Unofficial Controller Podcast

We Compare Rebirth’s Open World To Horizon, Xenoblade, And Breath Of The Wild

Send us a textFinal Fantasy VII Rebirth grabbed us by the scruff and reminded us how an open world can feel alive without drowning you in chores. We dig into why the new exploration loop works—think the curiosity of Breath of the Wild, the gathering rhythm of Horizon, and a dash of Xenoblade’s scale—then point to the quiet magic of Kalm, a bustling town that feels worth lingering in. Streamlined materia and upgrades reduce menu tax, while crafting makes scavenging meaningful. It’s modern without losing that FF7 heart.From there, we zoom into small-but-mighty experiences. Cast and Chill is cozy pixel fishing at its best, with a controversial idle mode that prints progress while you’re away. Is it a smart quality-of-life choice or a shortcut that dulls the grind? We weigh both sides. Then it’s retro time: Evercade’s Taito Collection 2 brings back Rastan and friends, proving how licensed, curated collections can preserve feel and friction with save-state respect.We also get brutally honest about a hyped handheld clone. The screen’s great and Game Boy shines, but performance above SNES gets patchy, audio artifacts crop up, and marketing outpaces reality. If you want Pokémon nostalgia on the go, it’s serviceable; serious retro fans should aim for better hardware or curated platforms.News highlights deliver whiplash: Sony quietly axing thousands of low-effort shovelware titles (a win for curation and a wake-up call for trophy culture), Yakuza Kiwami 3 remastered with a playable Game Gear lineup that celebrates Sega’s heritage, and widespread GameStop/EB Games closures that make physical browsing even rarer. We talk discoverability, why shelves still matter, and how indie gems get lost in algorithmic noise.Stick around for what we’re playing next—more Rebirth, Evercade experiments, and a return to Metroid Prime Remastered’s atmospheric corridors. If you enjoy smart takes on game design, storefront ethics, and the joy of finding a world you can’t stop thinking about, hit follow, share with a friend, and drop a review. Your support helps us keep the good stuff coming.Support the showJoin our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at questions@unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers! Subscription Tiers $3 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up $5 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch $8 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug $10 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug Yearly art merch t-shirt Thanks to all who subscribe, it means the world to us and really helps us keep the shows going.

300 Episodes Of Chaos, Heart, And Games

Send us a textThree hundred episodes in and we still can’t shut up about games, community, and the wild lore that got us here. We kick off with the triumphant return of OG Tom, celebrate the 300th with heartfelt thanks, and then dive into a stacked “what we’re playing” that spans razor-sharp indies, comfort food cozies, and big-budget nostalgia. Silksong delivers a perfect late-game skill check, Hades 2 nails that 20–30 minute run cadence, and Expedition 33 sparks a real debate on how turn-based combat can stay deliberate while still feeling alive on defense.We put the Switch 2 under the microscope with a tough Sonic Crossworlds handheld verdict and then vibe out with Cast and Chill, a serene fishing sim whose haptics, lures, and idle mode hide surprising depth. RGT crowns Final Fantasy VII Remake a top ten all-timer and breaks down why its ensemble outshines FF16’s dryness. Seb swings the spotlight to roguelikes and indies—Ball X Pit, Absolum, Demon School, Deck Tamer—arguing that fast, expressive loops and meaningful progression are where modern magic lives.Then George confesses to a full U-Boat spiral: oxygen, batteries, periscope scans, and the kind of emergent drama only deep sims can tell. We riff on space-game wishes, Starfield mods, and why Outlaws works best as pop-and-sizzle Star Wars. And because 300 should mean more than nostalgia, we read listener memories, reveal our nearly-finished website, tease subscriber goodies, and set sights on 2026’s big bets: Wolverine, Fable, maybe GTA 6.If you’re here for gaming podcast energy with real community roots—indie gems, Switch 2 impressions, Final Fantasy analysis, roguelike recommendations, and sim storytelling—this is the one to queue up. Tap play, subscribe, and tell a friend about UCP. Then jump into Discord and share your favorite memory or your current game of the year. We’ll see you there.Support the showJoin our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at questions@unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers! Subscription Tiers $3 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up $5 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch $8 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug $10 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug Yearly art merch t-shirt Thanks to all who subscribe, it means the world to us and really helps us keep the shows going.

