We're back and we've brought a chest full of games! On this show we chat about how damn good Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is, how to hit a button the best in Rhythm Paradise Groove, earning the number in 007 First Light, and just what the hell is a Mina the Hollower anyway?

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-- SHOW NOTES --

00:00:00​ - Speedrunning is so weird but so cool
00:13:21 - Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is still one of the franchise greats
00:34:03 - That one time Matty previewed Assassin's Creed Syndicate
00:40:21 - Both earned the number in 007 First Light
00:53:18 - Alessandro has spent some time with Rhythm Paradise Groove
01:00:41 - Mina the Hollower is modern retro goodness

#gamingpodcast #gamingchannels #gamingreview

This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick descend into one of gaming's most forgotten milestones: Descent. Released in 1995, this groundbreaking shooter dared to ask one simple question: what if "up" didn't exist? Armed with a tiny spacecraft, an ever-growing arsenal of futuristic weapons, and a map that somehow manages to make you more lost, our fearless duo blast their way through twisting mines filled with rogue mining robots and enough laser fire to make any insurance company nervous.

Along the way, they uncover why this little DOS game deserves far more credit than history has given it, from pioneering true 3D environments and six degrees of freedom to positional audio that could literally save your life. Will Dave finally find the exit before the reactor explodes? And will Nick ever figure out which way is actually up?

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This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick trade apocalyptic wastelands and alien worlds for zookeeping spreadsheets as they dive into the wonderfully chaotic world of Planet Zoo. Armed with little more than a dream, a limited budget, and an alarming lack of veterinary qualifications, they set out to build the ultimate wildlife park. From designing sprawling habitats for majestic lions and playful otters to dealing with escaped animals, unhappy guests, and the ever-present threat of financial ruin, every decision could mean the difference between conservation success and complete catastrophe.

Join them as they wrestle with the game's incredible attention to detail, marvel at the realistic animal behaviors, and spend far too much time trying to align paths that absolutely refuse to cooperate. Will Dave create a thriving sanctuary worthy of international acclaim, or accidentally build the world's most expensive petting zoo? And can Nick resist spending hours perfecting a single habitat while the rest of the zoo falls apart around him? Tune in to find out!

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This week on Checkpoint Chat, MATTY FORGOT TO RECORD VIDEO! But thankfully our audio survived for you to hear discussions about 007: First Light, Saros, Mina the Hollower, and Forza Horizon 6.

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Want to listen to more gaming goodness, on other platforms? Subscribe to the podcast on Apple, Google, Spotify, and more right here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/checkpointchat

-- SHOW NOTES --

00:00:00​ - SO MANY GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO
00:17:52 - 007 First Light is good, but it could be better
00:34:08 - Help Matty is addicted to Forza Horizon 6
00:45:50 - We finished Saros so long ago
00:59:41 - Sandy is loving Mina the Hollower
01:08:48 - WTF are Nintendo doing with Mario?

#gamingpodcast #gamingchannels #gamingreview

This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick leave behind explosions, loot drops, and skill trees for something far stranger and far more introspective as they step onto the lonely shores of Dear Esther.
Guided only by the sound of crashing waves and the voice of an unreliable narrator, they journey across a bleak and beautiful Hebridean island while uncovering fragments of letters written to a woman named Esther. What begins as a simple walk soon spirals into a deeply atmospheric mystery involving grief, guilt, loss, drunkenness, and possibly something supernatural lurking beneath the island itself.

As they traverse abandoned cottages, dark sea caves, and the remains of a wrecked ship, Dave and Nick attempt to piece together a story that refuses to give easy answers. Every landmark, strange chemical diagram, and half-whispered monologue seems to hint at hidden meaning, leaving the two desperately trying to determine what is real and what exists only in the narrator’s fractured mind. Is this a ghost story? A meditation on mourning? Or just the world’s saddest hiking simulator?

Along the way, Nick struggles to stop overanalysing every rock pile like it belongs in an English literature exam, while Dave slowly loses his patience trying to figure out whether the game is profound genius or deliberately messing with him. Can the pair survive a game where the greatest enemy is symbolism itself? And how many times will Nick dramatically whisper “I think the island represents death” before Dave threatens to mute his microphone?

