XaiJu
minnmax
minnmax

patreon


Submit Your Question For The MinnMax Show Podcast/Watch Our Osaka Travelogue!

To prep you for the Monster Hunter discussion on the podcast this week, don't miss Charles Harte's travelogue from visiting Osaka, Japan and Capcom's headquarters! There's a 2.25-hour version as well for folks at the Backstage Pass tier, check the Discord channel. https://youtu.be/05r0vvjCC-k

This week for community questions on the podcast, we'll have Ben Hanson, Kyle Hilliard, Jacob Geller, Kelsey Lewin, and video editor Charles Harte. It's your turn to make the show better by leaving a question, news story, BetterQuest goal, or anything else for us to read on the show as a comment below! We’ll choose our favorite and iam8bit will ship out the great prize below for the winner! We'll stop pulling questions around 8am Central on Wednesday.

On this week’s episode we’ll be talking about...

Everybody at the Backstage Pass tier can watch us record the show live on Wednesday at 1:30pm Central, with an exclusive pre and post show. The unedited archive will be available to view after the fact. You could do us a favor by subscribing to the audio version of the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app, telling a friend, leaving a review, and subscribing to our YouTube channel!

https://apple.co/3lRbzbE

https://www.youtube.com/minnmax

You can also find the Stray vinylfor sale in iam8bit’s online store, and you can use the promo code THENAMEAGAINISMRPLOW for 10% off everything under $100. Psst… please don’t post that promo code anywhere else on the internet. It’s a MinnMax-exclusive thing. https://www.iam8bit.com/collections/all

Comments

Haha thanks I enjoyed the discussion and the winning question was great too

Duderado

I definitely think taxes and finance should be taught more

b_wood

Nice! Sounds like a great quality of life improvement!

Travis in Fargo

I organize by genre and within genre I organize by title name

Dusty Beaman

you should play too! :-)

Dusty Beaman

I'm listening to "Snape: The Definitive Analysis of Hogwarts Mysterious Potions Master"

Dusty Beaman

How to cook, do taxes, use tools...but i'm so glad I was taught calculus -_-

Dusty Beaman

It's retired now but it was called Firehawk at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. There is another one basically exactly like it called Nighthawk at Carrowinds

Dusty Beaman

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

Dusty Beaman

Stray

Dusty Beaman

This deserved question of the week imo

Dusty Beaman

music for sure

Dusty Beaman

MinnMax is named with 2 n's because of Minnesota therefore the 2 tens or maybe the 2 tenns

Dusty Beaman

dirt bike

Dusty Beaman

Share

Dusty Beaman

Chrono Trigger sound track Edited to add: Probably the song that plays during your first trip to the future after you decide to travel through time to defeat Lavos

Dusty Beaman

The moment near the end of Chrono Trigger where all the characters are talking around a campfire. I don't want to share any more than that to avoid spoiling it. But I think about all that very often

Dusty Beaman

Same for me. My 9yo though? Changes constantly depending on his mood lol

Dusty Beaman

That's an awesome feature

Dusty Beaman

Yeah it was so dumb I try to forget about it lol

Dusty Beaman

The "It's about You" basically made me cry when they included Kingdom Hearts. I hocked at first and then teared up and because of the speed of the text of the rest of the video, I had to pause it and start it again

Dusty Beaman

Horizon Zero Dawn has a competitive co-operative game that is a lot of fun

Dusty Beaman

Thank you for this reminder, just voted

Dusty Beaman

Had that with Elden Ring when I walked out from the first tomb you start in. Thankfully, I had some good help and encouragement along the way

Dusty Beaman

I wanna be on that deepest dive

Dusty Beaman

What's an example of a game that you would classify as "found family"?

Dusty Beaman

I recently bought a new and faster USB hub because when I upgraded our (my son and I) streaming webcam, the new one kept freezing up and I guessed (correctly) that the older USB hub was throttling it. The new camera (Elgato Facecam MK.2 would be the pic but it was $120, even on sale)

Dusty Beaman

yeah, i think we should more emphasize how the score is utilized in game.

Dusty Beaman

It won't be on my top 10...

Dusty Beaman

Love mango for sure. Red Raspberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, and kiwi are all also really good.

Dusty Beaman

Miles Morales & Spiderman 2 are both really cool

Dusty Beaman

My original Yu-Gi-Oh cards

Dusty Beaman

I still don't understand it fully LOL

Dusty Beaman

You might be loving it because the bad stuff at launch was patched out.

Dusty Beaman

Zombies?

