# [[MFP40 - "Peering into My Soul" with wizawhat]] Transcript This transcription was completed on March 4, 2026 with the application MacWhisper on macOS. This was done automatically, without human input during the transcription process. The transcription used the Parakeet v3 model. My hope is that by offering this transcription – however accurate it may be done by a machine learning/AI – will help you, the listener. I’d love to offer full, proper transcription some day, but that is not feasible at this time. Thank you for listening and reading. I hope you enjoy the show and that this document was helpful. Enjoy. --- Hello everybody and welcome to the Max Frequency Podcast. *00:00* It's great. *00:00* Like it'll be totally an okay game and it'll be free on PS Plus probably within a year. *00:00* Like, I've been thinking about this a lot. *00:00* You know, they'll have a prequel come out like six games in. *00:00* You know, there's probably the Saturday morning cartoon vibe that is just purely wholesome and purely like a very visually impressive and simple exploration of like the Mario world. *00:00* Like in getting it. *00:00* So I think we'll be s I'll be set there. *00:00* Valorant is right. *00:00* It's too scary. *00:00* You know, I can hop into SWAT and get that experience, and then when I'm tired with it, I can just go back to the regular mode rather than just it being like that all the time. *00:00* Like just regular multiplayer. *00:00* Uh maybe I'm wrong there, but you were getting things translated. *00:00* And it's immaculate. *00:00* like retrospective podcast on Metroid Prime. *00:00* uh that I have a strong thesis, so I have something to follow throughout the entire thing. *00:00* The Pikmin 3 section done in like two weeks. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Redemption too and grinds it into like this weird pulp in my brain. *00:00* Like and it's the show, you know, and beyond that, it's a show I want to make, so I'll make whatever I want. *00:00* know you're just doing it as like a hobby or something like by all means like do what is comfortable for you do what is right by you *00:00* Oh man. *00:00* Keep watching. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Uh will be our Pokemon battle series where we battled all ten Pokemon mainline Pokemon games like in a consistent versus each other all the way through. *00:00* So and definitely don't watch that video until you are ready. *00:00* Sometimes video essayist comes with a negative connotation a lot of times, especially on like some of like toxic more toxic like forms of social media. *00:00* Um and I was like, I can do this. *00:00* that which could range from, I mean, all the people we just mentioned, they do things from the personal to game mechanics to, you know, gosh, all sorts of stuff. *00:00* Love all his work. *00:00* into the game. *00:00* is just like okay like not a good company. *00:00* Yeah, so I saw some footage maybe a month ago, but I just saw a headline. *00:00* you know, breaking their non-NDA because there was no formal NDA and covering it on uh regular outlets. *00:00* But anyway, I think it's gonna be fine. *00:00* Where for me it's just like it's purely the gameplay experience that I can't get anywhere else and all that like knowledge built up that like fuels my personal interaction with the game. *00:00* SWAT gives you that like twitch quick kill respawn feel and you can play a match, you know, you can play a few matches for five minutes and like totally get satisfied and then you're good. *00:00* And I scroll through all your videos, you know, these are look cool. *00:00* And like where the spawn locations were for guns and stuff, like that I had hand drawn. *00:00* What was interesting to me about that is I've never played a Pikmin game. *00:00* It was like their whole history. *00:00* And so it was like, if I have it, I'll let you like look through it. *00:00* It was outside of what I could afford. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* I'm just gonna go to Wikipedia and I'm gonna I'm gonna go through every cited source on this series and I'm gonna just follow it as far as it goes for me. *00:00* You can be a little bit more persuasive when you like show the developer perspective in s in their considerations. *00:00* Well, you know, this is a cool movie, whatever. *00:00* So whatever. *00:00* since Metal Gear Solid 2, which also just the the sheer guts to take a game and be like, you're not playing a snake *00:00* It's probably that everyone starts out liking the game and then grows to dislike the game. *00:00* Feels like this overwhelming wave of negativity and you almost feel like disconnected from the community for even liking the game. *00:00* Get into the Kingdom Hearts. *00:00* And that's cool. *00:00* Like I like that game a lot. *00:00* gets you in my head a little bit. *00:00* Shri start creating content. *00:00* You're in YouTube college right now. *00:00* Stupid little makeshift closet booth. *00:00* uh between your Pikmin retrospective and my uh naughty dog one chasing the stick, which was I played through everything they did in the PS4 leading up to The Last of Us Part II and then chronicled *00:00* uh Adam Savage's book, Every Tool's a Hammer. *00:00* Oh, I could just tweak this one thing a little bit more and it could just be slightly like 1% better. *00:00* Um then you've been working on it. *00:00* or game time. *00:00* You tweeted out like a picture from a Google Doc. *00:00* It's almost it's fighting you as you're trying to sculpt the thing. *00:00* Because it's like a side scroller. *00:00* And so the game feels like a parody of Mario, in a way, while trying to like be something completely different. *00:00* uh it conveyed this idea of like, you know, we're we're try we're constantly trying to target a new generation of players to bring them into this *00:00* Paper Mario game? *00:00* with action games. *00:00* Uh not even so much in the sense that like, you know, walking away from something or putting it away for an extended period of time once it's completed, like not even just that, but like *00:00* Yeah, like I knew this is what Sabotage was doing for a long time. *00:00* I I want to watch your video, but I can't yet. *00:00* And it could be. *00:00* Um actually both of which I think serve the point of the video, which I watched after making the you know the virginal thumbnail. *00:00* A lot of people say like the YouTube algorith algorithm and all that, you know, sometimes it's completely random. *00:00* Scratch which is probably gonna reach over 500,000 views, which is like a largely like positive video about one of the most *00:00* Which is like what I wanted to get in. *00:00* line and I love the way you styled it with the red and the blue. *00:00* to change and not and honestly divorcing like the title and thumbnail from my often like artistic intent. *00:00* system there which sounds slightly familiar to uh someone else's in the call here. *00:00* And it conveys some, you know, you can pick the level you want. *00:00* now like in pre-production. *00:00* it who knows um that is not in production please everybody call I can only imagine the response to that you imagine that response I can't wait for it um *00:00* Um, or I'm interested in that, I'll keep tabs on it. *00:00* whatever probably would be better from an algebraic perspective. *00:00* You're reading the back of the box on the book, you're reading the cover, and it's like, oh, that's what gets you to come in and read it. *00:00* Where it's like uh he's looking for like souls like games that you know, people no like nobody else is gonna cover this game. *00:00* And said, well, how could they ever possibly steal Nintendo would or this guy's an idiot, which a lot of them said in so many words. *00:00* Uh you broke down like how many comments were negative, how many comments were positive, and how many comments were uh you know like you responding the breakfast. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* And throw it back in the machine. *00:00* Um Patreon was a what? *00:00* do that there. *00:00* I think I saw growing up in Donkey Kong Country. *00:00* I see like the storytelling aspects of my content rather than like more of a uh argumentative or like persuasive or informative even essay, if that makes sense. *00:00* Javid Starrett, Rez Buton, um gosh, Nakey Jakey. *00:00* Yeah, I feel like he just brings a like professionalism and a style to YouTube that is just honestly not that common because *00:00* maybe aren't as drawn to the platform in the same way that that he is and you can tell like his videos like *00:00* They're always like pushing a new level for him creatively out of genuine love for the topics that he discusses. *00:00* It's got some sort of day loop mechanic where you know live, die, repeat, edge of tomorrow style, Majora's mask, whatever. *00:00* Yeah, and so it's like and it's also really hard to talk about what makes the game super special without spoiling a lot of the like, you know, the more important aspects of it. *00:00* It's not a pain point for me. *00:00* Uh I kind of feel like a Overwatch boomer where like I am resistant to change in a way. *00:00* Like keeping the game alive in a way that was satisfying for everyone, the casual players, the competitive players. *00:00* And Sony, Sony acquired the studio while this game was already in development. *00:00* And it was fun. *00:00* I just see like a few Overwatch personalities that are known for being like very doomer on the current state of the game, and they're like, Marvel Rivals is taking over, like *00:00* Um but I do understand the philosophy. *00:00* the response to like the infinite. *00:00* Especially as Halo became more like similar to like run and gun Call of Duty type gameplay. *00:00* I'm like two and a half hours about Pikmin. *00:00* of that type of video. *00:00* And what I really wanted to talk about with you from the top was your process about tackling a retrospective like that or like the Star Fox one because *00:00* and edited a beautiful video on top of it. *00:00* things that I can dig into. *00:00* Get it bringing that information over to the West. *00:00* If I had the resources that I would need, like I would love to like be a part of that effort of getting more stuff translated. *00:00* to reach out to him and see if they were interested in like looking into it themselves because uh part of their process as he explained to me was um *00:00* And then obviously for clarity, what they do is like when they find stuff that is usable and is helpful, like they'll reach out to translators to get it like cleaned up and you have to do it like *00:00* that especially uh the scale and volume you've let the machine crunch through just like the rough outer layer. *00:00* He is like pure passion. *00:00* It's re it's purely just a matter of like what I can get to. *00:00* to be able to effectively translate and responsibly translate from Japanese to English and vice versa and you know any other language. *00:00* So I was like, you know what? *00:00* He has a Patreon model where, you know, I chuck a chuck him a few bucks per translation and he reaches out to the community and says, what do you guys want translated? *00:00* Spot to do that as well. *00:00* Like for anyone listening, I'm not just like regurgitating what they're saying unless I think it's really vital to what I want to say, but I'm gonna be pouring over all the extra details that they felt *00:00* to making these crazy long retrospectives is that research fuels the whole thing because it shifts the way that I view the franchise. *00:00* It just needs time to get there. *00:00* Mm-hmm. *00:00* Miyamoto really liked this idea of robots and Kira Trolley. *00:00* I think I watched a little bit of one of his videos and immediately I w I was like *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Well, I think you put it really well. *00:00* What I'm trying to do is honestly like we've had a whole I mean the like wider discourse like discussing all of gaming *00:00* interesting to the table if it was just purely like how I felt in a way. *00:00* It's very off putting and and frustrating. *00:00* In the first game, it's like once I get to agriba, like I'll complete agriba, and then I'm just like, man, I just I'm just like not feeling like *00:00* If anybody that likes Kingdom Hearts will resonate with that at all. *00:00* Birth by Sleep is my favorite and it's the prequel. *00:00* and like you can play any of the three and you are playing that character's story to the end of their story. *00:00* banging my head against the wall. *00:00* I actually didn't check this. *00:00* Wasn't it July? *00:00* Oh yeah. *00:00* a weird tonal shift for me. *00:00* Getting really weird. *00:00* Tell me Hey Pikmin didn't take the longest. *00:00* the Pikmin series, I think it has a clear thesis or a clear line to follow throughout the whole series. *00:00* Strenuous on the mind that I think writing is. *00:00* purely edit mode and I was editing from freakin' dawn till dusk, it felt like *00:00* Part two's development up until release. *00:00* Um yeah, I mean for me, like something that I've learned and this extends to pretty much all aspects of my life is that *00:00* Someone, you know, I have no control over when a game comes out. *00:00* Yeah, I f I just find it's it's weird when I'm trying to build my own business as like a content creator *00:00* time sensitive project, so I'm able to get through it. *00:00* a creator, someone who builds and makes things, which obviously has been his entire career. *00:00* He has one called like checkboxes, which, you know, you were talking about you how you kind of just wrote everything out. *00:00* I mean there's I have three quotes from the deadlines chapter, but um let's pick one. *00:00* my Paper Mario thing that I was working on. *00:00* uh all the games in an odd pattern but still played all of them. *00:00* again to bring up to you here, which was uh he's talking about this quote is uh understanding this difference between what a project should be and what it wants to be. *00:00* That's the meat of the thing, right? *00:00* Red Dead is mine, you can't have it, former Warcrax. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* you know, the Thousand Year Door, I guess. *00:00* I don't know, it just once that came to me, it was kind of impossible to like move forward and be like, this is time well spent. *00:00* And that was when I was like, yeah, this I don't know if like this is for me anymore. *00:00* This is I I I'm not even gonna bother. *00:00* We're not gonna say no to any idea too far-fetched. *00:00* As it's never been. *00:00* And they release all these games within like a year of each other? *00:00* I feel like you have to I I f I feel like based off of what I read in my research that *00:00* sticker mechanic to like color splash and and then moving away from the RPG tactical like turn-based gameplay. *00:00* It was going through a rough, rough development. *00:00* What if the Thousand Year Door like received another game following it that was just like the Thousand Year Door or just structured the same way? *00:00* Where they are trying to emulate something without like the same level of like inventiveness. *00:00* Sticker Star was messy. *00:00* that so it is a series that is a mystery in some ways to study and follow. *00:00* And then they were like, dude, that's interesting in and of itself. *00:00* I read that. *00:00* I'd try to like I felt so strongly about so many aspects of those games that I wanted it all to come through. *00:00* I know we just talked about it, but like put Paper Mario away. *00:00* I spent like three months or so working on my Sea of Stars video, which was by far *00:00* There's a lot of barriers to actually absorb that video. *00:00* Yeah, and so what we're doing is actually like building this world and our next game will be like a completely different genre type thing, but it will be in the world of the messenger. *00:00* Whereas like I think Sea of Stars was still kind of fresh when I was it it w it was weird like uh I I felt like I was in a kind of a middle ground of it being *00:00* And then I was so blown away by it that I had to play the messenger. *00:00* I missed that, which wouldn't have really mattered actually because of how in-depth and into spoiler territory my video goes. *00:00* But I kind of miss that relevancy window and there hasn't been enough time for enough people to absorb it where like people may be *00:00* And then you put a tweet out, got some feedback, and you redid the thumbnail with this like mystery silhouette presentation and then a new title. *00:00* Um on along the same lines of Brian's videos and like your map making video, people are resistant to repackaging. *00:00* like a full-time job on the side and like a family in the future, which I want. *00:00* I think I could if I was if I can keep pushing. *00:00* Like there's a chance, there's a real chance that I can get where I really want to be. *00:00* I put out the Star Fox one. *00:00* freaking development history too and like my opinions on all of the games. *00:00* But that's what I can that's what I needed. *00:00* And what I mean by it worked, like that video exploded immediately after I changed the title. *00:00* the meteoric rise followed by the tragic fall or whatever. *00:00* To show them what how I want to be different. *00:00* Which was like comparing it to my disappointment with the Switch and like my frustration with that, which was a very real thing that I did want to convey. *00:00* But you were saying what was it? *00:00* Like, I mean I didn't straight up copy it, but like But you took inspiration from it. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Sometimes YouTube doesn't say I've watched something when I'm like fairly confident I did. *00:00* Sure. *00:00* you know, his like the tenple like series on his channel, like the gaming for a non-gamer. *00:00* And that was the one that just hit on a unbelievable level. *00:00* At least to me, like w why that video hit so hard and like like not everyone *00:00* Yeah, but I think because we love to connect over games, I'm sure we've all had that desire to like get somebody who's not a gamer into their *00:00* Favorite hobby. *00:00* But I'm also stubborn as I'll get out. *00:00* Or here's about, you know, my struggles with coming up with a guide. *00:00* I could do an essay about this. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* It's the trailer before a movie, you know, like you've seen a movie and you see the trailers or whatever. *00:00* Like you made your Star Fox city. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* like this over style and I had fun with that. *00:00* Not familiar, like what you're going through right now is people your the your video is titled like What Zelda Stole from Stole Fortnite's best mechanic. *00:00* Um and I just remember I was writing the script and I was like, so the segue to Tears of the Kingdom talk will be the Zelda stole it. *00:00* Okay, thank you. *00:00* Like I I just feel like it's like *00:00* Like I I told you that like maybe I think maybe there's a world where you could be like a little bit more clear and literal. *00:00* Before before I played Fortnite, I was like, that's the place where Tenet got its trailer debut while a bunch of characters are dancing and doing the the floss, you know? *00:00* I don't think my thumbnail testing is doing all the heavy lifting here. *00:00* Uh even though I say literally at the start that I just played it for the first time nine months ago. *00:00* And so another I played another seven souls like games you've never heard of. *00:00* People on him from both sides, it feels like. *00:00* Well, how at the title. *00:00* And I so you gotta put how at the start of your title. *00:00* It's it's been an interesting week. *00:00* Um and go from there. *00:00* I'm playing through Metroid Prime 2 Echoes right now. *00:00* the failed membership tier of the show. *00:00* you know, no one paid to see it, which is totally fine. *00:00* At the very least, I know I've seen your thumbnail for making the case for Paper Mario's partner characters, your first at least seemingly first video on the channel. *00:00* You can skip around, but it's probably just better to wait and uh give the game a shot first. *00:00* And I think when I look at my videos, the way I see them is some of them are definitely like in the uh you could definitely describe them as *00:00* I I kind of like I identify more with like a documentarian for even my less personal stuff than an essayist personally. *00:00* It's just writing and what is writing, but storytelling. *00:00* you know, YouTube I mean I think as far as my style goes, it took a long time to like get to where I am like most comfortable. *00:00* But my work is b comes from inspirations on YouTube. *00:00* Absolutely. *00:00* Yeah, I was surprised by that when I found out that I was in that. *00:00* Yeah, I mean it's such a strange game where, you know, sometimes like *00:00* Feeling that club aspect when you're inside of it and you are the one like me that is always trying to get people to play the game. *00:00* That is so interesting such an interesting phenomenon like culturally that goes on uh like regarding the game without actually like going into really any of the like *00:00* content that is typically gated by like spoilers and stuff like that. *00:00* Yeah, it's a killer video. *00:00* that you, sir, were slash R, I don't know if you still play, but a big overwatch person. *00:00* Like, I honestly did not care about the PvE. *00:00* Honestly, a lot of community members feel extremely mixed on, even ex to an extent pretty negative on. *00:00* But now with new games coming along, like I've put so much time into Overwatch that it feels comfortable for me. *00:00* something, but like people are not optimistic about that game. *00:00* It's PlayStation, so that's out of the question for me. *00:00* 18,000 concurrent players over the weekend. *00:00* over the two weekends it was there. *00:00* Yeah, I I haven't bought a skin since Overwatch 2 came out. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* That's just the appeal for me. *00:00* I learned when I played Destiny, uh Destiny 2, nothing matters unless your guardian looks good. *00:00* I just do not care. *00:00* If I I wish I had remembered this when I was making my first essay, which was um was about maps. *00:00* And I love that because I didn't I rented Adventure as a kid. *00:00* I've done a few of those in a written capacity for Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Brothers, and my biggest one with The Last of Us Part II essentially, basically Naughty Dog during the whole PS4 generation. *00:00* You know, you've got huge quotes from interviews and articles. *00:00* almost designed to fit well together, right? *00:00* Uh one thing when you start to dive a little bit deeper into like what's available is like there's a lot of resources that are out there that are untranslated. *00:00* And to know that there's like all these Japanese magazines that are untranslated, that have gone untranslated for this long, and Digino Gaming right now is doing like a lot of the heavy lifting of like. *00:00* crazy how much information is out there that is not like readily available to us. *00:00* to like look over if we we have like archives of stuff like really rough archives. *00:00* But you're not actually understanding the language and being able to go out to a native-speaking country. *00:00* You need that human translation, that ability to come in. *00:00* Yeah, that is like their process. *00:00* Hugely impressive. *00:00* you know, get this translated because I'm really interested in this. *00:00* And so when I was working on the Pikmin video, I noticed there were a few untranslated Pikmin things. *00:00* People might clown on this, but it honestly starts with where can I find like the top of the funnel? *00:00* was not important to their piece. *00:00* Love it when any article, video, podcast provides just reference material to what they were quoting from or pulling from. *00:00* Yeah, it's very uh interesting and like empowering to me as a creator. *00:00* insight to the game's development and the decisions that they made for you to understand why a game is the way it is. *00:00* If you just play Star Fox Zero, which I haven't even done, I have a sealed copy, like right, right up there behind me, whiz. *00:00* Well, it wasn't even the length that really deterred me. *00:00* I think for me, what I want to get across is exactly how you put it. *00:00* be play a role in that where it's like, you know, yeah, I could just play all the games and like share my opinion. *00:00* It would feel incomplete if I didn't like uh you know it would feel not like unique. *00:00* Same sort of thing that we were talking about with Star Fox. *00:00* that are going on that your brain is picking up on, but you may not even have the words to express why it's resonating or not with you. *00:00* But when you dig into I mean, I think the game does a pretty good job of that there's a reason why, but when you dig into the decision-making process behind the whole game *00:00* realize maybe it's not for you, but like there is an intentionality behind like everything. *00:00* getting loud about the things that they are passionate about when it makes the most sense. *00:00* You know, I I expressed this commenting on your video, which was very well done. *00:00* I could very well see a world where in like a few like in some time maybe if a new Last of Us game comes out and like provides I don't know how you could like *00:00* the flaws aren't appearing like so readily until you've really finished the game and you realize that there isn't more to experience to remedy those flaws, I guess. *00:00* then I'm I'm just like not feeling the overall like tension in the story to like really continue. *00:00* How I've responded to it. *00:00* A story I waited fifteen years for, but what am I gonna deal with? *00:00* And so they the stories overlap where like you'll have a character run through Neverland and you'll see *00:00* hints or cutscenes or ramifications of another character's story that you haven't experienced yet. *00:00* And then you'll see that moment, you'll be like, oh, that's what was happening, or that's who showed up. *00:00* Uh, I love that. *00:00* So I'm just what's what do you do? *00:00* the hardest aspect and the most time consuming. *00:00* In some videos more than others, but what I feel like I bring is the writing and maybe a little of that narration flavor that like *00:00* twenty to thirty minutes long, and you jump into like a two-hour long video, a retrospective, like the needs are totally different. *00:00* was like impressive to anyone until like I started doing YouTube. *00:00* mostly a learning process right now. *00:00* So you you you played four Pikmin games, researched, wrote, edited four months. *00:00* quicker to me. *00:00* And that's often what happens, especially when I'm on such a strict deadline like that. *00:00* And so it was it actually took a toll on me and purely in pursuit of that deadline, which sounds bad, but it also taught me that, you know, having a deadline *00:00* Um, you know, maybe my friends, if they listen to this and remember how I used to be back in the day about like getting lines to people and like scheduling like podcasts or whatever, they'll laugh at this because it was a mess. *00:00* And so it ended up working out because like maybe because of that, but also maybe because like *00:00* The passion was just there for Pikmin because it is like such an important series to me. *00:00* Where like really in my head I want to be more efficient. *00:00* uh like ASAP and I'm gonna make almost like maximum uh maximum efficiency out of my time because I'm not gonna be *00:00* It totally does. *00:00* uh down the path toward completion. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Said you're like I I it's on ice. *00:00* Pull out if you'll if you'll don't mind me reading it really quick. *00:00* And that had a clear vision from the very start. *00:00* And respecting the gulf between them is key to fulfilling one's potential as a maker. *00:00* Right. *00:00* I experienced that with the my journey to becoming a map maker essay. *00:00* And in my head, like when I was diving into this project, after my experiences with the other series, I was like, Miyamoto didn't kill Paper Mario. *00:00* And you get like a pre-assigned like stat bonus, you're not actually like building a like character or anything like that. *00:00* There's no like it's not just him. *00:00* really happy to be a Mario game in that way. *00:00* Tangent for that kind of game to go. *00:00* All the Mario characters are just kind of there. *00:00* I felt as I was playing the game like that the rest of the characters were just kind of there. *00:00* saga of like l like rediscovering like who she is and like rediscovering like them rediscovering each other and like *00:00* two or three months like building up this thesis and then I get to the end and certain sections it feels like I'm speaking as two different people. *00:00* Very clearly with its like atmospheric shakeup like and how the writing changes from game to game like even from color splash to origami king *00:00* the the way they treat the two like companion characters like Huey and Olivia like just the way that those characters are portrayed like to me it *00:00* into the amount like fallacy into the amount of time that I put into it where I felt like I had to finish it. *00:00* alternative take on Mario where like narratively it's easier to connect with like specific aspects and also easier to like disconnect from them if you feel like it doesn't resonate, I think. *00:00* No, I had not played all of them. *00:00* clear like nostalgic ties to all thir uh from paper mario thousand year door door and super and then I tried sticker star back in the day and bounced off of it real quick *00:00* And so my relationship with the series is like extremely turbulent. *00:00* Well, what can we do if we change it in this way? *00:00* Now get to play this. *00:00* No, it has to be different every time because then if it has to be different by mandate, then it's like, you know, is it really like inspired? *00:00* I think from like a character perspective, uh yeah, they probab they probably did. *00:00* Like then people would be feeling really differently. *00:00* Yeah, I d pi it's interesting though that the community and I was a part of it. *00:00* Some other friends, like I was like I was like kind of venting about it. *00:00* That's another book recommendation for you if you haven't read it. *00:00* This you're in this downswing with Paper Mario, this particular project of like, how do I talk about Paper Mario? *00:00* I think putting it away in the drawer and just letting it collect proverbial dust will be healthy for your creative process and how you want to talk about it if you decide to come back to it. *00:00* Honestly, even in the middle of a project, you know, having the flexibility and the freedom to walk away for a few days, even and then come back to it refreshed is like *00:00* Yep. *00:00* and stuff that I've learned from and I can find value in that for me personally. *00:00* I remember I had somebody's interview sabotage before Sea of Stars was even announced and they basically th they were working in the press and just told them like *00:00* My parents, my dad in particular, he sees he'll see the runtime of this podcast and be like, dude, this too long. *00:00* Ugh. *00:00* Uh I am very resistant to the idea of it being luck. *00:00* Ex exactly. *00:00* people are, you know, doing more personal stuff along the lines that some of my other videos and maybe like I don't think Brian feels this way, but like *00:00* I don't feel as strongly about that as maybe some other people do. *00:00* It was like an artsy fartsy title that didn't really convey that this is a full series retrospective on the *00:00* You know what? *00:00* the Star Fox Zero characters and then text at the bottom that said like full series retrospective. *00:00* Even if it doesn't resonate with me like super like artistically, like it clearly resonates with the audience. *00:00* From the title and the thumbnail because I feel confident enough in my work to be like, you know, maybe this doesn't reflect *00:00* hated like Nintendo consoles, like underappreciated consoles. *00:00* another three-month process that I bought a six hundred dollar camera for like *00:00* to m realize the vision that I had in my mind and learn how to use like a DSLR camera. *00:00* And that cash. *00:00* Like if I could get that kind of return on most of my videos, I would be in a really good spot, I think. *00:00* It's just unlucky. *00:00* The reason I went with the silhouette approach to the thumbnail was purely because I saw another video that was blowing up, going crazy, because of that silhouette thumbnail approach *00:00* And like I was trying I was like running through all the reasons in my mind to not almost copy that in a way. *00:00* It can be the case where your topic isn't just as widely appealing as you may thought it was, because you made a freaking *00:00* And I think like, you know, when you really crack the code of like getting into like that those millions of views, like *00:00* That video is an potentially enticing to you. *00:00* But yeah, like I think that's partially I think he's doing really well with a lot of his videos. *00:00* But I think he's hitting on aspects that are like they almost feel objective in a way. *00:00* And I do this in all my stuff. *00:00* And as someone who makes something that is worth their time. *00:00* Your Star Fox video is great. *00:00* driven writing for for websites like Dual Shockers and IGN. *00:00* It's like a hyper fixation on that word stole. *00:00* And they immediately made an assumption about me and the video. *00:00* Like stole stole. *00:00* Um, and then I'm playing Tears of the Kingdom like, oh my gosh, it's the same feeling. *00:00* People really because he's at the level where like he gets that stuff all all the time. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* You know, in the comment section, like you're maybe you will like I mean I think you uh I r I read your write-up today and like *00:00* Everyone feels as a whole. *00:00* And I know in my head that I feel strongly that this is a good video. *00:00* So I sat there and nodded along silently and left my impression with a like. *00:00* I think it's hitting like where it needs to hit and it's doing well for like a good reason. *00:00* I think that's a way better alternative than like anything anyone else. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* comments because there's like you know, the ones that are like really absurd and that make no sense and that you can just laugh off. *00:00* Never mind. *00:00* It is a blessing. *00:00* to see all of the stuff we talked about, the videos, the people, everything will be in there. *00:00* exist. *00:00* Essayus Discord server video essayus discord server. *00:00* Job title. *00:00* I've I've made two now like video essays and I've always wanted to do it and been inspired by who I would consider some of the greats. *00:00* But what I noticed this time around, because obviously longer than I've made videos like this, I've been writing. *00:00* uh essay type uh videos. *00:00* But then seeing Javid's video, it just like it just put an idea to form *00:00* I'm gonna take it back to the top of my notes because I had a question I wanted to open up with as the icebreaker, but space game took over and that's totally okay. *00:00* I think there's another game that people are being very secretive right now. *00:00* alarm bells for me of like I need to keep an eye on this. *00:00* And it will uh undoubtedly be free to play. *00:00* would never let the like Blizzard get away with. *00:00* A lot of times people need these cosmetics and like progression paths to like feel like their time is valuable spent playing the game. *00:00* To your videos. *00:00* But I've always been fascinated with Pikmin. *00:00* Yes, it is a lot of Pikmin. *00:00* a m a magazine interview in these c you know, famous developers. *00:00* And um yeah, so like for that particular instance, I through my research process *00:00* And so I posted that and Shane reached out to me and he was like, hey, if there's anything from our videos that you're interested in, *00:00* I this is a very we're stepping it back a little bit. *00:00* There was one particular instance where it really sunk in like how difficult like it would be for me, like, with my current resources, to *00:00* to do like to do what I really want to do, um, there's one website that is utterly fantastic for this kind of thing. *00:00* Um not that I think Star Fox Zero will be rare someday. *00:00* It you know, how does it all work? *00:00* are doing something that like I want to do similarly. *00:00* Yeah, so and and also I don't like to have other people's opinions like seep too heavily floating in your brain. *00:00* is always changing and I think it's honest it's always just been getting more sophisticated and I wanna like *00:00* And it's because they they kill off the main protagonist from the previous game and it's a very guttural thing. *00:00* Like I did, I think you walk away with a way better understanding and appreciation for just the sheer guts to do that. *00:00* Very interesting video for anyone that's listening, like that dives into like the psychological like I would say like the psychological aspect of like *00:00* Yes, it's that is a like everlasting frustrating aspect of like the evolving discourse and like it's it's so funny like uh *00:00* Zelda fans are probably tired of hearing that, but rather than saying this is the Zelda cycle, like this is the gaming cycle. *00:00* And then once they played it they were like, this is like this is awesome. *00:00* A lot of people felt that way when the game first was released and you know like there's the honeymoon phase where like *00:00* almost unanimous positive reception across the board. *00:00* you know, remedy you you can't like undo what they did. *00:00* I at least for me it does. *00:00* three or four times and I always like get to the same point where I've like just it's it's just not doing anything for me. *00:00* Like, I don't know. *00:00* World's three times with three different So that may not solve your problem. *00:00* Not an epilogue chapter. *00:00* be like being a rival to Shadow. *00:00* I'm going through like a period right now where I have a failed project that I just had to walk away from and I'm trying to *00:00* And so, like, with the retrospectives, uh, you know, the Pikmin one just it just flowed. *00:00* It was super tough. *00:00* When you get to the the P rank thing, I'm like, oh my gosh. *00:00* Dude, I'm so glad you feel that way because that's something that I really try to do. *00:00* uh like soothing I guess aspect to it and then this is bringing like some crazy chaotic energy which is like a *00:00* huge shakeup and oh yeah dude you're you're you know you're like your angles and your shots are getting all angled they're zooming in yeah your audio is fading out coming in you're just like getting really weird *00:00* It established so much and it did like so many crazy things for a new entry and a new IP. *00:00* an entire month just working on that section, just writing that section. *00:00* is a great way to get something done. *00:00* a game is coming out and I would like to put this out before it comes out so that it's A relevant, B trending with *00:00* And originally it was supposed to be, I think, May, and if it was this third delay or something pushed it to June, but that was playing what *00:00* External deadlines are help more helpful for me than making up my own. *00:00* like the imposter syndrome feelings to just to just write to just go go go and like get through stuff even if it's not perfect. *00:00* Naughty Dog Nintendo would love more time to make do the you know, but at some point they gotta ship the next 3D Mario. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* What is the essence of this? *00:00* like did not justify the lengths that I was going to is what I felt and I had to like cut loose from it. *00:00* And I really appreciated just the honesty of admitting openly to your fans, the audience, people in general, like I'm really struggling creatively with this project and I need to walk away from it. *00:00* I didn't fully anticipate how difficult it would be, and I didn't do the prep I needed. *00:00* Um and I felt like what Adam was talking about in this particular quote toward the end of the book kind of matched up with that because *00:00* the hobby and turning it into a a grind of work because guides are the backbone of these websites. *00:00* Neither am I, but that is the name. *00:00* And then there's a very clear shift in philosophy guided by Miyamoto. *00:00* Uh, you know, when you play Super Paper Mario and you're playing this wacky game. *00:00* It's like very clearly a Mario game, in a weird way. *00:00* And so what I came to realize through m mostly the writing and like what I found compelled to say about the early titles was like *00:00* It doesn't make sense to be a long-term fan because Paper Mario is like *00:00* Particularly like like I think with like Olivia, she kind of felt like more of a character design like written to appeal to like a younger, like zoomer type audience, like the zoomer type humor. *00:00* that these retrospectives were consistently a hit on my channel. *00:00* a middle ground, so to speak, between like they're they're taking more steps back to what people have been asking for for a long time. *00:00* A year later for the show. *00:00* It's not sticker star's not the problem. *00:00* I can take these games for what they are without feeling like they ha you know, they're so far from the grace. *00:00* A lot of the time, but they are steps. *00:00* Um and even Paper Mario is in and in and of itself like a a step away from Super Mario RPG, where it took that RPG style and was like *00:00* change how that plays out in a Mario context, like they should be given the freedom to to do that instead of feeling like constrained by like *00:00* Like Nintendo is signaling like we're re-evaluating how to treat Mario RPG games. *00:00* Or not term based, but you know what I mean. *00:00* a Mario turn-based adventure that like the whole point was never even to hard commit to RPGs. *00:00* It doesn't make sense guide you and capture that and convey that because that's probably a feeling that a lot of people resonate with. *00:00* to focus entirely on that instead of like sure going into the same thorough detail regarding each individual entry that I try to do like for at least the Pikmin one is like *00:00* I am reminded of a practice that Stephen King does, which um I learned about in his book called On Writing. *00:00* extrinsic deadline when they announce Paper Mario in the Paper Mache mystery. *00:00* I'm gonna think of things that I would not have thought if I had rushed my way through it. *00:00* I played the demo. *00:00* And so I've been through that. *00:00* I have a like a developing philosophy regarding this sort of thing. *00:00* That's probably unfair. *00:00* I it's it's difficult for me to say like yeah I'm really getting my on my return on my hours put in, but like I mean I made a like a *00:00* I'm very resistant to that idea as well. *00:00* I'm not really sure why. *00:00* I would say is kinda shameless in the same way as I approach with the Star Fox video. *00:00* Yeah, I mean it's it's clearly like very resonant and and sometimes like you know uh YouTube also like likes to try to I mean *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* One thing that is funny on the like similar note that I mean you might be aware of this. *00:00* maybe has a partner that is like open to you know going through that experiment but being a guinea pig *00:00* That being so challenging for her. *00:00* And that's something that I've been open about. *00:00* Or you could call it, I played every Star Fox game. *00:00* Like that you're a storyteller that they they enjoy. *00:00* I'm I'm locked in, you know. *00:00* Be presented in this fashion, and that'll get the people. *00:00* I'm gonna say like stoop to the level of the you know, the clickbait or whatever. *00:00* So I get that, but you're reminding me that, you know, maybe I have to give something up. *00:00* Just uh it's truly just comparing their skydiving mechanics and the similarities they share and how one's for multiplayer and one's for single player and how they keep you engaged in that way. *00:00* It was almost like if I could have said that in there. *00:00* And a lot of people are like, dude, you're you're crazy. *00:00* personally explains what I was talking about clear enough. *00:00* like Segway. *00:00* I was not uh kind to Fortnite in the past and it completely changed it because the game's quite fun, especially when you're playing with your friends. *00:00* Because that would clear up so much confusion and deter people. *00:00* change it to appease the proverbial masses. *00:00* gaming discourse as a whole and how I feel about like the cycles of of like people feeling strongly one way or the other. *00:00* difference there because which yeah which is like very like almost unanimous like 80% is like a really solid ratio like *00:00* I mean, I feel like maybe I'm projecting a little bit, but sometimes like as creators, like we look at the comments and we think that, oh, this is how everybody feels. *00:00* It was like species or something. *00:00* It's yeah it's so good. *00:00* Look forward to those, please. *00:00* all of your outer wilds videos because I am not a part of the club. *00:00* Wizawut. *00:00* Yeah, that's something I noticed, so for the listener who may not have heard, seen, watched, I think, since the last episode or two. *00:00* motivator for inspiration. *00:00* to his content and I feel like maybe more people with as much experience as him, like *00:00* It's so unique and so professionally done, but also so genuine that I find it like really interesting to always tune into. *00:00* I'm in his shoes in a way of like, how is this game so good? *00:00* There is it's not always a great feeling because sometimes it can feel like a little pushy. *00:00* And the community is very collectively protective of those spoilers. *00:00* Just in general. *00:00* Like so much. *00:00* I think it's also not free to play and also has a cash shop, which is just like when you're double dipping, you really need to like grab people right off the rip. *00:00* Very vaguely, because I've seen a handful of people that were pro-Overwatch players that have been like, this is the best hero shooter I've played since Overwatch. *00:00* than logical other studio to step up to this plate. *00:00* Overwatch is kinda like that, but maybe not as hardcore as like riot games tend to affect people. *00:00* It wasn't like it honestly wasn't that much. *00:00* It's you know, maybe people are not gonna be too happy to hear this, but there is so much information that machine learning translation is actually very helpful in uncovering some of that. *00:00* Owned and operated by one guy, I think, and he is constantly translating articles and ma like magazine interviews and stuff for all different kinds of games. *00:00* I looked into he has a whole page that is like, here's all of the articles and stuff that I've found that still needs to be translated. *00:00* the like his rate for and what sh really should be the going rate for anybody that's doing this because it is a very challenging I I can only imagine it's a very challenging and demanding skill. *00:00* So I was like, ah man, that sucks, but you know, I totally get it and like I understand that like this is you know that it was like a cr like our reality check for me *00:00* Hmm. *00:00* Thank you. *00:00* Like I like to share my experience with the games too, but for me it's like the thing that really pushes me over the line to really commit *00:00* This sucks. *00:00* into the research and then translations. *00:00* I love it when people just truly dig into the subject *00:00* And I think you can like also relate to a wider audience, even if they are rigid in their own views, like if you can *00:00* probably standard fare these days. *00:00* you can articulate how you feel even better about it and understand it in a perspective you see it in a new light. *00:00* It just feels I don't want to say more advanced, but like it feels more responsible in a way. *00:00* I think of it. *00:00* When you seek that knowledge or perspective from other people out, you kind of like you start gaining a vocabulary almost, an understanding of the thing or the medium itself. *00:00* You know, you you the internet in general probably had a had a very harsh reaction to the opening of that game. *00:00* Like it and then dislike it and then like it again. *00:00* Like a prequel comes out later after a main a stretch of games and it changes your perspective of the first game. *00:00* numerous times for it to I I want it to grab me. *00:00* force you to jump over to the other characters at certain points or do you are you given freedom to you you can pick any of the three to start with *00:00* And then you narrate it. *00:00* Make sure that when I jump into another one, I don't go in with the same naivety and the same process as I did previously. *00:00* educational background in in writing than I do probably because I degree in journalism. *00:00* in any of my schooling. *00:00* It shocked me to get praise from her and be like, she told me like you need to like you're really good at this. *00:00* And I was like really like blown away by that. *00:00* Um I'm trying to remember if I was like Yeah That Pizza Tower video your editing dude was inspiring I *00:00* that I felt truly like able to capture it in that way. *00:00* Then it was like, okay, like there is a direction here, and I feel like I know how to translate this energy to the other sections. *00:00* And I was able to kind of draw a line through that as I was writing without hammering it out all the way. *00:00* weird and really beautiful, like very poignant in a uh surprising way for a Nintendo game. *00:00* Get through all that writing. *00:00* getting through like all the narration and the editing. *00:00* I played all the Uncharted games again. *00:00* push through that because like if I didn't have that deadline, like I would be spending more time wondering if I was even on the right path. *00:00* Uh but when it's when I'm only being accountable to myself, I find myself stumbling over more of those hurdles. *00:00* If somebody wants me to edit a video freelance for them, I'm gonna have that done. *00:00* lazily like drawing up time and like at at at an hourly rate, like I'm not that just feels super wrong to me. *00:00* Uh you know, like one is at a certain point more time does not equal better output. *00:00* Like you have to have some something to get the thing out. *00:00* But as you got into into the the writing process, which is really in this format, in this medium, or or d telling a story, that's like the *00:00* the demand is so high because it's all about the current trend thing. *00:00* uh you know going into talking about like the classic like trilogy so to speak which were all directed by the same guy uh Ryota Kawade I think I'm not sure if I'm pronouncing that correctly but *00:00* disgust to no end and is viewed very negatively and like you know at its logical end people are like Miyamoto killed Paper Mario *00:00* meaningful way until the very final act where you have like the kind of uh cliche like I'm gonna help you guys push on, but you have to leave me. *00:00* And the Mario characters are just there, but it's really a story about these two other characters, Count Black and Tippy. *00:00* all like their their tragic like romantic history to like throw the events of the plot into motion. *00:00* hypocritical in a way and and uh conflicting with my feelings on the other games. *00:00* Why am I trying to connect all of these games when they're not meant to be connected? *00:00* To me, I was like, if that's the thesis, what is the point of the entire project? *00:00* I'm just gonna play 'em all and hopefully it's like Pikmin where I feel strongly about all of them, which I don't. *00:00* Similar boat as you. *00:00* of the Almighty Thousand Year Door, and I love Thousand Year Door. *00:00* Take it. *00:00* A little bit later into your protection process, but then Mario and Luigi Luigi are revived from the dead. *00:00* It wasn't so much that like they felt forced to abide by these like mandates *00:00* was he wanted a Mario game that anybody could enjoy, regardless of their proficiency with action games. *00:00* If you think about it, like RPG elements conflicted with where they ended up following, like with these new gameplay concepts. *00:00* And so like it's not like they're reluctantly like doing this because they're it's being forced upon them, but that's the line that they decided to follow. *00:00* what fans have been hoping for for a variety of reasons, mostly that like it feels too different and that it doesn't reach the same like uh *00:00* is given better treatment than th those franchises, which is crazy when you actually sit down and look at it and think about it. *00:00* Go ahead. *00:00* Like from this project, because like you know, even like early on in the project, I was starting to feel doubts and I asked *00:00* There is like con so much conflicting ideas throughout the whole series that it makes it incredibly difficult to understand *00:00* Reads it and then things just like like oh I should have done this. *00:00* Isn't going away. *00:00* this deep-seated like fear where if I go too long without uploading something, like people are gonna like completely forget that I exist. *00:00* my worst performing video, my biggest blunder, so to speak, as far as like how it performed for me. *00:00* I totally forgot that who this guy is and when I saw this video in my sub box, I had no idea who this was from. *00:00* I'm going to guess it's about in some way about how those two games are tied together narratively. *00:00* But I think the fact is that like Outer Wilds at least has also had more time to kind of like stew and like gradually