#32: The Simpsons Retrospective/Red Dead Redemption 2

Wow, did this end up being a jam-packed episode to make up for a longer-than-usual wait since the TMNT talk. Not only is Chris back on as a guest for the first time, not only is TV editor and writer Alan Denton (Sonic Boom/Sunny Day) making his show debut, and not only does the opening contain talk of pets and how John's Anime USA 2018 experience was the most linked to prior show topics by pure chance, but we also tackle maybe the biggest game of the year and maybe the biggest TV cartoon of all time. All for the low low price of absolutely nothing. (Cue Bart's "If anything, you owe them" argument but not really.)

As the sole Rockstar Games enthusiast of the three, John dishes out his thoughts on what he's played so far of Red Dead Redemption 2, discussing why he thinks it's destined to go down as a divisive game while praising its writing, depth, and ideas. But the fun really begins when everyone takes a look back at Matt Groening's dysfunctional yellow-tinted family who changed the face of TV animation as we know it, as we take an overarching look at The Simpsons. Specific episode discussions mostly focus in the Season 1 to 10 era, but we also discuss topics like the movie, both what inspired the show and what later shows were influenced by it, differing experiences in how we were introduced to it as kids, various opinions on why we don't tune in as regularly any more, Mr. Burns tickling the Pillsbury Doughboy, Batman being a scientist, Kevin Spacey dying on the way back to his home planet, and so, so much more (That all makes sense when you listen, we promise). And yes, we do talk Apu a bit as well.

Timestamps:
2:18 - Intro (Alan introduction, catching up with Chris, Anime USA 2018)
14:41 - Red Dead Redemption 2 (Light spoilers for first few hours)
34:23 - The Simpsons retrospective

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
Alan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanTheWriter

Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#31: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Retrospective/Spider-Man PS4

Patrick Fleury makes his now-annual appearance on the show, which ended up revolving around New York City-based superheroes entirely by chance. He and John give their spoiler-free thoughts on Insomniac's stellar PlayStation-exclusive take on Spider-Man (And some extra thoughts on existing Spidey movies and TV series), with the expected Arkham gameplay comparisons, appreciation of the game's storytelling and character focus, and addictions to web swinging.

But the bulk of the episode is focused on another nostalgia-heavy retrospective, only while Chris and Tyrone were Transformers kids growing up (Go listen to Episode 12), the Fleury boys had more experience with a quartet of radical, pizza-loving reptiles, so we set out to discuss every film and TV iteration of the Ninja Turtles. Opinions and highlights include what makes our shared favorite movies stick out the most, what makes our picks for the worst movie and show particularly grating, Patrick's unexpected choice for favorite turtle, brief praise for the Turtles in Time game, and John surprising Patrick between entries with some....interesting and little-known clips from less respected TMNT videos. All while we eat pizza, wax nostalgia, and make plenty of funnies.

Timestamps:
5:10 - Spider-Man (2018 PlayStation 4 game)
27:13 - Ninja Turtles origins and memories
34:00 - Ninja Turtles movies (1/Secret of the Ooze/3/TMNT/reboot/Out of the Shadows)
1:04:34 - Ninja Turtles TV series (Original/Next Mutation/4Kids/2012/Rise)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Patrick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fleuryp
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out John's video review of WarioWare Gold: https://youtu.be/zX_va_ptdOA
Check out John's in-progress Reanimated collab for WarioWare Gold's cutscenes: https://twitter.com/WarioReAnimated

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#30: Record of Lodoss War/Ant-Man and the Wasp/Mega Man X Legacy Collection

We're back!  I'm in a hurry to end this hiatus and get this uploaded with the essentials like timestamps, so long story short, me and Ben Reynolds talk the latest MCU film, the latest Mega Man compilations, and a classic fantasy anime franchise.  Expect more detailed text here later. - John

Timestamps:
10:00 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (Spoilers - Infinity War spoilers at 21:12)
30:16 - Mega Man X Legacy Collection
47:27 - Record of Lodoss War (Heavy spoilers for OVA & light spoilers for TV series)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Ben's Twitter: https://twitter.com/daiconv
Ben's portfolio site: http://ben-reynolds.com/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out the trailer for John's next WarioWare cartoon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXmXNcOxCdo

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#29: Death Parade/Detroit: Become Human/Arrowverse

The guest co-host train keeps on truckin' as podcasting veteran Dave Roberts talks in-depth with John about a diverse variety of topics. John gives his overall thoughts on the recent PS4 hit Detroit: Become Human (Hint: They involve Walking Dead comparisons, observations on David Cage's recurring flaws and strengths, remembering when games came with more cheats and extras, and Clancy Brown's buddy cop subplot stealing the show), while Dave gives his mixed opinions on the current state of the shows that make up DC's Arrowverse (Hint: They also involve Walking Dead comparisons, which show sticks out as the weak link, and Trevor from GTA 5).

For the main topic, John takes advantage of Chris being absent and picks a show dear to him that the Wades have a shared disinterest in - the 2015 anime sleeper hit Death Parade. We dissect the show's unique themes and concepts, its standout episodes and moments, its slick visuals and emotional power, and somehow fit in discussions on automated grocery store checkouts and the Christopher Robin movie. And yes, we discuss THAT character cameo.