Dusty Beaman

Nintendo, Atari, Sega

Dusty Beaman

Thanks! I didn't know there was a difference. I will continue to use regular dashes indiscriminately though lol. I thought it was funny how they're all writer-types so they just-assumed people knew- -

Frostphorus

I constantly think about the post-FF7 era of Squaresoft when they got (what I assume) an influx of cash and took huge swings with games like Bushido Blade, Einhander, Parasite Eve, Brave Fencer Musahi, FF Tactics, Xenogears, Vagrant Story, Einhander and Ehrgeiz. All in a 3 year period! Is there another game studio "era" that deserves to be celebrated?

Will K.

Hopefully not too late for a question : " I would love to hear the cohorts opinions on animal crossing pocket camp going microtransactionless and what it may mean for other end of life gacha games."

Nicholas Cross

designer + type nerd here: "hyphens/-" are typically used to hyphenate words broken onto separate lines. "en dash/–" are used to replace the word "to" in instances such as "3–4pm, monday–friday". "em dash/—" is used to separate two connected thoughts, similar to the semi-colon, no one knows its true function—it's fun to use though.

Will K.

As an engineer.,. What the heck is an m-dash?

Frostphorus

Just chiming in to say the level select music from Slitterhead must be remembered forever

thewholehamdamily

Hello maximinius! I LOVE music, gaming music too. Look forward to this ep every year. Here are some of the best music I heard off the beaten path. Obviously rebirth, metaphor, astrobot and stellar blade got the bangers but here are some other choice songs. Unicorn Overlord heir to the dragonlands. https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. Zenless Zone Zero Derailed Order https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. The First Descendant Echo Swamp https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. Throne and Liberty Throne Theme https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. Tekken 8 Ortiz Farm 1st and 2nd https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. Tekken 8 Celebration on the Siene 1st and 2nd https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. https://youtu.be/b34mfybG8GE?si=LTCerTK6vJQud5Cn. Hopefully those work. Thanks for this every year. See ya at the 2 tens!

Shimmy Neutron

Hello! Some of my favorite underrated picks for game music. The Star Wars outlaws theme https://youtu.be/mbVve3hXZWo?si=JGvNcUEcbplHmLLi Also Ultros https://youtu.be/LZaZGnSv2us?si=zzffzfAzNw6TmGUA

Hunter Short

Is there a place you have visited that has been represented in a video game in a way that you feel captured the vibe perfectly?

Jordan Watson

Howdy howdy everyone, If you could go back in time to get yourself hired onto the team for one game and save it from disaster, what game would it be, and how would you fix it? My pick would be Mass Effect Andromeda, and I would change it by making it decidedly NOT Mass Effect Andromeda. Love the show, thanks!

Infi

Hey MinnMaxers, Long time listener, hopeful-first-time-question (I think) selector, hope u all are well! Anyway, I heard Hanson recently talking about Alan Wake 2’s slow sales and modest numbers, and got to thinking about the exclusivity deal he mentioned they had with epic games, and naturally started to wonder if it was indeed a good deal, and what $ dollar amount you all might think would make it a good deal, to offset the sales Remedy might otherwise have made through selling on all platforms or at least even just steam? - Especially now, in the era of the incredibly popular, beloved (…question mark” @haleyfax or should that be #haleyfan lol), and successful (fair to say?) steam deck that everyone seems to have gotten a hold, of which I have just recently picked up one myself, since it’s long-awaited launch locally! Here in good old Melbourne AU 🌃 (you guys are all welcome anytime btw! haha - maybe for our annual PAX?) 🤔 With all the staff cuts and studio closures and cost of living for folks, I can understand them wanting a sure thing in form of cashflow, but do u guys think they made the right call? And if so, bonus Q: How much would have ballpark (@Kelsey 😅 congrats on the book! 📕) been enough $$$ and for what timeframe? Keep up the great work guys! (P.S. Happy to give feedback anyway I can!)

Thorn23

Hey Minnmax, what is your favorite video game art or coffee table book? Any suggestions for this upcoming holiday season?

Ari Torbin

Woke up and put on the wrong glasses, thought "guess it's funky mode today" what's something you have that works but is just in funky mode?

Aaron

Here's a little game. It might require a quick fact-checking, so keep your googles nearby. I'll give you a year and I want you to name a game that came out in that year. Oh yeah, and name a big news story that happened in that same year. Does your knowledge of gaming surpass your knowledge of real world events? Let's find out. 1996 2014 1989 2003 1999 2017 1992 *note* you could just name one for each year, or try playing this way: go around to each cohort to name a new thing, and once someone draws a blank, they're "out"

Josh Lamm

FYI, Racing Scene going through an earthquake this week due to LFM being added to AMS2 (https://boxthislap.org/automobilista-2-breaks-simultaneous-player-record/) LFM is a 3rd party system design to add competitive multiplayer to racing games that lack its own. I've never seen an studio officially adding features to existing games but to me this is the way future racing games are going to handle competitive with MMR / splits / ranks and all that stuff. Game changer, biggest hit of the year from the racing corner of videogames!

