Episode 104: Next Gen(erosity)

The fine, familiar, festive holiday of Thanksgiving is this very week, so the DV Cast have decided to talk with each other about video games. This is what they do every week, but this time it's a holiday. Zachary "Next Gen" Walton explains the technical feats of the PlayStation 4 and the emotional state of himself (the latter of which has been strengthened by a new season of My Little Pony). You've got Knack, Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Resogun, Ustream-- the whole nine yards. The game-playing habits of Stephen and Bryan are still trapped in an all-encompassing Blizzard, but they have a hilarious and outrageous story to tell that is bound to become the biggest family feature film of 2014. (It involves Super Mario 3D World, so you know it has to be lovely.) Speaking of Nintendo games that were released on November 22nd of 2013, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds receives accolades, surpassing its divisive and smelly predecessor Skyward Sword. Lastly, a round of Thanksgiving segments set a warm, generous tone for the end of another episode, with or without sweet potatoes depending on your preference. Opening song: Funky Bits by Yoann Turpin.

Ending song: So Long and Thanks for All the..., originally from Sonic 3 & Knuckles and ReMixed by Red Tailed Fox.

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Episode 103: #theDVcast #Sony #livetweetFTW

That PlayStation 4 video game console device is out on the market, but since the only DV Cast member who owns one is out sick, the others decide to talk about every other Sony product instead. It doesn't take long for Stephen to starting saying dumb statements about Crash Bandicoot the Wombat during History Time and sullying the original PlayStation's good name in the process, which turns Cameron Kratos-red with anger. Level-headed Bryan manages to stay above the Sony All-Stars Battle Royale with his commanding presence as Person Who Talks the Most, which is a fitting title during StarCraft Talk. An exciting gambit of video games can also found in this podcast, including World of Warcraft, Call of Duty: Ghosts, and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, which-- combined with livetweets-- should bring in the mainstream media like never before. Good times roll like heads from the God of War's wrath, so feel free to Crash the party! Opening song: Funky Bits by Yoann Turpin.

Ending song: Hogging Molly, originally from Crash Bandicoot and ReMixed by Brandon Strader and Rexy.

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Episode 102: The Sports Episode

Sports! The moment that word slips out, every member of the DV Cast can't help but to dash for the catcher's mitts and televised footballing events to cheer, holler, and create hullabaloo about their very favorite hobby on this green earth. Despite all of that being an insidious lie, this episode of Disembodied Voices is technically about sports-- particularly Zachary getting beaned in the head with a baseball and Bryan getting clubbed in the head with a bat-- but in reality this topic spends a lot of time on the bench. Video games such as stinky bummer Sonic Lost World, anti-jump-scare Fatal Frame, and kind of okay Tiny Death Star (AKA Moisture Farmville) quickly rush in to fill the gaps, accompanied by super fun segments. Food Time compares fine cheeses and divides people on the mayonnaise issue while Odd-eo introduces a useful means to Nickelodeon game shows. The conversation is like Navi from the opening of Ocarina of Time as it flits here and there, occasionally bumping into things, and that's just the way it's done here at Disembodied Voices HQ. Come along for the ride, will you? Opening song: Funky Bits by Yoann Turpin.

Ending song: Nairobi Hop, originally from Super Dodge Ball and ReMixed by DCT, Khakolak Boy, LuIzA, Mega Ran, and Mr. Jones.

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Episode 101: History Repeats Itself and So Does Animal Crossing

What are your go-to games, reader and potential listener? Which ones do you never tire of playing, or even if you do, you continue consuming because you are physically/mentally unable to stop? The DV Cast (minus Zach) shed their own light on this cold-button issue (a cold-button issue is something that nobody else is really talking about), which serves as the theme of Episode 101. Summarize a Game in Five Words gives poetry to opinion while brand new segment Steamed Broccoli encourages the invasion of privacy via Steam history, each of them tying into go-to games in their own special way. You'll also hear about Typing of the Dead: Overkill's secret to success, the yakuza's involvement in The Sims 3, and 1080 Avalanche's affordable madness. There's also some StarCraft Talk, but it would be easier to count the episodes not featuring Zerg-related conversation at this point. Opening song: Funky Bits by Yoann Turpin.