pick up players. *00:00* Because they are building towards something. *00:00* And the reason that I feel so strongly about that is because, you know, if you just accept that it's luck, if you just accept that, you know *00:00* it it really d it really stems from the goals that you have with your like content. *00:00* But you do want, you do kind of want some traction. *00:00* Kind of the thing that I don't really like on YouTube, which is like the excess culture. *00:00* That video like it went through the same exact process where it was like complete dud for me and it's hard to reconcile with a video that took *00:00* So I changed things and the same thing happened. *00:00* If it's not getting there, like I think there's a pretty specific reason for that. *00:00* If that's the cost, which is probably like not a very attractive premise, but it is what it is for me, at least. *00:00* Yeah, this guy's very skilled, very like like the games where you're not the main character. *00:00* people are very mixed on. *00:00* this is something that is like so resonant on like to anyone that has played a video game. *00:00* succeeding in is almost uh kind of conflicting with my style in a way, where *00:00* It like finality, like he wasn't sure if he was gonna be able to continue, and he had very low expectations for that video. *00:00* Yep. *00:00* I'm like, I'm gonna call it this whether you like it or not. *00:00* And a thumbnail and a title is like how you draw them in. *00:00* And draws people in, and then you're selling them, and I I say selling them in not the like businessman sense. *00:00* But it's like to me, like I mean no disrespect to the people that calmly explained to you how they felt that it was like rage. *00:00* to like to Fortnite or like I don't know. *00:00* And that's all I wanted to convey. *00:00* He's known for like souls, like Dark Souls. *00:00* Add a feature where like when somebody comments it shows next to their comment like how much of the video that they watched *00:00* I feel like in the absence of opposing viewpoints a lot of the time, like *00:00* Two months. *00:00* And I'm looking, I look through your videos, I'm like, these look like stuff I'd watch. *00:00* But uh so whiz a what, you whiz, I'm just gonna call you whiz. *00:00* I I think I'm kind of I'm mixed on the term video essayist, actually. *00:00* But I'm I'm watching the video, which is a fantastic video, by the way. *00:00* G my opinions are so like the my opinions will make people mad. *00:00* Like, I'm the type of person where if you watch that video, you can see how enraptured I am with the competitive experience. *00:00* I can't even see myself picking up another hero shooter game. *00:00* vital reveal. *00:00* Have you have you watched anything from uh I finished a video game? *00:00* I haven't played every video game in the world, obviously, but like I don't think a game has tried that level of a switcheroo basically *00:00* the end of three. *00:00* Uh I'm always trying to find new ways to make it go more smoothly that feel like they're not working. *00:00* I don't know, I don't want to say frightening, but uh or threatening, but like imposing in a way, are those people that are really skilled in another field and they come in and they clearly know what they're doing as soon as they *00:00* To any it what ended up happening worked for me, but as I describe it, it's gonna sound like a complete mess and a complete nightmare. *00:00* was very challenging out of the gate. *00:00* I was purely like, I'm just gonna open up a a document and I'm gonna write down sections for each game. *00:00* certain traffics and things like that from a just a engagement thing. *00:00* So that was a lot of that and then all the research and writing and things, and I didn't even have to edit a video. *00:00* But this is something that I think I've grown into, is like my desire to like be accountable to others. *00:00* This, I like this quote too. *00:00* We you ha it forces you to make decisions faster, um come up with more unique solutions because you're running out of time to do a thing. *00:00* Um and as someone who has done their own version of a paper marrow retrospective with chapter select season one, I feel you dude. *00:00* And so I wrote I wrote a couple of things down. *00:00* Mm-hmm. *00:00* Whatever sort of karate kid Adam Savage analogy you want to throw in here. *00:00* It it's d like and that's why it has such a polarized response to all the games because like oh I mean *00:00* like enthusiastic air quotes like RPG elements. *00:00* Uh it's a Mario game in that way, but and it feels like in weird abstract ways, it feels like it really is like *00:00* I feel this way about these titles, but when I get to Sticker Star and Color Splash, Color Splash, which I surprisingly really enjoyed. *00:00* It's it feels so conflicting as far as like how the developers viewed what they were trying to do. *00:00* And my thesis at the end, like the one thing that I was following was like as a fan of this series *00:00* But and dabbled with sticker star because I borrowed it from a friend on the 3DS. *00:00* Within the confines of what a 2D character in a 3D space could do, like from a mechanic perspective. *00:00* I think Color Splash is very good for attempting that. *00:00* Their process what like through that hardship was discovering a new way to like offer players *00:00* Which is an interesting way to look at it as those they're two pairs and if uh following that logic then Super and Origami King are the standout weirdos in the group. *00:00* But clearly it didn't deter sales even on the Wii U, um, where this series has been consistent. *00:00* Alters my perspective in a way. *00:00* And then like the other comments, like that video did not draw *00:00* more invested in this world-building idea and more uh inviting of like that kind of video. *00:00* Even if I did improve, like, you know, it's it's out of my hands, then it will be out of your hands and you won't be able to reach for the success that you're looking for. *00:00* I really want this to be my main thing. *00:00* The original title was like Uh I had I struggled so hard to title that video. *00:00* But that's what brought me to to Twitter and brought me to be like, listen guys, this is flopping and *00:00* The way they present data to you is like often kind of controversial in the fact like it messes with your self-worth, the whole like one through ten ranking, which is like *00:00* That is a combination of like you picked a topic that maybe you just felt strongly about and got lucky in that regard, or maybe you identified that *00:00* just has a very like intelligent way of like presenting his thoughts and so it's resonating on a r wider scale. *00:00* Sometimes like it that means that his video is gonna hit two million views and the others are maybe not gonna they don't have that ceiling, you know? *00:00* If a if a video of mine like popped off like that to just an astronomical number like that, I would almost feel it even more conflict. *00:00* Like what what did I do? *00:00* But it's it's h it's like ironic like the place in which that came from and like him thinking that it was gonna be very niche appeal when it was really just the beginning. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* It's we have to pr make certain decisions to prune the thing to make it what it's supposed to be. *00:00* Like for it to rise to the occasion of the quality that you have presented here. *00:00* But yeah, the ki the comment section, and so for for me on my channel to have 2200 views on a video in a week is pr is very good for me. *00:00* This vocal minority of people thinking that I'm either dumb or I'm a Fortnite kid or somehow I'm a Fortnite kid. *00:00* But to kind of like bring it back to the the packaging, like I've struggled with this for a week. *00:00* And but I really struggled with like, do I what what is best for the video? *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* I guess I'm not gonna watch this one. *00:00* Something about seeing Brian kind of keep pumping him out. *00:00* You listed all some superstars there in my book. *00:00* Yes, he is like the king and I aspire to like even scratch that level like at some point of me doing this. *00:00* I was like accepting of what they wanted to do with the competitive changes in Overwatch 2, like moving down to one tank and all that stuff as a tank player, which is kind of controversial. *00:00* I just don't I just I can't buy into that like at all personally. *00:00* What was it, $500 skins? *00:00* And it was sh when I f when I figure that out, it was like really shocking to me that like, oh my god, there's like for all these like I mean Nintendo is like hugely popular. *00:00* to bring it over into the native language. *00:00* And instead of you know commissioning that one piece, which I wasn't even sure was gonna like give me a ton of information or help. *00:00* putting a lot of stock in like like why do we feel the need to like feel so much like negativity towards games that like don't resonate with us. *00:00* That you know the developers were going for and that makes the moment to moment play freaking amazing. *00:00* For those kinds of videos, that means I have to hammer out the structure and I have to make sure *00:00* Was floored. *00:00* But anyway, that video came out March 25th of 23. *00:00* Uh so yeah, like a lot of it started with the research and uh the writing *00:00* The first sort of chapter of that video of writing about Pikmin 1, like Pikmin 1 is the game where there's so like *00:00* I always had that to hold on to as far as getting through that video. *00:00* And throughout the series, they've just been trying and trying and trying to find new ways to convey that appeal to a wider audience. *00:00* of the deadline though was the game coming out, right? *00:00* Is what gets me into overdrive. *00:00* warped into this thing about my own struggles as trying to like break into the industry and become through guide writing and how taking *00:00* And this game is like so it's like trying to be a Mario game, but it's also really trying to break away from Mario. *00:00* Yeah yeah. *00:00* is so joyous to me that a whole new generation of people who quite honestly have grown up playing sticker star and color splash *00:00* You know what? *00:00* Now we're at a point where maybe maybe what if the developers just want to make an RPG? *00:00* But I was definitely a part of the problem of saying like, well, just go back to Thousand Year Door. *00:00* And clearly though, and and they've obviously listened to us to some degree now at this point, right? *00:00* since the N64, which you cannot say for most of the other series that Nintendo has. *00:00* But Metroid, Donkey Khan, uh F Zero, Star Fox, like they don't get the same level of treatment. *00:00* Allowed me to stick to it for so long without giving up because it's been like several months of me like chewing away at it. *00:00* There needs to be more restraint also with like the number of games and how much I could say about them. *00:00* Prints it out, puts it in a drawer, and doesn't look at it for six to eight weeks. *00:00* of the platform that we're on and like always feeling this constant pressure to be uploading. *00:00* Too fresh for people to have for enough people to have had the same experience I did where I played through Sea of Stars. *00:00* piece of this puzzle that I really wanted to talk with you about. *00:00* Um did not start out called the game saving 3D platforming. *00:00* What caused you to like reach out? *00:00* Maybe some people are sort of resistant to this idea because it's kind of like an uncomfortable realization in that, you know *00:00* That artistic integrity. *00:00* Like, I n I kind of need it to be my main thing because like the amount of effort that goes into some of this stuff, like, I don't know if I can keep that up with *00:00* Star Fox full series retrospective or something like that. *00:00* And there is part of me that is like, oh my god, really? *00:00* 100% the the vibes that I want to convey with my work, but if I can get them in the door, like it's worth it. *00:00* That is in a niche that is proven to be resonant, and it has a greater chance at succeeding. *00:00* Kind of keeping things simple is also very effective. *00:00* And that got me, that saved that video. *00:00* And I have seen the thumbnail for the Metroid video, but I have not watched it. *00:00* I could even dream of. *00:00* hour-long deep dive into a universe that requires you to play two games to fully understand the appeal of. *00:00* I have a story and a perspective that I want to share, whether that's personal or just topical. *00:00* I know what it's like to have no one read anything. *00:00* Letting it out there and just letting the world happen to it, whatever that may be. *00:00* Sometimes you gotta you gotta let part of it go a little bit so that it can grow and become a bigger and better thing. *00:00* I mean I feel like with that Zelda video, like I mean I already told you how I feel about it, but I personally felt *00:00* that it's like doing what it needs to do. *00:00* Didn't even cross my mind. *00:00* Huh. *00:00* My point. *00:00* Maybe people are just silently enjoying the thing and they don't feel like as strongly as the negative people, and that's that's partially why the negativity rises. *00:00* But everyone who's played it, you, Raz Butin, and just about anyone else, is like this one of the great games. *00:00* It's not a 30-minute commitment. *00:00* awoken a perspective in me where it's so much more fascinating to try to analyze how a game like may resonate with someone else outside of my perspective *00:00* Inadequate compared to creators like that. *00:00* But it just like I don't know. *00:00* Yeah. *00:00* Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. *00:00* Uh, you know, I have a few videos, you know, some of which we've talked about, which would include the Star Fox one, that came out and was kind of a dud on arrival. *00:00* in front of the person that is like most likely to watch it based on their like recent history. *00:00* There's another channel called I Am A Dot, who is like new like upcoming creator who is like very skilled. *00:00* And that's part of like that's something that you do have control over at the end of the day. *00:00* So and so I get attached, but really the other hand, so I do this to tell a story and share a perspective. *00:00* Like that got me in. *00:00* 40 bucks. *00:00* And I was like, well, maybe I'll get in there and that'll keep this motivation going. *00:00* Probably close to a thousand, if not more. *00:00* For just anyone that may be listening, like please let me know and I'll fix it as soon as I can. *00:00* it might help you just appreciate it and understand it from a design perspective even more. *00:00* That's exactly why I haven't watched his Metroid Prime retrospective yet, because I'm currently in the middle of doing a season of chapter select. *00:00* Yes. *00:00* You started working on a Paper Mario retrospective. *00:00* So I felt like that resonated with what you were talking about there. *00:00* Super weird. *00:00* I don't know. *00:00* What? *00:00* Like my videos are heavily like reliant on my personal experience and conveying that through like my story with a game. *00:00* Raz, what did my you know, gaming for a non-gamer? *00:00* Uh I remember I made a couple of videos a while ago like of um like my game collection or something and like a studio tour and I like leaned way into *00:00* That was what probably one of my favorites. *00:00* And and it's not like this was like driving me to the point of utter madness. *00:00* I'm keeping it this way. *00:00* And then my other podcast, Chapter Select, which is a seasonal retrospective podcast where we bounce back and forth between a series exploring its evolution design and legacy. *00:00* Even even when he's opening up a pack of Zelda cards, it's like this engaging history lesson of weird merchandise and and Zelda history. *00:00* Um Valorant. *00:00* Not on your video, but on Brian's video. *00:00* And that was a big deal like in a negative way for a long time. *00:00* My process was also kind of like evolving throughout while I was doing that because um you know I didn't really have an outline. *00:00* I think the series is just such a mess that it's hard to like. *00:00* There is like on one hand, you know, you're playing these games and there is a line to follow. *00:00* From those experiences, that made me realize that, like, you know what? *00:00* Then you you'll you'll call it the deep, mysterious dive of the retrospective history of a fox in an airplane. *00:00* And so like clearly like in your case, like this guy did not watch the video when he said like a Fortnite kid is whatever. *00:00* It comes out of nowhere. *00:00* I guess YouTube now. *00:00* It's so goofy. *00:00* So I think we've gotten a pretty good insight to your research process here. *00:00* I feel that in my soul, especially like the what is the point of this? *00:00* Uh i it it's just I don't know if we'll get into that into this like heavily like I would like to throughout this conversation. *00:00* But one thing that he does is when he finishes a book. *00:00* And they watched it and they liked it and thought it was good and stuff, but they're like, dude, your video is too long. *00:00* Ask how like why we came you why you came to repackage it because it started out one way. *00:00* Film watchers. *00:00* Maybe you should just put how at the start of every video. *00:00* Like at least no one those are the ones that get me. *00:00* The character seemed genere generic enough. *00:01* Spoilers for the Sixth Cents, Emma Shyamalan, I guess. *00:01* Just seeing it all culminate. *00:01* Yeah, so weirdly enough, you know, writing was not something that I felt drawn to. *00:01* For very different reasons. *00:01* Well it was like it was like the sense of humor, I feel like. *00:01* Pap Paper Mario has never been like we all go, we'll bring back the you know the first two, like the style of the first two. *00:01* I was just gonna say, like, I think that's like