LlorchDurden

I'm finally getting around to reorganizing my bookshelves, my question is, what's the best way to organize a personal book collection? By author, genre, color, Dewey decimal? It's about ~300 books leaning fiction. Thanks!

KiwiTheGoo

this is connected to a couple of weeks ago conversation about critics unable to say a game is "bad" <3

LlorchDurden

Ubisoft has announced it’s going to shut down Xdefiant next year and refunding players. There won’t be any offline mode available after the shutdown. Is there any way to preserve it?

Piet van Rosmalen

Do you ever listen to music for a game that you've never played? Never played Kingdom hearts, but love the music!

John Jenkinson

There was an absence of Poogie in the MH Wilds beta. Where is he?

aed13of14

My vote for best soundtrack of the year EASILY goes to Pacific Drive. Not only do you get a radio channel of great songs, but also the soundtrack is really well done to set the strange tone of the game. Here is my pick for the best of the bunch: The song played during the opening that was created just for the game by the great "A Shell in the Pit": https://youtu.be/brTZXoxuzFc?si=DIOOxxW0CImEtiCs

Likeuh

Now that we have max settings how long until we get minn effort? I imagine it's just Leo eating cereal

Frostphorus

I mean this with all love as I listen to many great videos game podcasts, Minnmax being the greatest, but I have to ask. Do you ever feel like video game pundits/reviewers get up their own collective butts about games? I've been playing Days Gone which I ignored on release because of the shellacking it received from games media. However, I've found it to be above average ar worst. The characters were much deeper and better performed than what clipped out meme-able moments led me to believe, and the gameplay loop is satisfying. It's not a GOTY, but it seemed to suffer from not being "cool" enough for nerdy game reviewers. Ok, that's off my chest. Maybe I'm up my own butt. Thanks for the many hours of entertainment.

Rooster

Yars Rising easily has the year's most underrated soundtrack. I couldn't pick one favorite, so I picked 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NehomSzQ1t4&ab_channel=WayForward (Skip to 0:02:50, 1:06:31, and 1:10:42)

mantaguy

Hey y’all! What’s a good book or article you’ve read lately? I’ve been listening to the audiobook for Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier (available with Spotify Premium!), Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz, and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss (for story time with the baby).

CaffeineDad

How long is too long to keep Thanksgiving leftovers? Do you freeze your leftovers?

b_wood

Jerry Lawson’s, an African-American engineer and the father of video game cartridges, birthday was December 1. I did not learn about his contributions to the video game industry until I was an adult. This feels like something I should have learned as a child considering my interest in video games and how often the topic of African-American pioneers was taught in school and at home. Regardless, I think about him and his contribution frequently. What is something you feel you should have learned as a child but you did not learn until you were an adult? Do you think you will remember it for a long time?

b_wood

This is the one episode where I read all the posts here with the music suggestions, I love video game sound tracks and the show is only able to cover a sliver of the amazing recommendations. My recommendation this year is for the theme of a little game called “Mika and the Witches Mountain”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppiRYVIGbc&list=PLbdcMoBh701HTWv-U65XTP0tj6QT6pXiP&index=8&pp=iAQB8AUB But don’t sleep on the starwars outlaws sound track. That one surprised me this year

John

Hello, I would love to hear the cohort thoughts on how the reviewer should be selected from game outlets. Should they have had experience with prior games or the series or be new to the series? I feel like I see pros and cons on both sides but would love to hear some thoughts on the inside baseball of it as well. Also, as far as music is concerned, the soundtrack for Windblown absolutely slaps!

Graham Jones

Heya Minn Maxers! I love the best music of the year episode so much and my anticipation for it only increased ever since hearing these songs. Gusty Garden Galaxy now has competition for my favorite video game music ever, with the music from Heiroglitch Pyramid in Astro Bot, and I hope you like it too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CU5PSTlnbIs “I keep it funky and I keep the party going” has to be the most inspired lyrics put into any song ever and after you pick up the iron ball powerup the music is still somehow just as good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjatQ3TNF3Q

tbeeks15

I have so many favorite tracks from Rebirth of course (Battle on the Big Bridge - Rebirth, Listen to the Cries of the Planet, Aerith's Theme - The White Materia, and J-E-N-O-V-A Tenacity being some of the ones at the top). For non-Rebirth, I really liked 1000xRESIST's soundtrack, the ~Zip~ songs especially, so here's A Tear Drop ~Zip~: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1eZKxopo_s Leaving is also really beautiful too: https://sunsetvisitor.bandcamp.com/track/leaving Slay the Princess - The Pristine Cut added new music with the new routes, and The Princess and the Dragon is one of my favorite new tracks, it's just so beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mTr38Cdddw And my favorite song from Crow Country is Fairytale Town with the eerie bounciness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_9asIvyrw4

ManifestEcho

Hey Y'all! What is your favorite videogame title screen music? One that never fails to get you pumped for what you are about to play. A personal favorite is the title music for Metroid Prime which gives me the chills every time.