Ending song: Musicolours, originally from The Sims 3 and ReMixed by Guifrog.

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Episode 100: Triple-Digit, Double Trouble

Everyone's here for the 100th Anniversary Regarding Episode Count Rather Than Actual Years of Disembodied Voices, and sir/madame, you have a personal invitation printed on really nice stationary in your mailbox. Segments are back (for real) among other exciting crazy amazing adjective changes in this triple-digit entry, and since this episode is releasing alongside a documentary in which the DV Cast say their own names over and over again, it is right and it is just that the theme should center on masters of title repetition: Pokemon. Cameron watches helplessly as boredom trumps nostalgia, but Stephen is there to agreeably disagree with every other word with a spring in his step and a Ponyta on his wishlist. Zachary is digging the fashion craze sweeping through Kanto, Skiddo faithfully by his side, while Bryan theorizes on the inconvenient truth of Mr. Mime. And hey, the segments were no falsity dreamed up to trick you into reading further: StarCraft Talk returns and Words With Acquaintances debuts, the latter of which brings the joy of word association to the world of Pocket Monsters. Welcome to the episode with the most zeros ever, which is two. Opening song: Funky Bits by Yoann Turpin.

Ending song: The Destiny Infinite, originally from Pokemon Red/Blue and ReMixed by Darkesword.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_ac440ba605564686b9afe551ec2944ae/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%20100.mp3]

Episode 99 Part 3: Anime-zing Episode

Cameron is asleep again, so it's up to the remaining DV Cast members to carry the sputtering torch of Episode 99. In its third evolution, this episode covers a whole bunch of Japanese ground, including Pokemon's video game and anime forms, difficulty levels of JRPGs vs. visual novels, Death Note's non-spoilery plot twist of radical wildness, and a comprehensive history of the Dragon Ball franchise. But don't worry! Those in search of something far from Kyoto's fair cityscape can enjoy Bryan's tribulations of Civilization V, in which he plays... ahem... as Japan. Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Photosynthesis, originally from Pokemon Diamond Version and ReMixed by halc.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_7dae8586b42b4b9e9dbbe078c0d1a135/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2099%20Part%203.mp3]

Episode 99 Part 2: Face Clouds are Iffy

Episode 99 of Disembodied Voices was so thrilling, so captivating, so bold in its uncompromising sense of gut-wrenching spirituality, that an entirely inevitable decision has been made: Episode 99 Part 2. Like Final Fantasy X-2, you will continue to follow the adventures of three heroic figures without the bother of another whole number to get in the way, except that the DV Cast members don't sing pop music very much. But hey, turn that smile upside down because here comes the friendly video game tsunami, and it's headed straight for your house! The risky game of Steam Roulette sends Bryan and Cameron into a tailspin of irregularity, Stephen recounts the numerous gifts he purchased for Bryan's birthday (including TOKYO JUNGLE), and everyone excitedly chatters over Pokemon X/Y in excited and chattering ways. Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: WHAT TYPE ARE YOU, originally from Pokemon X and ReMixed by Theory of N.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_635622bc130449389bdbd280bc845bd7/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2099%20Part%202.mp3]

Episode 99: In Which Stephen Almost Says Something Smart

[NOTE: This episode is posted out of order because it disappeared from Planet Earth for seemingly no reason and is now being re-uploaded. The DV Cast have prepared a statement about this unfortunate situation: Weird.] The previously unimaginative DV Cast members are finally playing games that aren’t made and/or directly inspired by Blizzard, but they forget to talk about them because they’re so distracted by Valve! You’ll find Rayman Legends kerfuffle, Death Note conspiracy theories, and jingles galore seasoning this episode, but the real meat is in StarCraft Talk (now an official segment) and a lengthy discussion on Steam’s wacky new friends, Controller and Operating System. If these seemingly boring topics are actually boring to you, sorry. It’ll be different next week, but maybe you should expand your horizons.

