The Insert Credit Show

The panel reviews Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, deeming it the most British Japanese game ever, and potentially the future of video games. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Watch episodes with full video on YouTube

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

Mortal Kombat series

“Look! Look!”

Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures

Blinky

Pac-Man (TV series)

The Ghost Witch of Netor

Sue

Will Smith

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

Monkey Island series

1: Why is this game like this? (06:16)

The Cutting Room Floor - Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (Genesis)

MobyGames

Marvel Land

Namco

Pac-Attack

Pac-in-Time

Yakuza series

The Honeymooners

I Think You Should Leave “Eggman Game” sketch

Red Dead Redemption

Super Princess Peach

Garry’s Mod

Freddi Fish series

Putt-Putt series

Sesame Street licensees

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball

The Experience Share

Pokemon series

Tomb Raider series

Age of Empires series

Tekken series

Kingdom Hearts

2: If you had to live in a house shaped like a video game character, who would it be? (38:53)

Super Mario Bros. 2

X-Men 2: Clone Wars

Steve

Slime

Baba Is You

Kirby

Kim Kardashian

3: What other video game sequels take such a big swing they deserve the subtitle “the New Adventures?” (41:08)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Spinball

Overwatch 2

Valis series

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Batman

Final Fantasy VI

Tōru Iwatani

4: Spencer Gifts asks, should Zelda style game be called adventure games or should point and click games be called adventure games? (46:56)

Legend of Zelda series

Adventure

Colossal Cave Adventure

Book Off

Uncharted series

God Hand

Hey You, Pikachu!

Lifeline

Seaman

The Sims

Little Computer People

Haunting Starring Polterguy

Lemmings

Shadow Labyrinth

5: Let’s talk about the hot girl in Pac-Man 2. (52:56)

The Ghost Witch of Netor

Pac ’n Roll

Pac-in-Time

Pac-Land

Demona

Ms. Pac-Man

Pac-Mom

Dexter’s Mom

Mike Pence

6: Let’s talk about the arcade segments stapled onto this game. (58:17)

The Lion King

Mr. Bones

7: Is this a good game? (01:03:37)

Indika

Uncharted series

Keita Takahashi

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - The New Adventures (01:13:21)

Credit Report (01:21:06)

Recommendations and Outro (01:22:45):

Frank: Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures

Brandon: The Feminine Complex, Corpse Mania (1981), Total Recall 2070, donate to Trans Continental Pipeline

Ash: Read Aftermath, pay for journalism, take a walk in the sun

Jaffe: Share your interests with people

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Ash Parrish hosts the blackest episode of Insert Credit yet, with an all-star panel of former guests and contributors. Hosted by Ash Parrish, with Topher Florence, Vanessa B, and Pro Kesadia. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Watch episodes with full video on YouTube

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

“My brothers and sisters of the United States of America, tonight we, the free people of the resistance, ask you to become one of us”

Curling

Funky Kong

Figure Skating

Sonic Adventure

Balatro

Snowboarding

1: Is there still a place for live service games right now? (05:01)

Highguard

Overwatch

Overwatch 2 drops the 2 and goes back to being Overwatch

Highguard Is Yet Another Symptom – And Victim – Of A Rapidly Decaying Internet

Marvel Rivals

Helldivers II

2XKO

Riot Spent A Decade Developing A Fighting Game Then Laid Off Around 80 Developers Less Than One Month After Release

Fortnite

Disney Speedstorm

Concord

Emma Frost

Cloak and Dagger

Taskmaster

Runaways

Silk

Anya Corazon

League of Legends

Arcane

Killmonger Cut

2: Who should be the next Nintendo character to get hit with the baby ray? (13:46)

Mario Tennis Aces

Baby Waluigi

Baby Wario

Babality

Baby Rosalina

Mario Kart World

Toad

Yoshi

Bowser Jr.

Bowser

Pauline

Donkey Kong Bananza

Samus

Link

Ganondorf

E. Honda

Dr. Mario

Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator

3: If you were taking up the mantle of MF Doom, what cartoons would you use in your skits? (17:42)

MF Doom

Johnny Quest

Fantastic Four

Static Shock

The Pirates of Dark Water

Mummies Alive!