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This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick slam the accelerator to the floor and dive headfirst into the loud, chaotic, and gloriously unhinged world of Crazy Taxi. Trading in safe driving practices for near-death shortcuts, they hit the streets of West Coast City as a group of wildly reckless taxi drivers determined to earn the biggest fares possible by any means necessary. Whether it’s launching their cab off parking garages, drifting through packed intersections, or somehow treating public staircases as legitimate roads, every second becomes a battle against the clock, traffic, and basic human survival instincts.

Along the way, Dave and Nick ferry a cast of increasingly demanding passengers across the city, all while the iconic punk soundtrack screams in the background and pedestrians dive for cover. From discovering absurd hidden shortcuts to accidentally sending their cab airborne for far longer than physics should allow, the mayhem only escalates as they chase bigger tips and higher scores. Can Dave resist the urge to obey actual traffic laws for more than thirty seconds?
Will Nick spend the entire episode trying to recreate stunts that clearly were never intended by the developers? And most importantly, how many innocent lamp posts will survive their journey through one of arcade gaming’s most chaotic cities?

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This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick sharpen their blades and prepare for a brutal journey through the streets of America in Ninja Gaiden. They step into the role of legendary ninja Ryu Hayabusa after returning home to discover his father has been killed in a mysterious duel with a man named Jaquio. Following clues left behind by his father, Ryu journeys to America where he becomes entangled with the CIA, a shadowy criminal organization, and a plot involving two ancient demon statues said to hold unimaginable power. Along the way, he battles armed soldiers, mutant creatures, and an army of relentless birds that may be the game’s true final boss.

As Ryu races to stop Jaquio from resurrecting an ancient evil, Dave and Nick will relive one of the NES era’s most notoriously difficult action games—complete with cinematic cutscenes that were way ahead of their time. Will Nick keep his cool when enemies respawn every two seconds? And how long before Dave starts a personal vendetta against those dive-bombing birds?

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This week on Critical Arcade, Dave and Nick are launched into the haunting sci-fi world of Saros, where they awaken on the lost colony world of Carcosa—a planet trapped beneath a permanent eclipse and crawling with horrors that seem determined to make their stay as unpleasant as possible. Taking on the role of Arjun Devraj, a powerful Soltari Enforcer searching for answers about a vanished colony and a mysterious figure tied to his past, they’ll fight their way through shifting landscapes, crumbling alien ruins, and relentless waves of terrifying creatures that only get deadlier the deeper they go.
But survival won’t come easy. In true roguelike fashion, every death resets their journey while permanently altering the world around them, unlocking new abilities, weapons, and upgrades that may—or may not—help them survive the next run. As the mystery of Carcosa begins to unravel, Dave and Nick will need quick reflexes, smart builds, and far more patience than either of them usually possesses. Will Nick become hopelessly addicted to creating the perfect build? Will Dave spend half the episode blaming the controls for his repeated deaths?
And just how long will it take both of them to realise that running directly at giant alien monsters is rarely a winning strategy?

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This week on Checkpoint Chat, ESKOM ATTACKS, but not before we get our full thoughts out on Forza Horizon 6! No but seriously, we lost power during recording, so apologies for the shorter episode this time around.

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-- SHOW NOTES --
00:00:00​ - Are we our parents now???
00:11:38 - Forza Horizon 6 is REAL good!

#gamingpodcast #gamingchannels #gamingreview

This week on Critical Arcade, Nick and Dave power up the grav drive, polish their space boots, and blast off into the sprawling universe of Starfield. Set hundreds of years in the future, humanity has left Earth behind and spread across the Settled Systems, where rival factions, ruthless pirates, shady corporations, and mysterious alien artifacts all compete for control. Joining the explorers of Constellation, the boys set out on a journey across distant planets, crowded neon cities, dusty frontier outposts, and the endless black of space itself.

From dogfights among the stars to tense firefights on forgotten moons, they’ll need to survive dangerous mercenaries, uncover ancient secrets, and somehow keep their ship from becoming a flying storage locker full of useless loot. Will Dave spend three hours decorating the captain’s quarters instead of saving the galaxy? And can Nick go five minutes without immediately siding with smugglers, bounty hunters, or anyone offering questionable side quests?

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