Brooke Gossard

Hey Max Hunters, For any Cohorts that played the MH Wilds beta on PC, did it run well? Charles, was the latest PC version running better? I was able to get 30 FPS on Low settings. I ended up getting a new computer during Black Friday with the main motivation of playing MH Wilds when it comes out next year. Hope you enjoyed Japan! Loved it when I went last year (to Osaka even!) CANAS1AN

CANAS1AN

Missed Joke Recognition: Last episode Janet said “Duck Detective really fits the bill” and no one said anything!!

DougieHockey

What’s the one game you think gets overshadowed by one piece of criticism? In other words, it always get brought up and overshadows the good parts of the game? Mine is Arkham Knight. Phenomenal game that always gets brought down by the “too much Batmobile” point. (Also Ben bait: Rebirths optional side missions)

DougieHockey

With the game awards fast approaching, will anyone from Minnmax be attending in person and if so will there be a travel logue My other question is, if you worked as Geoff keighly for a day and could make one big decision regarding how the show ran, what change would you make?

Shakenbake67

Just wanted to chime in and say you missed an opportunity to work the term “Wild Hartes” into the video title.

RadDemonDude

What is your favorite rollercoaster? Mine is The Flying Dinosaur in Osaka, so Charles' trip made me think of it. It is a flying coaster with a bunch of crazy loops but somehow didn't feel too disorienting.

Ben E

Happy Holidays everyone ! What do you plan to play during your holiday “break/downtime” this year ? I suspect many will be digging into their backlogs like me

Nicole

What's up Moonmex How would you fix the Nintendo eShop?

demo sphere

Great video Charles! In the video he visits Denden town which he says is known for retro games. I was wondering if Kelsey knew more/could speak on the history of this? Thank you!

suzakuwatzu

I played Yakuza Like a Dragon for the first time over thanksgiving break. I’ve also been a vegetarian for 6 years. There are a couple of scenes in the beginning of that game which painted such a vivid and delicious picture of Peking Duck, the meal, that I ran (!) to the nearest nice Chinese restaurant to order a dish and I loved it - I am officially no longer a vegetarian. What are some video games that have changed your moral code?

Nicko

In honor of my third unsuccessful attempt to get into outer wilds, what is a piece of media (games, tv, book, etc) that you wanted to enjoy but couldn't stick with it?

Dario Mazza

Metapod or Kakuna?

Tokyo Game Life

Hi! Thank you for the joy you brought to the year. Min max has been a safe heaven. For the last question of the year, can you tell me any game that involves bunnies? I love bunnies and had no other questions to ask so here to go

Cath

Ello, Who's the best cat from a video game?

Landon Tyler Cook

Finally scrounged together 200 pennies! A long time back, Ben mentioned his love of the show "Newsradio" and we know he's a big sitcom fan in general, so this had me thinking... If you were going to have one sitcom adapted into a video game, what would it be? Would you want it to follow an original storyline, or create a unique one? Would you play as an existing character, or would you be a new character inserted into their world?

Mx B

Howdy, I have a simple game for you all. Called, “Rent, Buy, or Destroy”. Rules: Name three games, and you have to do a two day rental for one, permanently buy one, and destroy one game from existence. I’ll ask Ben first: Final Fantasy: Rebirth, Balatro, and Astro Bot. (After answer, ask any cohort three games... Can be from any year).

Tim Mattonen

You guys have already done an amazing job highlighting lesser-known games from this year, but can I get some attention towards one more that could really use it? Legendary Tales for the PSVR2/PCVR maybe isn't the most impressive thing at first glance, but this Diablo/Souls combo has essentially "solved" melee weapon combat in VR with a parry system that sells the physical impact of the dozen or so weapon types. The combat is ridiculously satisfying and expressive (Hanson laughed out loud at the game's State of Play trailer when the player slammed a skeleton through a table and started choking it). The game isn't cheap, but it's 40ish hours long and by only 5 devs in South Korea who could use the support for genuinely pushing VR forward!

Bon Jon Bovi

Do you believe it’s better to return or not return to your childhood video games? Is it better to just let them be a fond memory? I recently have been considering buying a PS2 to revisit my first console. But I’m worried that those games won’t be as magical as I thought they were when I was like 7 years old.

Jake Eckert

Hello cohorts. Whenever I go through a drive thru and they do that thing where they hand you your drink and they put the straw in the nook of your thumb & palm and then place the drink in your hand to lock the straw in place there. I think it's a pro move everytime. Do you have any small real life pro gamer strats?