Reboot

Transformers: Beast Wars

Cheetor

Dinobot

Optimus Primal

Silverbolt

4: Who is the “I would have voted for Obama for a third time” of video games? (20:51)

Ken Levine

BioShock

Abbott Elementary

Jacob

Neil Druckmann

Geoff Keighley

Todd Howard

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Grace Walker

Super Spesh

Insert Credit Quick Break: Brenton Woodrow’s Marathon (25:35)

5: Alex Jaffe asks, which 21st century video games would be best for a 1980’s DiC-style cartoon? (26:52)

DIC Entertainment

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Captain N: The Game Master

Splatoon

SpongeBob SquarePants

Kirby

Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

King Dedede

Avatar: the Last Airbender

Among Us

Among Us Show

Elijah Wood

Minions

Castle Crashers

Alien Hominid

6: Brandon Sheffield asks, why is the Sega Genesis for black people? (31:51)

Sega Genesis

Super Nintendo Entertainment System

Sonic the Hedgehog series

Michael Jackson

Sonic 1 Music: Spring Yard Zone

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker

Comix Zone

Sony PlayStation

Microsoft Xbox

Tekken series

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Virtua Fighter series

Sega Dreamcast

Power Stone series

ToeJam and Earl series

LIGHTNING ROUND: Cookout (38:09)

Recommendations and Outro (52:50):

Vanessa: twitch.tv/pleasantlytwstd, Relooted

Ash: Review the games you like

Pro_Kesadia: twitch.tv/pro_kesadia, Romeo Is A Dead Man

Topher: topherflorence.bsky.social, make some bundt bread

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by Brenton Woodrow’s Marathon and patrons like you. Thank you.

Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Editor Esper Quinn joins Ash and Brandon to cover the rest of 2025’s best games.

Hosted by Brandon Sheffield, with Ash Parrish and Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Watch episodes with full video on YouTube

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Demonschool

1: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment (02:28)

Dynasty Warriors: Origins

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Hyrule Warriors series

Linkle

Vampire Survivors

2: Soulstone Survivors (05:38)

3: Let Them Come: Onslaught (06:21)

4: Vital Shell (06:38)

5: to a T (07:39)

Keita Takahashi

Despelote

Perfect Tides: Station to Station

6: Ball x Pit (10:49)

Arkanoid

7: Shinobi: Art of Vengeance (16:20)

Blasphemous

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound

Insert Credit Gaiden #14 - Arcadevania, with Ben Fiquet

8: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (18:11)

Blasphemous

9: Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (19:46)

Fire Emblem series

Advance Wars series

Triangle Strategy

Dissidia: Final Fantasy NT series

Yasumi Matsuno

Ogre Battle

Tactics Ogre

Final Fantasy Tactics

Vagrant Story

Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Jeanne d’Arc

Disgaea series

10: Terminator 2D: No Fate (25:20)

Xeno Crisis

The Phantom

The Phantom (1996)

Macaw45

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

Judge Dredd

Metal Slug series

11: Blade Chimera (29:03)

Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth

12: Squeakross: Home Squeak Home (31:32)

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer

Jerma Streams - Squeakross: Home Squeak Home

13: Unbeatable (34:45)

14: Ambrosia Sky: Act One (37:06)

PowerWash Simulator

15: Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To (38:54)

Lofi Girl

16: Skin Deep (41:27)

Laura Michet

17: Angeline Era (44:43)

Ys series

Earthbound

18: Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. (47:39)

Tekken series

Hades II

19: Birdcage (51:24)

Doom: The Dark Ages

Radiant Silvergun

Sōkyūgurentai

Ikaruga

20: JAIL DICE: Roll to Break (53:17)

Devil Dice

21: Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™ (56:54)

The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth

Magic: The Gathering® | The Hobbit™

Assassin’s Creed

War of the Spark

Ep. 401 - Let’s Gather Some Magic, with Esper Quinn

22: Hell Is Us (01:03:59)

23: Hades II (01:13:47)

Hades

Pyre

Transistor

24: Shadow Labyrinth (01:16:42)

Pac-Man

Xevious

Mr. Driller

Secret Level

25: Doom: The Dark Ages (01:21:49)

Doom Eternal

Doom

Djent

26: The Dark Queen of Mortholme (01:26:30)

Blasphemous

Slay the Princess

27: Pokemon Legends: Z-A (01:30:00)

Pokémon Scarlet

Yakuza universe

Digimon Story Time Stranger

Pokopia

28: Hotel Barcelona (01:35:53)

