Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 8 – Pokémon X and Y

Art inspired by the Pokémon Y start screen, designed by Max Roberts

Turn down the 3D slider and turn up the volume! Roller skating fiend Max Roberts, stylish flame Logan Moore, and the nine foot giant Tomas Franzese wage war discussing the merits of Pokémon’s first 3D outing. Was this new dimension the next step in evolution for the series or did these games fall flat?

Download (54MB) – Episode Transcript

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Pokémon X and Y

Metacritic – 87/100 for X and 88/100 for Y


This episode was originally recorded on September 27, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Tomas’ Twitter @TomasFranzese

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art inspired by the Pokémon Y start screen, designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 7 – Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl

Art inspired by the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond start screen, designed by Max Roberts

Space and time collide! Sinnoh-native Max Roberts and Pokémon Historian Logan Moore study the mythical origins in Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Did the jump to the DS double the fun or cause GameFreak to double back on design?

Download (52MB) – Episode Transcript

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Pokémon Diamond and Pearl

Metacritic – 85/100 (73/100 for Brilliant)


This episode was originally recorded on August 18, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art inspired by the Pokémon Brilliant Diamond start screen, designed by Max Roberts.

Changing Things Up for Chapter Select

Hello everybody! I hope all is well. I’m here today with an update on the production cycle of Chapter Select going forward. To cut to the chase, we are loosening up the production cycle to give us more time to make seasons, while removing self-imposed deadlines that are starting to feel unachievable. In turn, this means seasons will take longer to release, but the quality will increase. Let’s break it down.

Only Releasing Seasons when Complete

After we wrap up Season 6 – Pokémon here next month, we are shifting away from releasing in some semblance of real time. Every season up to now has had overlap between playing and recording with the season’s release. For example, right now we are planning on recording Pokémon Black and White this upcoming Monday. We recorded the first episode of season six, back in May 2022. Right up until the deadline we’d have to hit for every episode to release in 2023, we has recorded six or seven episodes. These last four episodes have taken much long than anticipated due to all sorts of factors.

If we had just held ever episode until the season was complete, we wouldn’t have this race to the finish line we are experiencing and have experienced with each season so far. So we are removing that restriction.

What this will do for the show is let us up the production value. I can try new ideas and techniques during the edits that previous crunch wouldn’t allow for. I can go back months later and fix or add something that occurred to me mid-season without worrying about breaking seasonal continuity. It gives us more time to play the games!

Logan and I will still have internal deadlines. He works well under some sort of goal. We are just going to keep those to ourselves and give you all the show when it is ready to go. Therefore…

No More Two Seasons a Year

We are no longer promising two seasons a year. We want to make this show and get it to you as soon as possible, but we are no longer adhering to a bi-annual schedule.

You’ll still get Season 7 – Metroid Prime in 2024: It won’t take us over a year to play four more games. I’d love to get Season 8 – Castlevania out in the year too, but we will have to wait and see.

I feel like these two changes go hand-in-hand. There’s another (selfish) benefit to these changes though.

I can play more video games that I want.

This year, I’ve played almost entirely games exclusive to this show. I love that. I’ve never had a higher completion percentage in a single year. I want to play all the games we pick, or we wouldn’t have picked them. But there are so many other games that I want to spend time with and I haven’t because I feel locked to this show.

I haven’t touched Tears of the Kingdom. I haven’t play The Last of Us Part I. I started Dead Space on stream and haven’t gone back. All this Alan Wake II talk has me so fascinated to play those games. I feel such a strong dedication to adhering to our schedule that I’ve almost exclusively touched Resident Evil, Pokémon, and Metroid Prime in the last year and a half.

As I approach 30, my life and time are shifting. I am prioritizing spending time with my wife and daughter. My day job doesn’t involve gaming at all. I get maybe an hour a day to play before anyone wakes up. Or edit a show. Or write posts. etc. etc. etc.

So What’s on Deck?