McGreevy

Howdy crew, Do you prefer wet or dry desserts?

Duderado

Hi MinnMax! The Christmas themed episode is a proud TV tradition. But what about games? Do you have any memorable Christmas themed sequence or level, or a special Christmas update in an online or service game?

resnet

Hey MinnMaxers, I'll preface this by saying I'm not at all a classical music buff by any means, but there's a particular movement in Jean Sibelius's Symphony No. 5 that I find especially stirring to the point where I reliably tear up every time I hear it. It's happened at the same place every time since the first time I heard it, and there's no particular memory or thought associated with the piece that might trigger such feeling — and frankly — it bamboozles me. I'm pretty sure it's the only music that's ever had this effect on me. I was lucky enough to hear it played by a live orchestra and it was quite an experience, but I was fighting back tears so my friends I was with didn't notice what was going on with me! I worry about listening to it too often in case it cheapens the experience and it stops making me feel this way. Is there any art that triggers the same kind of response in you?

M.I. Nuts

Hey Minnmax crew, What is the coolest console name? I was recently at a planetarium with my partner and all the talk of planets reminded me of how cool of a name Sega Saturn is. Bonus question - why is it that Sony has deferred to numbering their consoles unlike Nintendo and Xbox? Thanks, Jared (from a very humid and sticky Sydney, Australia)

Jared Araniego

Why are the two-tens two tens? Could it be four fives? Why not three tens or a ghastly one ten? Heavens forbid it be called the 20. Who ultimately decided on this slightly unconventional list length for GOTY discussion?

Jake Eckert

What's the gift (Christmas, birthday, etc.) you wanted, but never got? I asked for every combination of Gameboy and Pokemon game for a 5 year stretch of Christmases and never got one until I bought myself a 3DS at the age of 22.

Adam Walters

What would your evil doppelgänger from another dimension look and act like?

Calltire

Hanson, will you feel irrational embarrassment if Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sweeps The Game Awards? As an FF7 fan myself, I feel like I might, even though I think it deserves a lot of awards. And also, once Square has finished playing their ultimate hand of the FF7 Remake trilogy, do they have anything left in the tank or do they slowly recede from the spotlight in the following decade?

Vilis

Talk about Cat Quest 3 you computer loving cowards! Ben loved nobody saves the world, he'll love Cat Quest. And it has great music: https://youtu.be/agRJThLHwN4?si=55L77DFtyxSicPbF

Frostphorus

Hello MinnMax, what's your go-to way to get rid of a hiccup? I hold my breath for 30 seconds 2/3 times and it's very efficient.

Luca Alberti

Hey cohorts, what is the healthiest thing you do (regularly)? Tschüss from Berlin, Germany

Mathias Jülich

Hi, after hearing Jacob say he played mgs2 and 3 for the first time this year, I’d like to hear him talk about it. Thanks!

Ian Christopher

Lots of great music this year. I'd highlight Metaphor's 'Traversing The Waste' but I wouldn't want to dismiss Soken's amazing Dawntrail soundtrack. Ranging from the battle theme 'Blades's Exaltation' to the raid boss pop rock song 'Give it All' https://youtu.be/aSU-swmCxVM?si=nM0AFzLGEvLnBEWm

Anthony Botz

If you were tasked with developing a brand new style of eating or drinking utensil, what would you create and why?

Travis in Fargo

Missed joke opportunity: last week Janet said that Duck Detective "fits the bill..." and no one jumped in to say "the duck bill!"

SuperCerberus

Hey MinnMaxers, I was listening to an old MinnFaqs episode circa 2020, and Ben mentioned that Kelsey is a great singer. I don't think there's been any content that shows off the cohorts' vocal talents, where are all the karaoke streams?! And no, Leo having to do karaoke as a punishment into a very blown-out mic doesn't count!

M.I. Nuts

Y'ever do video game noises IRL? I constantly say "perfect" like ther sf2 announcer and the Crash Bandicoot "whoa!"

Qax

Hey Minnmax! Do you share a blanket with your significant other in bed or do you have separate blankets? Also in Australia we call blankets doonas which is said to have stemmed from the Danish word 'dyne' which means down feathers. That's not a question just a fun fact 🙂

Zachary Cliff

What is everyone’s favorite TV show intro, I recently started watching Dan da Dan and that intro is 10/10. Thank you all for everything you do.

Adam Castellanos

Hey minnmax show. Who got it worse in the 1990 hit movie Home Alone? Was it Marv or Harry? Happy Holidays ya filthy animals!

LB

Hey all! Let's travel back to your early video game memories. What is the video game music that gives you the most warmest, fuzziest nostalgic feelings from back in the day? Mine is either Dire Dire Docks from Mario 64 or maybe those opening notes when you boot up Goldeneye. Thanks everybody!

