Castle Couch Podcast

Otakuthon fever sweeps over Montreal as visions of both foxy and odious cat people can be seen (and smelled) across the island. Anna show's off her fancy winged hat and tells us about how she longed for a body pillow but instead loitered in the convention lobby taking pictures of innocent bystanders. Andrew becomes king of the adolescents upon acing his driving aptitude exam and being confronted by a gaggle of 16-year-olds. Raph decides to spend the week at home with his new vacuum cleaner making an elementary-science-fair-style mess with baking soda and vinegar. Olivier's got the games section of our podcast covered as the rest of us were obviously busy with the aforementioned adventures. Speaking of adventures, Olivier wrote an excellent essay entitled “The Grand Adventure,” find it and more on castlecouch.com. Thanks for listening! 20:40 - Guild Wars 225:20 - Rare Replay [RR]25:30 - [RR] Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts26:35 - [RR] Viva Pinata31:25 - Journey31:50 - GALAK-Z38:20 - Life is Strange Episo

This week the crew dwells on the inevitability of their demise and think about days long past where they slept full nights and could sit around without worrying about all the things they should be doing instead. Andrew's broken body recovers from another weekend at the lake and Anna spends long night catching up on homework. Raph stares longingly at his list of games to finish by year's end and Olivier counts the seconds to his next coffee. We do cover a few newer games this week in the form of King's Quest and The Magic Circle before falling into deep holes of clicker game nonsense and our seemingly monthly Metal Gear Solid tangent. Also Anna's friend saw Jeremy Renner, so that's cool.24:00 - King's Quest29:50 - Alphabear31:40 - Rocket League32:10 - Singstar35:10 - AdVenture Capitalist40:54 - The Fall42:25 - The Magic Circle50:10 - Metal Gear Solid Tangent57:45 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@cast

This latest castle couch week paralleled Anna's foray into Chocobo Hot and Cold madness as both Raph and Andrew spent a week of sunburns and heatstroke when compared to Olivier's chilled week of stolen Starbucks internet. Olivier has plenty of stories to tell about the Fantasia film festival that he is currently covering: including a tale of scriptwriting lions who simply could not care less about the well-being of the actors they share the set with. On the other hand, Andrew covers all manner of swine and hogwash with the weekend at the lake with his friends' pet pig. Despite his Disney withdrawal, Raph is able to focus beyond the looming Mickey Mouse monkey on his back to tell us about lake goats and ghost fetuses and bears among other things he experienced in his trip to the app store. Throughout all the raucous hustle and bustle of the zoo that was our lives, we managed to spare a few hours on Twitch catching the latest Summer Games Done Quick charity speedrunning marathon (shoutouts to Jmatt) to support

Castle Couch's classist society is particularly evident this week as Raph surrounds himself with world-class chicken nuggets in Florida while Olivier sits quietly in his internet-barren apartment thinking of all the average spaghetti he'll have to endure. Left without his brother-in-arms, Andrew is left alone to face the oncoming league of legends horde in the form of 10-year olds. Meanwhile Anna and Andrew have tales to share of their summer class adventures in lands of car-surfing and art pretentiousness. As made painfully obvious in this most recent 'cast, we don't always do right by the English language. Thank you so much for listening and we apologize for both the tardiness and sub-optimal audio quality this week.16:20 – Code Combat24:05 – Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward24:55 – R.I.P Satoru Iwata29:42 – Eldritch Horror35:10 - EMC36:50 - Drei39:15 - The Graveyard43:30 - The Fall46:00 - Bucket List: Final Fantasy IX A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions a

In this very adult and serious version of the castle couch podcast, the guys set up a round table to try a different format. With Anna absent from the show, Raph, Andrew, and Olivier share their backgrounds and upbringings and how video games were a driving factor in their respective youths. The debate floor is opened up with Star Wars vs Harry Potter; Star Trek once again takes a surprising lead on that front. Chatter of forum lurking and Nintendo Power nostalgia flow seamlessly into more current topics like Taylor Swift and Apple Music. So come sit down for an hour and be soothed by the calm voices of three gentlemen in an attempt to hide the fact that we didn't actually play anything different from last week.31:30 – Batman Arkham Knight38:30 – Apple Music45:35 – Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More in

