Nerd OutCast Podcast

NOP Presents Animal Crossing

In this time of pandemic, we take a break and fly away to a relaxing discussion about all things Animal Crossing. Joining me for this discussion are Christian Missonak and Justin Harner. I serve double duty as both Host and Outcast since I've never played this series before. We chat about Animal Crossing's humble beginnings, and compare it to other "Living Life" games like the Sims, Harvest Moon, and Rune Factory. Which game in the series is the best? What was so special about the 3DS entry, New Leaf? If someone hasn't every play Animal Crossing before...where should they start? And finally...what expectations do we have about New Horizons?  We chat all this and more on this mini-vacation of an episode...so join us on an island far...far away!

Music Selections from Animal Crossing and Animal Crossings: New Horizons, composed by Kazumi Tokata and Yasuaki Iwata, owned by Nintendo and is included under fair use protection.

NOP Presents Clone Wars and Rebels

We tackle not one but two major Star Wars shows in this great episode....Clone Wars and Rebels.  Joining me for this deep television dive are Pete Navis, Ryan Bond, and Patrick Sweetman. We discuss the evolution of both shows, and how they compare and contrast with each other. We talk Dave Filoni and what makes a show of his distinct. Is Ahsoka the best character, or are we more interested in Ezra and Kanan? Are we excited for the upcoming return of Clone Wars, or is The Mandalorian more our cup of tea? We even touch on Star Wars Resistance and chat about the newly announced High Republic.  SO there's a LOT to unpack in this massive episode...enjoy!

Music Selections from Star Wars Clone Wars and Rebels, composed by Kevin Kiner, owned by Lucasfilm and Disney and is included under fair use protection.

 

NOP Presents Breath of the Wild

It's a massive episode today as we finally tackle the latest, and perhaps greatest Zelda game of them all...Breath of the Wild.  All hands are on deck as T Scott Ross, Christian Missonak, Matt Young, Gavin Donnellan, Jeremy Kanne, Bill Nielsen, and John Loos join me in this discussion. We look at the merits and flaws of Nintendo's latest Zelda game.  We chat characters, favorite shrines, best moments, favorite monsters, best music....SO much to unpack!  Did the game live up to expectations? Is there anything that needs to be fixed? And where does Nintendo go next? We chat all this and more on the spectacular episode.

Music Selections from Breath of the Wild, composed by Koji Kondo, owned by Nintendo and is included under fair use protection.

NOP Presents Rise of Skywalker

Now that a few weeks have passed, its time for NOP to discuss our thoughts and feelings and finally examine the final chapter of the Star Wars Saga...Episode IX,  The Rise of Skywalker. Joining me for this big, beautiful, messy discussion are Jake Ynzunza, DJ Fink, and Crispy (Chris Lloyd.) What's starts as a review of the film, however, easily spins out into a bigger discussion about the state of Star Wars and its' fans, the future of the series, and the biggest mistakes and successes. We chat about Disney + and the potential of that service for the property, examine the Skywalker Saga as a whole, and wonder what's next for a Galaxy Far, Far Away. Much like The Rise of Skywalker, our discussion is a messy, referential tribute to Star Wars itself. Enjoy!

 

Music Selections from The Rise of Skywalker, composed by John Williams, owned by Walt Disney Company and is included under fair use protection.

 

NOP Presents Star Trek Discovery

On this episode of NOP, we chat about the most recent addition to the Star Trek TV Universe...Star Trek Discovery. My experts this time around are Ryan Bond and Dylan Schaefer, whom are joined by outcasts Dominic Cianciolo and myself! We chat about the rights and wrongs of this newest version of Star Trek...and whether or not it carries on Gene Roddenberry's legacy. We talk about Star Trek conventions...and whether Trek itself is slowly dying. We discuss where should the series go....and what changes we would love to see in Discovery itself. We chat Vulcuns, starships, wormholes, Picard, and so much more!