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Goodbye, originally from Portal 2 and ReMixed by Brandon Strader.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_fef78c76cbef4b73ac317c34ee06ff0e/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2099.mp3]

Episode 98: Gaming on Fumes

Short and full of obnoxious noises, Episode 98 is the Wario of Disembodied Voices. As usual, the DV Cast haven't been playing any video games, but they talk about lots of things anyway. For example, Stephen raises a concern that rankles his soul, claiming that Bryan isn't homogenous enough and would he please stop making up opinions of his own? This doesn't work very well as Bryan immediately swivels in the direction of StarCraft II where he greets his dark master Cameron who has corrupted the younger brother's soul with his malicious ways. They're all pals in the end, of course, agreeing with one another that iOS 7 is rad and Death Note is rad also, so don't worry about those guys. As for you, it is recommended that you join the good times and listen in! Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Time Traveler's Delight, originally from Sonic CD and ReMixed by rothaDom, C7, DiGi Valentine, OverClocked Assembled, Sir Jordanius, SuperiorX, The Auracle, begoma, and metaphist.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_5cb90e9a268c4995b7ecd420651fb566/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2098.mp3]

Episode 97: Well, Butter My Garlic Bread

If Disembodied Voices had an official food pyramid but the food was video games, it would involve the four portions of relevant genres: Visual novels, Blizzard games, MMOs, and Blizzard games that are also MMOs. Zachary is neck-deep in crazy stories that each have higher word counts than a script to the Metal Gear Solid series, which he attempts to explain without confusing the hats off of everyone. It's StarCraft II all night for Bryan and Cameron as they strive for silver status, but Stephen is with becoming the very best (the best there ever was) pet battler in World of Warcraft. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this particular episode was the lengthy discussion on butter and its proper usage. Oh, and there was also Grand Theft Auto V. Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: G.E.R.U.D.O., originally from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and remixed by Tepid.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_98b0593bb47148f89861cfaced17ba68/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2097.mp3]

Episode 96: A Return to Contention Again

If you're an ardent anti-Stephen activist, this episode will be one heck of a roller coaster. Things start off with some etymological discourse (a par for the course opening) before leaping head first into Rayman Legends, a game which everyone seems to agree is, to borrow a rustic form of old English dialog, the bomb. The aforementioned Stephen isn't there to join in on the camaraderie, however, until returning from his volcano spelunking and/or xenophobe convention trip when the "Cameron is thinking about pirating something" sirens go off again. This is timed perfectly with Zachary's announcement that Puppeteer is so, so wonderful and probably better than both Gunstringer and Puppet Ganon. It's not long before Stephen and Bryan want to have detailed discussions about World of Warcraft locales, which sparks a noisy argument from certain parties who will remain nameless named Cameron. Lastly, there's a new segment that probably won't return: PC TALK. For all your graphics processing unit needs, skip to the end of this episode. Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Hyrule Wimbledon, originally from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and remixed by ktriton.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_0bbcf9df36aa48c680b3df055533b1b0/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2096.mp3]

Episode 95: Home Is Where the Hearthstone Is

After years of pure selfishness and a little bit of malevolence thrown in for good measure, the DV Cast is finally giving something back. Specifically, a beta key for Hearthstone, Blizzard's new card-based battlefield of shiny spells and nifty numbers. With this edge-of-your-seat, seat-of-your-pants exciting contest as the centerpiece, you just might miss the fact that nobody has any idea what to talk about, so the rest is mostly haphazard chaos. At least Guild Wars 2 is still going strong, as is Cameron's determination to not spend real money on fake cats. Bryan doesn't have this problem, instead dedicating his cold, hardened heart to playing grueling StarCraft matches and not being emotionally manipulated by Season 2 of Sherlock. As for Stephen? He's pretending be a robot and an orc, but thankfully not at the same time. Yep, for sure, it's another episode of Disembodied Voices. Oh yeah, and about that Hearthstone key. Just use the contact form here to leave your five-word review (details in the episode, good sir/madame) and we'll get back to you! Also, important: follow the rules, man! Name the game you're reviewing, double check your word count, etc. You won't win if you don't submit the bestest of all.

UPDATE: The contest is over! Thanks so much for playing if you, indeed, did play!