After warming up for an hour with Quiplash before the show, the castle couch gang records what is sure to be our wittiest entry yet! Stumbling past our false start, we get right into the thick of things with Anna's hot Michael Caine gossip. As Montreal Comic-con fever sweeps over our city, Olivier covers the new Batman game that he spent his vacation time playing (when wasn't unpacking boxes). Finally, Andrew's Heavensward Endgame Update triggers some talk about role-play LARP. As always, thank you for listening!18:25 - Batman Arkham Knight25:15 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward39:20 - Quiplash42:30 - Limbo45:00 - Splatoon48:15 - Sunset A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.com

Hear-ye, hear-ye! Gather 'round for the newest edition of ye olde castle couch podcaste. Join Andrew at the northern parapets and listen to the newest updates on the Heavensward dragon assault. Stablemaster Raph shows off his prize-winning stallion-tank in the form of Batman Arkham Knight at the equine garrison. Olivier can be found at the apothecary's booth turning free time alchemy-like into podcasted reviews as he records his thoughts on another slew of games to round out the show. Need comic relief? Peasant Anna can be found jestering about while gawking at the royalty and wishing that she-too can one day play a game for the podcast.15:15 - Discussion: Apple vs. Confederate Flags19:15 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward29:20 - Batman Arkham Knight44:20 - Planetside 247:40 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt53:05 - Sunset56:50 - Her Story A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends&nb

Whether you spent your weekend 'raving and entering' like Andrew or relaxed by the lake with some delightful indie games, we're sure you'll find something for you at the castle couch lodge. This week Andrew talks about food but this time completely at the behest of one Raphael Bennett; all he really wants to talk about though is his imminent descent into the shadow realm that is the new Final Fantasy XIV expansion. After spending so much time talking about some independent games, Raphael Bennett leads the cast in a small eulogy for developer Tale of Tales as they announce that they are no longer producing video games. Stay tuned and as always, thanks for listening!18:40 - Plug & Play21:25 - Her Story26:00 - Jenny LeClue27:55 - Lifeline29:45 - Splatoon32:40 - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward37:30 - Dirt Rally39:55 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt42:35 - Defense Grid 244:20 - Fallout Shelter44:55 - Gears of War Ultimate Edition Beta45:15 - Sunset A direct link to the

At last, our final podcast of our E3 conference day is at hand and with it a series of life-shattering announcements to be discussed at the Sony show. A dozen hours into the day and the castle couch crew is still [barely] toughing it out despite the deepening couch sores. If you're still looking for more of our thoughts after our podcast triplet, you can be sure that next week's podcast is going to be chock-full of Nintendo and Square Enix impression. See you soon and thank you, as always, for sharing your E3 with us.SonyThe Last Guardiancoming 2016?Horizon: Zero Dawna new IP set far in a post-apocalyptic setting where the Earth has recoveredlooks like the combat will focus on hunting robotic wildlifeHitmannew Hitman game, no subtitleStreet Fighter VPS4-exclusive beta incomingNo Man Skygameplay demo to show off the enormous scale of the gameDreamsa Media Molecule “game” that is probably a lot more like modeling software easy-to-use tools allow users to create assets that can be shared with others to add

Back again for more E3 2015 conference coverage? Us too. This time the local roundtable sums up the more interesting highlights of the Electronic Arts and Ubisoft press conferences. Second in our line of “mini” conference podcasts this week, EaXUbi is bound to stir up pessimistic discussion about modern triple-A games. Stay tuned for more as we make our way through our mountains of notes (some of mine are included below) and thank you once again for stopping in to share in our E3 experience.Electronic ArtsMass Effect Andromedano gameplay, just another teaserNeed for Speedcoming 3rd November 2015Star Wars: The Old RepublicKnights of the Fallen Empire expansion to feature Bioware-style story and dialogueUnravelvery cute 2D indie platformer where you play as a miniature yarn doll in a real-world environmentPlants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2zombies defend against the plant invasioncoming spring 2016NHL16EASHL ranked leagueNBA Live 16“Hoop Gawd”Mobile gamesStar Wars collectible card gamenew 'tapped out