Hidetaka Suehiro

Goichi Suda

Super Time Force

29: The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy (01:39:43)

Danganronpa series

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games

Kazutaka Kodaka

Kotaro Uchikoshi

Gnosia

30: Shujinkou (01:45:24)

Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection

Gunhouse

31: Haste (01:49:32)

Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

SSX series

Tony Hawk Pro Skater series

Peak

32: AI Limit (01:53:06)

33: Super Robot Wars Y (01:54:29)

Gunpla

Sentai

34: Routine (01:58:03)

Aftermath

Crow Country

35: Sid Meier’s Civilization VII (02:03:15)

Sid Meier’s Civilization V

Sid Meier’s Civilization VI

Endless Legend

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth

36: Blast Rush LS (02:10:29)

Blast Rush

37: Advent Neon (02:12:37)

Socket

DeviantArt

Newgrounds

38: Donkey Kong Bananza (02:16:02)

Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Mario Kart World

Super Mario Odyssey

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

39: Cronos: The New Dawn (02:23:03)

Silent Hill 2

Silent Hill f

40: Absolum (02:27:01)

Streets of Rage 4

41: Monster Prom 4: Monster Con (02:31:14)

LeahPlease

Monster Prom series

42: Dreams of Another (02:33:58)

The Unfinished Swan

Viewfinder

43: Date Everything! (02:37:49)

Gijinka

OS-tan

Hyperdimension Neptunia series

Hatoful Boyfriend

44: Kingdoms of the Dump (02:43:18)

Mario RPG series

Fragrant Story

45: Blippo+ (02:45:38)

Playdate

Yacht

Telefantasy Studios

Max Headroom

Blippo+ (NSW2) No Commentary

46: Full Metal Schoolgirl (02:56:39)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

47: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (03:00:40)

Suikoden

Brain Lords - The Backlog Games of the Year ft. Esper Quinn

Ben Starr

Matthew Mercer

Persona series

Faye Wong

It Takes Two

Outro (03:18:04)

48: Despelote (03:20:56)

Outro, Part II (03:21:24)

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

Insert Credit nominates and ranks the fifteen best video games of the year 2025.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Watch episodes with full video on YouTube

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

(Finalized list appears at the bottom of the show notes, don’t spoil yourself!)

SHOW NOTES:

Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure

“Displeased! If I breathe, if I live, I am displeased. Only the dead are satisfied.”

52 Pickup

Video Game History Foundation Digital Archive

Demonschool

1: Ash Parrish’s First Nominee (05:20)

South of Midnight

BDS

Ahmed Best

Jar Jar Binks

2: Brandon Sheffield’s First Nominee (09:27)

Yakuza series

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Ichiban Kasuga

Kazuma Kiryu

Goro Majima

Yakuza 0

Deadpool

3: Frank Cifaldi’s First Nominee (14:46)

Wanderstop

Davey Wreden

The Stanley Parable

The Beginner’s Guide

Animal Crossing series

4: Ash’s Second Nominee (20:34)

Blue Prince

Escape Academy

5: Brandon’s Second Nominee (24:50)

Asura the Striker

Space Harrier

OutRun

Darius

6: Frank’s Second Nominee (28:01)

The Roottrees are Dead

The Séance of Blake Manor

HowLongToBeat.com

7: Ash’s Third Nominee (32:37z)

Dead Take

Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Assassin’s Creed: Origins

Full-motion video

Ben Starr

Neil Newbon

Final Fantasy XVI

Baldur’s Gate III

Matt Mercer

Jeffrey Epstein

Harvey Weinstein

Alan Wake series

Sam Lake

Max Payne series

Palworld

Meet The Unconventional Publishers Trying To Unfuck The Games Industry

8: Brandon’s Third Nominee (37:53)

Call of Ponchy : Mahjong Warfare

Fortnite

D3Publisher Inc.

9: Frank’s Third Nominee (43:24)

Silent Hill f

Silent Hill 2

Sonic the Werehog

Bonk

Bubsy

Frank’s Top 5 Albums of the Year (54:01)

The Tune-Yards - Better Dreaming

Deep Sea Diver - Billboard Heart

Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz

Wet Leg - moisturizer

Wet Leg: Tiny Desk Concert

Wednesday - Bleeds

10: Ash’s Fourth Nominee (59:31)

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hollow Knight

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach

11: Brandon’s Fourth Nominee (01:05:41)

Hypogea

Quake

12: Frank’s Fourth Nominee (01:08:50)

Windswept

Donkey Kong Country

Kaizo

Super Mario series

Oh, Deer!