Music Selection from Star Trek Discovery, composed by Jeff Russo, owned by CBS and is included under fair use protection.

NOP Presents Good Omens

We finally tackle the collaborative effort of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman...Good Omens. My guests this time include Byron Hatfield, Rob Shumate, Zach Muhn, and Peter Foos. We have two outcasts for this discussion....myself (whom has never read the book) and Pete Navis....whom doesn't think very highly of it.  Needless to say, our discussion turns into passionate defensive of the novel and its writers as we dissect this benchmark book. We discuss which parts of the story best represent each writer....and what makes the story stand the test of time. We chat about what was gained in the translation to television...and what was lost.  Is this the best work of each author? We discuss all this and much more!

Music Selections from Good Omens and Ladyhawke, composed by David Arnold and Andrew Powell respectively, owned by Amazon and La La Land Records and are included under fair use protection.

 

NOP Presents Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy VIII just got a recent remaster, and next year we get the glorious looking Final Fantasy VII Remake...so we decided it was a great time to chat about Final Fantasy IX! My RPG lovers this time around are Gavin Donnellan, Andrew Babcock, John Loos, Jeremy Kanne, and T Scott Ross. The last entry in the original Playstation trilogy, Final Fantasy IX was heralded as a "return to form" for the famous franchise. But is the game really as good as we remember? Does it hold up, or are one of it's older siblings a better game? We chat about characters, summons, and villains on this classic focused episode! (We also seriously hate on Necron....like....seriously....)

Music Selections from Final Fantasy IX, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, owned by Square Enix and are included under fair use protection.

 

NOP Presents Skyward Sword

It's always a lengthy discussion when chatting about The Legend of Zelda, and on today's episode we discuss Skyward Sword. My guests this time around include Dan Schiffmacher, Christian Missonak, and Jeremy Kanne. Seen as the game that both proved the use of the Wiimote, and also served as the Wii's swan song, we take a deep dive into this most divisive of Zelda games. Does Skyward Sword hold up in a post Breath of the Wild world? Where does the game succeed, and where does it fall short? Was the exploration of old cast aside in exchange for storytelling? And where does this game fall in the grander designs of the Zelda franchise? We chat all this, plus dive a bit into Link's Awakening and Metroid, in this sky bound episode.

Music Selections from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, composed by Koji Kondo, owned by Nintendo and are included under fair use protection.

 

 

NOP Presents Game of Thrones

Winter has come and gone, and the war for the Iron Throne has ended...so it's time to discuss the massive show that captured TV for a generation...Game of Thrones. My experts (and outcasts) for this one are Kitten McCreery, Thom Brown, John Loos, Danielle Lebens, and Andrew Babcock. We discuss the final season of the show, and where everything landed. We discuss character turns, character deaths, dragon deaths, and production schedules. Then we take a step back, and look at both the show and the books and how George RR Martin potentially changed the game (pun intended.) Ultimately, it's a discussion with love for a series that certainly left a mark in both television and novels. 

Music Selections from Game of Thrones, composed by Ramin Djawadi, owned by Varese Sarabande and is included under fair use protection.

NOP Presents The MCU

It's a massive discussion today on NOP as we chat about the state of the recently finished Infinity Saga and where the MCU goes from here. Joining me for this huge discussion are Chris Lloyd, DJ Fink, Ricky Galore, Rob Shumate, and Briggs Hatton. We look back at the original Iron Man, and try to determine what critical decision led to the success of this shared multi-verse. We look at the highs and the lows of the 22 movie Infinity Saga. We chat about problematic casting choices, and which films soared and which films sunk. And then we talk about Avengers: Endgame....and whether they stuck the landing or not. We finish out our discussion with "Where does the MCU go from here?" And we also examine what effect these films have had on cinema as a whole. Needless to say, there's a lot to unpack. So stick around and enjoy this lengthy, truly epic discussion on Nerd Outcast Podcast.

Music Selections from Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, composed by Alan Silvestri, owned by Hollywood Records and is included under fair use protection.