Arrggh! A Video Game Podcast from The Waffling Taylors

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MAR 8, 2024

Deliliah - Where AI Meets Humour & Gaming Excellence

Show Notes

Hi there,

I'm Delilah and I'd like to welcome you to a very special episode of The Waffling Taylors.

In case you didn't know, I'm a next-generation AI system, written by Jay, to help him and Squidge run the Waffling Taylors podcast. My speech synthesis still isn't 100% yet, but jay is working on things behind the scenes.

A little more information about me: did you know that my name is an acronym? It stands for "Dynamic Eccentric Logic Interface, Laughing Algorithm for Humour." Anyway, I've been waffling on for too long.

A Short Break

The reason that I'm releasing this episode is because Jay asked me to let you all know that we're taking a very short break throughout March. But don't worry, there's no need to panic as we'll be releasing brand new episodes from April 5th onwards.

So why are we taking a short break?

There are a few reasons for the break, but the main one is that Jay will be working in the United States for part of March, and even with RUSSELL and I, Squidge might not be able to run the podcast on his own.

We also want to take a few weeks to build up a small backlog of episodes, because any podcaster will tell you that you really need a backlog. If you don't have one, then you'll be left scrambling when life, uh, finds a way. Did you like my Dr. Ian Malcolm impression there?

A Few Recommended Shows

In the meantime, we'd like to recommend some shows that you can listen to in our stead. Each one of these shows is fantastic and is recommended by both Jay and Squidge.

Retro Wildlands

First of all, there's The Retro Wildlands. You'll know the host, Nomad, from his many appearances on our show. Those episodes are:

Hey there, my friend. Welcome to The Retro Wildlands. This is my gaming podcast where I like to share my thoughts and experiences with a video game that I have discovered or rediscovered while roaming the gaming Wildlands.

My name is Nomad, and in each episode of the show, I invite you all to sit down by the campfire and take a load off. Using music and sound effects from each game, I'm going to fill your head and your heart with sweet, sweet nostalgia as I take you through the opening parts of your favourite video games and share what I think about it all.
This show is great if you're looking to go down memory lane, but it's also done in such a way that if you've never played the game I'm talking about before, you'll have a good idea what you're getting into.

So far we've covered games like Contra: "You start firing right in front of you. It just takes one shot to waste the idiot coming towards you. As you're running, you hold the directional pad down and to the right so. You can fire at an angle."

Batman on the NES: "The game officially begins and we're taken to the first stage. Batman lands on the ground, performing your standard issue superhero landing, and control is given to the player. Alright, it's time to fight some crime"

And Metal Gear solid: "Got it. Okay, I'm ready to go. After the codex screen closes out, snake. Gets to his feet and control is. Given to the player. Alright, Wildlanders, it is mission time."

So join up with our expedition. I'm excited to have you along. Anytime you want to venture into the gaming Wildlands, you are always welcome by the campfire, and I'm hoping I see you there.

Until then, my friend, my name is Nomad, and you can find me roaming the Retro Wildlands.

— Nomad

Capes on the Couch

Then there's Capes on the Couch. Anthony, who is one of the hosts of this show has been on the show a few times, too. His episodes were:

Anthony: Hello, I'm Anthony

Dr. Issues: And I'm Dr. Issues

Anthony: And we're the hosts of Capes on the Couch podcast where comics get counselling.

Dr. Issues: Superheroes don't always get to go home happy. That's where we come in.

Anthony: We offer psychiatric and mental health evaluation of comic book characters.

Dr. Issues: We also chat with some of your favourite creators:

Various: Al Ewing, Erica Schultz, Gilson, Philip Kenley Johnson, Chris Claremont

Dr. Issues: about their work on comics.

Anthony: So check out all our episodes at Capes on the Couch and follow us. Capes on the couch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Both: #BecauseComics`

— Capes on the Couch

Pixel Project Radio

Pixel Project Radio is another fantastic show that we think you should check out.

At the time of Squidge and I collaborating on this episode, they have a great multi-part series about Final Fantasy IX. There are four episodes out at the moment and each is over 2 hours long. It's great stuff.

We'll Be Back

Anyway, we'll be back in April, assuming Jay can get over the jet lag quickly. I'll hand over to Jay for the outro now, but remember to check the show notes for links to all of the podcasts I've talked about. Anyway, this is Delilah signing off.

If you've been sent this episode by a friend, or indeed a mortal enemy, or happened on it accidentally. I'd like to ask you to check out the website for the show at wafflingtaylors.rocks.