13: Ash’s Fifth Nominee (01:14:37)

News Tower

Citizen Kane (1941)

Game Dev Story

Home of the Underdogs

Superhero League of Hoboken

Mad TV

14: Brandon’s Fifth Nominee (01:22:01)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Promise Mascot Agency

Insert Credit Gaiden #13 - The Intended Game, with Oli Clarke Smith

15: Frank’s Fifth Nomination (01:27:41)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater

Hideo Kojima

16: Alex Jaffe’s First Nomination (01:33:29)

THE INSERT CREDIT GAME OF THE YEAR 2025 TOP 16:

Silent Hilf ($69.99) [14 hrs]

News Tower ($24.99) [9.5 hrs]

South of Midnight ($39.99) [11.5 hrs]

Wanderstop ($24.99) [10.5 hrs]

Hollow Knight: Silksong ($19.99) [28 hrs]

Blue Prince ($29.99) [26.5 hrs]

Dead Take ($14.99) [4 hrs]

Promise Mascot Agency ($24.99) [12.5 hrs]

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii ($59.99) [36 hrs]

Windswept ($19.99) [9.5 hrs]

Hypogea ($9.99) [2.5 hrs]

Asura the Striker ($14.99) [0.5 hrs]

The Roottrees are Dead ($19.99) [11.5 hrs]

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater ($69.99) [12 hrs]

Call of Ponchy: Mahjong Warfare ($0.99) [??? hrs]

Demonschool ($24.99) [31.5 hrs]

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!

The finest minds in video games discuss the evolution of turn-based combat, turning pixels into symphonies, and the devastating return of Violence Island.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

Watch episodes with full video on YouTube

Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

Audacity

E3

Doctor Who

Doctor Manhattan

Blink

Tom Baker

Sherlock

Steven Moffat

Daliens

Cybermen

“Do you think people are happy in this wizard kingdom?”

Mega Man series

Clown Man

It

Nicole Kidman

Kid n’ Play

1: What tips you off that someone discussing video games has no idea what they’re talking about? (06:08)

New York Times

IGF Awards

Call of Duty series

Mega Man: Legacy Collection

Batman

Superman

Zack Snyder

Madden series

Daryl Hall & John Oates - Out Of Touch

2: How have turn-based battle systems evolved over 30 years? (11:58)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Shin Megami Tensei series

Valkyria Chronicles

Final Fantasy XII

Parasite Eve

Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle

Metaphor: ReFantazio

Kingdoms of the Dump

The Doors - Riders On The Storm

Final Fantasy X-2

3: On what occasions have you wished a game was harder? (17:27)

Soulslike

Gunstar Heroes

Bayonetta 3

Pokemon series

4: If we were to re-establish an official video game seal of quality, what would be the qualifying criteria? (21:41)

Official Nintendo Seal

Steam Deck

5: Syswivv asks, what kind of video game would Andy Warhol have made? (28:08)

Andy Warhol

Madonna

Fortnite

CD-i

Eric Idle

Starship Titanic

Harlan Ellison

Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream

CD+G

Sega CD

Empire (1965)

Peter Molyneux

MAGFest

GDC

Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective

James Turrell

6: Describe Bubsy 3D: Bubsy Visits the James Turrell Retrospective to Ash (32:24)

Arcane Kids

Donut County

Bubsy series

7: What’s the best use a game has ever made of being able to click in the analog stick? (34:39)

The Godfather: The Game

Manhunt

God of War III

Oedipus

Yanya Caballista: City Skater

Katamari Damacy

Kinect

Ghost (1990)

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

8: Who is your favorite video game character to debut in the last ten years? (40:39)

Crow Country

Mara Forest

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Hornet

Bayonetta series

Bayonetta

Nier: Automata

2B

Indika

Final Fantasy XV

Prompto Argentum

Ignis Scientia

Overwatch

Tracer

Baldur’s Gate III

Astarion

Balan Wonderworld

Balan

Concord

LIGHTNING ROUND: Violence Island (46:02)

Recommendations and Outro (01:01:52):

Brandon: The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1993), Gnosia, yucca

Ash: Put chili crisp on everything, Support Laid-off Vox Media Workers

Frank: Lil’ baby potatoes

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!