Well, like I mentioned before, we are in the endgame of Season 6 – Pokémon. Our episode on Pokémon Diamond and Pearl is out this Wednesday at the usual time. We are set to record Pokémon Black and White this upcoming Monday; which gives us a month to play Black 2 and White 2. 🙃

Our episode on Metroid Prime Remastered has been recorded. I’m sure we’ll jump to Federation Force after this Pokémon rush. 🙃

We haven’t started playing Castlevania yet. I am eager to get started. Heck, I would have already, if not for the lock on Pokémon. All the more reason to open up this scheduling release valve. We do have a great slate of guests lined up for Castlevania though. I am amped to make these episodes with the folks we’ve asked. I think you all will enjoy them too.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this and more so for your understanding and patience. Even 15 years into making shows, I’m still learning, adjusting, and improving. I take that all as a good sign. Here’s to our best seasons to come.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 6 – Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon

Art inspired by the Pokémon Ultra Sun start screen, designed by Max Roberts

It’s time to catch some waves and some Pokémon! Kanto-natives Max Roberts and Logan Moore are joined by islander Grant Callahan to explore the interdimensional tropics of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Does breaking tradition lead to a better game or was this a trial that Game Freak couldn’t complete?

Download (56MB) – Episode Transcript

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Pokémon Sun and Moon

  • Developer – Game Freak
  • Platform – Nintendo 3DS
  • Release Date – November 18, 2016
    • November 17, 2017 for Ultra
  • Game Directors – Shigeru Ohmori (Sun/Moon) and Kazumasa Iwao (Ultra)
  • Producers – Junichi Masuda, Shin Uwai, Takato Utsunomiya, and Hitoshi Yamagami
    • Same as base Sun and Moon, Takanori Sowa, Shigeru Ohmori, and Shin Uwai (Ultra)
  • Composers – Minako Adachi, Go Ichinose, Junichi Masuda, Tomoaki Oga, Hitomi Sato, and Hideaki Kuroda
    • Minako Adachi, Go Ichinose, Junichi Masuda, and Tomoaki Oga (Ultra)

Metacritic – 87/100 (84/100 for Ultra)


This episode was originally recorded on July 12, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Grant’s Threads @grant__callahan

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 5 – Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire

Art inspired by the Pokémon Sapphire start screen, designed by Max Roberts

Sound the trumpets! 🎺 Water fanatics Max Roberts and Logan Moore are joined by land stan Cameron Hawkins to set sail and stop primordial forces. Do the Hoenn adventures really have too much water or are there bigger problems just beneath the surface?

Download (46MB) – Episode Transcript

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Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire

  • Developer – Game Freak
  • Platforms – Game Boy Advance and Nintendo 3DS
  • Release Date – March 19, 2003
    • November 21, 2014 for Omega and Alpha
  • Game Directors – Junichi Masuda (R/S) and Shigeru Ohmori (OR/AS)
  • Producers – Hiroyuki Jinnai, Takehiro Izushi, and Hiroaki Tsuru
    • Junichi Masuda, Shusaku Egami, Takato Utsunomiya, and Hitoshi Yamagami (OR/AS)
  • Composers – Go Ichinose, Morikazu Aoki, and Junichi Masuda
    • Shota Kageyama, Minako Adachi, Hideaki Kuroda, and Hitomi Sato (OR/AS)

Metacritic – 82/100


This episode was originally recorded on April 1, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Cam’s Twitter @CamFinalMix

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art inspired by the Pokémon Sapphire start screen, designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 4 – Pokémon Sword and Shield

Art inspired by the Pokémon Sword start screen, designed by Max Roberts

The mainline Pokémon series finally heads to the big screen! Childhood friends Max Roberts and Logan Moore hit the gym with their teams for some clanging and banging to become the next undefeated Galar Champion. But has the switch to the telly made the grind too easy or have our hosts outgrown the quest to be the best?

Download (33MB) – Episode Transcript

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Pokémon Sword and Shield

Metacritic – 80/100


This episode was originally recorded on August 6, 2022.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 4, Episode 13 – Fast X

Photo and design by Max Roberts

Never accept a finale when episodes are owed. Retroactively-CGI’d Max Roberts and Logan “Nobody” Moore used the power of Peacock to watch Fast X. Is the family too large for its own good these days or is there room for more?