Paul Sharpe

Some of the best videogame music of 2024 is Mullet Madjack's soundtrack. The intro theme is such a mood: https://youtu.be/pO6PKohD3eM?si=X945p7up1UaLVuJs

Michael Berry

Hey Minnmax! What's your non-gaming related hill that you will die on? For me it's that the original Spy Kids film is absolute cinema

Zachary Cliff

Hey Minnmax crew! 2 questions. Live or artificial Christmas trees? And given the recent new ININ has acquired the publishing rights for shenmue from deep sliver; that particular community appears to have a newfound vigor for a possible 4th entry in the series (after a possible remaster/ update to shemue 3). What series, be due to lack of interest or other external factors, would you like to see make a return?

Ryan Homan

Hi Minnmax, What special moments from a game have stuck with you ever since you played them? The kind of thing you think about often in your everyday life or remind you why you started covering games as a career path! :)

Medicine Seller

Hello MinnMax, I am just getting around to Spider-Man 2 this year and I see all the costumes that they put into the game. So many cool call backs to games, shows, movies, and comic moments. The problem is, I usually don’t equip any of them until I am finished with the game because it feels so out of place seeing the characters in story cutscenes with completely wild suits that don’t fit the current story. Am I in the minority for thinking this? What do you do when given the opportunity to change your character so much that it sticks out in cutscenes?

Joe Shmoe

Everyone loves to sing the MinnMax intro, but I want to give a shout out to the outro music! It always ends on a positive whimsical note that puts me in a good mood. what is your favorite/most memorable ending to a show, game or movie specifically because of its music? Thanks!

chris

All best gaming music suggestions Game Song/Score Link Helldivers 2 Drop theme https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5hCkh2AH58 Alan Wake 2: Nightsprings DLC Night Springs Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2fhn8EmIqQ Homeworld 3 The Adagio for Strings Remix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRdoiQLbYRI Cryptmaster Rats! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqOcd2P88yM Tales of Kenzara: Zau ZAU (FEAT. SIPHO MHLANGA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpG-hnVdlQg Senuas Saga Hellblade 2 Alfadhirhaiti by Heilung (licensed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2vRLP7lfMg Still Wakes the Deep Beaufort Eleven https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UQpdWvFspY Home Safety Hotline Credits Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1QvTjkiaHs Star Wars Outlaws Mos Eisley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6UCcPSpZB4 Forever Winter Blackout (Forever Winter Suite) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUcGS3nVRGs&list=PL8pGO5P3B9le6nruYVuPzuLyAfaRlKk3W&index=2 Forever Winter Sheltered in Shadow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6hK3uMYFKs&list=PL8pGO5P3B9le6nruYVuPzuLyAfaRlKk3W&index=5

Maniac

It’s MinnMax Innit?! You have been transported to jolly ol’ London England in 1345. It’s the year before the start of the Black Plague which will ravage Europe from 1346 to 1353 and claim 25 to 50 million lives. Knowing what you know now and having a year to prep, could you survive the seven years of death in London without leaving the city?

RynaGoGo

Do you guys ever think about Jacob's argument against Spider-man 2 during the last years GOTY debate that it was to much fun?

Catpurrnicus

I have been playing the new Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and while flying the fighter jet, my screen would go black once in awhile, especially during a vital turn in a race I was convinced this was a bug, I searched through google, reddit and could find some references to a black screen, but none with describing my exact issue. MSFS 2024 is dealing with a lot of bugs, and I assumed this might be another one, maybe a memory issue - even leading me to put the game down for a couple of days. Just today, watching a random YouTube video, the commentator mentions pilots blacking out due to g forces and I instantly put it together. I boot the game back up, take a sharp turn in the jet, notice that the G-forces approach almost 10, and the "blacking out of the screen", is truly my poor pilot passing out over and over again, due to the insane G forces I have been subjecting them too What gaming feature were you convinced was a bug?

SenttheProphet

On the subject of music, what's a perfect song & video game pairing that you'd want to see a fan-made video of? Like, the two are unrelated, yet feel perfect for one another. I'll start with a couple: Bob Dylan - The Man in the Long Black Coat / Final Fantasy VII Duran Duran - Union of the Snake / MGS3 (Or, really, the whole series)

Gabriel Cleveland

Hello all, What did you think of the recent "It's About You" PlayStation 30th anniversary video? https://youtu.be/KkmonzpHVRg?si=uqH2YmFGLDsvronp Kind of reminiscent of their old "To Michael" video. https://youtu.be/GPctTR3y5Qc?si=e-OyeH_-D7UHVJ7g Do you like these kinds of promo videos? I'll admit they get me in the feels.

SlyCut

Hey crew! What aspect of the corporate world are you grateful you don’t have to worry about as much (or at all) working at MinnMax?