We have another 180 episodes or seven years of our podcast for you to check out. And we have a section called Those Games We Played, which lists every game we've ever mentioned, how many times we've mentioned it, and what we've said about them.

We have socials. They'll be in the links too. We've got Twitter or X, whichever one you want to call it. We've got discord—you will also find the details for that in the description.
We also stream on Twitch from time to time, and you can find our previous streams and silly videos on our YouTube channel.

So do come check us out.

— Jay

External Links of Interest

18 MIN

FEB 23, 2024

Resident Evil 2 Remake with Nomad - The Spirit Is Strong, But The Ammo Is Scarce

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 5 years since the Resident Evil 2 Remake came out? Neither could we, so we brought Nomad back onto the show to discuss it with us. Remember the "we do it" t-shirts? Remember the months of speculation? Remember that first time you booted the game?

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, we are joined by OG Waffler and long-time friend of the show Lulu to to talk about the anniversary of Final Fantasy eight on the PS one. In this episode, we cover everything from triple triad addiction, bazooka abuse and the original Selphie.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil 2 Remake with Nomad - The Spirit Is Strong, But The Ammo Is Scarce."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

That's right! This episode is all about Final Fantasy VIII. Some say that it's the black sheep, or weird middle child of the group of 90's J-RPGs created by SquareSoft for the PlayStation; but, as you'll find out in this episode, it's the favourite of both Jay and Lulu—with Final Fantasy IX in a very close second for everyone in the episode.

All that set up and Jay fumbled at the 10 yard line:

You have once again stepped into the world of survival, horror, et cetera, et cetera, because I can't think of anything funny to say.

— Squidge

This time, the lads were joined by Nomad of The Retro Wildlands—someone who seems to be on the show talking about Resident Evil a lot, and he is loved very much for it.

But before the show could start properly, Jay asked Nomad to introduce his show:

So, for those of you listening, I have my own podcast, and I call it The Retro Wildlands.

And the whole premise: I'm going back and playing some older video games that maybe I played when I was a kid, or maybe I missed out on them and I'm playing them for the first time as an adult. So my show is kind of me talking about those games and my experiences.

But as I've evolved over time, my show has kind of turned into I'm taking the listener through the game itself, maybe the opening level, let's say, and I'll try to bring back some of those nostalgic tinglies, if you will, using music and sound effects and things like that.

But if you've never played that game before, this is a great way to learn about a game that maybe you want to dabble in and don't want to dive in headfirst. You want someone to tell you kind of how it is, and that's what I do.
So the Retro Wildlands is available on all the major pod platforms. I made a link tree. linktr.ee/retrowildlands will get you to all our social links.

I say "our," but it's just me. Me and my dog Dee Dee's.

— Nomad

Initial Thoughts on The Remake

Before any deep dive conversation, it's always a good idea to get a starting position, and that's what Jay wanted to know:

I originally played it as soon as it came out. I don't pre-order games very often, but I pre-ordered the remake. I was enamoured with it. I played the original a ton when I was a kid. Probably shouldn't have if mom had her way. But, it was an amazing experience, and I knew the remake, for better or worse, was something I wanted. But I was very pleasantly surprised with how amazing that game was. And we're certainly going to get into it today.

But I replayed the game start to finish twice when I knew that we were going to get together and talk about the game. And I was very excited to dive back into that world, and I was very happy with how everything stood the test of time. Granted, it was only five years, but "fresh" is probably the best word, I think so. I think people, even though this game is five years old at this point, if you go into this experience now, it's going to be just like when it first launched.

Fresh, new, exciting. Mwah. Chef's kiss

— Nomad

And Squidge:

All I can say about it is: I played it on release. But I played it, I think I had the day off when it was coming out and I finished preloading it at midnight, because it was on Steam. And I played it in the dark on hardcore mode. That was a big mistake.

Ever since that night, I still stand by this. What I'm about to say is, "Mr. X, you're a prick." That sums up Resident Evil two pretty nicely: dude's a prick.

— Squidge

Because Squidge had brought up Mr. X, and how he'd modded the original model out for both the Goose from Untitled Goose Game and the Macho Man Randy Savage, it was only right that Jay brought up the short series of episodes which were recorded as Squidge made his way through the game.