Download (51MB) – Episode Transcript

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Fast X

Rotten Tomatoes – 56% critic and 85% viewers


This episode was originally recorded on September 22, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Photo and Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 3 – Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Art inspired by the Pokémon Gold start screen, designed by Max Roberts

Pokémania has reached its peak! Rivals Max Roberts and Logan Moore are joined by League Champion Peter Spezia to explore Johto and beyond in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver! Did the rush for a sequel impede innovation or did Pokémon evolve into its best form 20 years ago?

Download (51MB) – Episode Transcript

Super Chapter Select is a premium version of the show that provides access to longer and exclusive episodes, as well as bonus videos. Sign up for $2.50/month or $20/year to gain access to everything!


Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver

Metacritic – 87/100


This episode was originally recorded on November 12, 2022.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Peter’s Twitter @PeteSpeakEasy

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 2 – Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Art inspired by Pokémon Violet start screen, designed Max Roberts

It is time for us to go back to the future of Pokémon! Students Max Roberts and Logan Moore study open world experimentation alongside Professor Chris Compendio. Can a mainline Pokémon adventure let players do anything or has Game Freak cooked up a paradox of a game?

Download (42MB) – Episode Transcript

Super Chapter Select is a premium version of the show that provides access to longer and exclusive episodes, as well as bonus videos. Sign up for $2.50/month or $20/year to gain access to everything!


Pokémon Scarlet and Violet

Metacritic – 72/100


This episode was originally recorded on December 30, 2022.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Chris’ Twitter @Compenderizer

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 6, Episode 1 – Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Art inspired by the Pokémon Blue start screen, designed by Max Roberts

We want to be the very best; like no podcast ever was! Welcome to Season 6 of Chapter Select! It is time for us to catch them all as we tackle Pokémon. Hosts Max Roberts and Logan Moore go back to the original 151 to explore what kicked off this multi-billion dollar franchise. Is catching Pocket Monsters today as compelling as it was in 1998?

Download (38MB) – Episode Transcript

Super Chapter Select is a premium version of the show that provides access to longer and exclusive episodes, as well as bonus videos. Sign up for $2.50/month or $20/year to gain access to everything!


Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen

Metacritic – 81/100 (FireRed and LeafGreen) and 80/100 (Let’s Go)


This episode was originally recorded on May 30, 2022.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Art designed by Max Roberts.

Chapter Select: Season 5, Episode 13 – Resident Evil 9 Hopes & Dreams

Illustration generated by DALL-E 2 and logo by @EvilVR

We’ve played all the Resident Evil games, now it is time to speculate, dream, and hope! Max Roberts and Logan Moore are joined by Chapter Select alum Michael Ruiz and Ricky Frech to imagine what Resident Evil IX will be like.


This episode is exclusive to Super Chapter Select members! Sign up to gain access to a premium version of the show with longer and exclusive episodes, as well as bonus videos. Sign up for a year for just $20 to gain access to everything!


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Announcing the Next Three Seasons of Chapter Select

It is a big day here for Chapter Select. We’ve just launched Super Chapter Select, a member-supported version of the show; for just $20 a year, gain access to longer shows, exclusive episodes, and bonus videos. You can read more about Super Chapter Select in that dedicated post and sign up for it here. Alongside Super though, we are announcing the next three seasons of Chapter Select. We want to start announcing our plans ahead of time so that members know what they are signing up for the year ahead. Without further ado, here are Seasons 6, 7, and 8 of our show.

Season 6 is Pokémon

It is time to fill up that Pokédex as we play through all of the mainline Pokémon games. This season has been in the works since last summer. We chose Pokémon to launch alongside Super Chapter Select. The season and the membership program have been designed hand-in-hand. It has been hard to keep this one a secret for so long.

We are bouncing between the games and remakes on a generational basis. This allowed us to play new or old versions of games without having to worry. Season 6 starts on August 23, 2023. You can see the whole schedule, guest list, and more here.

Season 7 is Metroid Prime

Next year’s theme is “Metroidvania” with a slight tweak on the “Metroid” part of the name. For our Spring 2024 season, we are adventuring across space in the Metroid Prime game series; yes that includes Federation Force.