ScottieRocky

Have you ever broken a controller through gameplay alone? And if so what game was responsible? I've now destroyed 2 different PS5 controllers on FIFA by holding the R2 trigger with excessive force trying to get my player to run faster (R2 is sprint) and have had to change the control scheme to preserve the precious lives of future controllers

OhMyBlob

Hi MinnMax! No question, I just want to hear your best rendition of the Metaphor: ReFantazio battle theme.

pork bun powered

Board/Tabletop game recommendations, especially co-op?

Chris Pelley

hello, from a new-ish member of the community! how many of you have been to a live video game music concert? and if so, which ones were your favorite or most memorable? I've been to a few now, but my very first VGM concert was the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses back in 2011 in celebration of the series' 25th anniversary. I still think about how amazing the musicians and presentation were

Elliott Robinson

What is the most "Osaka" place you've been to in the United States?

Thom Blackburn

Hello Cohorts and listeners! No question just another plug for the MinnMax Discord. The Game Awards are around the corner and in the Game Awards channel in the Discord you can find a Google Form to fill out to predict how the GAs will go. Come prove the MinnMax community is in fact the smartest around.

King Promethus

Is it just me, or do Monster Hunter demos do a poor job of selling the game? I love the franchise and have put hundreds of hours into it, but bounced off of every demo. My theory is that the lack of equipment progression/customization is missing, which makes the central game loop crumble for me. Am I alone in this?

Forrest

How long are you eating leftovers after Thanksgiving? The next day? Two days?

Victor Pham

Do you have a “best soundtrack of the year for a game you haven’t played yet”? Mine would be the Rogue Prince of Persia by ASADI.

Graham Gilmore

Imagine a world where the first game you ever play is Brink, and consequently never tried another video game again (Because it was so good, nothing could improve on that experience). What does your current life look like in this reality? What's your non-video game industry job?

Phelix Diaz

Hey folks, hope you got a good recharge in last week! My son is 6 months old, so this was his first Thanksgiving. He did get to try new foods, but other than that, I assume he just thought it was a weird regular day. So I started wondering, how old will he be when the day does "mean something" to him? What's the youngest holiday memory you all can pull?

Jarell Pryor

Excited to hear about Osaka. Besides Osaka, what’s the coolest “deep cut” city you’ve ever visited - either a non-largest city of a country, or non-largest city of a US state?

Aging_Poorly

Howdy minnmax! I recently started playing the newest Microsoft fight simulator, and while looking up a tutorial on YouTube, I learned that a sizable chunk of players are using 3rd party software to speak to each other and do real air traffic control protocol. It’s at this moment I realized I was in way over my head. Have you ever had a moment playing a game when you realized you were hopelessly out of your depth?

Dill Pickles

All the cohorts are so fast with jokes. Sometimes I don't understand how ya'll can think of clever responses in mere milliseconds. What speedy joke response are you most proud of?

RickyWinterborn

For me I don't think there's anything better than a good pineapple.

BEEFCAKE

Hey Ben, when is MinnMax going to do a Deepest Dive on the Bible? I’m really interested in that!

MarriottPlayer

What's your favorite game genre that's not a genre? For me, it's "found family." Having a game with a good found family element really sells me on the game more than if it's a shooter, platformer, RPG, etc. So, what's your favorite game genre that's not a genre?

Vincent Baker

Is there a problem you have that is hyper specific to you? I am playing Stalker: Clear Sky on PS5 in Ukrainian with Ukrainian subtitles. However, the russian dialogue spoken by certain factions is also subtitled in russian and I can't read it at all. It's a significant amount of dialogue too and there is no way to switch it to Ukrainian. I feel like me and 30 other people in the whole world would be stumped by this. There are plenty of Ukrainians my age who don't speak or even know russian, but how many of them are playing Stalker on PS5?

Jason Wojnar

Plugging my ears on that Paul McCartney song comes on

BEEFCAKE

Think about one of your top 5 games of the year, and now describe it in the least complimentary way possible, while only saying true things about it. Now everyone, try to guess what game the person is describing.

Travis in Fargo

What’s your favorite non-holiday related annual tradition?

Travis in Fargo

What’s the best purchase of something under $100 you’ve made this year?

Travis in Fargo

Hey MinnMax! We all love videogame music here, but how often do you just mute it and listen to something else while you play? A friend of mine finished Hades like this, which is obviously insane.

Vilas

Hey all! In celebration of the Osaka Travelogue, what are some rituals each of you have for when you fly or travel? I'm also planning a trip to Japan next spring and would love to hear if Charles has any tips or advice. Thanks!

Rikimaru

I haven't been on the internet much for the last few months. Has anyone made this joke yet?: "ghost of yotei? More like ghost of TWOshima"

BlakJak

I signed up for Netflix again because Michael Schur, The Good Place, Parks and Rec, has a new show on it, A Man on the Inside. (It's very good.) Who are some Showrunners/TV writers that you follow, and what show got you into their work?

