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PODCAST

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind

Cute Monster Props

A panel style discussion between artists and the art they love. Each week hosts Kyle and Jorge tackle an essay-style topic to help them ascend to the status of Brain Lord and discover the answer to the ultimate question: ARE VIDEO GAMES ART?! (yeah.)

leisure video games

All Episodes

161:52

Present Tense: PT's Influence - ft. Bobvids

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/11/26

This week on Brainlords special guest Bobvids helps us on Part Two of our P.T. series discussing the current era of liminal spaces in games. Even Baby Steps and 1000xResist have looping hallways, so are the lessons learned from this ludonarrative only limited to scares? We discuss our hopes for the future of spooky games in this raucous conclusion to our horror retrospective. Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special guest

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139:36

Past Tense - The Legacy of P.T. ft. Super Bunnyhop

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/11/12

This week on Brain Lords we Present: Talking. In this Podcastable Teaser we bring on guest Super Bunnyhop to Parse the Terror still seen in P.T. For a game that doesn’t technically exist, Silent Hills completely reshaped the Playable Trauma of modern horror games. But was that always the case or does this Polished Take on Amnesia exist beyond its creators and controversy?Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Special guest - Super

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170:28

The Scariest Non-Horror Games ft. Shannon Strucci

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/10/30

This week on Brainlords we have a Halloween episode about drowning, being hunted, the dark, and the undead, all the hallmarks of our favorite…children’s platformers? Special guest Shannon Strucci scares us silly with stories of Spyro and Sonic being just as spooky as Silent Hill! How scary can a game be before it’s considered horror and why do so many games from our childhood leave us so traumatized?Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster

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142:25

What does Game Freak deserve?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/10/15

On the eve of the release of Pokemon ZA, fresh off a major leak, the Brianlords ask the question: does Game Freak deserve it? Your ire, your pity, and alllll of your sorrow, this company was once a shining example of an early Japanese indie and is now burning out its staff on an endless stream of Pokemon. We talk about the non-Pokemon Gamefreak games, the company’s history, and what it means to have a highly polished action game in the works. Plus a bonus mailbag sharing your Pokemon memories!What

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130:30

Is Gaming a Financial Burden?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/10/01

This week on Brainlords we complain about the price of games nowadays. But then why did the games of yesteryear feel like a better deal despite being $80 well before Mario Kart 8? Is there anything you can do to appreciate an artform that seems so designed to take most of your paycheck? And yet somehow indie games should honestly cost more! Find out why as we release this episode for the same price as some of the best video games ever, free!Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS

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127:45

What is Switch Nostalgia?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/09/17

This week on Brainlords we look back on the 8 years we’ve had the Nintendo Switch to determine what we'll be looking back on even later! We take a ~nostalgic~ tour through the final days of the WiiU, getting the console in its early years, the peak years of its greatest hits, playing during the pandemic, and the twilight years that preceded the Switch 2. Are these just rose (and blue) tinted glasses or was there truly something special about the first merger of Nintendo’s handheld and console

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133:00

Explain the Silksong Hype for Me

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/09/03

This week on Brainlords we celebrate the final moments before Silksong can no longer be delayed. Jorge doesn’t get what the deal is with Silkposting while Kyle is removing the clown makeup as we speak. We go over the humble origins of Hollow Knight to discuss if it really is that good (yes) and how we got here with eight years of hype and memes. How has the Metroidvania genre fared since then and what do we do now that Silksong, a game made with the opposite of crunch is finally out?THINGS

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02:12:32

Game Theories that Kill the Vibe ft. Voidburger

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/08/20

This Week on Brainlords, special guest Voidburger takes us on a scenic tour through Silent Hill. Some game theories seem to have a life of their own but what happens when that becomes the death of your enjoyment? Jorge discusses being secretly dead the whole time while Kyle explains why Pokémon is actually dark and twisted. Will this episode be a dream all along or a nightmare of fan theories?!Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge -

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02:19:29

Game Difficulty as an Art Form

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/08/06

This week on Brainlords we’re upping the difficulty to Legendary! Why do we keep coming back to the only medium that you might not even be good enough to experience? We share our histories with Gamer Rage (tm) and discuss some games that are better for having all the hardest parts in the beginning in order to conclude which game is *perfectly* difficult.Questions, Comments, Suggestions? CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV THINGS DISCUSSED Death Stranding

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02:14:30

Can licensed games be Art?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/07/23

This week on Brainlords we are living in a Nightmare…Bart’s Nightmare! Or is it Buster’s Bad Dream? We discuss the wonderful world of Licensed games, advertisement games, and video game product placements to ask the question: Are they even art? Kyle compares a good Disney game that has nothing to do with its license to a bad Simpsons game that gave him an emotional response. Jorge discusses how to find validation as a working class artist when you don’t get to choose what you work on. The one

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02:14:34

Game Music: 10 Years 10 Soundtracks

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/07/09

This week on Brainlords, we discuss our favorite genre of music, SOUNDTRACK: VIDEO GAME. Kyle and Jorge each pick their OSTs of the year from 2015 to 2024 and guess each other's lists for some friendly competition. Is game music less memorable than the squarewaves of yesteryear or are we actually in a golden age?Spoiler warning: Extremely mild spoilers for Death Stranding 2, Undertale, Deltarune, and Signs of the Sojourner. (Mostly just minor moments and describing the context around interesting

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02:48:03

(Part 2) What if Each Final Fantasy was the *FINAL*...

