Goodbye, Two Button Crew

Hey crew, we have an announcement to make. We have decided to end Two Button Crew. With the release of episode 40 of the podcast, we’ve agreed now would be an appropriate time to bring things to a close. The podcast started with an overview of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, so it only seems fitting to bookend it with an episode on the game’s sequel, Tears of the Kingdom. That and, while the Switch is far from dead, it does feel like this generation is winding down, making this a good time to wrap things up.

We’re also not as young as we used to be. Our lives have changed quite a lot over the years and there’s plenty to keep us busy: Ryan and Scott are fathers, Simeon has moved to another state, and I (Glen) have landed a job as a game programmer. With everything going on in our lives, we just don’t have the time for this project that we used to.

Moreover, many of us have other projects we’d like to pursue. Scott has written two fantasy novels: Spire of Tyranny and Gates of Eternity. He’s also currently in talks to work on future video game-related books. I, myself, have recently started my own company, Loksi Games (pronounced Lōk-see) and published an addon for the Unity Asset Store. Additionally, I’ve also been working in my spare time on my own game. And let’s not forget Nathan has his own let’s play channel, Nathan Blake Games.

Scott and Simeon started the Two Button Crew YouTube show way back on May 21, 2015, over eight years ago. I myself have been a part of the crew for roughly seven and a half years. I can only speak for myself, but there were a slew of projects that I had planned but never got around to making: editorials, “That Was a Thing” articles, and a very ambitious Chibi-Robo retrospective where I would’ve reviewed every game in the series. Still, when I look back, it’s crazy how much we’ve done over the years:

  • A daily talk show with over 800 episodes
  • Reviews of games, books, and hardware
  • Blogs ranging from editorials to retrospectives and even fan fiction
  • Gaming live streams
  • Let’s plays
  • Collaborations with prominent Nintendo content creators including GameOver Jesse, Lucas M. Thomas, Shesez, and Matthew Taranto
  • Live discussions of Nintendo Directs
  • A song eulogizing the Wii U
  • A gaming podcast
  • An actual-play R.P.G. podcast
  • A weekly, live, variety show
  • And even an R.P.G. adventure module

Two Button Crew has been an amazing experience. Even though I know it’s the right decision, I’m sad to see it come to an end. But instead of lamenting its passing, I think it’s better to be grateful for being a part of something so ambitious, wholesome, and fun. I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made, for the opportunity to express myself, and for the knowledge that there are people out there who are interested in what I have to say. We’re also grateful for all of our fans who have supported us over the years: CrazyK, Dan Tappan, Enrique Lopez, Flapjack, GameOver Jesse, Jay Man, Liep, Matthew Mason, Paul Washke, Rachel Wakelin, SciSci, SparklingCyanide, Thierry, TmacMusic, and—of course—you.

Thank you for watching, reading, and listening.

~ Glen K. Straughn

Two Button Crew

TBC 40: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Play

After years of waiting, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is finally out.  As the sequel to Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom is the follow up to one of Nintendo’s most highly acclaimed games.  After hundreds of hours in Hyrule, Scott, Glen, and Nathan recount their time in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in the final episode of the Two Button Crew Podcast.

TBC 039: Super Mario 64

Play

Super Mario 64 is a landmark title in video games. It helped usher in the 3D era of gaming, created the template for collectathon platformers, redefined what it meant to be a Mario game, and enchanted generations of Nintendo fans. Join Nathan and Glen as they talk about one of the most influential and beloved video games of all time!

Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

TBC 038: Kirby’s Adventure

Play

Kirby’s second outing was a landmark title for the series.  Not only was it our favorite pink marshmallow’s first game on a home console, it also marks the debut of his signature copy abilities.  Join Glen and Scott as they discuss the finer points of Kirby’s Adventure (and nearly every other game in the series) in this episode of the Two Button Crew Podcast!


Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

Sound Effects from Pixabay

TBC 037: The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Thumnail for episode 37 of the Two Buton Crew Podcast.
Play

Mario hasn’t had the best luck with cinematic adaptations, that is until now. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out and nabbing box office high scores.  Is it worth the hype?  Glen, Nathan, and Scott are here to share their thoughts on Mario’s big return to the big screen.


Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

TBC 036: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors

Play

Two hours, two persons, two buttons.  Glen and Nathan once again wander off the beaten path to bring you this in-depth discussion of the 2009 Nintendo DS cult-classic, Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors.


Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

TBC 035: Splatoon 3

Play

The latest installment of Splatoon has been out for a few months now and is making waves among fans.  In that time, Glen and Nathanael have delved the depths of Alterna, waged Turf Wars, and endured countless shifts at Grizzco to bring you this extended deep dive into Splatoon 3!


Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

River City Girls 2 Review

Introduction

Product provided for review. Thanks, WayForward!

The River City Girls are back! Hot on the heels of the success of their first starring role, WayForward and Arc Systems Works have brought the Gals back for round two. In case you haven’t been following this game’s development, WayForward was hyping this game up for a whole year leading up to its release, with multiple trailers that gradually revealed more and more of the game’s characters and features. And with each new trailer, I felt just a little bit more…apprehensive. While I enjoyed the first game, I didn’t like it enough to want more of it. Moreover, I knew Two Button Crew was going to get a review code for this game, and—having reviewed the first title—I’d would be reviewing this one. But, I have a job to do, so let’s get this over with. Read more River City Girls 2 Review

RWBY: Arrowfell Review

Product provided for review. Thanks, WayForward!

RWBY: Arrowfell is an action-adventure platformer developed by WayForward and published by Arc System Works. Based on Rooster Teeth’s animated web series, RWBY, the game is set during the show’s seventh volume. The game follows the eponymous Team RWBY on their first big mission as licensed huntresses. Read more RWBY: Arrowfell Review

TBC 034: Klonoa: Door to Phantomile

Play

Klonoa returns once more thanks to the Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series collection for Nintendo Switch. Despite its acclaim, the game has remained relatively obscure. Join Glen and Nathan as they discuss examine the gameplay, design, and story of Namco’s beloved cult classic.

Enjoying the TBC Podcast? We are an ad-free show! Drop a comment, leave a like, or share with a friend.

Check out our old YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/TwoButtonCrew

“Two Button Crew Theme” by Katie Straughn

Expedition Into the Halno Woods

Introducing Expedition Into the Halno Woods, an entry-level adventure module for 1d4chan’s The Legend of Zelda role-playing game. Now you too can embark on the adventure first featured in our TBC Table-Top podcast. How will your own party of heroes fair on their quest to save the river? Will you triumph, or find yourselves up the creek without a paddle?

Download the PDF here!

In addition to the adventure itself, you can click here to download a supplement pack containing high-resolution maps, battle maps, and useful cheat sheets.

This module is compatible with the 1d4chan The Legend of Zelda R.P.G., the rules for which can be found here.

About This Module

This module aims to introduce players and Sages (i.e. game masters) to The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. It features a small, sandbox-styled adventure in which players can explore, fight monsters, and solve puzzles. It provides many scenarios to help sages learn and demonstrate many of the game’s rules and even includes examples of some of the game’s more abstract concepts, such as minigames. Moreover, the adventure is written to capture the feeling of playing a chapter of a Zelda game, following the recognizable formula of a town that’s in trouble, a task to reach the source of the problem, and finally a dungeon to test the players’ mettle. As such, this module focuses more on gameplay, allowing for sages to fill in the details of the story as they see fit.

The Story

The humble logging town of Addalet is in trouble. The river on which the village’s livelihood depends is drying up. Now the players must travel through the mysterious Halno Woods to the river’s source to uncover the cause of the town’s troubles.

Features

  • Two dungeons
  • A town full of lively characters
  • Ten side quests
  • A sprawling countryside with 17 unique locations
  • Stats for 18 different types of enemies
  • New survival rules for roughing it in the wild
  • New alternate navigation rules
  • Alternate potion brewing rules
  • Five pre-made characters

Advice for Running This Campaign

As a bonus, here are some tips for running this campaign and The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. in general:

  • This is a Zelda game: If you’ve played pen-and-paper R.P.G.s before, you probably know The Legend of Zelda has a very different tone and internal logic from games like Dungeons & Dragons. For instance, enemies drop items when defeated, and players can find money by cutting grass. While I encourage players and sages to take advantage of the additional freedom afforded by pen-and-paper R.P.G.s, players and sages should remember that this module was written using “Zelda logic” and that keeping that in mind will enhance your group’s enjoyment of the campaign.
  • Keep the monster stats on standby: For the sake of brevity, I put many of the monster stats in the appendices in the back of the module. I recommend printing these out and keeping them off to the side while running the game so you can quickly reference them.
  • Use battle maps and miniatures for combat: Combat in The Legend of Zelda R.P.G. is very heavily based on positioning and movement. As such, it’s critical that everyone can easily track what’s going on. I’ve tried running this game’s combat using “theater of the mind” and seen others attempt it, and it simply does not work.
  • Be open minded: Part of the fun of running an R.P.G. is seeing what wild and creative solutions the players come up with. If the players come up with an inventive solution to a puzzle that logically should work but isn’t mentioned in the module, then go ahead and let the party do it.

If you have any questions, comments, or corrections (rules, spelling, grammar, etc.) contact me at glen@twobuttoncrew.com.

Shantae Review

Product provided for review. Thanks, WayForward!

The end of a system’s lifespan is often an interesting time. By then, developers are intimately familiar with the platform’s capabilities and know exactly what it takes to push it to its limits. Unfortunately, these efforts are often overlooked by the general public, who are too anxious to get their hands on the next generation of hardware and games. As a result, the twilight years of a game system are a perfect breeding ground for cult classics. Such is the story of WayForward’s Shantae for the GameBoy Color. Shantae was originally released for the GameBoy Color on June 2, 2002, almost an entire year after the GameBoy Advance’s North American debut. Now the half-genie’s original outing makes its way to Nintendo Switch, thanks to Limited Run Games. Read more Shantae Review

Tadpole Treble Encore Review

Product provided for review. Thanks, Bitfinity!

Developed and published by Bitfinity, Tadpole Treble was originally released in 2016 for Steam and Wii U. The title is notable for being designed by Matthew Taranto ofBrawl in the Family fame, who also composed the soundtrack and drew much of the game’s art. The game now comes to Nintendo Switch as Tadpole Treble Encore, featuring new bonus content and even an entire new stage!

Oh, and as a matter of transparency, I do feel it necessary to mention that I did throw money at the game’s initial Kickstarter campaign. Not only did I get this cute little plush of the protagonist, my name’s in the credits! Yeah, I can’t promise this review will be 100% unbiased.

The game stars Baton, a recently hatched tadpole who is carried away from her home by a hungry pelican. She just barely manages to escape and lands upstream, far from home. And so begins Baton’s perilous journey to reunite with her family. Read more Tadpole Treble Encore Review

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge Review

While it may be hard to believe now, there was a time when Shantae was relatively obscure. Released in the Gameboy Color’s twilight years, Shantae’s first game failed to get a foothold in a market that had already advanced on to Nintendo’s next iteration of the Gameboy line. That said, WayForward was confident in the I.P.—partly thanks to the cult following that had formed around the half-genie’s debut title—and were eager to develop a sequel. Eight arduous years and a few false starts later, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was released as a download title for the Nintendo DSi. In the years that followed, the game would see updated ports on several systems, including: iOS, Steam, Wii U, and now—of course—the Nintendo Switch. Read more Shantae: Risky’s Revenge Review

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

Play

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

Play

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

Play

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)

Emulation vs. Porting

As some of you may recall, A few months ago, there was a lot of hoopla about an unofficial P.C. port of Super Mario 64. Fans had managed to decompile and reverse engineer the source code of Mario 64 and made the necessary changes to compile and run the game on Windows. So why is this such a big deal when we can already play N64 games using emulators? Conversely, what’s it matter that the games in the Super Mario 3D All-Stars Collection are emulated and not ported? What’s the difference between porting and emulating? And why would developers choose one over the other? Read more Emulation vs. Porting

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

Play

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

Play

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