Joe Dean

Have y’all ever liked game music from a game you haven’t played or beaten? For example, I love the animal crossing soundtracks but I’ve never played an animal crossing game. I also enjoy the Undertale soundtrack but I haven’t finished it yet.

YokaiBlotch

Hello MinnMax, I just finished watching Haley get fully in the zone and dominate her Hitmansplaining run. Do you have any gaming moments where you were completely locked in and unstoppable?

Chris Cwik

When was the last time you got VERY angry while playing a video game? I played death stranding for the first time recently and had to turn it off because after re-loading a save I made a hilariously long journey only to realize at the final destination (and after two rounds of bosses) that the mandatory package that I was supposed to deliver had re-spawned at a terminal and not on Sam’s back where it was when I made the save. I cooled off with a glass of water and a moment of disassociating as a little treat.

Conner McCabe

Hi MinnMax! I watched this years thanksgiving joke-a-thon about ten times in the last week it was amazing. The Barry Goldwater and XBox business update jokes were particularly painful (in a good way). My question is how inebriated would you say the members of the crew were by the end or did you feel pretty sober?

Julian Maund-Kluppel

Greetings MinnMaxers! Why is it spring cleaning and not winter cleaning? We are stuck inside so why not be productive? Let’s change that narrative as midwesterners

CptCobblePot

Ichiban’s performance during this bit of karaoke was my favorite musical moment of the year: https://youtu.be/p8gAtXJkSoA?si=1pwlTkXP0EDpauTh

David Gilman

Hi MinnMax! I just got my "2024 Gaming Recap" from the YouTube app - happy to report that MinnMax is my #1 creator and I'm in the top 2% of viewers. I'll have to step it up next year! Who are your top YouTube gaming creators? Any must-watch gaming or non-gaming creators you'd recommend?

Jiggs Casey

No question just a Congrats on Charles Osaka trip! 10/10 Travelogue guy!

Leif Dion

Hello Minnmax! When discussing video game music, I noticed people put an emphasis on how good the music is to listen to outside of playing the game. I feel like we don't talk enough about how scores actually are utilized in game to evoke emotions and feelings. Which do you all think is more important when evaluating best score for a game?

Tess

Where do you think " little kitty big city" will land in the two 10's? The obvious answer would be number one because it is the best game of the year. And I would know because I played five games this year. But what do you think?

BEEFCAKE

When it comes to Festival/Holiday tie-ins and limited time modes in video games, Christmas seems to be the most ubiquitous by a fair whack. Would you like to see any other Festivals/Holidays get considered for tie ins? I've always liked that Dead By Daylight celebrates Chinese New Year with a Seasonal Event every year.

Harrison Holt

Favorite fruit? I've been team mango for most of my life, but have recently been on a banana kick.

Palo

Howdy fellow Minners! My gf got me a nice, wired gaming headset, which attached to the controller for mic functionality. My gf used it once, took it to the kitchen to check on food, and by placing it down on the counter, the hot stovetop severed the mic cord! She rapidly ordered me an apology cord, which my rabbit promptly chewed when I left it on the couch during a bathroom break. The third cord, thankfully, lasted me years. Has anyone else had a habit of breaking their gaming equipment?

AnAttackCorgi

What are some of your favorite video game opening sequences? For me it would be The Last of Us.

Steven Rizzo

If you could magically receive one of your favorite childhood holiday gifts this holiday season, what would you choose?

Travis in Fargo

Hey all, As a fellow uncle who has young, 8 year old nephews, I was wondering the other day if they know the concept of a “Rogue-Like” or even “Rogue-Light” at their age. Do the nephews, children, or youngsters in your lives know what these are? They seem to only know Fortnite and Roblox. What age did you first understand the term Rogue-Like/Light?

Neal McMahon

Dear MinnMaxers: Do you have a signature dish you cook when you're hosting someone?

Calvin Jones

Do you wish you could wear pajamas all day? I don’t.

Travis in Fargo

In entertainment media, people always mention taking notes on what they play/watch. What does that look like for you? Are you taking notes at the end of a play session or maybe writing things down as you experience them? Does that ever take away from the experience if you're constantly stopping to take notes?

lambgod

I just picked up Star Wars Outlaws and I'm having a really good time with it. I'm not sure why it didn't sell well or got mixed reviews. What are some games you bought late due to bad or mixed reviews, that you ended up loving?

Ray Sweat

What video game enemy has humanity collectively killed the most of?

Sam Kennedy

If The Game Awards were to open a video game developer hall of fame, who would you pick for the first 3 entrants?

Forrest With Two Rs


More Creators