it's so fascinating and interesting, and I think that's also why it makes it so hard to walk away from. *00:01* I think that's what it is, chasing the high. *00:01* And a great example was his Outer Wilds video, which is where I like you pop up in that video because you're a part of the club. *00:01* It's challenging, but also I can lend a lot of that to the other people that are doing a lot of the work. *00:01* The day after. *00:01* What is the essence of this thing? *00:01* Like I missed the window of it being quick to the punch that people are looking like people looking for videos to see if they'd be interested in the game. *00:01* Yeah. *00:01* That sounds about right. *00:01* Yes. *00:01* Yeah. *00:01* Yeah, I think when I started, it was like, oh yeah, I can get through this and, you know, maybe I can make a point one way or the other where the series should go. *00:01* I'm not, you know. *00:01* Your time is going to be well spent watching this. *00:01* It's worth a shot. *00:01* Like I remember being as a kid, like trying to get my mom to play frickin' Mario tennis with me and her not being able to hit the ball back. *00:01* And so then, but then that got me thinking, I'm like, huh. *00:01* And so uh, you know, like there were fewer negative comments than the outright positives. *00:01* Everyone's gotta play it. *00:01* Just I want to say thank you. *00:01* That's a cool level. *00:01* Uh when I s I started working on it pretty much I want to say like right after my previous video came out. *00:01* Completely sanitized of all that. *00:01* That is what Miyamoto said in the very beginning when he made Super Mario RPG. *00:01* And um it also will tell you it to give it some credit, it will also point out things to you that like are helpful. *00:01* Or it could talk about, you know, here's how the la Fortnite stole from the last of us, which could be a *00:01* I'm like I don't even answer the question how. *00:01* It's been an absolute treat. *00:01* Yeah, that just came to me. *00:01* Uh for sure. *00:01* So really we're actually the series itself is at this inflection point of Yeah, where does it go now? *00:01* like pinnacle of like quality that the original game said, I think. *00:01* It's really good. *00:01* But really th there's like two reasons to like at least why I'm making videos like this. *00:01* I 100 I strongly feel that what you have done is not rage me. *00:01* Why would they do this? *00:01* Because if you don't, if it if it doesn't actually mean something, you'll just kick the can down the road and it doesn't have that power. *00:01* That's genius. *00:01* And if you're trying to make content that anybody can watch, it's like it I mean, I didn't think I was capable of doing that. *00:01* I just watch a video and you know I'm gonna look at all their sources. *00:01* Let's take The Last of Us Part Two. *00:01* Yeah. *00:01* It's almost like like Paper Mario to Thousand Year Door is the same thing sticker starter color splash. *00:01* Which is quite controversial controversial I hear. *00:01* Hey, thanks for having me. *00:01* Oh my god. *00:01* Don't worry. *00:01* I love SWAT so much. *00:01* And so like I know the level of research and depth I went to to write that, but you basically did all of that. *00:01* And I've hammed up my dislike of three over the years. *00:01* So when did you s the video came out on July twentieth of twenty twenty three? *00:01* Like the Pikmin 2 one was like, you know, whereas the first section probably took a month to write. *00:01* It's i I'm almost curious. *00:01* I don't delete all your footage. *00:01* And so you have to like be open to the possibilities. *00:01* I think some people are resistant, and I think it stems from that personal connection because it's like an it's a *00:01* It was uh like a struggling Nintendo is a creative Nintendo. *00:01* It's a great it's a great moment thing for him. *00:01* And that's like uh immediately conveyed like by your tone as well. *00:01* And I was and then I when I was writing my behind the scenes, I was like, oh. *00:01* So I think that is a great game to own physically, I think. *00:01* And one of my assignments, like I said, I was watching most everyone in the little Discord server's videos *00:01* I'm like, ooh, I watch this. *00:01* It's incredible. *00:01* What is the Kingdom Hearts retrospective, Whiz? *00:01* That was like the catalyst for me really wanting to do this as well. *00:01* I loved it. *00:01* And so whenever we're over there and I end up with a controller, I I play Roadhog and I'm just running around hooking people. *00:01* I don't care. *00:01* It just needs it to get old. *00:01* There's dead people around. *00:01* Like, I mean maybe it was because I was a kid, but like that was just like so impactful for me. *00:01* I hadn't play I played the first I didn't even play the first one. *00:01* I don't know if I mentioned this to you, but that Star Fox one had a very different title too. *00:01* I'm like, oh, that sounds interesting. *00:01* Like and it's it's like a it's flattering. *00:01* I know too many people who've been sucked into League of Legends to know what it does to people. *00:01* It's like very like is very intrinsically motivated to play the game rather than any of that cosmic. *00:01* It's like, oh Pikmin was secretly the you know this profound like just breaking like i incredible ground. *00:01* Honestly. *00:01* I was working straight up to the wire to make sure that that video came out before the Pikmin 4 released. *00:01* A lot of what we're talking about right now is like super hitting home with me because I just finished yesterday. *00:01* Like that's the block of marble and you're like chiseling it away. *00:01* A a after all of this, they've tried to do the Nintendo thing, which is like *00:01* Obviously, there there will be a new paper Mario game. *00:01* I have nothing to lose at this point. *00:01* And that's the zinger at the end of that video. *00:01* You told the story that you wanted to tell. *00:01* Because the whole edit, I had this little to-do box over that line, like re-record, re-record. *00:01* You can find links to all of that in the show notes uh in your podcast player. *00:01* Yeah. *00:01* I don't know, man. *00:01* I guess the one thing that jumped out to me immediately, and I will stress this, is that uh, you know, my r research is like, you know, it's *00:01* Sources. *00:01* And you gain an appreciation and an understanding for it that while it may not fix everything wrong with a game, *00:01* It changes a lot. *00:01* It once I've experienced like the Disney story arc from like a handful of worlds in either game *00:01* There's like a final fourth culmination of everything, like where all four are all three stories intersect and you finish it out. *00:01* And so I have to remind myself that I'm still learning in order to not feel like completely like *00:01* That kept ringing in my head, like what is the point of this? *00:01* And for me, I kind of like flowed with it there. *00:01* It's not a great game, but there is something there. *00:01* I've been doing the same thing. *00:01* But you've you talked about how you read uh uh one of my posts about Raz and I told you uh that that was like around the time that I we my wife and I had our first miscarriage. *00:01* So big SWAT fan. *00:02* And there's ideas. *00:02* Um probably not to the same degree of complexity or impact, but like I think of Sonic Adventure 2 in that game was like I loved that aspect growing up. *00:02* I think I yeah, I posted because I went I ended up looking, calculating, tabulating all through my footage, and I think it came to about 140 hours. *00:02* I have a podcast called Chapter Select. *00:02* The video has totally like slowed down, which I I absolutely expected. *00:02* Gotta play it. *00:02* I believe in this heavily. *00:02* The day after. *00:02* So like in my head I was like if this series is not meant for me anymore *00:02* You know, where's the the secret sauce there? *00:02* I'm like, obviously they didn't steal it. *00:02* I have come close to just adding the quotes. *00:02* But that's not that's not often how it how it works because I think about my behavior as a viewer and a lot of the time I don't comment. *00:02* Twitter was a what? *00:02* But see, we've already gone off on a tangent. *00:02* Valorant. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* And so it was another reinvention. *00:02* It's interesting. *00:02* It's like no one honestly I that washed that must have washed over me too, because I didn't even fall for it *00:02* We're putting out all that content. *00:02* Thank you, everyone. *00:02* That's actually, you know, I'm gonna sound like probably a snob saying this, but it's something that I've thought about a lot. *00:02* Yeah, that's great to hear. *00:02* Like he is gonna translate stuff from like the most obscure games that you can think of that I've like never even heard of. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* But that is like after that, I just feel like I've had my fill. *00:02* Like you're still learning, you're still figuring out what works. *00:02* Like, not in a like, I can't believe he did that. *00:02* I think the game is beautiful. *00:02* So like what a what a w what a game. *00:02* So I just want to play more of it. *00:02* So it could be something that down the line people find and engage with and go, well, how did they do this? *00:02* I've thought today and yesterday, I'm like maybe putting quotes around stole would soften the blow. *00:02* Um, that's really good. *00:02* I think uh one thing to also consider is like uh and this go kind of goes back to like *00:02* I guess I do these things now. *00:02* While I was playing Hey Pikmin, got that section done in like a couple days. *00:02* Yeah, maybe and I just I just talk until I feel like I have satisfactory takes and then I I can just grind away at it for like twelve hours a day if I feel the need to. *00:02* I d I don't remember for how long, but it's it's been a stretch. *00:02* It's a platformer. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* But the rest are in like the I mean at the high end you've got a hundred thousand. *00:02* It's been it's been fun. *00:02* Everyone should go watch it. *00:02* And so it feels very kindred in that way of like the deep retrospective and the research and stuff. *00:02* And I'm like, I don't want to know his opinions about the Metroid Prime games until I'm done recording them. *00:02* My brother my brother makes a joke. *00:02* It's like that classic Twitter thing of like, here's a screenshot from my notes app. *00:02* I honestly don't feel as strongly about the Thousand Year Door after playing all the games. *00:02* I've been there. *00:02* And so he mentioned that he was going to start this little Discord server for um other people that make videos like that. *00:02* And the first time the first weekend I just played by myself and then the second weekend I played with one friend who down decided to download and play with me. *00:02* Marvel Rivals just looks like Disney and Eddie's wanted to get in. *00:02* You played every game to prep for four and then you talk about four obviously. *00:02* And then when you see it from Shadow's perspective, it just like I don't know, it's just like gives you a different angle with like a different flavor to it. *00:02* It's like I have like a m generally a more like mellow like uh *00:02* Uh my naughty dog history is called Chasing the Stick, which is just like a a dog version of Chasing the Dragon, which I think is involved with like drugs. *00:02* I talked about it when we found out we were pregnant, pregnant for realsies, which would have been the third time. *00:02* And today actually I hit like the outline stride and I'm like, okay, this is the structure of the thing. *00:02* But yeah, it's been an inter I d it it's like the one thing I didn't expect to learn or have to go through with this video is like, ah, put it out there, it'll be great, and I'll move on. *00:02* Um well thank you so much, Wiz, for coming to the show. *00:02* Those uh Cowboy Bebop and Transformer skins were pretty expensive. *00:02* And for me, what I what I feel like is really happening is like people are *00:02* But yeah, writing is just it's like ever an evolving process and *00:02* It's like somet some things work for one project. *00:02* It was just it never occurred to me. *00:02* That was very creative fun just to like lean into the clickbait. *00:02* And then um but it's all because of this title that seemingly like both a blessing and a curse, I don't think the video would have gotten this many views without the title. *00:02* Yeah. *00:02* And so when Javid made that video, I was like, I'm gonna prove them wrong. *00:02* I'm glad that you the way you explained it is that uh, you know, seeing *00:02* You're like, oh, now it means this. *00:02* And so I started that. *00:02* Um I have played the first three, which I have like *00:02* Okay. *00:02* Like, or you know, maybe your subscribers are not seeing it in their sub box. *00:02* I've accepted that. *00:02* I mean there was a lot of problems with infinite with like the whole like uh I don't know armor core system where you like couldn't switch out like stuff freely with other like armor cores. *00:02* It could go either way. *00:02* Like, and I don't know if I'll ever do that again. *00:02* Like there there is like a reason for everything. *00:02* Like you have these segments where you turn into an 8-bit Mario character and you just run through like stuff breaking stuff weirdly. *00:02* Like they have their moment to shine as individual characters. *00:02* And I think that's part of why the writing process takes so long for me. *00:02* And it worked. *00:02* It's worth a shot to see if that will stick. *00:02* Or your your your Wii U one. *00:02* Like that is not a company that I trust. *00:02* It it can be whatever. *00:02* And so I thought, I'll watch this. *00:02* So that was that's kind of like the like the research process. *00:02* And so I think it's just honestly beneficial to everyone that like with more interest, like, more information can spread. *00:02* Like I think I didn't really realize that I could like write to a degree that *00:02* As the delivery deadline nears, we should ask that question more frequently because it helps us remember why we're there and what the point of the whole project is. *00:02* It's just like these what Adam is saying is here is just like, oh man, like that is what was like driving me crazy. *00:02* Um, but when it dawned on me during that run of that season that I was like, oh. *00:02* It's it's Thousand Your Doors the problem because they iterated and refined. *00:02* I'm all ears. *00:02* And so Oh no way, that's a deeper cut for sure. *00:02* You gotta look good. *00:02* Um and that but then if you pour in and you go, Well the Wii U is really struggling. *00:02* And then at the end you realize he's dead the whole time. *00:02* And what they do is it was originally a PSP game, so it was portable in nature. *00:02* Like the crossover from like seeing like you see Sonic's perspective like *00:02* What are you editing in? *00:02* We should be asking ourselves repeatedly, what is the essence of this project as we move? *00:02* And then Origami King came out and for me I was like this actually feels like a *00:02* Yeah, yeah, yeah. *00:02* Don't worry. *00:02* You know, this so this angle of packaging a video, and what the way I at least wanted to approach it was your most recent one, which is called the Game Saving 3D Platforming. *00:02* And I've been trying to make it my main thing uh for years now. *00:02* And so I feel like, you know, there's kind of a science to it, also in the fact where like you can title a video like that. *00:02* And that is like just it makes sense to me why that is so enticing to a like wide audience. *00:02* Um, thank you so much. *00:02* I mean Oh I'm so It's weird that this questi I mean it's not weird that this question is coming now, but it's my feelings towards it are weird. *00:02* So like it's like the worst best kept secret. *00:02* And so I'm just so curious about your process because you've got some really cool, I think cool and at least unique to my viewing experience. *00:02* And so when I like discovered that, when I was doing the Star Fox videos when I first discovered uh like schmupplations, and uh *00:02* I wanna I want to just interject here and say thank you for providing a list of sources. *00:02* I don't know. *00:02* You're uh we could go on a whole Kingdom Hearts. *00:02* But when it's me, like I start to like drag my feet a little bit, if that makes sense. *00:02* And then you like experience the story, and you realize that this is a story that Mario is just kinda there. *00:02* But it you talking about this video actually is kind of a natural segue into this other *00:02* Wiza what everywhere. *00:02* Enjoy talking about it. *00:03* I literally got it the day before it came out. *00:03* I think oh man. *00:03* Like that was I appreciate you pointing that out. *00:03* I don't I've there's a lot of data data is a blessing and a curse in any form. *00:03* But like you're just glancing around. *00:03* Welcome to the show, man. *00:03* He plays obviously all of them. *00:03* Um because it directly answers questions that were left unanswered. *00:03* Um, honestly, the rest of the process is very almost mindless in a way. *00:03* You have no control over when Nintendo puts out Pikmin. *00:03* Have you ever read that? *00:03* End quote. *00:03* Even if you've never read a Stephen King book, which I think I had only read one at the time was *00:03* But what you really want is like artistically express yourself. *00:03* Um I don't feel moved by that, like almost at all, really. *00:03* Like I didn't, you know. *00:03* Um it has nothing to do with naughty dog. *00:03* It's it's crazy. *00:03* So that Metroid Prime season is still rolling along and in the swing of things. *00:03* You know? *00:03* And I was like, cool, that's awesome. *00:03* You can't just run it through Google Translate and expect it to resonate with the audience on the other end. *00:03* Deadlines are powerful tools. *00:03* It felt almost like what I wanted to say about that game felt almost *00:03* Like I've I've I think I've seen enough to know that I can get there. *00:03* I was just like on Twitter one day. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* Maybe changes your perspective. *00:03* And yeah, I mean when you said that quote, it just hit me deeply. *00:03* Yeah, and like they both have that deterrent, but I think, you know, no disrespect to like sabotage Sea of Stars. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* And now he's had me for however many years that's been. *00:03* I've been there. *00:03* That one is probably a little bit more watchable and *00:03* I feel so alone. *00:03* It angers me when people don't do that. *00:03* This is gonna be like peering into my soul, but like when I'm like when I see channels that *00:03* And then as more and more people complete it, then the negativity starts to rise. *00:03* Yeah. *00:03* Of course. *00:03* But thank you all so much for listening. *00:03* I haven't played Valorant at all and I do not plan to. *00:03* You've got people coming in and narrating stuff for you to have this like that leans into the storytelling, right? *00:03* And he was like, I do take commissions, uh, but I've realized that like, you know *00:03* One of my favorite games of all time. *00:03* On his most recent one. *00:03* And that at it's kind of like as the time gets goes down *00:03* People often say, like, oh, we want Paper Mario back the way it was before. *00:03* It's a platformer. *00:03* I think the title is what's drawn in this level of interaction, but it's also drawn in *00:03* Okay. *00:03* So I'm finally happy people will be able to see it. *00:03* I am your host, Max Roberts, and I have the pleasure of welcoming to the show a new friend thanks to my friend Brian Hankin, our friend Brian Hankin. *00:03* Yeah, they're they're some of my favorites. *00:03* And I loved it. *00:03* That's why that's why a game company needs to hire translators. *00:03* Uh but you play it and you're like, *00:03* Well, it was more so like probably like recording the narration and then editing it probably took like a week or two. *00:03* Um for now. *00:03* They didn't know what they wanted it to be. *00:03* I've like reconciled with why I think that is, and there's very specific reasons I think for that. *00:03* Like I made it simpler. *00:03* Go watch Job's video. *00:03* And I see the thing, the type of thing that catches my eye, which is, you know, that two-hour retrospect. *00:03* But it's I felt the same way with Kingdom Hearts 2, where it's like I've started it multiple times. *00:03* You don't um do like a roll of like of you talking most of the time. *00:03* So I played both of them back to back. *00:03* More enticing than if you are strictly invested in this particular series that like I'm covering in a retrospective, I think. *00:03* And I think in talking with you here that I've I've realized or been reminded, because I've learned this in the past with other things. *00:03* So there's just a reputation and pedigree there. *00:03* And so yeah, there was like a few resources that I was able to dig in that way. *00:03* And so I could just look through that and be like, oh my gosh, I'm really interested in that. *00:03* Uh I feel that. *00:03* And it's like I think that's what I bring to my videos. *00:03* I guess except Paper Jam. *00:03* Yeah, no, go ahead. *00:03* Is there someone out there like, why would what is this Paper Mario game? *00:03* That is crazy. *00:03* That's like the I recause I just finished it yesterday, I think, while cooking dinner. *00:03* And the comment interaction is also quite high for the video. *00:03* Clearly not under s uh seemingly understanding. *00:03* Yeah, they always do. *00:03* The community stuff is very helpful, I think. *00:03* From a per yeah, you we were playing it at a professional level uh on a team and all that stuff. *00:03* Well it's on PC though. *00:03* Um so I and I think that game will do well. *00:03* I'm down. *00:03* You know, when I'm doing the narration, I just like get in my little *00:03* Did you play Crash? *00:03* That's what they wanted to do. *00:03* And so there's a like a parallel universe where sticker star is that game. *00:03* Was it just not tracking well? *00:03* You know? *00:03* Or uh, you know, my next actually you inspired one of my next video. *00:03* It's the book cover at the bookstore. *00:03* We need it. *00:03* And I'm like, uh how doesn't even answer the qu like I don't even come close to answering that. *00:03* Okay. *00:03* I are you? *00:03* Oh, never. *00:03* I've played it countless times. *00:03* Like I think it I think it executed on that philosophy like very well. *00:03* I think there is something there where maybe I could come back to it, but I almost feel like I need to restructure the entire piece. *00:03* I think that there is always something that you could have done better. *00:03* That is a god awful name. *00:03* I've you know I've written some headlines and articles that I s personally think are gross. *00:03* So you can check that out. *00:03* Um I think maybe except at a uh uh I think a a kid down the street had it as a kid and I like watched him play. *00:03* I looked it up. *00:03* That was that. *00:03* So like Thousand Your Doors the problem, not stickers are. *00:03* And I was like, guys, like I don't know like what my thesis is gonna be. *00:03* And that's cool and unique and is kind of why some factor to why I want to play Sea of Stars, besides the fact that it's *00:03* Um So yeah, I do understand what that video is about. *00:03* Like that caught on and like I got my return on that. *00:03* And I kid you not, I woke up at 3:40 the next morning and I was like, oh. *00:03* Here's what I learned. *00:03* Cont content. *00:03* You like you you're hung up on the one thing and no one even cares when it's finally *00:03* Especially now because Blizzard's reputation is just like in the toilet. *00:04* But there's something about like you watch a movie and you like it. *00:04* And that deadline was the only way that I was gonna be able to *00:04* Um but what I really wanted to there's one particular quote I wanted to *00:04* Like it was kind of like the like lol random type humor that I felt like was not hitting with lovers like that. *00:04* And I felt more compelled to give that a chance. *00:04* Like you should follow that and let that guide you. *00:04* And so because of that, I'm open into like doing whatever it takes. *00:04* And that didn't land. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* I was gonna watch I boo I booted up Deer Wizawut and right at the top it's like I spoil Outer Wilds and I'm like, well *00:04* And then when I took a creative writing class in uh community college and my instructor was like *00:04* It's like a brain breaking in a way to like see that transition. *00:04* It's almost like a meme, you know, like the rise and fall. *00:04* I think there's like YouTube is very good at getting the video *00:04* Like that part has been achieved. *00:04* If you thought Zelda stole this time, wait till you see the L. *00:04* And so I totally see what you're saying. *00:04* And, you know, yeah, this happens with a lot of games too. *00:04* That may exasperate. *00:04* And so my brother has this joke where he says, like, dude *00:04* So basically what, April, May, June, July. *00:04* And, you know, I don't know if for anybody this might ruin the illusion of the entire piece or make portions of it seem worse than others. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* Oh my goodness. *00:04* I don't know if you have The Steam one? *00:04* Yeah, Halo's like that too. *00:04* But it's like Spanish class in high school. *00:04* I am super interested in this. *00:04* What's the what's the process there? *00:04* It sounds like a no-brainer, I'm sure. *00:04* It's like, no, I want to be this other shape. *00:04* It started out as like, I'm gonna talk about how cool Wind Waker is, uh essentially of like how you can explore this world in the map, but that essay within a month *00:04* But yeah, I called the video Zelda stole Fortnite's best mechanic, which is *00:04* He's got a ton of those. *00:04* Yeah, it's uh it's it's a journey learning to deal with *00:04* And I was like, hmm. *00:04* My father-in-law is plays Overwatch. *00:04* Oh my gosh. *00:04* I wish I'd remembered that. *00:04* Is not necessarily does it is knowing why Star Fox Zero the way it is gonna fix it for you if you didn't like it? *00:04* With the first game, particularly, I've I've started that up like *00:04* Like I couldn't and that that's an effective deadline because someone else is enforcing that. *00:04* And so just just if you let it sit there, it'll never be done. *00:04* Like we're gonna try if if it compels us and feels like it will gel, like we're gonna try it. *00:04* I'm gonna do something that I thought was shameless. *00:04* I want every single even if you even if you think it's a garbage video, I want to hear it and I want to know why. *00:04* And you've already done the first thing though, in the making of it. *00:04* I think quotes could help soften the blow, maybe. *00:04* Wiza what everywhere. *00:04* Uh at max frequency able to get that one miraculously feels like. *00:04* I loved it and your angle, your personal perspective there so much. *00:04* So I'm just how do you do it? *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* It's like the kind of like, oh you stole that? *00:04* We were talking about tangents beforehand. *00:04* See, I feel like so I played the Concord Beta. *00:04* So it's not like it was a full-blown, you know, they bought it because they wanted a live service game, but *00:04* It's not even It's great to just have the like variance in modes rather than like, you know, because SWAT to me feels like *00:04* Maybe it will be. *00:04* Well, you know, hey Pikmin it's not a super complex game, but yeah. *00:04* I don't know if he's like talked about it uh uh uh like publicly or not. *00:04* And and then once you grab them there, once you get them on this side of it, *00:04* But I'll tell you right now, I'm not changing the name of my Zelda video because people are stupid. *00:04* Without considering like any of the context *00:04* It's the same mechanic, and it's awesome. *00:04* It's like I feel a weird disconnect with a lot of the casual community because I feel like *00:04* I love SWAT. *00:04* I am like Twitter mutuals with Shane Gill, the operator of that channel. *00:04* And then he he also offered like if I found an article that I wanted translated. *00:04* And sometimes you know why. *00:04* Like the first time you watch that movie, if you watch it in an unspoiled manner, you're like, this is *00:04* Right. *00:04* And so you get more and more of the overarching story that way. *00:04* No. *00:04* So they saw my first video, this essay, and they're like, 45 minutes. *00:04* Well. *00:04* Yeah, it's not a compliment I would have ever given Fortnite before trying to play it. *00:04* And like he said like YouTube really needs to like *00:04* Sure. *00:04* Marvel Rivals I'm especially not interested in, particularly because NetEase *00:04* All I care about is how good does the DMR feel when I'm jumping and shooting. *00:04* Like my brain jumps back to taking a film class in college, which I feel like is *00:04* And when I feel like when you watch that video and some others, it's like *00:04* Like the last month was like *00:04* He doesn't even like look at it. *00:04* I mean like to for anyone *00:04* Zelda's had sky. *00:04* Like I understand Outer Wilds is a game where you like *00:04* And it's just like, God, the way he thinks is just so like there's just like an abstractness to that, which was like I was really impressed by. *00:04* I fe I feel like though if anyone could follow up Blizzard in this hero shooter space, it would be Valve. *00:04* I loved both videos. *00:04* Sometimes when they're really good, I'm like, oh man, like I can't watch this because it's gonna make me like insecure about my own work. *00:04* And so like part of that conversation *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* I was like, oh my gosh, this is so creative. *00:04* I did the we actually have a very similar timeline and process. *00:04* And I didn't mean to do this, but I did write down an Adam Savage quote from that book. *00:04* And it's not an RPG, really. *00:04* Now this is I'm gonna twist it and apply it to you in a minute, but when he finishes a project, he he *00:04* And my rational rationalization, like *00:04* I made it something more resonant with a much wider audience, more direct. *00:04* Or maybe you could even say you stole it. *00:04* I want to talk about that. *00:04* Um you've sometimes I get very stubborn with a thing. *00:04* Well then you've got 'em for you know for life, as it were. *00:04* I I call it your Wii U video. *00:04* He has this like running series that is just like people love and it's like he is he calls it like steam dumpster diving. *00:04* I don't know what that is like supposed to achieve. *00:04* Wiz. *00:04* So I decided to go back and like watch the Star Fox one from beginning to end uh again because I know I had started that one. *00:04* And then once it clicks, like you'll be able to be more efficient. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* Sure. *00:04* And um I think *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* Like you don't even have to literally say it. *00:04* YouTube. *00:04* I was like, man, like I wasn't e I didn't even direct this at them, but I was like, man, it's *00:04* Literally never. *00:04* And once I got through it, like, and there I had a lot of doubts about it too, but once I got through it *00:04* Like that that is a a surefire thing. *00:04* Yeah. *00:04* But maybe for it to rise to its occasion, to its true potential, because *00:04* And then I saw your Star Fox one. *00:04* 'Cause you can watch it if you haven't played Outer Wilds. *00:04* And then I watched a Pikmin 4 video. *00:04* Um I hate this game. *00:04* Like maybe you can provide something different that like I mean there will be a third game that there's zero doubt in my mind and they're clear *00:04* No, just PS4 games. *00:04* I think it's fair to say in the same vein as your Star Fox or Pikmin retrospective. *00:04* Oh. *00:04* Let the, you know, snipped the bonsai tree and it it became the shape it was supposed to be. *00:04* I did not buy Color Splash. *00:04* Um I love it so much. *00:04* It had a very different thumbnail, which I provided input on the original incarnation of it. *00:04* Sometimes it's pure luck that your thing is the thing that gets picked up. *00:04* You did this? *00:04* Like, chapter select is a dumb name. *00:04* But I do want people to see it on some level. *00:04* The ones that like hit on a nugget of truth and it's like ah you've pierced my armor. *00:04* But I think for me, like the way I view an essay and the way I view my content are is kind of different. *00:05* I mean it's it's Guardians of the Galaxy, essentially. *00:05* That uh I have a friend who bought it. *00:05* And then just unhinged ramblings about Pikmin. *00:05* Have you have you played it? *00:05* But also it kind of really started with like the Wind Waker where like people really hated it at first. *00:05* I started that roughly in February of 20, of 2020. *00:05* I just followed the same line of thought as I did for Pikmin, which worked because of my experience with the content. *00:05* Uh this is you. *00:05* It sounded like you went into this project thinking it would go one way. *00:05* Um, and I think my cer my like unique circumstances play into that where like *00:05* I for I forget the first the subject of it. *00:05* Like uh the single player, like the uh PvE stuff *00:05* Do they um do they like *00:05* And in that game, that game has such a distinct energy. *00:05* Um but I get that, that timeline. *00:05* No. *00:05* We did not include Paper Jam. *00:05* But you recently, I think maybe a week or two ago *00:05* And so I was like, I didn't even think about where the type of journey that I would take with a series. *00:05* This is like kind of like what we're trying to promise people. *00:05* It was like very like demanding and like financially like I was very financially invested in this and I kind of needed it to do well. *00:05* I'm glad you're going here because I I wanted you to go here. *00:05* When you like really think about it, it means something. *00:05* But then you dig even deeper, and then you're like, well, what's the history of the Star Fox games that leads into this? *00:05* The next time you watch the movie, it's completely different. *00:05* Yeah, that's I mean that's what this sequel already did too, was it changes your perspective of the first game. *00:05* Mm-hmm. *00:05* I don't know if I'll ever be able to capture that kind of weirdness, but it just felt right. *00:05* But that wasn't even on the radar when I started the thing. *00:05* There's not really it you level up by like *00:05* Immediately after I changed the thumbnail. *00:05* Like I went through a very similar thing with my most popular video, which is like a *00:05* Yeah, that's like how you close it, which is so good. *00:05* Um but I see the silhouette one, which is in stark contrast to the rest of their performance. *00:05* Um where I cle obviously did not mean stole. *00:05* How I miss the old Nintendo. *00:05* But like I didn't feel like I could add anything to this the discussion. *00:05* That's a good call. *00:05* And I've always wanted to do it and I've made videos for a long time. *00:05* And YouTube informs so much of my style. *00:05* Oh yeah. *00:05* Um I bought Assault as a kid. *00:05* And when I started digging into the research, like it just kind of like *00:05* And now you look at it and it's like the greatest it's one of the great games. *00:05* And so once I uh was able to *00:05* Like you have to ask yourself that or else, especially in such a long project, you just like start to meander. *00:05* But when I put that video out, there was like a comment that was like *00:05* What did I do right this