Ultra 64

As a special treat for you, we have a new bonus episode courtesy of one of our top-tier Patreon supporters! The great Scott Burger returns with another dizzyingly complex and smart game, the indie roguelike COGMIND! Made by just one programmer over the course of several years, COGMIND casts you as a newly-sentient robot trying to escape a research lab, and offers more than 1000 different ways to customize yourself to do so!  If you want to join us to talk about any game of your choice, check out the Wonder Red tier at patreon.com/ultra64pod!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  ultra64podcast.com Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  

This week we're witnessing an iconic team-up that took an event as big as the Olympics to manifest! Mario and Sonic set their differences aside long enough to share billing in the MARIO & SONIC series, taking them to various Olympic games to compete in mini-game versions of real-life Olympic events. This time, we're talking about the games for the 2014 winter event in Sochi, Russia, and the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Does this series go for the gold or is it stuck with the shameful, shameful bronze? Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 

We're saluting those about to rock this week with GUITAR HERO LIVE! GUITAR HERO was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that spurred most everyone to drop money on colorful plastic guitars, but a glut of sequels and imitators overwhelmed the market. LIVE is Activision's attempt to revitalize the series, with a new play style, a live stage show aesthetic, and an ambitious streaming service for new songs. We break down the new style of play and decide if this new spin on a classic formula is worth your time! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Mario & Sonic at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games / Mario & Sonic at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games 

We're assembling heroes this week in every sense of the word! This week, we're closing the loop on both BATMAN and MORTAL KOMBAT by playing some games that highlight the best of both. First, the NetherRealm-developed fighting game INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, where DC  heroes and villains throw down in a MK-esque battle royale! Then, we're checking back in with the LEGO series for two of the Caped Crusader's best selling titles, LEGO BATMAN 2 and 3!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Guitar Hero Live 

Our good friend Elliot Jay O'Neill is back for another bonus episode! This time, instead of discussing a particular game, we're diving deep into amiibo, Nintendo's answer to the toys-to-life craze! Unlike SKYLANDERS, amiibos are more free-floating, working with several games rather than having one platform built around them, and this has helped them endure longer than the competition. We look deep into the history of the figures, discuss their collectible value, and try to pinpoint the lasting appeal of the slickly-designed figures.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod 

We're revisiting a couple of classic game shows this week! It's been a while since we played JEOPARDY and WHEEL OF FORTUNE on the Nintendo 64; how have the games changed in the interim? Ailish Collins returns to help us spin that wheel and question those answers! And she may have underestimated Steve's propensity for trivia...  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Injustice: Gods Among Us / LEGO Batman 2: DC Superheroes / LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham 

This week we're cracking into one of the biggest series of all time, the unstoppable juggernaut that is Activision's CALL OF DUTY! The series has been dominating sales charts and online bandwidth for years, but for those of us who tune in and out of the series, is there still anything to recommend from the earlier generation? We'll find out this week as we play CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS II and it's sequel, CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS! Get 20% off @manscaped + FREE shipping with promo code UNIVERSE at manscaped.com! #ad #manscapedad Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Jeopardy! / Wheel of Fortune 

We'd planned to make this an all-Dreamworks episode, but just because the Penguins couldn't make it, that's no reason to stop the party! Ailish Collins joins us this week as we make a hard pivot from animation adaptations to misbegotten party games! We played THE CROODS: PREHISTORIC PARTY, a minigame collection based on the hit movie; we follow it up with GAME PARTY CHAMPIONS, the latest in a series of shovelware compilations! The games may break, but the party never stops here at Wii Universe! Get 20% off @manscaped + FREE shipping with promo code UNIVERSE at manscaped.com! #ad #manscapedad Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Call of Duty: Black Ops II / Call of Duty: Ghosts

We're travelling to magical, anime-inspired worlds this week! Firstly, we're taking flight with RODEA: THE SKY SOLDIER, the oft-delayed action game from the creator of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG! Then, we're looking at SHANTAE: 1/2 GENIE HERO, a breakthrough Kickstarter success that finally gave the plucky, hair-whipping heroine her first proper hit!  Get 20% off @manscaped + FREE shipping with promo code UNIVERSE at manscaped.com! #ad #manscapedad Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: The Croods: Prehistoric Party / The Penguins of Madagascar 

Get ready to experience the brutality of nature... in the most adorable possible way, of course. This week, we're playing PIKMIN 3, which for a long time was considered THE reason to own a Wii U! This third chapter in Shigeru Miyamoto's strategy/action hybrid adds three new astronauts, two new varieties of Pikmin, and tons of new abilities, locations, and secrets to find. So get up off your Dapper Blobs and help us take out some bulborbs!  Get 20% OFF @manscaped + Free Shipping with promo code UNIVERSE at MANSCAPED.com! #ad #manscapedpod Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Rodea the Sky Soldier / Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero 

