TBC 026: Spin-Offs!

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Nintendo did it again. They spun-off the Legend of Zelda into Hyrule Warriors, and now Hyrule Warriors is spinning back into Breath of the Wild with the latest entry—Age of Calamity! But what exactly defines a spin-off, and what are some of Nintendo’s best and worst attempts? The TBC band is back together to discuss those very questions. Get listening!

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“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

TBC Table-Top R.P.G. Podcast 11 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.  With the boss key in hand, Trouse, Oscar, and Sigil prepare to face off with the Spring Shrine’s final challenge.

Cast

Sigil: Scott

Trouse: Nathan Blake

Oscar: Simeon

Sage: Glen

Music Credits

“Divinity”
Nostalvania
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

“Boss Battle”
Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Original Soundtrack
Nintendo

“Boss Clear”
Koji Kondo, Toru Minegishi
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Original Soundtrack
Nintendo

“Link’s Epic”
Joshua Morse
25 Year Legend: A Legend of Zelda Indie Game Composer Tribute
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

TBC Table-Top Podcast 10 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.  Our heroes have overcome their toughest opponent yet!  What could the Diara have been guarding?  And how will it help the team as they continue to explore the ancient ruins?

Cast

Sigil: Scott

Trouse: Nathan Blake

Oscar: Simeon

Sage: Glen

Music Credits

Divinity
Nostalvania
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

“This Cave Is Creepy”
Obtuse
Legend of Zelda: Threshold of a Dream
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

“Inception”
Mustin
Legend of Zelda: Threshold of a Dream
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

“Monkey King”
Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Original Soundtrack
Nintendo

“The Guru”
The OC Jazz Collective
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

TBC Table-Top Podcast 09 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.  Our heroes now have a taste of the dangers that await them in the Spring Shrine.  Our heroes have bested many foes and are now ready to delve into the depths of the dark, dank, and dangerous dungeon.

Cast

Sigil: Scott

Trouse: Nathan Blake

Oscar: Simeon

Sage: Glen

Music Credits

Divinity
Nostalvania
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

Full Moon Cello
Theophany
Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening: Threshold of a Dream
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

Middle Boss
Koji Kondo
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
Nintendo

The Guru
The OC Jazz Collective
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

TBC Table-Top: Episode 08 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Now available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.  Our heroes now have a taste of the dangers that await them in the Spring Shrine.  They’ve defeated the chuchus, but how will they fair against the lizalfos awaiting them in the next chamber?

Cast

Sigil: Scott

Trouse: Nathan Blake

Oscar: Simeon

Sage: Glen

Music Credits

Divinity
Nostalvania
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

Thelonius Temple
MC
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

The Guru
The OC Jazz Collective
OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)

TBC Table-Top: Episode 07 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Now available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.  After being led to the headwaters by a pair of friendly fairies, the party now delves into the mysterious Spring Shrine.  What dangers lurk in the dark, dank depths of these forgotten ruins? Read more TBC Table-Top: Episode 07 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

TBC Table-Top: Episode 06 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Now available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.

After camping for the night, our heroes make their way to the headwaters of the river.

Read more TBC Table-Top: Episode 06 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

TBC Table-Top: Episode 05 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

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Now available in high quality Vorbis audio!

Join Scott, Simeon, Glen, and Nathan Blake of Nathan Blake Games on an adventure through the backwoods of Hyrule as the crew plays a table-top R.P.G. inspired by The Legend of Zelda.

After dispatching their bokoblin assailants, our heroes continue delving even deeper into the woods.  Will they find the river’s headwaters or more trouble? Read more TBC Table-Top: Episode 05 A Zelda Table-Top R.P.G. Adventure

How Definitive is Hyrule Warriors (Switch)?


Hyrule Warriors originally launched in 2014 on Wii U, got a second lease on life in 2016 for 3DS, and with another two years comes another version of the game. 2018’s Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition brings all the DLC together and all the modes into one stellar package! Simeon and Scott will show you the ropes.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Shrine-Hunting in Breath of the Wild


Scott never finished beating all the shrines in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And there’s one in particular that’s giving him trouble. That’s where you come in! Help Scott finish out his quest to beat all the shrines!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Should Zelda Go Futuristic?


The Legend of Zelda series has a storied past of—well—doing the same thing over and over again for years. It’s time to shake things up and take Link into the Future, and not keep him in the Past!

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Luigi’s Balloon World – Super Glitchfest!


What do you think about cheaters? How about people who take advantage of exploits in Super Mario Odyssey’s new balloon mode to hide things out of bounds? We’ll discuss all that, and more, in this week’s Nintendo News segment by Two Button Crew.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Why am I Still Playing Breath of the Wild?

It has almost been a full year since Breath of the Wild was released. My intention is to not beat a dead horse by writing about my love for this game again, but rather discuss how it’s holding up just short of a year later. As sappy as it sounds, I still remember exactly how I felt when I first booted up the game and stepped foot on the Great Plateau. This was an entire world for me to explore, and the Great Plateau served as the training wheels to my stunning adventure ahead. There were no tutorials to get my feet wet. It was a matter of exploration, failure, and most importantly, education. You had to learn how to fight, when to run (a strategy much more relevant in this Zelda game than any other in my opinion), how to glide, how to cook, how to climb, and so much more. For the majority of these, I learned by failing, and that is the reason why I am still playing the game today. A year later, and I am still learning things.

Despite over a hundred hours, there is still so much to be discovered.

At this point in my adventure, I have about 140 hours of gameplay in. I have about 200 Korok seeds, completed all Shrines, both main and DLC, completed Trial of the Sword, and finished the game. One would think this would be close to the end of the road, but I still want to keep coming back. Of course I am finding Korok seeds all over to add to my count and zooming around on my Master Cycle Zero like it’s a guilty pleasure, but I’m also learning. Every time I play I discover a new location. I learn more recipes. I meet new people. Just recently I was roaming around at night and started hearing some ominous music playing. Music I haven’t heard in my previous 100+ hours in the game. I was baffled what it was until I finally ran into the culprit: Kilton the Monster Parts Merchant. It is absolutely astonishing to me that after everything in this game that I have accomplished, there is still so much to educate myself on and explore. After meeting Kilton, I have the pleasure of doing it with a sweet Lynel mask.

A year ago I wrote about Breath of the Wild being a special game. Present day, I can not only confirm that, but add to it. Breath of the Wild has to be in the top five games I have ever had the pleasure of playing, if not the top spot. I never thought that Wind Waker would ever be dethroned, but this might do it. I can’t say for sure because I still have so much to explore in Breath of the Wild, and I’m just not satisfied putting it down. A year later and I feel as I haven’t mastered the game. There is still so much to learn. My hope is that Nintendo keeps releasing DLC, but that’s hard to predict at this point. Whether or not this is the case, I know I will be riding around on my Master Cycle Zero rocking a Lynel mask for hours to come.

Revisiting Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past


With Breath of the Wild sweeping our Game of the Year Awards, we thought it appropriate to go back “in time” and play a game from the past… A Link to the Past, to be precise. This SNES Classic is a gem, even by today’s standards. With modern games like Blossom Tales still taking nods from ALttP, it’s clear that this title was made to stand the test of time.

“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

TBC 007: Switch, Nintendo, and the New Year

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With 2017 coming to a close, it’s time to remember the year fondly. We’ll quickly set our sights on 2018 as well, theorizing what Nintendo’s next moves will be as well as discussing what needs to change about the current Switch situation. Happy New Year everyone, and thanks for being a part of the Podcast Crew!
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“Exit the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Innovation vs. Iteration Scott's Thoughts

Innovation: to revolutionize, change, transform, or evolve.

Iteration: to repeat, improve, patch, or expand.

Historically, Nintendo is a very iterative company. Most of their characters and concepts came from the mid-80s, when the company created its first batch of games for NES.

For many subsequent generations, they’ve followed the formulae, making a Mario game. A Zelda game. A Metroid game. Sequels got marginally better, improving upon past issues.

They’ve been honing their craft. Perfecting.

