-e-day/ Star Wars Galactic Reviews https://www.metacritic.com/game/star-wars-galactic-racer/ Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - Mike Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt  

September is moving along at a precipitous clip. The weather is changing in the Northeast while Matt is still sweltering in the Midwest. Soon enough, it will be the cozy season, albeit maybe sooner than we like.  Mike has been head down, working secretly on his website. Details are scarce, anticipation is tepid amongst the masses, but Mike is brimming with pride and excitement to get this thing off the ground. Details will be revealed soon enough, but the first handheld to be featured will be the Retroid Pocket Nova. There was a ton of gaming news with BlizzCon and various Nintendo Directs happening recently. We decided to focus on games releasing within the next few years rather than spend a ton of time on Diablo V or Starcraft. How much is Steam Frame? Did the price meet your expectations? We think it’s way too much money, but so is everything these days. We foresee the VR/Steam diehards buying this, but we’re unsure if it will do big numbers like the Steam Deck or the Steam Machine. Not that either of those is doing Switch 2-like numbers, but you get the point. Games for Matt to add to his Steam Wishlist: How to Fish Dumb Ways to Build BeaterCore How to Grow Your Sausage Normal Golf Game Games we’ve been playing: Mike: Blood Dungeon, Pickle Pete, Funguys Swarm, Megabonk Matt: Solar Punk, Big Walk, Crimson Desert, Valheim 1.0 Gaming News: Zelda Ocarina of Time https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/the-legend-of-zelda-40th-anniversary-celebration-revealed-in-new-nintendo-direct-presentation/ Nintendo Direct https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/nintendo-direct-reveals-metroid-ravenous-kirby-and-the-world-beyond-and-more-games-for-nintendo-switch-2-and-nintendo-switch/ PlayStation walks away from Kojima, Xbox steps in https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/09/09/xbox-and-kojima-productions-expand-partnership-to-publish-physint/ Rumor: Day 1 GamePass games going away next year https://www.ign.com/articles/will-microsoft-kill-day-1-launches-via-game-pass-after-word-leaks-of-potential-changes-xbox-says-it-has-nothing-to-announce-today Wolverine didn’t get great reviews https://www.polygon.com/marvels-wolverine-review-roundup/ Is Marathon on life support? https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/nightfallrefreshandsymbiosis Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - @CapnMikeM Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt  

Welcome to September! Is there no better way to kick off the month than with another installment of On Second Thought! This is a special episode as our budget allowed us to have Matt out on assignment this week. While it might sound like he is tuning in from his usual confines, don’t be fooled, Matt is actually broadcasting from a kayak. The locals call him “Stride” because he is known for his fast, fluid paddling technique. Just don’t let the man around any anchors. And don’t worry, Matt is friendly to all wildlife, he feeds the fish and creates natural habitats on any body of water he traverses. He also has a penchant for watermelons.  Come to find out, Matt is so hyped for GTA VI that he is going to pre-order his digital license any day now. But the man can’t be arsed (yes, that is British slang) to watch a Netflix trailer for his most anticipated game. Matt continues to be an enigma that transcends time and space. What caught our attention at Gamescom you ask? How about these gems: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, Lego Skylines, The Witcher 3 Remastered (yet again), Songs of the Past DLC, No Law, Exodus, Zoopunk, Crimson Desert Enhanced, Metro 2039, and Fable. Games we’ve been playing: Mike: Blood Dungeon, Ravenswatch, Pickle Pete, more 360 Emulation Matt: Solar Punk, Big Walk, Crimson Desert Gaming News: How Xbox disc-to-digital works in practice https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/heres-how-xbox-disc-to-digital-works-in-practice-with-video Sony and Microsoft request dismissal of consumer lawsuits over tariff refunds https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-and-microsoft-request-dismissal-of-consumer-lawsuits-over-tariff-refunds Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gets a surprise Switch 2 update, bringing eight-player split-screen to the evergreen racing game https://www.eurogamer.net/mario-kart-8-switch-2-update-eight-player-split-screen-nintendo Asus X20 can now be pre-ordered without the bundle https://www.asus.com/us/news/rog-xbox-ally-x20-is-now-available-for-pre-order/ Xbox to implement time limits on cloud gaming https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/03/microsoft-xbox-game-pass-cloud-limits.html Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - @CapnMikeM Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt  