(Good news: Episode 30 will almost definitely feature Patrick from the Pokemon and Batman episodes and be a Ninja Turtles retrospective. Bad news: John's taking a cross-country trip for the remainder of July, so please bear with us since we probably won't record until he's back in the States.)

Timestamps:
05:11 - Detroit: Become Human review (Mild spoilers)
24:54 - Arrow/Flash/Supergirl/Legends of Tomorrow thoughts (Mild spoilers)
40:17 - Death Parade review and discussion (Heavy spoilers)

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Dave's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealDaveRoberts
Dave's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#28-B: Rhythm Games Retrospective

If our E3 thoughts didn't fill the Sketch Watch Play-sized hole in your life quite enough, how about a full hour and a half reminiscing on one of our favorite video game genres? John and Felipe chronicle both the general history and their standout experiences with rhythm-based video games, from its infancy through rapping paper-thin dogs and dance pads to crazier ventures like Elite Beat Agents and Rez. And yes, we devote a huge chunk to our experiences with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as fan-cultivated successors to 2/3 of the games mentioned in this paragraph. Which ones? Discover that for yourself. Also, Felipe recreates a lot of song lyrics and at various points we end up talking about Heathcliff, and that stupid Donkey Kong cartoon again, just because.

(I was hoping to try and do another original drawing for this episode's thumbnail, but it's not done yet and the audio's ready to go, so I'll update the file on LibSyn later and you can re-download if that matters to you. And my statement at the end about being unsure about Episode 29's topic is outdated too. We're talking Death Parade. -John)

Check out John's review of The Metronomicon, one of the newer games he recommends in this episode: https://youtu.be/7kL_rksg_VU
Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#28-A: Incredibles 2/E3 2018

Another temporary hiatus for Chris means a return to a revolving door of guest co-hosts new and old for John to geek out with.  Generation Animation's own Felipe Diaz-Vera returns for a gargantuan talk regarding a recent movie, a recent video game expo, and an entire genre of games we both enjoy....But because neither of us had a time we needed to sign off and it's been a month since the last episode, John chose to do another two-parter so we can have new content for you patient listeners sooner.  So our rhythm game retrospective will have to wait.

We start things out by discussing Chris's status and some personal projects, then John gives his thoughts on the Pixar sequel he's long desired above all others (Spoiler free since it only just came out and Felipe hadn't seen it during this recording), and then we dive into our personal highlights of this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo.  From Star Wolf possibly being bi to everyone getting Norted, there's a healthy amount of opinions, speculation, and excitement, but honestly, all that really matters is that METAL WOLF IS COMING HOME, AND WILL BE UPHOLDING TRUE AMERICAN JUSTICE.  And yes, Felipe followed through on his promise of making this episode's majestic thumbnail.

Timestamps:
12:56 - Incredibles 2 spoiler-free review
30:18 - Spider-Man PS4
36:42 - Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
42:19 - Devil May Cry 5
47:58 - Kingdom Hearts 3
1:01:54 - Metal Wolf Chaos XD

John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Felipe's Twitter: https://twitter.com/fizzucker
Felipe's podcast: http://fanoffmedia.com/shows/gen/
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel

Check out John's video on his most wanted Smash Bros. newcomers: https://youtu.be/Bby1Z4_EjRw
Check out John's process video for his shot in the Donkey Kong Reanimated collab: https://youtu.be/jwlqCY9lcgk

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/

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#27: Dragon Hunters/More Infinity War Talk/Ni no Kuni II

After settling back into the podcast groove by talking about Smash Bros. and grandmas who admire Mufasa's face, we prove we can't go an episode without talking something Marvel-related, as Chris gives his thoughts on the latest Avengers film after being unable to join our previous spoilercast (And this does mean we give a ton away, so if you haven't seen the movie yet, note the timestamps below). John also gives his opinion so far on Ni no Kuni 2, and why it's surprising him after what he thought about its predecessor. Also, see if you can pinpoint the part in that section where he had to stifle some burps.

For our main topic, it's John's turn in continuing a theme of little-known stuff one of us loves, and for him, this has been a long time coming. John discusses his history and admiration of the French cartoon series Dragon Hunters, which blew up in Europe and died on arrival everywhere else. John gushes a lot about its strengths and even how it's influenced his own ideas, while Chris tries to wrap his head around that gushing while also speculating on why the series failed to launch in the States. We talk the creative setting and creatures, the fun chemistry and nuances of the main cast, its amazing theme song provided by the most unlikely of bands, and also touch on the theatrical CG film it inspired as well as the unique reasons why you might want to avoid its second season.

(Side note: This marked our first time doing some new recording tricks to preserve Chris's audio during the times he drops out on John's side. You may notice some occasional word jumps and changes in volume and sound quality as a result, but we'll keep working on it and it means you get to fully hear Chris in all his aural goodness.)

Timestamps:
7:20 - Chris's Avengers: Infinity War review (Spoilers)
25:10 - Ni no Kuni 2 initial thoughts (Mild spoilers)
37:27 - Dragon Hunters series & movie review (Spoilers)

Show email (Send feedback and requests here): sketchwatchplay@gmail.com
Show Twitter (Follow for updates, and send feedback and requests): https://twitter.com/sketchwatchplay
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Show homepage: http://sketchwatchplay.blogspot.com/
John's Twitter: https://twitter.com/Behonkiss
Chris's Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWadeTheSequel
John's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Behonkiss

Check out this episode!