The only problem with this tradition is that it’s not very exciting. People start saying things like “if you’ve played one, you’ve played them all,” and “they keep recycling the same story over and over again.”

Nintendo Wii was the company’s first major hardware innovation in a long time—and they knew it, naming it codename “Revolution.” We were starting to see a brand that was ready to transform the gaming industry. Funny enough, the console’s success caused the console-maker to follow up with a safe “half-step” successor, but the masses weren’t listening anymore.

The good news is: innovative Nintendo is back, and that culture is seeping into their most beloved franchises. Breath of the Wild and Odyssey took a big leap in evolving the gameplay front. Next, we’ll see bigger shifts in story and presentation.

Buckle up! Your responsibility is being open to the change.

What it’s like being an OLD MAN


Miles is here to have an important discussion with Scott; what’s it like being an old man? Old men are important to video games, ever since the one in the cave told us it was dangerous to go alone. Miles will share his insight into being an old hero.

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

What this Nintendo Fan is Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Here at the Crew, we’re a thankful bunch, and this is the perfect time of year to count our blessings and reflect on the many things we have to be grateful for.

Thankful for Switch

Nintendo’s latest and greatest console has been welcomed with open arms by the faithful few and, seemingly, the masses as well. The R&D team crafted a unique piece of kit that’s exactly what we wanted, and the launch was amazing. In the months following, software support has been both steady and spectacular. With Switch, Nintendo ushered in a new Golden Age of gaming, and it’s really special to have a platform that brings pure pleasure.

Thankful for the Crew

Two Button Crew affectionately refers to our viewers and subscribers as the greater “Crew,” and greater is the perfect word to describe you folks. The Internet can be a nasty and hate-filled place, but none of that comes with the viewers we attract. It’s been magical to see the sincerity and kindness demonstrated by people who tag along with our content. Every few days, we receive a nice note from a Patron or long-time subscriber, telling us how our entertainment has helped them and wishing us to keep going. The encouragement means the world.

Thankful for Podcasts

Nintendo podcasts are becoming more and more prevalent, with long-running ones still pumping out episodes and a number of new ones that popped up with the release of the Switch. Content creators are more eager than ever to discuss news, impressions, as well as an increase in meaningful topics being lobbied. If you aren’t a podcast listener, you’re missing out on some excellent sound-bites from insightful industry reporters and analysts. For hosts, podcasts are a chance to sit back and talk freely about what’s on their mind in the gaming spectrum. For listeners, it’s like having a group of friends (just as dedicated to Nintendo fandom as you are) that meet together weekly to celebrate all things Mario, Metroid, Zelda, and the rest. The podcast we started this year has been a lot of fun.

Thankful for Unforgettable Games

2017 will truly be a year to remember. We now have our modern version of Ocarina of Time vs. Super Mario 64, with the brand new installments Breath of the Wild and Odyssey. The debates between greater game will live on for decades, hopefully not overshadowing the outstanding Splatoon 2, ARMS, Mario + Rabbids, and swaths of indie games flooding the eShop each week. Switch is quickly becoming a home for masterpieces, whether they are brand new experiences, definitive editions, ports, or remakes.

Thankful for a Bright Future

This year was laser-focused on software quality and quantity. I picture Nintendo’s offices being “all hands on deck” to make this new hardware a success. However, there are other ventures that Nintendo is preparing to embark on; namely a theme park, an animated Mario film, more mobile titles, and more. Development on great software will continue as we are promised new entries in the Metroid Prime series (!) and Pokemon, which will sell systems like absolute bananas. The install base is shaping up to be so huge, no developers will be able to ignore it!

When Nintendo bounced back from the Wii U, they bounced back hard. They’re back in the spotlight, which is a huge payoff for people like us who have followed the brand through thick and thin. I’m thankful we’re currently in the thick of the action!

Have a wonderful Holiday, hug your family, and drag them to your room to play some Switch!

Rocket League & New Bundles Launching Soon!


Black Friday is almost upon us, and Nintendo is gearing up for a big holiday season! Third parties and indies are also joining in the festivities and launching a slew of games soon. Let’s look at what’s coming up!

“Escape the Premises” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/