I can't even begin to tell you how pumped up we are over here at castle couch for the coming days of conferences and as such we've prepared a steady stream of podcasting content for you to enjoy. The following podcast is our roundtable discussion of the Bethesda and Microsoft press conferences with a little bit of Nintendo World Championship peppered throughout. Instead of the usual timestamped shownotes, I've included some of the bullet points covered in the conferences based on my hastily-scribed notes. Thank you so much for making us part of your E3 extravaganza this year, we're so excited to be sharing it with you all.Here are my extensive notes written verbatim:BethesdaDoomFallout 4Fallout ShelterThe Elder Scrolls OnlineBattlecryDishonored 2Elder Scrolls Collectible Card Game MicrosoftHalo 5gameplay trailer-      new squad management dynamic-      you play as both Master Chief and the regular dudes-      playable @ E3-  

Andrew shows up fully garbed in suit and tie for a very special castle couch 50th podcast. Fair warning, however, you're going to want to skip the first 5 minutes of the show this week if you haven't eaten in a bit as he lists all the food he gluttonously consumed that evening. Olivier recounts his week of Summertime Sadness but by the end of the podcast, Anna appears to be the one afflicted with crippling RPG-related depression. Overall, it's a great show where the cast happens to have accidentally played far too many games to try and talk about in the allotted time frame. As the cherry on top of an already bloated cake, Olivier wraps up his Asura's Wrath Bucket List and gifts us with a final description of the game's conclusive arc.19:15 - Discussion: Digital Return Policies27:10 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt27:25 - Snakebird29:05 - Hot Date31:30 - Coming Out Simulator33:30 - Neko Atsume35:45 - Lifeline38:40 - You Must Build A Boat40:35 - Plug & Play44:45 -&nbs

Ever find yourself laying awake at night wondering why no one has ever thought of capitalizing on your childhood nostalgia by rebooting a much-beloved franchise from ages past? Here at RaphCorps(TM)'s own castle couch, we bring up our thoughts on what series should get new sequels in the form of the ever-popular Kickstarter extravaganza. After our discussion we once more delve into the world of the Wither 3 as the gang slowly picks away at the immense amount of content to be consumed therein. We play some newer releases too but make sure you stick around for Olivier's weekly Asura's Wrath wrap-up which proves that they simply ìdon't make them like they used toî. 19:50 - Discussion: Fantasy Kickstarter Resurrection29:50 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt39:45 - Life is Strange: Episode 345:20 - Mystery Game: Homesick50:55 - Singstar53:00 - Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition58:00 - Bucket List: Asura's Wrath A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your email

Long gone are the days of sloth and gluttony as most of the castle couch squad recount their healthy decisions this week - not only did Andrew and Olivier both independently fix up their bicycles but Anna had a salad! After establishing himself as he group meat-head, Andrew invites Raph over to his side of the couch to talk about the new Destiny DLC. While Raph is on the cool new adventurous side of the sofa he sticks around to discuss the new Witcher game with Olivier. Make sure you listen all the way to the end for Olivier's fantabulous word painting of Asura's Wrath and another classic Anna Rant (TM).32:25 - Stretchmo33:35 - Destiny (Dark Below & House of Wolves DLC)40:25 - The Cat Lady45:40 - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt61:05 - Snakebird62:05 - Bucket List: Asura's Wrath68:15 - Discussion: Bazinga? (Nerd Culture) A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music i

Dim the lights and prepare yourselves for the most 'adult' themed castle couch podcast yet as Andrew recounts his weekend of bachelor party debauchery. Anna follows up with tales of bodypillows and unrequited twitter messages. Still not convinced that our content is mature enough? Olivier delves into the week's biggest release and shares some of his thoughts on The Witcher 3 and all of its mature subject matter. Boobs.24:15 - Discussion: Reboot Video Game Fantasy Life30:45 - The Witcher 342:05 - Snakebird42:45 - Towerfall (New DLC)49:05 - Mystery Game: Stretchmo A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.com