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Through the Castle, originally from Super Mario World and ReMixed by Rockos.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_9e2ab8cb182d4ee6a88622c0ef0a2fea/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2095.mp3]

Episode 94: A Return to Contention

This week on Disembodied Voices the topics revolve around sexism and its oft-crossed line between parody and immaturity, Kickstarter's long-term dependability with big-budget projects, and the social stigma of anime along with recommendations from a panel of diverse human beings. No, Stephen, Bryan, Cameron, and Zachary have no idea what happened either, but that's what this episode is about. It's also full of debate/arguments/contention, but does include a smattering of video games such as Tales of Xillia, Killer is Dead, Guild Wars 2, and Hero Academy. If you're up for a nontraditional bout of hearty discussion, this is the show for you! Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: The 51st, originally from No More Heroes and ReMixed by Homeslice.

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Episode 93: Goodbye Beardo, Hello Guild Wars

The Absolutely Free Weekend of Guild Wars dominates this week's conversation, raising cultural tensions even more than usual as Zachary's beloved Japanese RPGs are pushed to the side in favor of the West. Stephen the Asura Guardian, Bryan the Charr Mesmer, and Cameron the Norn Warrior paint a painterly picture of why they've been having such a blast running amok in Not-Azeroth, which includes a critical analyses of capital cities and a funny story about how Cameron accidentally did the right thing. There is sadness amongst the joy, however: Stephen's BACNLFF (Best Animal Crossing: New Leaf Friend Forever) moved out of his town, but not out of his heart. To balance out these emotional swings, Zachary updates us on his steadfast quest through Tales of Xillia, followed up by a very brief round of Review a Game in Five Words. That's it's for this episode, but look forward to the new series "MMO Bros.", in which Stephen and Bryan talk about MMOs for multiple hours! [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_3c2e68977c6e496b9df26b43c85824dc/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2093.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Sad Ninja Gaiden song: Sudden Loss, originally from Ninja Gaiden and ReMixed by goat.

Ending song: A Decent Challenge, originally from Final Fantasy XI Online and ReMixed by Tweex.

Episode 92: Return/Revenge of the Cameron

Cameron is no longer sleeping on the floor of an airport, so launch the fireworks and toast your complimentary Capri Suns, celebrate, celebrate. The entire DV Cast has reunited to talk about that most pleasant of subjects (video games), and no dearth of subject matter is to be found. Despite a tense argument over the perceivable cuteness of Wittle Wuna (?), the air is filled with lots of jovial talk about Zachary's continued Tales tale, Cameron's appreciation of Kill Place 3, and Bryan's juggling of strategy games. Stephen just talks about stuff like Pokemon cards and Star Wars LEGOs, which no one really wants to hear. And then Cameron quits. So this is an exceptionally normal episode of Disembodied Voices. Enjoy! [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_eb423073e6054766874f55a20def4bbb/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2092.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Go into the Light, originally from Sonic Colors and ReMixed by Rexy.

Episode 91: Furret is This Episode's Mascot

Cameron is sleeping on the floor of an airport, leaving everyone to pick up his slack (but hopefully not his unsanitary habits). As it turns out, however, a roomful of ferrets is no way to live a clean and virtuous life, and neither is xenophobia, forcing Stephen to confront two very important aspects of his worldview. As usual, Zachary's worldview is firmly focused on Japan; specifically, on Tales of Xillia. Speaking of that country, Bryan has middling things to say about Skulls of the Shogun, which was developed in the west but is totally about shoguns. Fortunately, lots of fun stuff swoops in to save the day, including a spontaneous game of Name That Pokemon, qualitative assessments of Batman graphic novels, and Stephen's RPG Maker title "Lair of Lobster Man". It's an especially good and goofy episode of Disembodied Voices, so don't be a square; enter its domain! If you'd like to experience the shoddy and heart-pounding survival horror game "Lair of Lobster Man" for yourself, here's a download. Your computer will probably say that it's malicious, but it seriously isn't.

[audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_9af9190cac534577a51fc8601361f07d/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2091.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: My Friend Mudkip, originally from Pokemon Sapphire Version and ReMixed by halc.