He Wore Speedos, We Wore Nostalgia: The UCP Holiday Special

Send us a textEver wish a new release felt like the best parts of the 16-bit era without the grind or the guesswork? That’s the spark behind our deep dive into Terminator 2D: No Fate—an affectionate, modern-built throwback that marries beat-em-up grit, run-and-gun pacing, and side-scrolling driving with clever movie nods and genuinely meaningful branching paths. It’s the rare licensed game that rewards replays because choices actually reshape missions, tone, and outcomes. We break down why it works, where it surprises, and how its small details add up to big grins.From there, we get practical. Retro can look and play beautifully on modern screens with a few smart tweaks: find the 60 Hz options, switch mono to stereo, and hunt for hidden widescreen toggles in PS2-era menus. On Switch Online, Luigi’s Mansion gets a new lease of life by flipping look controls and managing the frame. We share the adapters and small hardware rituals that cut friction—because sometimes a clean contact or a better pad is the difference between shelving a classic and seeing it shine.News comes with presents: PSVR2’s Aces of Thunder takes flight with HOTAS support and the kind of seated VR that just works; Gears of War E-Day promises a ground-up Unreal Engine 5 prequel that’s a clean entry point for newcomers; and smaller Switch 2 cartridges signal a healthier, more affordable path for mid-size and indie physical releases. All of it feeds into a holiday rotation that swings between PS2 guilty pleasures, The Getaway’s infamous AI, and the evergreen cool of Soul Reaver.If you want a cozy listen that blends smart recommendations, tech tips that matter, and a few bold takes on where gaming is headed, you’re in the right place. Hit play, then tell us: what’s your festive go-to game and what’s the one retro setup tweak you swear by? Subscribe, share with a friend who loves pixels with purpose, and drop a review to help more curious gamers find the show.Support the showJoin our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at questions@unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers! Subscription Tiers $3 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up $5 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch $8 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug $10 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug Yearly art merch t-shirt Thanks to all who subscribe, it means the world to us and really helps us keep the shows going.

From Switch 2 Shine To PS2 Grit: Hades 2, Red Dead Redemption, And The Getaway Revisited

Send us a textHades 2 feels like the rare sequel that actually earns its extra systems. We dig into the above world’s health-drain tension, smart spellcrafting, and why a simple fishing rod supports progression without padding the grind. Then we pivot into Red Dead Redemption’s PS5 upgrade and make the case for “gentle touch-ups” over full remasters—60 fps and cleaner presentation that keep the dust, silence, and tone intact. If you just finished Red Dead 2, this is a powerful continuation that respects the original’s shape.The retro itch takes over when a pristine DualShock 2 turns chaos into control. Scarface suddenly steers straight, The Getaway’s no-HUD vision clicks, and that infamous indicator-based navigation becomes a bold, flawed slice of immersion. We talk how a good controller restores developer intent, and how that changes your read on difficulty, pacing, and fairness. We also revisit Illusion of Time on SNES, using save states to balance adult lives with classic design. It plays like a bridge between Secret of Mana and A Link to the Past, with transformation doors, light upgrades, and dungeons that respect your time.We round things out with tech talk that actually helps you play. Digital Foundry’s take on Red Dead for Switch 2—DLSS to 1440p docked, mostly 60 fps—shows how smart engineering stretches older worlds, even with minor flicker and shadow quirks. Along the way we tackle licensed curios like the X-Files and LOTR, when graphics analysis enlightens vs distracts, and how preservation can sometimes beat ambition. If you care about game feel, respectful upgrades, and the small fixes that make big differences, you’ll feel right at home.Enjoyed the ride? Follow, share with a friend who loves retro done right, and drop your hottest “one small tweak that saved a game” tip in a review or on our Discord.Support the showJoin our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at questions@unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers! Subscription Tiers $3 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up $5 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch $8 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug $10 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug Yearly art merch t-shirt Thanks to all who subscribe, it means the world to us and really helps us keep the shows going.

Solo Save: Games, News, And Q&A

Send us a textEver have a week where you just want a straight hit of games, news, and honest opinions without the fluff? That’s the energy today. I kick things off with Hades 2 on Switch 2 and why its small, thoughtful touches—like audio cues that swell into boss fights—make it the perfect half-hour loop when life is busy. The Switch 2 port holds steady in handheld and docked, and those fast runs keep piling up because the friction is basically gone.From there, we dig into three stories that matter. Tiny Bookshop is set for a physical console release, and its traveling store premise feels tailor-made for cozy, stress-free play with just enough management depth to hook you. Xbox Winter Demo Fest is rolling out early demos—and yes, Contraband Police, Froggy Hate Snow, Crystalla, and a mech-deck roguelike are on my radar. Demos are back in a big way, and transferring progress into full releases makes discovery meaningful again. Then we take a measured six-month check-in with Switch 2: the hardware impresses with a bigger, cleaner screen and a Pro Controller that finally rivals the best, while the software library still needs more true Switch 2 exclusives to define the generation.The back half gets personal with a packed Q&A. I’m ready to revisit Gran Turismo 7 after Spec 3; that sim-lite feel still nails the balance. We cover disappointments that stung—Grid Legends’ shallow career, Need for Speed Unbound’s grind under a stylish hood, and the heartbreaking promise of Tales of the Shire. I also own my blind spots: Gears of War, classic Final Fantasy, and Castlevania are all on deck. And yes, Lance Vance remains public enemy number one. I close with the origin story: seaside arcades, Operation Wolf on a milk crate, and a Spectrum 128K that turned the living room into a neighborhood hub. That’s why I love portable power, cozy sims, tough roguelikes, and communities that keep curiosity alive.If this mix of gameplay, news, and community Q&A hits the spot, follow the show, share it with a friend, and drop your one-console-forever pick in a review. Your recommendations and questions shape where we go next—come be part of it.Support the showJoin our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at questions@unofficialcontrollerpodcast.com or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers! Subscription Tiers $3 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up $5 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch $8 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug $10 Name read out on every show Access to unglorious chat section of discord Quarterly Zoom meet up A single item of yearly limited art merch Yearly art merch mug Yearly art merch t-shirt Thanks to all who subscribe, it means the world to us and really helps us keep the shows going.