With all of Broken Age finally released it felt like a good time to do a spoiler podcast. In essence, this is a follow-up to our prolonged Game of the Year discussions (psst...Broken Age ended up in our Top five games of 2014). Enjoy hearing us air our love, grievances, and thoughts on Broken Age. Also, sorry about Raph's crummy audio. A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can be found on their website: http://www.thejemband.com

With a bit of a lapse in new games this week, we take a look back at our childhoods and think about the frustrations that gaming caused us. Have a seat and listen to our clearly traumatic experiences with regards to released Pokemon and the great Smash Brothers statistics misrepresentation of 1999. Next up, Andrew has a very special preview in the form of a quick 1-hour look at Splatoon. Finally, Olivier wraps up his thoughts on Dark Souls as the 'Chosen One' has completed yet another Souls (ugh) game on his Bucket List.17:45 - Discussion: Frustrated Kids and Games28:10 - Wolfenstein: Old Blood32:55 - Snakebird37:05 - Race to the Sun42:35 - Amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits45:35 - Mystery Game: Splatoon Preview55:30 - Bucket List: Final Fantasy IX60:40 - Bucket List: Dark Souls A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our friends The JEM for letting us use their music in the show. More info on The JEM can

After discussing an interesting question borrowed from someone else (please, send us your original questions at podcast@castlecouch.com), we jump right into Broken Age with all the zeal and expectations that our Game of the Year coverage from 2014 would suggest. Andrew describes his week in multiplayer gaming with the Blizzard MOBA and an early-access game that doesn't feel too early. Olivier also tears through some older games he bought on a recent Steam sale before we regroup and move along to our bucket list. As usual, thanks for listening in and please do send us those sweet sweet emails with your bits and/or discussion topics.27:45 - Mario vs Zelda vs Metroid31:05 - The Last of Us cinematic playthrough (put together on YouTube by: Grant Voegtle)36:15 - Broken Age47:10 - Heroes of the Storm53:30 - Mystery Game: Killing Floor 259:05 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 261:35 - Ryse: Son of Rome63:20 - Bulletstorm65:15 - Royals67:20 - Bucket List: Xenoblade Chronicles70:10 - Bucket List: Dark Souls A di

This week we explore a myriad of games before delving into some real meat-and-potatoes discussions. The highlight of the discussion this week is about the Paid Steam Mod debate as we throw our idealistic hat into the ring only to argue ourselves into despair and experience some self-induced misery. We also end that cheery discussion with one about the cancellation of Konami's Silent Hills project. There is a silver lining however, as budding entrepreneurs can now sell their Playstations with preloaded P.T. Demos for insane prices. Way to go world. 09:25 - Telltale's A Game of Thrones, Episode 314:30 - Broken Age, Part II20:10 - Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris21:40 - Helldivers26:35 - Olli Olli 229:30 - Mystery Game: Kalimba, The Dark Void DLC32:45 - Mortal Kombat X33:35 - Bucket List: Xenoblade Chronicles (3D)39:55 - Bucket List: Dark Souls45:55 - Bucket List: Minish Cap47:15 - Pokemon Shuffle?48:40 - Discussion: STEAM Modding63:32 - Discussion: Konami / Silent Hills A direct link to the&nbs

This week's show covers the newest holiday you haven't heard of in the form of International Streetpass Week and features a whole five minutes about the new streetpass games that Raph could not possibly care less about. Following that we hop and skip through some of the week's newest releases like Titan Souls and Westerado before rounding out the podcast with our Bucket List. The last 20 minutes or so include a discussion about motion controls nearly a decade after their introduction to the gaming industry so make sure to stick around to hear what we think.10:00 - International Streetpass Week!15:30 - Neverwinter22:00 - Mystery Game: Dooors24:45 - Life is Strange Episode 231:20 - Titan Souls39:35 - Westerado: Double Barreled45:50 - Grow Home48:20 - Bucket List: Minish Cap53:40 - Bucket List: Dark Souls54:35 - Bucket List: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption59:30 - Motion Controls A direct link to the iTunes page.We'd love to read your emails! Send us questions at: podcast@castlecouch.comMany thanks to our fri