time? *00:05* He put that out when he was like unsure of like the future of his channel. *00:05* The s natural search results, the luck. *00:05* I'm like, oh my gosh. *00:05* And until next time, adios. *00:05* Yeah, that's cool. *00:05* I don't know. *00:05* Who knows? *00:05* So like with Tears of the Kingdom, uh *00:05* And your video talking about like the skydiving mechanic. *00:05* Um just really don't like how they conclude, you know. *00:05* You played all the games, I think like 140 something hours of footage. *00:05* And you you kind of you I'm not making fun of you, uh just the a general like you *00:05* There's a lot of spoilers to be wary of. *00:05* Which is the packaging of a video. *00:05* And that's like yeah it has a derogatory kind of nature to it, but I don't mean it in a negative way. *00:05* The the find folks, of course, can find you over on YouTube at Wizzle What. *00:05* And uh soon, probably my favorite thing I made last year. *00:05* At all. *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* So it's like it's just it would be crazy for me to not do that. *00:05* I think it adds *00:05* Yeah. *00:05* I excuse me for cursing, but I'm gonna have that done. *00:05* And to me that I need I need like to re- I need to like go over that a few times for it to like fully sink in. *00:05* You mentioned I said I needed a sure thing because I knew *00:05* It's so near and dear. *00:05* I'm definitely not. *00:05* Because like I had to almost adopt a an attitude towards it that *00:05* Neil, please get on that. *00:05* And so I've I've stuck with like it's gonna have the word stole in the title. *00:05* Happy to be here. *00:05* And I was like, mm-hmm. *00:05* Is it on PC? *00:05* Oh, that's so cool. *00:05* And they saw that and they decided we really want to iterate on this. *00:05* And so that has made me very accepting of the idea and open *00:05* And I was very conflicted because I was trying to like find ways to like differentiate it. *00:05* It's like, oh, I'll go see that. *00:05* We can't your Paper Mario video. *00:05* I don't know. *00:05* SWAT's best. *00:05* And the same could be inverted for a very good game or one that you love and you go, you love it even more because you're understanding the depth of it. *00:05* He's got a channel over on YouTube. *00:05* I want to like get things right and like also be able to push past *00:05* You tell me, but it it to me it sounds like you were struggling with you wanted the project to be something, but it wanted to be something else. *00:05* Is like, okay, like Thousand Year Door is coming. *00:05* Was it you just were like, this should be doing better? *00:05* I'm very skeptical of the idea that your videos are not getting attention because like *00:05* Silhouettes. *00:05* And that gets you where you are now. *00:05* Which is dream handle status. *00:05* And you know, that is him *00:05* At least, you know, Concorde, maybe it could be *00:05* Like especially when you're like jumping between projects that are like a video essay that is like *00:05* And so Yeah, like uh I view I honestly view my entire channel as like *00:05* Sounds like I'd be into it though. *00:05* He calls that the brain dump, like just seeing the totality of the thing before you is immensely powerful. *00:05* And the point ultimately *00:05* Uh so goofy. *00:05* And then they see the second video I made, which is 10 minutes flat, and they're like, this is the best thing ever *00:05* And that didn't land. *00:05* Hmm. *00:05* It's coming such a special game. *00:05* I didn't even read it today. *00:05* Yes. *00:05* Well when he decided to get Super Mario RPG made. *00:05* Uh pretty sure I've watched his uh their um Paper Myers Not So Secret Glue, aka Paper Partners *00:05* Halo is another big one that I've I yeah. *00:05* Oh, it will be. *00:05* Oh my gosh. *00:05* Like you are constantly chasing trends. *00:05* But as far as like a dir a design perspective of like, you know, going from like the sticker star *00:05* And I think one thing I've noticed, you know, maybe more so in the essay space where *00:05* I went through and I started watching everyone's videos. *00:05* I think even you had Did you know gaming help in some capacities *00:05* But with the Japanese audience, they're probably like super familiar with. *00:05* Like you have you probably have like a much more extensive you actually definitely have a more extensive like *00:05* The catch with a deadline is it has to mean something. *00:05* And it completely transformed that essay into a far more personal. *00:05* And Miyamoto was like, this is boring. *00:05* And in six, eight weeks, six, eight months, you can come back to it. *00:05* Uh yeah, so I've seen I believe I've watched *00:05* And when you look back Yeah. *00:05* Steam does that, right? *00:05* I think that that wraps it up. *00:05* I was like, all right, let's see how this goes. *00:06* Exactly. *00:06* Oh my gosh. *00:06* I think they complement each other so well. *00:06* Let me just support the Patreon. *00:06* Like it's very important to me to just I don't know. *00:06* And so diving into the research, like when I was thinking about it in my head, *00:06* Why am I trying to find a thesis for this? *00:06* I just played Thousand Your Door in like half of Super. *00:06* It's like, yeah, Mario RPG is actually a thriving subgenre of Mario games now? *00:06* And several months after the fact, I was like. *00:06* Like you're playing into that culture. *00:06* I frame that video purposefully in a way that I felt would get people interested. *00:06* So it's it's a very good package together. *00:06* They have like really rough archives of stuff that's been translated. *00:06* I had an interaction. *00:06* So Yeah, of course. *00:06* Uh with this Paper Mario project in particular. *00:06* That's what they wanted to do. *00:06* And so that was the line that they followed with these new games. *00:06* Like it's just a dog thing. *00:06* Are you familiar with Iron Pineapple? *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* So I've seen your videos before. *00:06* And within two months, I have two videos out. *00:06* I'm gonna r I'm gonna pour through all of their sources. *00:06* It's to view view games from like a wider perspective and try to understand them that way *00:06* I'm like, I don't want this. *00:06* What and good out here is all I'm saying. *00:06* Like, come on, what are you doing? *00:06* Like if if if it's purely to for expression *00:06* It's clearly your love letter. *00:06* Uh 'cause it's also I think it's awesome. *00:06* Oh man, yep. *00:06* My father-in-law, my sister-in-law, and my brother-in-law play Overwatch all the time. *00:06* Um I do think some of the social media reaction is a bit over the top for it. *00:06* And uh it got like easier throughout. *00:06* Um they're so good. *00:06* I'm quoting you to you. *00:06* Like, I mean Luigi, like definitely has like the most spotlight, but like *00:06* Like, what is the point of playing them all in like showcase like uh convey like my individual perspective? *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* Um you can, you know, use that as like fuel to come back and reassess this. *00:06* There's no way I could juggle all of that. *00:06* And if you want this part to follow it in any meaningful way, besides just *00:06* As for myself, you can go over to maxfrequency. *00:06* Well look, Outer Wilds comes up and I'm gonna I'm gonna talk about Outer Wilds. *00:06* Oh, I love Nakey Jakey. *00:06* The Valve one? *00:06* Oh, it definitely does a lot to people. *00:06* Like Google Translate will get you so far. *00:06* Um Star Wars, sorry. *00:06* And so once you beat all three, then there is like a *00:06* In fact, I think not having enough time is critical to making and most importantly, finishing things. *00:06* I apologize for the controversy. *00:06* Like they didn't really impact the narrative in any like *00:06* And that fueled that entire pursuit of that video. *00:06* And um *00:06* Like that that's flat uh like flattering that you would steal from me. *00:06* What is best for for me? *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* It's like maybe I'm coming across like really annoying that like I am like constantly trying to get people to play the game. *00:06* So like Marvel Rivals, heck no. *00:06* I didn't. *00:06* Or are you playing? *00:06* How do you make a video? *00:06* You like captured the energy that I feel like this game is giving off. *00:06* Um so that is truly that's truly powerful. *00:06* I played every Star Fox game. *00:06* What the okay, one of these is stray, but I can't figure out the other two. *00:06* And what it what I've learned realized is is they saw the word stole. *00:06* And so he I've heard him say this like numerous times, like *00:06* They never wanted to see the point. *00:06* Um so now is the time to rename it, new thumbnail. *00:06* You're a video essayist on the YouTubes. *00:06* So that was the Now I didn't spend any money in those two games outside of buying expansions to like keep playing them. *00:06* Uh it's like *00:06* And especially in the nuance of a conversation in an interview in written format in a magazine. *00:06* Like there could be something super apparent, but then there's all the subtle things. *00:06* And I'm like, I'm just I just like I fall off like every time. *00:06* But *00:06* And so like *00:06* I mean, it has RPG like R I'm saying this with *00:06* Not a like dirty clickbait, or as I've learned, the term rage bait. *00:06* What you're doing is not rage bait. *00:06* And there's nothing that I could have said in the video, which I think *00:06* I was like, I think I started watching that. *00:06* It's just a storyteller or a documentarian. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* Skyway sort of ten out of ten baby. *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* Like you're it's feels even more like a Mario game than the previous Paper Mario games. *00:06* And when Color Splash was first revealed, because it was so closely resembling Sticker Star, I was like. *00:06* Because subconsciously, I'm like, if I allow this to take more time, like *00:06* Then changing stuff can feel compromising to that uh, you know, like *00:06* You need to get in the club, but do it at the time that is best for you. *00:06* And to me it felt like a distraction from *00:06* And like dives deep. *00:06* This happens in game development all the time, right? *00:06* Like it's been long enough that if they just want to make an RPG and they can use like current technology to like *00:06* Okay. *00:06* Still keeps it five words, which I think shorter is better in general or simpler. *00:06* People were upset by that for some reason. *00:06* So it's really like three and a half hours of just Pikmin. *00:06* I'm certain of that. *00:06* I don't know if that's gonna like *00:06* I think like I'm happy with my editing. *00:06* And I was so relieved to be able to do that. *00:06* And so like I wanted to say all these things that I loved about *00:06* And the fact that they finally have re-released it from the the prison of the GameCube *00:06* The first title was Star Fox Deserves One More Chance. *00:06* It's the it's the movie box at Blockbuster. *00:06* It's like your tone conveys like, you know, it's a tongue-in-cheek, like *00:06* Yeah. *00:06* It's crazy. *00:06* So I played a lot of assault. *00:06* I Kingdom Hearts is a series that like I've tried. *00:06* I wasn't gonna include that either. *00:06* But I need but I think with this, like *00:06* I changed it to *00:06* I haven't watched all of them, but one thing that uh I feel that he is like *00:06* Like here's what I noticed about a game mechanic. *00:06* That was wild. *00:06* I actually uh my wife was like, you gotta stop looking at it. *00:06* I'm so thrilled. *00:06* And so Brian and I went to high school together. *00:06* There was a bit of controversy of people *00:06* That was a blast. *00:06* Like, I've truly loved your pizza tower video. *00:06* And you think it's gonna look like this, but it's *00:06* Well, this isn't color splash. *00:06* Like they're the same things. *00:06* I d now I'm at the point where like you can make whatever you want, slap Paper Mario on it, and I'll look at it at least, you know. *00:06* Like that is so played out, I feel like, on YouTube. *00:06* It was like Nintendo's Biggest Failure was their greatest idea. *00:06* Right? *00:06* Well, it's launching day and date on PC, so Okay. *00:06* It said it was like one of Steam's most played games with like *00:06* Like it's the same thing with Riot. *00:06* That is like, I cannot *00:06* Like you need to like follow this. *00:06* But I mean, literally he has a chapter called Deadlines all about it. *00:06* Because sabotage is is connecting all of this. *00:06* I found in my experience from just networking from other people. *00:06* Sure does, doesn't it? *00:06* And usually it's like on social media where like he literally cannot express an opinion without *00:06* I'm well thank you. *00:06* So I don't know. *00:07* Yes, I hate this game. *00:07* So The Last of Us and all the Uncharted stuff. *00:07* Unless I'm like super committed to it. *00:07* Right. *00:07* Like I felt that there was like a kind of a sunk cost. *00:07* It's *00:07* I have this like *00:07* With like how long you play a game. *00:07* Yeah, I think getting feedback has been huge and just kind of working things out together. *00:07* It works out great for you. *00:07* Yes, the Valve one, Deadlock. *00:07* So any hast is by microscopy amplified. *00:07* And so they divided the story into three protagonists. *00:07* Well, I think one thing that is uh *00:07* And so when did Pikmin four come out? *00:07* They didn't reinvent. *00:07* That is a lot of footage to go to waste. *00:07* And then he comes back to it. *00:07* I changed the uh previous thumbnail was like *00:07* Or what did I do differently? *00:07* Well apparently, according to the comments, I'm out here raging. *00:07* I played the crap out of Assault. *00:07* I had an interaction with somebody in his comment section and it was like kind of about like the Zelda cycle. *00:07* I mean, uh with The Last of Us Two, like *00:07* Yeah, so writing is easily *00:07* Wait. *00:07* Maybe I got the Pix Pikmin 2 section done in like two weeks. *00:07* Like it's it's a game that is like *00:07* Like we're gonna go back to Super Mario RPG, which nobody thought was possible. *00:07* I was just like, I was getting frustrated that they couldn't see. *00:07* And I got to the end and I'm like *00:07* So that's coming up. *00:07* It's weird because like Overwatch transitioning into Overwatch 2 was a change that *00:07* Yeah, okay. *00:07* I have not, but I am I am aware of it. *00:07* I found that extremely challenging to capture. *00:07* Um so I've play I played through all of them back in 2021. *00:07* There's a very clear line to follow that I was following. *00:07* Or you'll be entertained or you'll learn something. *00:07* I think it fits it a lot better. *00:07* It clearly draws in the audience. *00:07* And this is like almost a guilty admission for me, but like um *00:07* And I've done my fair share of SEO *00:07* So it's uh and I'm not a particularly big Marvel guy by any stretch either. *00:07* Kindred spirit. *00:07* And in my case for the game, I have maps of certain multiplayer levels. *00:07* Oh man, I okay, this is gonna be bad, but like I *00:07* And it's because you have a new understanding. *00:07* Like you just how dare you? *00:07* With all the DLC too. *00:07* And all and it's literally in the title of video essay, but it's just an essay in a video *00:07* And I'm the single player, whiz. *00:07* Whereas like *00:07* And they're like, you know, Tippi's like whole. *00:07* I d that's the that's the s the interesting thing about Paper Mario. *00:07* So clearly there's something there that checks a box in sales and and within intelligent systems and and things like *00:07* Like in the way he presents them. *00:07* And I haven't watched every video he's put out, but *00:07* Sometimes you've got a *00:07* You could go to maxfrequency. *00:07* That's what I would recommend. *00:07* But I wanna I wanna bring it back. *00:07* I *00:07* So then what they want you to do is when you finish one character, you go and you play the next one. *00:07* And then I played it for a few hours and I was like, I hate this game. *00:07* Like when Sticker Star was in development hell *00:07* It's like almost impossible to get through. *00:07* I'm like, people listen to it, man. *00:07* Yep *00:07* It's very like obscure. *00:07* Like it was from a I don't know. *00:07* And like then there's also the ones that are like poking at that one thing that maybe you are a little insecure about and you're like *00:07* And so it makes the game really challenging to talk about if you've played it like *00:07* And obviously they were *00:07* Oh, it's a weird one. *00:07* You've you've you've walked away, you've already put it away. *00:07* Hmm. *00:07* So that's a natural deterrent, just like uh Outer Wilds where we started the show with. *00:07* I know that. *00:07* I th I remember Shovel Knight thumbnail. *00:07* And you're in space and you're navigating, like, and you solve puzzles. *00:07* I don't want to get in there with the league, people. *00:07* All the time. *00:07* And so like I've when you s when you source things, I'm like, yes, thank you. *00:07* And I think I was able to do that because *00:07* And then I bought Origami Kano Launch, but didn't play it until *00:07* Like sometimes that is just the case. *00:07* It's clearly a Wii U video. *00:07* It was a wonderful discussion to have you on. *00:07* Game Maker's Toolkit? *00:07* Yeah, you guys don't have um *00:07* And I reached out to him and I was like, just out of curiosity, like what would it take to uh *00:07* I'm gonna write every single thing that comes to mind that I really want to say. *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* Like it's always been that. *00:07* I was gonna say I've not watched it because I'm waiting to receive stars. *00:07* I changed it to like uh maybe just like s like *00:07* I get the very creative