The Insert Credit Show

Insert Credit co-founder Brandon Sheffield joins the panel to cover the current state of Japanese games, ace representation in video games, and owning seven PSPs.

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

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

Batman

Black Mask

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Birds of Prey (2020)

Clock King

Batman (TV series)

Bill Finger

Mr. Freeze

Batman: The Animated Series

Harley Quinn: The Animated Series

Alfred Molina

Poison Ivy

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Riddler

Jim Carrey

Joker

Alfred Stryker

Matches Malone

“You’re getting a promotion!”

MobyGames

Takafumi Noma

Unicorn Overlord

Dawngazer

Alexandra Pestretzova

Sweet Baby Inc.

Viggo Mortensen Broke His Toe In ‘The Two Towers’

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Sega Genesis

DJ Jazzy Jeff playing a Sega Genesis

Britney Spears

Beyonce

Madden series

NBA Live ’96

1: Brandon, what’s going on in Japan with video games right now? (08:13)

Tokyo Game Show 2026

COVID-19

Kotaku: Over 85 Percent Of Japanese Game Developers Are Using AI

Crazy Taxi: World Tour

Level-5

Earth Defense Force 6.2: Invaders from Another World

miHoYo

2: How do you make equipment management fun in games? (15:25)

Hollow Knight

Mina the Hollower

Earthbound

Forspoken

Bayonetta

Demonschool

Dragon Quest series

Psychopomp

Sylvan Tale

Game Gear

Bonk series

Legend of Zelda series

Mega Man series

Paperboy

3: Which characters in video games can be claimed as asexual? (21:50)

Asexuality

Phoenix Wright

Ace Combat series

Ristar

Eliza

Parvati Holcomb

The Outer Worlds

Kazuma Kiryu

Yakuza series

Overwatch

Space Marine

Warhammer 40,000

Death Stranding - An Asexual World

Ryu

Pepsiman

4: What is the most ill-advised video game related purchase you’ve ever made? (30:02)

Odama

GameCube

PlayStation Portal

Nintendo Switch

Steam Deck

PlayStation 5

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

PC Engine

PSP

5: Room Check! (37:05)

Konami

Bill Elliott’s NASCAR Challenge

Book Off

Mutant League Football

Fester’s Quest

Uncle Fester

Atari 7800

Missing in Action (1984)

Midnight Mutants

Grandpa Munster

Pretty Pretty Princess

6: Joel Valentin asks, what game do you wish had become the defining influence in its genre? (50:05)

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask

Phantasy Star

Final Fantasy series

Chrono Trigger

Asuka 120% series

Gunstar Heroes

Final Fantasy Tactics

Shining Force

Nectaris: Military Madness

Jeanne d’Arc

LIGHTNING ROUND: The Forgotten-Named Game (54:14)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:33)

Brandon: T-Ride, They Will Kill You (2026), Tippett Studios Visual Archive

Ash: Get away from the internet, go touch grass

Frank: Go touch grass

Jaffe: Go touch grass

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

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Writer, podcaster, and Hindu pandit Shivam Bhatt joins the panel to cover spirituality in games, Activision’s Halo, and video games for dogs. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Shivam Bhatt. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

“Peek Aboo Call Me Back And Nuisance Back. Pac-Mania.”

Nintendo 64

Mario Kart series

Nintendo DS

Ping Pals

Legend of Zelda series

Death Stranding

Quake III: Arena

Journey

Casual Magic with Shivam Bhatt

Shivam And Wheeler Love Magic

Chronicles of Dragonlance

1: Which video games have you had spiritual experiences with? (08:26)

Hinduism

Magic: The Gathering

Ramayana

Moses

Link

Cloud Strife

Rez

Tetris Effect

Tetsuya Mizuguchi

Jeopardy!