Episode three of Retro World Order is here for your listening pleasure! Not disclosed in this installment is how many new handheld systems Mike now owns. Be a good, faithful listener and heed the warning of red flags when you see them. Send him help as he may be held captive in his basement by sentient game consoles.  Onto the show! This week, Mike and Los discuss what they’ve been up to in the world of retro gaming and high tech handhelds. The conversations range fairly widely! As you can probably tell… Links and Info Discussed Games they’ve been playing Los’ continued honeymoon phase with the AYN Thor and Cocoon 3.0 How AI is muddying the waters of new emulators Marvel Tokon and how it’s too pretty to play Other games purchased exclusively for their unique art styles (see games below) Move over, Brotato! Pickle Pete is the new vegetable in bullet town! Sony and their BS they decided to pull this week XBOX and their amazing timing with ‘Disc to Digital,’ kicking Sony in the crotch while they’re down Mike’s choice for Handheld of the Week - Retroid Pocket Nova AND our very first RETRO COMMUNITY CLUB GAME! More info below. Games discussed in this episode, give or take a few: Various XBOX OG and 360 games, Blur, Marvel Tokon, Octopath Traveler I & II, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales, Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, PICKLE PETE, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and more! SO what are you waiting for?! Stop reading this and go listen to the show!   RETRO COMMUNITY CLUB GAME: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 1997 -  PlayStation This is the first installment of the Retro Community Club! This is a game that either Mike or Los recommends and we make it a point to check it out and play it. Love it, hate it, finish it, play for 15 minutes and delete it, whatever! Next episode, we’ll discuss what we thought and then choose another game for the next time.  This is a great opportunity to call upon the glorious community here! I know, I know, there are thousands of you and it would be impossible to hear from you all. But don’t let that stop you! So if you want to partake and play along with us, then go find your dark and brooding trench coat, grab your favorite weapon, and let’s go hunt some vampires!  This is a game that neither Mike nor Los have ever played! So it should be fun. If you played it along with us, or if you have any thoughts about it, be sure to get in contact and we’ll share your thoughts on the show with ours!  How to contact, you ask? Well there are a few ways! Right here! Commenting on this post would be the easiest way to do it.  If you feel like too many eyes are watching, you can also email! - [email protected]

Topics: The farm got hit hard with Storm damage, cleaned up with the right tools Bad travel luck lately Seen any good leaks lately? How many more years are you willing to work to get extra days off to play GTAVI? https://apnews.com/article/army-reenlistment-bonus-grand-theft-auto-gta-c24b25e09ca401773d081cc1bb21202b Any hype for Gamescom? Gaming News: Price and release date for 25th Anniversary Xbox released https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-price-and-release-date-for-the-green-x25-limited-edition-xbox-series-x-and-controller-have-been-leaked/ Mayhem Collection DLC for Lego Batman out on September 18 https://www.ign.com/articles/lego-batman-mayhem-dlc-trailer-gamescom Ghost of Yōtei Complete Edition Comes to PS5 October 1 https://blog.playstation.com/2026/08/12/ghost-of-yotei-complete-edition-comes-to-ps5-october-1/ You can now stream PS Plus games to Steam Deck without owning a PS5 - and without buying a PS Portal https://www.eurogamer.net/steam-deck-ps5-streaming-app-asobi Retro Handheld News: Kickstarter for Beyond the NES https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/syncoplay/beyond-the-nes   Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - @CapnMikeM Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt

Topics: Nothing but positivity Gears of War E-Day Beast of Reincarnation Ayn Thor bliss Gaming News: Grand Theft Auto VI Is Getting An 'Extended Look' On Netflix August 27 https://gameinformer.com/2026/08/06/grand-theft-auto-vi-is-getting-an-extended-look-on-netflix-august-27 Xbox’s ‘disc to digital’ feature could be coming as soon as this month, according to leaked document https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xboxs-disc-to-digital-feature-could-be-coming-as-soon-as-this-month-according-to-leaked-document/ Microsoft Reportedly Working to Bring Xbox 360 Games to PC and Project Helix https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-reportedly-working-to-bring-xbox-360-games-to-pc-and-project-helix BeamNG.drive gets its biggest update yet https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/beamngdrive-steams-finest-car-pancake-maker-gets-its-biggest-update-yet-with-overhauled-graphics-fresh-rally-stages-and-a-sporty-new-coupe Retro Handheld News: GamerCard® - Grab & Go Raspberry Pi® Gaming https://www.grantsinclair.com/gamercard The Namco Museum Museum | Every Game, Every Collection, Every Port! [REVISED & EXPANDED!] https://youtu.be/8n1Ecf6cXjE?si=iVmu1YMqtULrPrXK Investigating Pinball's Surprising American Comeback https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjCchQAo_mk   Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - @CapnMikeM Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt

Topics: Heard the most vile video game question, thus have to share with everyone else Numbers Gaming News: An update from Bethesda https://bethesda.net/en/article/7wrffyXajE4BmCLJVpOkcN/a-note-from-bethesda-game-studios Steamdeck sales drop after price hikes https://www.thegamer.com/steam-deck-sales-drop-80-percent/ Asus confirms X20 OLED will be sold without AR glasses bundle https://videocardz.com/newz/asus-confirms-standalone-oled-xbox-ally-x20-is-coming Xbox Backwards Compatibility on PC https://www.ign.com/articles/microsoft-announces-xbox-backward-compatibility-on-pc-with-new-features-and-achievements Retro Handheld News: Anbernic announces RG SP https://anbernic.com/blogs/news/anbernic-rg-sp-first-look Contact On Second Thought with Mike & Matt If you'd like to contact the show, relevant links are below! Twitter - OSTWMM Email - [email protected] Discord - OnSecondThought BlueSky - @CapnMikeM Twitter - @DeviousMrMatt