writer brain of like this will be a clever name *00:07* How I'm Pizza Tower pilled. *00:07* And that's what he's found as a model that works for him. *00:07* And and then you kind of take stock with that and you go back and you're like, oh. *00:07* I don't I'm not sure. *00:07* But when your deadline is something like *00:07* And like I was worried of like, you know, what happens when I've spent like *00:07* And it just falls flat, even while trying to be like the other games. *00:07* Let the fact that *00:07* And if you need that *00:07* But yeah, like that *00:07* Like their recent viewer history. *00:07* Um *00:07* I think and maybe it's an it's an insecurity thing because I think *00:07* Always knew I was capable but never did it. *00:07* But I know Javed has like a super professional background and brings that *00:07* We're going down that rabbit hole, aren't we? *00:07* Um because it has the word Valve on it, it will be obviously on PC. *00:07* Get a little dicey. *00:07* Um but he I discovered him with his like eight hour Castlevania video *00:07* You're like, that's really cool. *00:07* And then it's like *00:07* Yeah. *00:07* And I feel like that's also probably what *00:07* Bye-bye. *00:07* We met in Brian's little *00:08* And then *00:08* It's crazy the like things that Riot can get away with that the Overwatch community will be like. *00:08* That would be way easier. *00:08* And yeah, I don't know. *00:08* So *00:08* And that is challenging to deal with because *00:08* But I remember one guy was like, you just gotta put a how in there. *00:08* And then you could also just look at straight up likes and dislikes, which were greatly uh I think it was like a eighty percent *00:08* I'm like, I should get acquainted with everyone in this little server. *00:08* And he's like, I'm a part of the club now, boys. *00:08* Like you know, what is the Zelda cycle? *00:08* But also that means playing through those Disney *00:08* You'll be able to like get your points across better and in a more timely fashion. *00:08* So big recommend there. *00:08* Uh quote. *00:08* And what if it wasn't a hit? *00:08* And as someone who's been writing online and creating things for 15 years. *00:08* Uh *00:08* They just saw the word and immediately latched onto the negative thing. *00:08* Do I stick to my guns on this? *00:08* And so it's like *00:08* But I figured since you're such a big Overwatch guy, you've poured hundreds, thousands of hours. *00:08* Like I'd love to know more about this. *00:08* I mean you you write it, you narrate it. *00:08* And so like *00:08* Yeah, and oh my gosh, it was like *00:08* And I'm gonna title this video. *00:08* At the end of the day, that's what that that that's what that video is targeting. *00:08* Um *00:08* Um I thought the moves were kind of cool. *00:08* Yeah. *00:08* But then I found your uh your Pikmin videos. *00:08* There's a lot of *00:08* And a lot of the time it ends up feeling like *00:08* Like, I I think about *00:08* And it is at the bottom. *00:08* Yeah, a lot to say about paper market partners. *00:08* Uh-huh. *00:08* Exactly. *00:08* Very *00:08* And *00:08* You know what I'm saying? *00:08* And it just like takes something so amazing like Red Dead Redemption. *00:08* It's hard to understand what the purpose is *00:08* So had you had you not played all or most of them beforehand? *00:08* Um again, really great. *00:08* That's my takeaway from it. *00:08* But I it was like that was so interesting to me. *00:08* It's a lot of, you know, me just sift it. *00:08* I I wouldn't feel like I was bringing anything *00:08* Like the presentation of the essay to the stranger. *00:08* And so, yeah, I mean your ratio's good. *00:08* But we've got some content rolling in the feed on a weekly basis, pulling out of the this *00:08* Oh man. *00:08* I get up to like, what is it, the Timeless River? *00:08* Alright, cool. *00:08* Um for different characters and IPs. *00:08* So I'm actually like this moved in a positive direction for that particular subject. *00:08* And um *00:08* I have a two that I'm working on right now. *00:08* Um *00:08* Like guys, I don't mean like stole in like the malicious sense. *00:08* I appreciate that. *00:08* Because I've, you know, I've played them all. *00:08* This is something that like you could pursue. *00:08* So four months almost to the day before. *00:08* And I understand that the *00:08* We need this guy to come back and make the new ones because he got it. *00:08* There is none. *00:08* Yeah, seriously. *00:08* This could be a video though with a long burn on it. *00:08* Would you put him in? *00:08* Like Yeah. *00:08* So you mentioned like Diginog me getting help from Diginogaming. *00:08* It may even let you pass the class. *00:08* And then it all culminates in like the last story and that *00:08* It's always good. *00:08* That is, this is like *00:08* That ultimately end up feeling like half steps. *00:08* Yes. *00:08* And also like *00:08* And so *00:08* And like that'll get ten views. *00:08* Like I I was like *00:08* Super old one at this point. *00:08* So I would say that joining the Discord has been a pretty good *00:08* He's so, so good. *00:08* And it was infinitely better playing with another person, which makes sense in a a team-based shooter game. *00:08* Yeah, controversy. *00:08* I think Color Splash is the best looking *00:08* They wanted to make a Mario adventure game for all kinds of players, regardless of skill. *00:08* I get why it would be tough to tackle a retrospective on this. *00:08* I feel like the only thing that I keep coming back to is that like *00:08* And that comment had like 10 likes. *00:08* Oh, that's cool. *00:08* I mean Javid does that, right? *00:08* Set up by a shiny bar, number go up, big number go up. *00:08* I don't think they were unhinged. *00:08* Uh shmupplations. *00:08* Like *00:08* I think that's his next highest video. *00:08* I mean it's *00:08* I actually think even *00:08* Uh to physical stuff. *00:08* I love SWAT more than I think regular. *00:08* It's *00:08* Like it's not just it's not I don't *00:08* It basically was me in the end saying, no, I'm taking this back. *00:08* And then transitioning from there to a game that is like *00:08* Like it I think he's very skilled at that. *00:08* And I think when you're like deep in game and you get it, like you can pick a menu. *00:08* net. *00:08* And so, like, I'm trying to like *00:08* Um *00:08* Give me Huey again. *00:08* Like *00:08* Because they've they've truly given the people what they wanted. *00:08* I might add those quotation marks. *00:08* I want to give it a shot so bad. *00:09* I always *00:09* Pretty close. *00:09* It was *00:09* You're selling you're *00:09* Paper Mario has never been consistent in that way. *00:09* And so what I would say to you in this *00:09* Yes. *00:09* I I think I think he has, but like Raz Butin's uh *00:09* So like that's going to be an incredibly personal one. *00:09* That's where all my writing *00:09* So I'm excited to get those rolling out here on a weekly basis before too long. *00:09* Sure. *00:09* So how are you feeling about uh Concord and Marvel Rivals? *00:09* Like, it was very challenging and I was under very strict deadline for that, which was *00:09* Just checking *00:09* Yeah. *00:09* Just explore different types of gameplay. *00:09* Like Paper Mario is *00:09* And you know, they're telling me that *00:09* This is good. *00:09* Here's what I learned. *00:09* And that's what I really needed. *00:09* net forward slash mfp-40 and that will take you to the show notes as well. *00:09* So we've been friends for gosh the last decade. *00:09* They were. *00:09* I I enjoyed that. *00:09* Like, uh, at least compared to writing, because of how like *00:09* Let's let's talk about it right now. *00:09* It's real. *00:09* And so like *00:09* And I it's totally different when like you are you know *00:09* Um *00:09* That was from a Markiplier fan channel. *00:09* It's kinda like, is that how you would describe yourself? *00:09* Exactly. *00:09* That would be way easier. *00:09* You're aware? *00:09* I felt like I needed more of a sure thing coming off of my previous retrospective *00:09* And that *00:09* And the thousand year door is actually the anomaly. *00:09* Like, ah, that's really cool. *00:09* Genuine views, not illegal Brazilian. *00:09* I've played a lot of Halo and like *00:09* Like when it comes to those retrospectives, like you know *00:09* Pizza Tower Pilled. *00:09* Like we're trying to draw someone in, right? *00:09* Because once they're there, I can show them like me, like what I want to. *00:09* I've seen them recommend it a couple of times, I believe. *00:09* You can just say whiz a what everywhere. *00:09* Um mostly multiplayer. *00:09* Of giving a voice to *00:09* That totally makes sense. *00:09* That I got for 20 bucks at a shop. *00:09* And then *00:09* But when that dawned on me, I was like, oh, I don't *00:09* Like straight up. *00:09* Okay, he's a big YouTuber that does like um *00:09* And then the deeper I go, I'm like *00:09* Oh yeah. *00:09* It's always a good time. *00:09* But *00:09* Like, oh that's so good. *00:09* GMTKA? *00:09* So not a good sign there. *00:09* Yeah, that whole *00:09* They were they were cool skins, but it's like *00:09* As well. *00:09* And you know, if there's anything that I've missed, then *00:09* It was funny, I got a few comments. *00:09* And so that was like *00:09* Like *00:09* Like *00:09* I think it's gonna be one way. *00:09* And um I actually *00:09* Where's the single player? *00:09* Concord *00:09* So you theoretically could play it. *00:09* There's just something about it that like *00:09* You gotta ship the game at some point. *00:09* Like what if it was just felt what if that was the point where it started to feel played out? *00:09* Yeah, it *00:09* 2. *00:09* In all of my research and like kind of prepping for this show, I found out *00:09* Seriously. *00:09* Like that's how that's how I feel at times. *00:09* And so *00:09* That could work. *00:09* It's probably my favorite thing we made last year, and I'm *00:09* It wasn't what I w needed to say about the game. *00:09* And so I'm interested in it. *00:09* They are just a leg up on everyone. *00:09* And so I've I like vocalized that and I was like man *00:09* Typically, I think most commonly it's like people start out to *00:09* Um or Kingdom Hearts. *00:09* I didn't have the time to wonder if I was on the right path. *00:09* But like with with in regards to specifics, like what I've been going through with like *00:09* Exactly. *00:09* I was like, Red Dead's a cool map. *00:09* We really want to improve on it using all the lessons that we learned. *00:09* Maybe that's too strong. *00:09* So you *00:09* How good is swap mode? *00:09* Okay. *00:09* I mean it's like it it was like *00:09* I think *00:09* Yeah, so *00:09* Like yes. *00:10* Um he literally talks a basically about being a maker. *00:10* And that didn't connect with me. *00:10* So love Thousand Your Door, so near and dear. *00:10* Um I mean Super Paper Mario is a weird game *00:10* Don't delete that. *00:10* Like *00:10* You're you you're selling them on your ability as a storyteller. *00:10* Um I know he obviously did Breath of the Wild eventually, but whatever it was. *00:10* Like I know my intent behind the title, or do I need to *00:10* Like looking at the makeup of the comments, this is how. *00:10* It's been even more wonderful to get to know you over the last *00:10* And it's real like his archive is like *00:10* And so, yeah, that was like my catalyst. *00:10* 3 million views. *00:10* And then *00:10* I mean *00:10* I think it's fine. *00:10* And it's like opens up so many perspectives. *00:10* And so I think when you look at a game, you play a game, and you're like, this is you know *00:10* Like, and as a wider point, like it's *00:10* Sure. *00:10* It's a mystery. *00:10* But *00:10* Like you were inspired by me. *00:10* Uh at least no one called out how I totally just mispronounced species. *00:10* I don't know I d I don't really know why, but it's just *00:10* And then the last month was like. *00:10* And so *00:10* Just like Avatar Last Airbender, whatever. *00:10* And so I'm like, that rings like *00:10* Yes. *00:10* But it's just like it's just boring to me. *00:10* Like you conveyed that in your editing style and delivery and I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing. *00:10* And so I almost spent *00:10* And I'm aware of that. *00:10* I don't think they were at all. *00:10* Like Star Fox Zero, for example. *00:10* Or that movie sucked. *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* It probably should be called What Zelda Stole from Fortnite or *00:10* Yes, all the time. *00:10* I love oh my gosh, I love *00:10* And like *00:10* It's yeah *00:10* Like at the end of the day you can make a choice to like *00:10* I've not heard this term before. *00:10* Like I've tried *00:10* I love I love all of them except *00:10* He has that Majora's Mass documentary *00:10* It's so cool. *00:10* So it's cool in that way. *00:10* And *00:10* And so like *00:10* It's gonna look like this. *00:10* I've gone back and rewatched most of them. *00:10* And it's coming physically to PS5 in a couple of months. *00:10* Like before they even got it in their hands. *00:10* And so like when the game came out *00:10* So definitely you should read this book, but one of his quotes, I have it written down here. *00:10* That's like that's the *00:10* Absolutely. *00:10* Spoilers for last of us part two, I guess. *00:10* When you I appreciate that. *00:10* Obviously 3D Mario and Zelda are are constants *00:10* And I would encourage you to just *00:10* And so I kind of wanted to. *00:10* It was like I couldn't fathom like *00:10* Um *00:10* It was such a unique angle and it was like *00:10* But it's but there's a reason for it because it is *00:10* But *00:10* Um *00:10* No. *00:10* Pizza Tower, what was the date on that? *00:10* And the game was out in June. *00:10* And that's where they get their moment moment to shine in the final act. *00:10* And like *00:10* Yeah. *00:10* com, I think. *00:10* Like the steamboat Willie type thing. *00:10* I'm assuming that's you s obviously you write it first. *00:10* I don't know. *00:10* Um *00:10* Um *00:10* That could work. *00:10* It's like I had *00:10* So that's just that's just the way it goes with that game. *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* I got much more like I mean *00:11* 2. *00:11* Will I click? *00:11* I loved those people. *00:11* It's like I'm out here studying YouTube *00:11* That's what I know about this game. *00:11* It does feel like a type of game that's a bit late. *00:11* It captured the element *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* I'll think about it some more. *00:11* I was like, ah, turmoil. *00:11* It's so good. *00:11* Actually *00:11* Whatever gets the most interest, that will be my priority. *00:11* This is journalism 101. *00:11* Um Okay. *00:11* And *00:11* Like that feels like the *00:11* And um *00:11* And what are they pulling from these old games? *00:11* And then it's like, what like *00:11* And it just doesn't align with *00:11* 2. *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* Every episode. *00:11* And for me, like *00:11* Well maybe. *00:11* Because you'll you'll always be like *00:11* I was just like *00:11* If you have played a video game as a character *00:11* I almost *00:11* Another layer to it all. *00:11* And then *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* And say their time is worth it. *00:11* Why you have to balance? *00:11* It's gonna *00:11* I see the line of thought *00:11* It's that would be actually that would be a great feature. *00:11* Like, I think it's hitting *00:11* Did you know gaming is a great *00:11* It's like very *00:11* Like *00:11* Deadlines are immensely powerful. *00:11* I actually *00:11* 3 million. *00:11* Like yeah, there was like no guarantee of that whatsoever. *00:11* But *00:11* Maybe I'll mention it. *00:11* 3 million. *00:11* Not saying like they have more views than *00:11* Like, you know, it doesn't need to be so flowery. *00:11* Just *00:11* Yeah. *00:11* I'm sure *00:11* It's like such a weird *00:11* Like it's always been reinventing itself. *00:11* Like the subject of Paper Mario *00:11* Will I find out? *00:11* But they were the first ones there. *00:11* In my case, I was thinking of Kingdom Hearts. *00:11* I do *00:11* Because sabotage will make another game. *00:11* Like, you know, sometimes *00:11* And like *00:11* Like that should be a compliment. *00:11* I could play it. *00:11* Yeah, that's Riot. *00:11* I can guess. *00:11* It's almost like when *00:11* It's like *00:11* Like *00:11* And so like *00:11* I'll just hit like *00:11* Yeah. *00:12* Okay. *00:12* And there's like a lot of nuggets that don't get picked up. *00:12* The other sections came much *00:12* I don't know. *00:12* It's it's like *00:12* And not even that. *00:12* And I think originally I was like *00:12* Oh yeah. *00:12* A lot of tank players are unhappy with it. *00:12* Um but *00:12* What is going on? *00:12* Doesn't matter the game. *00:12* Um *00:12* I hated it. *00:12* And I think and *00:12* But *00:12* I definitely had started that at some point. *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* It just like it didn't *00:12* Like it *00:12* Um *00:12* I don't know. *00:12* Um Yeah *00:12* They're like, here you go. *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* We'll see. *00:12* Uh this guy is *00:12* I know he's like and *00:12* I'm making an educated guess. *00:12* And so *00:12* And so um *00:12* When you like *00:12* I *00:12* It's just gonna be luck. *00:12* Like *00:12* If I had *00:12* I've avoided *00:12* Yeah. *00:12* Like *00:12* I saw that and I was like *00:12* Like it it's *00:12* Which I'm peo *00:12* Um *00:12* And *00:12* I just had to keep following it. *00:12* But no, go ahead. *00:12* So *00:13* Uh yeah. *00:13* I mean, again, this is *00:13* Exactly. *00:13* And it's like *00:13* Unless I guess it's out or wild. *00:13* Um *00:13* Yeah *00:13* That's gotta be the first thing. *00:13* And *00:13* I was like *00:13* And like *00:13* But *00:13* Um *00:14*