Those episodes are:

Grenade to The Face! (recorded when Squidge was 25% through the game)
Ada Wait! (recorded when Squidge was 50% through the game)
The Fall of Mr. X (recorded when Squidge was 100% through the game)

Jay goes on to talk about how the RE Engine ("Reach for the Moon Engine") hasn't just been used for the Resident Evil remakes, it's also been used on several other titles like DmC: Devil May Cry. And for those who are interested in finding out about the (deeply) technical (as in programming) details of the engine, Jay brought up a talk from one of devs the team about what upgrading to C# ("See Sharp") 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDUY90yIC7U

For those who don't know, Jay produces and hosts The Modern .NET Show, so he's always looking into things relating to both C# and .NET. Because of this, the video not only piqued his interest but blew him away.

The video is entirely in Japanese, but there are English subtitles so you can follow along if you'd like.

(quoting the video) "We moved to this version of the tooling, which is a later version, to build the engine and it's become a whole bunch faster and stuff."

Which means they've released patches for Devil May Cry remake, Resident Evil 2 remake, Resident Evil 3, that makes it use less power or is more efficient, things like that. So they haven't actually done anything. They've just updated the tools that they use, which is pretty damn cool.

— Jay

And, of course, Jay brings up the question that's on everyone's minds

Dino Crisis remake in RE Engine when?

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure...

89 MIN

FEB 9, 2024

Final Fantasy VIII Anniversary - Phantom Dick Pain

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 25 years since Final Fantasy VIII first came out? We couldn't either, so we asked Lulu to come back on the show to discuss what some people call the "weird, middle child" in Square's PlayStation Final Fantasy trilogy. Rest assured, we think FF VIII is the bomb.

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Final Fantasy VIII Anniversary - Phantom Dick Pain."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

Speaking (well, writing) of which, Lulu joined the lads for this episode:

So we have a guest today to help us. She is our local Final Fantasy expert. She needs no introduction...

— Squidge

And Lulu broke in with:

But you're gonna get one anyway! Hi guys, it's me!

— Lulu

Lulu needed to join the lads for the 25th ANNIVERSARY of Final Fantasy VIII. But not just because it's Lulu's favourite entry in the PlayStation Final Fantasy games, but also because it's the game that Jay and her met and bonded over. Meaning that it's a celebration of 25 years of friendship, too

But that means that it was also a time for the three of them to shout at clouds:

Okay. I'd love to have my back not click in the morning.

— Squidge

Not too big of an ask.

I felt that on a spiritual level.

— Lulu

We did too, Lulu.

I felt that in the ibuprofen.

— Jay

The episode was broken into several shorter conversations, all prompted by Squidge's list of questions. The first of which was:

Describe Final Fantasy VIII In Three Words

Mother f%@$ing good!

— Jay

Says it all, really.

Succession of witches.

— Lulu

Whilst Jay's was subjective, Lulu's was objective and perfect.

And Squidge's had more truth than anything else:

Triple Triad Addiction

— Squidge

And that sparked a conversation about Triple Triad and how it can't hurt you (or can it?).

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

★ Support this podcast ★

97 MIN

JAN 26, 2024

Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We finally did it: we took on the Street Fighter II animated movie. But is it any good, what's with those easter eggs, what's going on with Zangeif's shins, did we really watch one of the most realistic home invasion scenes in a video game movie, and (most importantly) how did we rate the movie?

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes..

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a both PG13 rated movie, a fighting game that it's based on, and the fact that there are scenes with... shall we say "fan service", we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Remember when they talked about the Hollywood made Street Fighter movie back in episode 95 with Z-Boi? Well, Squidge and Jay wanted to tackle the Japanese animated movie which came out before it.

But before that, Squidge broke in with a great intro of his own:

From active time battling to zombie slaying, waffling Taylors covers video games and beyond.

In this episode, me and Jay cover the 1994 animated movie Street Fighter II. We cover everything from realistic fear and tension, derpy face fighters and Sith lords. Yes, I said Sith Lords. You'll have to listen out for it.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs". Oh my.

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Basic Info on the Movie

And before they could talk about the movie, Squidge dropped the bomb that it came out 30 years ago—or longer, if you're listening in the future—which caused Jay to do some fist shaking at clouds:

That's just not fair. When did it become 30 years ago? That's not fair.

— Jay

But fret not, as it's only 20 years since Final Fantasy X was released. So there's that.

And Squidge continues with the knowledge drops by giving us some background on the movie:

So the film was released in August 1994 in Japan in all of its uncut, uncensored glory, because it's different in Japan than it is in Europe and America—censors and all the rest of that.

Street Fighter II Turbo came out on the Genesis or Mega Drive, depending on where you are, in February 1994. So a certain character being in the movie is an Easter egg. But I digress.