This week we're trying out the toys-to-life genre for the first time with the series that started it all, SKYLANDERS! Activision's groundbreaking series lets you scan real-life figurines into the action with a special portal; luckily, friend of the show Neal Crow has a wide variety of figures for us to try out! This week, we're talking about all 5 games that appear on the Wii U, including GIANTS, SWAP-FORCE, TRAP TEAM, SUPERCHARGERS, and IMAGINATORS! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Pikmin 3 

Warm up those pipes, because this week we're talking about some singing games! We played two games with different approaches to karaoke that come bundled with their own hefty plastic mics! Lynsey Pennington comes by to help us warble our way through the odd, party-centric SING PARTY and the TV show adaptation THE VOICE: I WANT YOU!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Skylanders 

This bonus episode brings us back into the world of METROID for Samus' latest, and biggest, adventure yet. We're joined once again by our awesome Patreon supporter Joshua Weber to talk about METROID DREAD, the latest in Nintendo' cult classic series that managed to claw it's way out of development hell to become the best-selling game in the franchise!  Sign up at the Wonder Red tier at patreon.com/ultra64pod if you want to join us for an episode of your choice!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod

This week, vehicles have eyes and all rules are out the window! We're playing three games that take place in the Disney/Pixar CARS universe. Firstly, we're taking to the skies with PLANES and PLANES: FIRE AND RESCUE, two games based on the surprise hit spin-off films. Then, we're playing CARS 3: DRIVEN TO WIN, a high-octane racing game featuring everyone's favorite metal shells full of meat!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultras64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Sing Party U / The Voice: I Want You

It's time for another bonus episode, courtesy of our awesome Aussie Patreon supporter CJ Baker! This time, CJ joins us to play DISCO ELYSIUM, a trippy, funny, singularly cool RPG/murder mystery! We dig into the game's fascinating genesis and extoll the merits of making friends with the voices in your head as we explore the intensely detailed world of Revachol.  Sign up at the Wonder Red tier at patreon.com/ultra64pod if you want to join us on-air to talk about a game of your choice! And thanks again to CJ for being an awesome guest! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod 

One of Nintendo's biggest franchises is back, and while the name may be clunky, the thrills are real. We played SUPER SMASH BROS. FOR WII U, the game that expanded the series onto multiple platforms and made the series a sort of living Hall of Fame museum! We dig deep on the features and gameplay, mess with the ridiculous number of control options, and see if we can make a convincing argument for this game over ULTIMATE.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Planes / Planes: Fire and Rescue / Cars 3: Driven to Win 

This week, we're playing the console versions of the games that defined early mobile gaming! First, we're diving into the bird-flinging phenomenon with ANGRY BIRDS TRILOGY, containing the original smash-hit ANGRY BIRDS, it's follow-up ANGRY BIRDS SEASONS, and the movie tie-in ANGRY BIRDS RIO. Then we're taking the irate avians to outer space with ANGRY BIRDS: STAR WARS! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Super Smash Bros. For Wii U 

We were prepared to bring you some MADDEN football action in time for the Super Bowl, but our game disc had different plans, so we've pulled the ultimate audible. Instead of high-impact gridiron action, we're going down to the farm with the goofy sim FUNKY BARN! While we're going in with zero preparation and no research, we try to capture the essence nonetheless.   Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Angry Birds Trilogy / Angry Birds Star Wars

It's time once again for one of our Patreon-supported bonus episodes! Our favorite Aussies Elliot Jay O'Neill and BT Calloway are back, and this time they had us play the Wild West/Samurai shooter RED STEEL 2! The original RED STEEL was a launch game for the Wii which failed to deliver on it's promise of high-octane katana/pistol action, but for it's sequel, the developers went back to the drawing board, creating a whole new universe with Wii Motion Plus-enhanced controls that finally let you feel like a sword-swinging badass!  If you want to join us on an episode to play a game of your choice, check out the Wonder Red tier at patreon.com/ultra64pod!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64pocast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod

Racing games were a dime a dozen on the Nintendo 64, but they're a rare treat on the Wii U, and this week we're playing three of them! Firstly, we're playing the AAA racing adventure NEED FOR SPEED: MOST WANTED; then, it's all about family as we saddle up with FAST & FURIOUS: SHOWDOWN; finally, we're breaking out the interlocking orange tracks to play the multi-vehicle stunt racer HOT WHEELS: WORLD'S BEST DRIVER! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Corinne Kempen  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Madden NFL 13