Dance Dance Revolution series

beatmania series

PlayStation VR

Child of Eden

Born again

Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan / Elite Beat Agents series

The Righteous Gemstones

NieR: Automata

Orthodox Judaism

NetHack

2: What is the difference in tone and content between Western and Asian dramas? (19:54)

David and Goliath

Dark Shadows

Supernatural

Game of Thrones

Babylon 5

World of WarCraft

3: What is Activision’s Halo going to look like? (25:36)

Kotaku: Activision Taking Over Halo Franchise And What Remains Of Halo Studios Will Now Be A Support Team

Call of Duty series

Halo: Infinite

Halo: Reach

id Software

Pitfall!

Chopper Command

Grand Theft Auto VI

Elder Scrolls series

Madden series

NBA 2K series

Peak

BeamNG.drive

Roblox

Final Fantasy series

Burnout series

Bluey: The Videogame

4: Joel Valentin asks, what is something you thought only existed in video games until you were made aware of it in real life? (31:22)

Silent Hill series

The Simpsons

Super Mario series

Don Quijote

Yakuza series

Ifrit

Shiva

Sid Meier’s Civilization series

CalorieMate

Metal Gear Solid series

La Li Lu Le Lo

Ocarina

Echidna

Knuckles

Hedgehog

Sonic

DuckTales

Hollywood Reporter: Disney+ Revives Darkwing Duck

5: Brandon Sheffield asks, design a game for a dog (36:34)

Stella, the dog that “talks”

NOVA | Can Dogs Talk?

6: What is the printing a Magic card so imbalanced it has to be immediately banned from tournament play of video games? (40:23)

Akuma

Super Street Fighter II Turbo

League of Legends

Counter-Strike series

Tekken series

Pokemon series

Mewtwo

Kotaku: NES Tetris Players Call It ‘Rolling,’ And They’re Setting New World Records

Golf

Business Insider: They’re Probably Going To Ban The Putting Technique That Just Won The Masters

Soulslike

LIGHTNING ROUND: Planes Talkers (46:01)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:58):

Frank: The Digital Archive at VGHF Library

Shivam: Sanjay Patel’s Ramayana and Mahabharata

Ash: Squeakross: Home Squeak Home, let Ash know what Warhammer she should read next

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

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Host of Post Games Chris Plante joins the panel to the future of video game journalism, the new Wolverine game, and a boxed copy of Microsoft Excel.

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

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:

Ep. 458 - Wet Adult Link, with Alex Fraioli

Wii

Nintendo DS

Playdate

Ivy the Kiwi?

Feel the Magic XY/XX

Samba De Amigo

Yuji Naka

“I’m a cat herder. My parents were cat herders. Their parents were cat herders, and their parents. I don’t understand why we do what we do but it is all I know.”

Kotaku

Polygon

Post Games

The Besties

Google Sheets

Microsoft Excel

Digital Archive at VGHF Library

Office Depot

Myst

Microsoft PowerPoint

Deluxe Paint 2

1: How can video games responsibly portray physical disability? (07:15)

alt.ctrl.GDC

Grand Theft Auto IV

to a T

Keita Takahashi

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

Octodad: Dadliest Catch

Bennett Foddy

Mission: Impossible

Kim Possible

2: How important is fidelity in video game adaptation? (14:47)

Marvel’s Wolverine

Wolverine

Resident Evil (2026)

Jean Grey

Wario Land series

Paul W. S. Anderson

Halo

Super Mario Bros. (1993)

Marvel Spider-Man series

Batman: Arkham series

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Jurassic Park

3: Brandon Sheffield asks: what are some games that struck you immediately as being good, bad, or otherwise tailored toward you? (23:30)

Zombi 2 (1979)

Ranger X

Everyday Shooter

Golden Sun

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

2064: Read Only Memories

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney series

Tales series

Xenogears series

4: How do you adapt a podcast into a broadway show? (29:03)

The Besties: Live On Broadway

TurboGrafx

Dreamcast

David Cage

Radiolab

Welcome to Night Vale

#IDARB

Rooster Teeth

Saturday Night Live

Mike Drucker

Mike Drucker: Shit Arcade

Cookie’s Bustle

5: Bigger J asks, there’s a lot of recurring level themes in platform games. What isn’t one, but should be? (36:23)

God of War series

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Toy Story series

Sega Genesis

Monster in My Pocket

Pokemon series

Bubsy series

NieR: Automata

6: Is there a future for professional video game journalism? (43:31)

Aftermath

Stephen Totilo

Saber Interactive

Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in The Video Game Industry

Mothership

Game Informer

Twitch

LIGHTNING ROUND: Arcade Of Our Own (52:46)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:22):

Chris: Butter Side Down, Post Games

Frank: Try to watch things that don’t have commercials

Ash: Make shit to eat that you’ve never made before, Firefly Wedding

Jaffe: Pasta e Fagioli

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

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Podcaster, Essayist and Voice Actor Alex Fraioli joins the panel to cover the Ocarina of Time remake, barcade preferences, and keyblade nonsense.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Alex Fraioli. 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:

Coyote vs. Acme (2026)

James Gunn

Peter Lorre

M (1931)

Cut Man

Ren

Frankenstein (1931)

Casablanca (1942)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Looney Tunes

Humphrey Bogart

“Never strive for a better tomorrow”

Looney Tunes

Beaky Buzzard

Chickenhawk

Tom & Jerry

Hanna Barbera

Gossamer

Tweety Bird

Winnie-the-Pooh

Tigger

Minions

Taz

Bugs Bunny

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Witch Hazel

Michigan J. Frog

1: Brandon Sheffield asks, what is the most fun you’ve had with a game on a gimmick-based platform? (09:36)

Wii

Nintendo DS

Kinect

Playdate

Ivy the Kiwi?

Feel the Magic XY/XX

Samba De Amigo

Wii Sports

Intellivision

Nintendo Switch Sports

WarioWare: Twisted!

Game Boy Advance

Rabbids series

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Game Boy Color

The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX

Games Done Quick

Dance Dance Revolution series

maimai series

Jubeat series

Rock Band series

2: How did you see video games evolve socially over time? (14:51)

Nagoya, Japan

Mario Kart series

Super Smash Bros. series

Burgertime

Burgertime: Worldtour

Dig Dug

Mega Man series

Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

Tenth Level Tavern

Pretty Soldier: Sailor Moon

Pac-Man

Dave & Busters

Round1

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike

Mortal Kombat III

3: Which video games do you associate with specific cities? (20:39)

NBA Jam

Chicago Bulls

Scottie Pippen

Horace Grant

B.J. Armstrong

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto V

Dead Rising

Fallout: New Vegas

Casino Kid

Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse

Final Fantasy XI Online

Boku no Natsuyasumi series

Marvel Spider-Man series

Pokemon series

Parasite Eve

Austin Powers: Oh, Behave!

Grand Theft Auto: London

4: What should we anticipate from this recently announced Kingdom Hearts anime? (24:42)

Kingdom Hearts series

Kingdom Hearts anime

Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother

Yumeria

Suikoden the Anime

Donald Duck

Sora

Roxas

Ansem

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Star Wars series

Grogu

Tonberry

Groot

Apocalypse

Chernobog

Yen Sid

Pete

Vandal Savage

Maleficent

Team Rocket

Xion

PSP

The King of Fighters: Destiny

Street Fighter

Fatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994)

Virtual Fighter

Monkey D. Luffy

Goku

Popeye the Sailor Man

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994)

5: The 1000-Year Old Man asks, what is the Mt. Fuji of video games? (34:20)

Avatar (2009)

FamilyMart

Terry Pratchett

J. R. R. Tolkien

Mount Fuji

Metroidvania

Metroid

Castlevania

JRPG

Achievements

Mario Bros.