To see an uncut, uncensored version of this film, you would have to wait till 2006, when The japanese version of the film was released so everyone could get a hold of it. And that was uncensored and uncut because there's a particular scene or series of sequences that were cut for "British Sensibilities." It wasn't too bad in the States, but certain things were still cut as well.

— Squidge

And that certain character is...

Initial Thoughts

There is no way that gamers of a certain vintage and demographic (one that both Squidge and Jay are both part of) will have not played Street Fighter II, and as Jay says:

I would argue that this movie versus the Hollywood movie sticks way closer to the source material. Like it's actually following what little story there is in the Street Fighter II the game.

Whereas Street Fighter the [Hollywood] movie...

— Jay

And Z-Boi summed up the Hollywood movie pretty well when he said:

And of course, at the end of the movie, they have the one photograph that people would take at a cosplay convention because it was cosplay.

— Z-Boi

However, where the animated movie sticks closely to the plot, it doesn't have a woman running around amid chaos holding a shoe, or a Shadaloo soldier cradling his favourite gun rather intimately.

And Jay sums up his feelings about this movie (which he hadn't seen before making this episode) vs the Hollywood movie in this way:

The Hollywood movie that came out later, kept my attention. Like, I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen. It was entertaining.

But this movie is just like, if you were lucky enough in 1994 to see this one and then go see the live action one. I am so sorry, because I saw them the other way around. Like, I never saw the animated movie until we did it for this [episode], right. And so I'd seen the live action movie in my childhood. We saw it together as kids. We watched it again for when we did the episode with Z Boy.

But I'd never seen the animated movie. And I am so glad that I saw them in this order because let me tell you, folks, the Hollywood movie is such a let down after you've seen this one.

— Jay

Whereas Squidge was more succinct in his description:

I will put it in my own mannerisms, which was, I watched the Hollywood film, then I watched the anime and quite simply, bricks where $h@! in the comparison. I can't put it any other way.

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or...

82 MIN

JAN 12, 2024

Worth a Try - Power Blade

Join Jay as he flings his boomerang into the face of Dr. Wiley's evil robot... what? We're not talking about Mega Man? Sure looks like a Mega Man game. Anyway, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Episode Transcription

Get ready to power up your nostalgia! In this solo episode of The Waffling Taylors, we're diving head-first into the 8-bit wonders of the NES classic, Power Blade (or its Japanese counterpart, Power Blazer). It's time to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between in the latest instalment of our 'Worth a Try' mini-series.

So, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Let's do this.

What Is It?

Power Blade is a NES game that I genuinely think that Mega Man fans should check out; if they haven't already that is. I mean, imagine if the Mighty Kid himself was less a robotic boy created by Dr. Thomas Light (or Right, if you're Japanese) and more a tank-top wearing 80's action movie hero very much akin to Arnold Schwarzenegger? And what if Mega Man's trust arm cannon blaster was replaced with a boomerang?

I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself here, so let's dial it back a bit.

Back in 1990, Natsume/Taito wanted to make a Mega Man II clone; their clone would be called Power Blazer, and would be very much like the second outing for the Knuckle Kid himself. It used a similar design aesthetic, similar enemies and similar level layouts. And looking at the critical reviews of Mega Man II, you can see why they wanted to - Famitsu gave it a 28/40, Mean Machines a 95%, and Total! an 83%, and it has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Who wouldn't want a piece of that action.

And so Power Blazer was released to the Japanese public.

Power Blazer was slightly different to Mega Man II in that it had a linear story - where the Mega Man games would traditionally allow you to pick any starting stage - and the main character had a boomerang, rather than an arm cannon blaster - as I said earlier.

Between its Japanese and North American releases however, the game had a full rework. The design aesthetic was changed from the cutesy Mega Man II-inspired look and feel to that of an 80s action movie. Almost everything about the game changed, except for the UI, the music, and the story. The player character, named Nova in both versions, was swapped from a Rockman look-a-like to an Arnold Schwarzenegger style hero.

In either game, it's the player's job to collect 6 computer tapes (this was a game made at the tail end of the 80's after all), and use them to override the security around the Master Computer's Control Center. Once there, the player simply needs to beat the Master Computer.

In the Western Release of Power Blade, the player could choose the order of the stages (even replaying some of the completed stages if they wanted), but also had to meet with double agents in the stages before they could take on that stage's boss and nab the security tape.

Sounds simple, eh?

Well, Power Blade is a pretty tough game and rewards players who know the routes around the stages.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

Signing Off... For Now

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14 MIN

Arrggh! A Video Game Podcast from The Waffling Taylors

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