Watch Out for Fireballs!

Episode 101: Katamari Damacy

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross heap praise on Katamari Damacy.

It's simultaneously a singular expression, and one of the most eclectic games we've covered for the show. Katamari Damacy is an extremely simple game with one goal: to instill as much joy in you as possible. And it works.

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Episode 100: Super Metroid

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross gush about Super Metroid in this centennial episode of Watch Out for Fireballs!

"Break Glass in Case of Emergency". There's a whole category of game that Gary and I avoid playing for the show. They're in the upper echelon. They're top tier. If we brought them out regularly, everything else would feel like a chore.

But sometimes it's a special occasion, and you have to bring out the fine china. And Super Metroid is some fine, fine China. On one hand, it's an expansion and elaboration on the stuff that made Metroid 1 and 2 unique. On the other, it's a foundational text that cemented a whole new genre in place. Listen, as we break the glass and talk about one of the best games of all time.

But first, get hyped by watching this trailer, created for us by Allison Baker:

Episode 99: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross hide in a corner while Amnesia: The Dark Descent happens.

This game won our Spring Survival Horror poll, and for good reason. Frictional mastered the "first person, pursuit-based exploration horror" genre, and created a game that's so scary that a lot of people can't even play it. Listen in, especially if you're one of those people.

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Episode 98: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross delve into Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon.

If you're judging this game on adorableness, it passes with flying colors. If you're judging it on mechanics, it's the best introduction to Roguelikes you're likely to get. If you're judging it on story... Wait, where's Rafaello? I love him so god damn much.

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Episode 97: Commander Keen in Goodbye, Galaxy!

Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross walk backward and talk about Commander Keen in "Goodbye, Galaxy!"

We're always looking to shore up blind spots in the games we cover. After nearly four years of doing this show, it's important to avoid ruts. Commander Keen represents a particular stripe of PC platformers that was ultimately an evolutionary dead end. But in his time, Commander Keen was charming and fun. This episode actually covers two games: "The Secret of the Oracle" and "The Armageddon Machine". The former is an essential play, the latter is dull garbage.

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