This first-person reinvention of the 2D classic took the gaming world by storm back in 2002. With the brand new remaster and the ever impending Metroid Prime 4, we thought now was the perfect time to see if Prime is worth the praise or better off in limbo.

Season 7 will bounce us through the home console and portable games. This let’s us experience the core trilogy’s story in order, while not neglecting the on-the-go titles. You can see the entire season order here.

Season 8 is Castlevania

As for Fall 2024, we are taking on the Lord of Darkness himself, Lord Dracula, in the Castlevania series. This season will be 19 episodes in length, which is nearly double the previous record holder Season 5 – Resident Evil. We could have doubled it, but we are omitting the original Game Boy games.1

The structure for this season is unique, even for Chapter Select. We have that bouncing back and forth, but rather than by release dates or the chronological narrative, we chose eras/genres of design. Those eras are “Classic,” with titles ranging from the NES to the Sega Genesis; “Iga,” which focuses on Koji Igarashi’s legendary design; and “3D,’ which will take a look at the 3D entires scattered throughout the franchise.

We feel this gives the season a fun and interesting pace, while also allowing us to answer the question of “what really makes a Castlevania game?” You can see the entire season order here.


As for guests in 2024, we do not have any lined up. We have lots of great people in mind and I hope they are willing to join us. We will be reaching out to them soon. If you would like to join us for either Season 7 or 8, please reach out to me at max@maxfrequency.net or on Twitter.

These seasons do have exciting Super Chapter Select content planned! While we won’t be revealing them at this time, I am incredibly excited to produce them alongside the seasons for our members.

This is an exciting time for Chapter Select, Logan, and myself. We have been and will continue to pour ourselves into this show. Thank you for listening, watching, and supporting us. We hope you enjoy Pokémon and the Year of Metroidvania!


1. Logan really doesn’t like OG Game Boy games. Except for Pokémon, I suppose. I was able to weasel Mirror of Fate on there though, thanks to the HD version.

Chapter Select: Season 5, Episode 11 – Resident Evil 4 Remake

Episode art generated by DALL-E 2 with the following prompt written by Max Roberts - "A small Spanish church behind a creepy cemetery with red, blue, and green stained glass at night under heavy rain lit by torches in a diorama style."
Illustration generated by DALL-E 2, prompted by Max Roberts

It is time to return to Spain with its one liners, mysterious merchants, and cryptic castles. Max Roberts and Logan Moore complete their journey through Resident Evil by donning their leather jackets one more time. Did the Resident Evil 4 remake surpass its origins or did it buckle under the weight of its predecessor?

Download (57MB) — Episode Transcript

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Resident Evil 4 (2023)

Metacritic – 93/100


This episode was originally recorded on May 17, 2023.

@ChapterSelect

Max’s Twitter @MaxRoberts143

Logan’s Twitter @MooreMan12

Researcher, Editor, and Producer – Max Roberts

Hosted by Logan Moore & Max Roberts

Illustration generated by DALL-E 2, prompted by Max Roberts.

A Chapter Select Season 5 Update

Hello everybody! I have a quick update for Chapter Select and the Season 5 finale. 

I have to delay the episode. My wife and I just bought a house and this move has been more demanding than I anticipated. The episode has been recorded, but I do not have the 4-5 hours to edit, produce, and publish the finale before Wednesday, May 31.1

My office is just a big ol’ pile in the garage. My iMac is in its box. I don’t know when I’ll get to setting up my desk. It should be soonish on the list, since I do primarily work from home. Once my computer is plugged in, I know I can wake up early a couple of days and knock the edit out. 

I am disappointed I couldn’t get this done in time. I hate delaying a publicly promised project. Consistency is the key to growth and trust. I ran out of time. I am sorry I dropped the ball right at the finish line. 

Thankfully, Logan and I have now both moved within the last year, so major geographical events should be behind us. Plus, Season 6 is already half way done. 😉 

Thank you all for your understanding and patience. I promise I will get to editing as soon as I can. Also, how hype was that Resident Evil 4 VR Mode teaser. Bring on the VR games!


1. Heck, I’m writing and posting this from my phone so late because I am too tired to keep clean and unpack.