Episode 90: The Podcast of Us

The pseudo-benevolent master shipping people at GameFly decided to send Stephen and Bryan The Last of Us at... well, last. This has triggered an entire episode theme dedicated (for the most part) to the thrilling, shocking, saddening, happening events of this Naughty Dog creation. Combat mechanics, favorite moments, expectations, beginnings, endings, and just about everything in between have a turn in the spotlight in spoilerific fashion, so please watch your step. Of course, there's always time to chat up Ask Yoda and shoot the breeze about Street Sharks, and the DV Cast have been playing games, too. Bryan handed his brother a briefcase of nineteen retro games for his birthday, sparking a violent argument about Chrono Trigger, and Zachary has quite a tale to tell about a terrible JRPG that he loves for no reason. It's an episode you should listen to for sure. [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_488dceac325b49bfa7bfe2ac40bf8384/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2090.mp3/]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Story time song: Weeping Willow, originally from Willow and ReMixed by ilp0.

Ending song: It's Morphin Time!, originally from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and ReMixed by WillRock.

Episode 89: An Open-Ended Discussion

Not being able to land helicopters on top of buildings or swim out to sea is the worst, so the DV Cast will be talking about open-world games this week. Mercenaries, Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption, and a gang of similar games are gathered together and compared against one another as the perfect combination is pondered, placing scope and exploration as holy grails of open-worldliness. You can also look forward to cherished memories of such games and a Wikipedia-based quiz that you can technically play along with, but you're not specifically invited, sorry. But hey, cheer up! Lots of other fun stuff happens, too. Stephen gives into all the things about video games that he doesn't like and become a mass-murdering Lara Croft convert, Bryan obliterates an entire city because he's evil, and Zachary becomes a human Shin Megami Tensei bestiary. As for Cameron, his opinion is vaguely insulted in his absence. Yes indeed, this episode has everything! [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_208291cbc5c040e0ab91eaccfa8c8c24/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2089.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: In Your Prime, originally from Super Metroid and ReMixed by Big Giant Circles.

Episode 88: Set Sale Full Steam Ahead

Have you heard about the digital retailer for video game products called Steam? Stephen, Bryan, and Zachary sure have, and they've decided to talk about it for a while. 2013's Summer Sale is off to a brutal and silly start with Tomb Raider and Scribblenauts Unlimited, respectively, and the process of buying discounted games is compared to beer commercials. As for Greenlight, the disturbing hoops developers must jump through rub everyone the wrong way, but the root problem is how dumb people are. The discussion finished up with each member's favoritest and leastest favoritest aspect of Steam, so there's your weekly dose of both positive and negative opinions. Stick around to the end, by the way, if you want to hear about Stephen's transcendent dream. [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_626154389ec84213af9c8f88ad9964fa/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2088.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: NO (resub), originally from Scribblenauts and ReMixed by PROTO·DOME.

Episode 87: The Land Before Time Was Limited

The past is an archaeological site of memories, but instead of handing over the findings to Mr. Blathers the museum owl or selling them for profit, the DV Cast wax nostalgic about games they used to play so very much. Cameron stoutly defends his mathematically devised 4,000 hours in Guitar Hero 2 with a wistful quaver in his voice, but Bryan focuses his rose colored glasses on Sonic Adventure 2: Battle and Star Wars Battlefront, tag-teaming with his brother to remember Chao breeding and jet troopers. As for Stephen, he misses the good old days of World of Warcraft. Ah, the sweet memories of two weeks ago. The conversation ends up highlighting just about every console under the sun and the most-played games for each of them, including the Atari Jaguar on which Stephen apparently played something called Jaguar Jump. But say, what games have you sunk the largest amounts of time into over the course of your life? This is the place to drop those thoughts, friend. [audio https://www.cubby.com/p/_7f095a1f767844a2b5acd3d999fe0f5c/Disembodied%20Voices%20-%20Episode%2087.mp3]

Opening song: Electrolytic Man, originally from Mega Man and ReMixed by MaJIN_SaN, ambient, and tomatsu.

Ending song: Village from Your Past, originally from Ocarina of Time and ReMixed by MistfitChris.