Ep. 247 - The Criterion Collection of Video Games

The panel convenes to assess the Oofya, share controversial Klonoa opinions, and choose the first five video games to be given the Criterion Collection treatment.

Questions this week:

1. What difficulty mode do you start games on? (00:42)
2. How do you remedy the tone of Grand Theft Auto while maintaining crass irreverence? (05:53)
3. How do you create urgency in a video game without an explicit timer? (16:35)
4. What should Roblox replace its iconic “oof” noise with? (20:31)
5. Jaffe Guesses the Golden Age of Konami – Round 4 (28:37)
6. Tom asks: If the Criterion Collection were to release video games, what might the first five titles be, and what would the ideal special features be for each of them? (30:04)

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Inaugural Criterion Collection of Video Games (01:01:33)

Share your picks for games 6 and onward in the forums!

A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:

• Kingdom Hearts series
• Final Fantasy VII: Remake
• God of War series
• DOOM series
• Rockstar Games Cleaned Up Its Frat-Boy Culture — and Grand Theft Auto, Too
• Grand Theft Auto series
• Red Dead Redemption II
• The Sopranos
• The Simpsons
• Saints Row series
• Tim Roger’s Friend Jason Schreier
• Bully
• Sonic the Hedgehog universe
• Penguin Game tweet
• Super Valis IV
• Bio-Senshi Dan: Increaser to no Tatakai
• Celeste
• Castlevania / Akumajō Dracula series
• Roblox
• Roblox’s new ‘oof’ sound is a big oof
• Jeff Gerstmann’s tweet
• Super Mario series
• Intellivision Amico
• Klonoa series (be nice, klonoa is just a little guy doing his best)
• Tomba!
• Croc: Legend of the Gobbos
• The Criterion Collection
• Seanbaby
• ICO
• The Complete Mr. Arkadin (1955)
• Panzer Dragoon series
• The Last of Us series
• Virtua Fighter 2
• SEGA AGES 2500 series
• Gunstar Heroes
• Powerslave
• Quake
• Samurai Shodown NeoGeo Collection
• Seven Samurai (1954)
• Linda³ Again
• Blizzard Arcade Collection
• Playdate
• Yu Suzuki
• Tokimeki Memorial games
• Myst
• Another World
• Katamari series
• Shadow of the Colossus
• Star Control II
• Elite
• Armageddon (1998)
• Mortal Kombat II
• Turok: Dinosaur Hunter
• Live a Live
• Once Upon a Time in China: The Complete Films
• High Seas Havoc
• Socket
• Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel
• Awesome Possum Kicks Dr. Machino’s Butt

Recommendations:

Tim: The Criterion Channel

Frank: Get some good sleep and poop on the regular

Brandon: If you drink wine buy a wine aerator, and if you live in the Bay Area buy Alvarrado Street bread

Jaffe: The Bear on FX

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original Music by Kurt Feldman.