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/06/25

Just like FFX, our *Final* Final Fantasy Episode gets a sequel! Special guest Andrew Bluett fresh off writing a retrospective of FFIX helps keep us final-factual. How would we look back on each of the Final Fantasy games if 7, 8, 9, 10, and 10-2 were the last games in the series? Would Square just have turned into the FFVII machine? And is VIII really that much of a black sheep? Hear our hot takes on Blitzball as this triad triples down on our favorite minigames and more. CONTACT US:

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02:30:38

What if each Final Fantasy was the *FINAL* Final...

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/06/11

What if it really was the FINAL Fantasy? This week we ask the question, what would the legacy of each FF game be if it was the last game in the series? In this part 1 episode we go over the history of each of the pixel games up through VI. Would FFII be given a fair shot if it only got compared to FFI? We discover that FFIV may be the Citizen Kane of RPGs, and talk about FFV as the Mother 3 of FF games (I assure you this makes sense). Is FFVII just an enhanced version of FFVI? These Spoony Bards

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02:15:09

How to love (and hate) Death Stranding ft. Super...

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/05/28

This week special guest George Weidman, aka Super Bunnyhop, helps us figure out our love hate relationship with Hideo Kojima. Do we sabotage our own enjoyment with hype cycles and marketing jargon? Jorge reveals some misinformation about the English translation of Nawa, a story that inspired Death Stranding. Kyle recounts The Postman, a story that definitely didn't inspire Death Stranding (despite the authors claims). And George argues that the Hideo Kojima's character names really aren't that bad,

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02:19:06

Should Games Be Fun?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/05/14

On today’s episode of Brainlords we explain why games might be better if they were a little “worse”! Jorge gives a history lesson on The Flow State while Kyle explains how it recently became synonymous with the addiction loop of a slot machine. Is fun the only emotion gameplay should strive for or should we want a bit more friction in an interactive art form?CONTACT US: brainlordspod@gmail.com Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited by Kyle THINGS DISCUSSED: Should games be fun

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02:38:56

Does the Perfect Paper Mario Even Exist?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/04/30

This week's episode we attempt craft the perfect Paper Mario using elements from each game like it was some sort of ransom note. Our first ever guest, Oceanity, uses her expertise as one of the only people who actually played Color Splash to help us identify what is at the heart of the best Mario RPGs. Kyle explains why The Origami King is a flawed gem. Does the Paper theme even matter or are the "good" games only that way because the partners are such funny little guys? We wrestle with Nintendo's

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02:15:49

Game Collecting: Hoarding or Preserving?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/04/16

If we can’t talk about fighting games then we’ll just have to fight each other! Our first debate episode where we ask whether game collecting is preserving or hoarding? Kyle takes the role of defender for the more positive aspects of the retro game scene and how accessible collecting can still be (as long as you’re cool). Jorge on the other hand argues the more toxic aspects of game collecting and the game industry’s failings at correcting this. And the winner of this debate… is you, dear listener

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02:22:54

Why Do Kids Keep Playing Earthbound?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/04/03

Say Fuzzy Pickles! This week Jorge shares his experience at the 30th Anniversary Mother 2 Exhibit in Japan. Kyle accounts some bewilderment when meeting a tween who's favorite game in the world is Earthbound. Why does the Mother series keep attracting newer generations of kids and what do we think about the future of the Mother franchise? We share the history and *our* history with Mother because our favorite series isn't dead, it's complete! Kyle - Cute Monster Props Jorge - JMV Edited By David

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19:30

BONUS APRIL EPISODE: If I See the Akira Bike Slide...

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/04/01

Bievenedos a Brainlords! In today's bonus April Episode, Kyle and Jorge are replaced with alter egos Jorge and Kyle for an anime themed episode brought to you by our sister podcast Robot Carnival. We process our grief in seeing that the Akira Bike Slide got referenced in yet another piece of media. Does referencing this iconic shot in 2025 make you a poser? Yes Billy. Yes it does. THINGS DISCUSSED: Anime.

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01:50:46

What *Should* A Character Look Like?

Brainlords: Video Games of the Mind ·

2025/03/19

"If Chun-Li's Thighs are too big it's not going to be good for the meta." Welcome to Brainlords! This week Kyle and Jorge discuss what can go wrong with a character design according to artists and more importantly (and loudly) according to fans. We wrestle with the fact that new versions of a character are caught between our expectation and brand management and talk about what its like adapting a licensed character to 2d, 3d, and real life! It's Brainlords vs our favorite crossovers and the only

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