Donkey Kong

Shigeru Miyamoto

Kraft Mac and Cheese

6: Where is the uncanny valley? (40:38)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake trailer

Kotaku: Why Is Link The Only Character Who Looks Like A Freak In The Ocarina Of Time Remake?

ReBoot

Uncharted series

The Comeback

Nathan Drake

Lisa Kudrow

Planet of the Apes series

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined

7: What do you think is the hardest job in voice acting? (44:24)

Billy West

Justin Roiland

Hatsune Miku

Eric Bauza

Porky Pig

Daffy Duck

Hank Azaria

Robin Williams

Genie

Dan Castellaneta

Homer Simpson

Earthworm Jim

Frank Castle

Christopher Lee

Peter Jackson

LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Lorre Not Lorre (48:44)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:18):

Alex: No More Whoppers, Draw Game, Quartet

Ash: The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Great Food Truck Race

Frank: If you have blood in your dong water go see a doctor, PBS

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

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Your beloved panel covers advances in stealth games, new Pokemon types, and whether or not Marty McFly has a scrote. 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:

“Come and have a go if you think you’re hard enough!”

Pokemon series

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater

Kotaku

LeBron James

1: What is the correct amount of time to sit down and play a video game in front of your TV? (05:57)

Marvel Cinematic Universe

X-Men (2000)

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025)

The Marvels (2023)

The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Black Panther (2018)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Zack Snyder

Eternals (2021)

Kingo

Kumail Nanjiani

2: Which video games are most responsible for advancing their genre? (13:02)

Metal Gear Solid series

System Shock

Deus Ex

Street Fighter II

Spy Fiction

Resident Evil 4

Assassin’s Creed series

Hitman series

Immersive sim

Dishonored

Metroidvania

Pinball

John Romero discovers a 1940 first person shooter

Pong

3: What even is the incentive to make video games commercially? (19:43)

Wadjet Eye Games

Dave Gilbert

Ron Gilbert

Dave Grossman

EA

4: Design a new Pokemon type (25:13)

Water

Fire

Ground

Rock

Normal

Ghost

Fairy

Grass

Poison

Flying

Dragon

Dark

Bug

Psychic

Fighting

Ice

Electric

Yu-Gi-Oh

Steel

Hey You, Pikachu!

Mimikyu

Missingno

Skylanders series

Spyro

Palworld

Unown

Rotom

5: Dr. Booperstein III asks, are all video games derivative of the first generation of video games? (32:08)

Guess Who?

Pac-Man

Donkey Kong

Q*Bert

Night Driver

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

Leslie “Spike” O’Malley

Entertainment Software Association

E3

Summer Game Fest

Back to the Future: The Game

6: What’s the stupidest playable race in a video game? (39:18)

Pepsiman

Mass Effect series

Asari

Quarian

Turian

Star Trek

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Bajoran

Vulcan

Spock

Dwarf Fortress

Dwarves

Blood Elves

World of WarCraft

Night Elves

Orc

Tauren

Troll

Undead

Pikmin

Pikmin series

Zerg

7: What is the Steven Spielberg’s Stanley Kubrick’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) of video games? (46:16)

Milo

Peter Molyneux

Haley Joel Osment

Berserk

Dune

The Wheel of Time

BioShock series

Ken Levine

Judas

Fallout 3

Fallout: New Vegas

Metal Gear: Survive

Duke Nukem Forever

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Remake

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Sonic CD

Metropolis (1927)

LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (52:58)

Recommendations and Outro (58:24):

Brandon: Doom Runners (1997), Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012), Etiene T. Boy - Jealousy, Vintage Obscura Radio

Frank: Barkin’, Classic X-Men

Ash: The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Prisoner of Beauty

Hard Truths (XX:XX):

Jaffe: If you have a work day that ends at 10 PM, you don’t get to do all the stuff you do if your work day normally ends at 5 PM.

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

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