Button Boys

One and Done: Games We’d Never Play Again

The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there. And we don't like different. Or too much of the same. And that's why this week's episode is all about the games you play once and have absolutely no appetite to return to. Whether it's outdated mechanics, not wanting to spoil their nostalgia or just because the games were plain terrible, the Boys examine the games they've known and loved but won't go near again. But before that walk down memory lane, we catch up with what they've been playing this week. Pierre's been preparing for battle with the Button Boys Battalion, Sarah's taken a musical trip north of the border and Glenn's got into dentistry, or at least that's what I think he said. To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast: ⁠Pierre's Edinburgh Show ⁠Glenn's Edinburgh Show ⁠Sarah's Edinburgh Show ⁠BUTTON BOYS LIVE! If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives. Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements. Games Mentioned in this week's episode: Hell Let Loose Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Denshattack! OlliOlli World Subway Surfers Heavy Rain A Highland Song Shark Dentist Cairn A Short Hike The Artful Escape Inside Return of the Obra Dinn Blue Prince Age of Empires II Shadow Man Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Medal of Honor: Allied Assault Call of Duty Medal of Honor: Frontline Until Dawn The Walking Dead 007: First Light Baldur's Gate 3 Hitman: World of Assassination The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt The Witcher Marvel's Spider-Man Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ghost of Tsushima Ghost of Yōtei Dark Souls Elden Ring Dark Souls II Dark Souls III Bloodborne Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Food, Glorious Food (and Drink)

Pop on a bib and bring out your best dinnerware, as this week's theme is food and drinks. From phone booth chicken to liquid burgers for two, the Boys discuss the entire range of video game F&B. Mouthwatering meals and stomach-churning sustenance are all on the menu for today. But before that, we catch up with what they've been playing, with Sarah's discovery of a delightful point-and-click, Pierre's hungover magical chess and Glenn's determination to play a game that's more broke than woke. To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast: ⁠Pierre's Edinburgh Show ⁠Glenn's Edinburgh Show ⁠Sarah's Edinburgh Show ⁠BUTTON BOYS LIVE! If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives. Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements. Games Mentioned in this week's episode: Heavy Rain Until Dawn Below the Crown Duskers Lost in Play Comedy Quest Dustborn Road 96 Dark Souls Conker's Bad Fur Day Streets of Rage Golden Axe Pokémon Stadium Donkey Kong Bananza Red Faction II Resident Evil 2 The Magic School Bus Explores the Human Body Yakuza: Like a Dragon Overcooked! Portal Age of Empires Sea of Stars Final Fantasy XI Dave the Diver The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Dragon's Dogma 2 Final Fantasy XV Wolfenstein Wolfenstein: The New Order Kingdom Come: Deliverance Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater The Sims The Sims 2 Dredge Marker 34 Yeba Stardew Valley Celeste Pac-Man Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Future is Now: Times When Our Minds Were Blown

Every person who plays video games has had a moment when their jaw drops, their eyes widen and they find themselves dribbling onto their laps the sheer effort of comprehending the paradigmatic shift in front of them. Ok, maybe not every person. Still, this episode is dedicated to those moments: the times when you just couldn’t believe what a leap forward games had taken; the times when you realised the future was now. From achingly beautiful vistas and hyper-realistic mechanics to dense world-building and the bits where your character, unprompted, scratches their bum, the Boys cover it all. But before all that, Glenn tells a tale of utter humiliation and we catch up with what everyone’s been playing this week. Sarah's had a slight change of heart since last episode's theatrical hatchet job, Pierre's finally on board with Bond, and Glenn, of course, has found an indie game where he can do two jobs at once. To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast: ⁠Pierre's Edinburgh Show ⁠Glenn's Edinburgh Show ⁠Sarah's Edinburgh Show ⁠BUTTON BOYS LIVE! If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives. Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements. Games Mentioned in this week's episode: The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales Horizon Zero Dawn Perky Little Things Anime Feet Boys: The Charm Finder Quest 007 First Light Kingdom Come: Deliverance Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Princess Peach: Showtime! Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Venba Grave Seasons Stardew Valley Marvel’s Spider-Man Assassin’s Creed Spider-Man 2 (2004) Kingdom Hearts Assassin’s Creed Mirage Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Grand Theft Auto III Grand Theft Auto: Vice City MotorStorm Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Metal Gear Solid The Last of Us SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Starfield Bubsy Crash Bandicoot Spyro Final Fantasy IX The Sims The Sims 2 GoldenEye 007 Mass Effect Mass Effect 2 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune Tomb Raider TimeSplitters 2 TimeSplitters: Future Perfect Killzone Call of Duty Shadow of Rome Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Rags to Rupees: Money in Games

Unzip your wallets and loosen your coin pouches because this episode's all about the most filthy of lucre: money. From septims to souls, in-game currency has been integral to countless RPGs, platformers and Glenn's favourite shopkeeper games. But how do you spend yours? When does it work, and when does money lose all meaning? Why does Glenn like being poor so much? And what's the vendor doing with all my cheese? But before all that, the Boys catch up on what they've been playing this week. Glenn's wardrobe malfunction ruins a finale while Sarah's been longing for more skateboarding but has ended up at the theatre with a not-so-progressive Peach. To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast: ⁠Pierre's Edinburgh Show ⁠Glenn's Edinburgh Show ⁠Sarah's Edinburgh Show ⁠BUTTON BOYS LIVE! If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives. Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements. Games Mentioned in this week's episode: Late Shift Resident Evil 5 Resident Evil 4 OlliOlli World Princess Peach: Showtime! The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Super Mario Bros. Wonder Dark Souls The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Cyberpunk 2077 Horizon Zero Dawn Dredge Hollow Knight Bloodborne Age of Empires Crusader Kings III Rome: Total War Red Dead Redemption 2 Grand Theft Auto VI Atomfall Forge of Empires Master of Command Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Disco Elysium Zero Parades: For Dead Spies Balatro EVE Online Two Point Hospital Two Point Campus Grand Theft Auto IV Dreams in the Witch House Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good Boss, Bad Boss

This week's episode is all about bosses, from the good ones to the bad ones to the really, really old ones. The Boys recount the most annoying boss mechanics, challenging fights and memorable final encounters. Before they get too bossy, though, the Boys catch up on what they've been playing this week. While Pierre has been enjoying competing online in an old favourite, Sarah and Glenn have been surviving two different types of zombie apocalypse: one tense and thrilling, the other deeply problematic. To follow along with the Button Boys outside the podcast: ⁠BUTTON BOYS LIVE! If you can't get enough Button Boys content, head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can find our weekly Hidden Cache bonus episode featuring more gripes, game recommendations and our Hitman: World of Assassination playthrough, and Player 4, where we interview a different comedian every month about their gaming lives. Follow along with the Button Boys on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for highlights, behind-the-scenes content and future podcast announcements. Games Mentioned in this week's episode: Chess.com Wordle Deadly Days Bloons Death Road to Canada The Last of Us Resident Evil Requiem Resident Evil 5 Resident Evil 4 Donkey Kong Bananza Dark Souls Resident Evil 3: Nemesis Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Alan Wake Pragmata Split Fiction It Takes Two Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater Bloodborne Streets of Rage Golden Axe God of War Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Produced and edited by Ben Drayton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices