Maxwell Lander is an educator and photographer in eastern Canada. Aaron King is an editor and collage artist in the Midwestern US. They're both game designers, and together, they read RPG books, find the good bits, and discuss them critically. Welcome to RTFM.
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RTFM Podcasts
Join Jay, Nic, and Phil as they discuss the Tech Lifestyle.
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X-wing Miniatures game talk: tourney, humor, tactics, community, list building, mindset and more
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The Old SwitchAroo: Gaming Retro with Mike and Jaymo |A Nintendo Switch Online retro gaming podcast
Mike and Jaymo
Explore the retro video games in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog every two weeks as lifelong pals Mike & Jaymo are joined by a whole host of new and old friends. Each episode is a new set of retro games from the NES, SNES, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive as they further their quest to research & review all 300+ games available on the Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Classics catalog. Dust off your d-pads and game on, everyone. Check out www.theoldswitcharoo.com ...
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Armed with abstract and absurdly specific scenarios, we invite special guests to put our board game knowledge to the test. It’s up to our plucky tabletop team to figure out what the situation calls for, and recommend a game that totally hits the mark. Chance & Counters is a little group of board game cafés in Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham. Our venues are purpose-built spaces for board gamers of all ages and abilities to enjoy, from casual players to seasoned strategists. www.chanceandcount ...
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Lite Switch: Dec 17, 2025 | Analogue 3D Review
33:44
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33:44In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, Kyle Ford from Stream Team joins to discuss the Analogue 3D and how it compares to the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics service as a gateway to playing Nintendo 64 games during Mike and Jaymo’s break before season four starts next month. Mike, Jaymo, and Kyle talk abou…
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In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, Mike and Jaymo are celebrating Gamesgiving with an extra special episode during the season break as they prepare for season four. We start off with some general talk about Thanksgiving dinners and Jaymo has a list of quick food questions intended to divide the dining table in his Turkey Day NintenD…
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Lite Switch: Nov 19, 2025 | Mario Galaxy movie Nintendo direct, Inscryption, Marvel Snap
47:52
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47:52In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, Mike and Jaymo give their first thoughts on last week’s Super Mario Galaxy movie Nintendo direct, and talk about the games that they’ve been playing during the season break. We start off with a bit of discussion about both the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros and the 2023 The Super Mario Bros. Mov…
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In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, we have some bonus content that couldn't fit in out Season 3 16th bit retrospective. See if you can beat Jaymo at our returning trivia game RTFM, or Read The F---ing Manual, where he's challenged to see how many characters and places he can name based off of how they're described in the original vi…
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Lite Switch: Oct 22, 2025 | Little Nightmares 3
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54:01On this episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, we take a break from our usual quest to cover all 300+ games in the Nintendo Classics catalog to explore the horrific secrets of the Little Nightmares series with Twitch's RiRiYells! We explore the obscurest regions of Mike's horror movie collection, draw parallels between Six and the demons she f…
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S3E16: 16th-bit Retro-Spective Season 3 Finale
1:44:45
1:44:45
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1:44:45It’s time to celebrate the end of another season of The Old SwitchAroo with the 16th-bit Retro-spective Season 3 Finale as Mike and Jaymo reflect on their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we bring back “Guess Hosts” so Mike and Jaymo can go head-to-head in a trivia competitio…
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Praise him like you should! We're talking about Praise the Hawkmoth King by Sage the Anagogue, a PbtA game about teenagers, demons, and messed up sex. So yeah, there are some trigger warnings. (Praise the Hawkmoth King is coming to Backerkit on October 31.) Max Lander and Aaron King…
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S3E15: Crystalis -or- Periodic Fable of Elements
1:03:52
1:03:52
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1:03:52Happney is as good as his sword when he talks Crystalis (NES, 1990) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we talk about the influence of Studio Ghibli films like Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wi…
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S3E14: The Ghosts 'n Goblins trilogy -or- History Doomed to Repeat Itself
2:01:02
2:01:02
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2:01:02Cyril from Defunct Games armors up for Ghosts ‘n Goblins (NES), Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive), and Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (SNES) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we talk about the value of preservin…
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S3E13: Mega Man The Wily Wars -or- Doctor, Doctor Give me the Pews
1:21:19
1:21:19
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1:21:19Don from the Cable Club League is powering up his mega buster for Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, 1994) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! Mega Man: The Wily Wars is a compilation action platformer game combining…
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S3E12: F-Zero and F-Zero 99 -or- Crashing Out!
1:30:26
1:30:26
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1:30:26Chico D Mar is at the starting line for F-Zero (SNES, 1990) and F-Zero 99 (Switch, 2023) as he joins Mike and Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we appreciate the character design from Takaya Imamura and the comic book artwork from …
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S3E11: Clu Clu Land, Mario's Picross and Super Picross -or- Steganographic Imagery Viewer Discretion Advised
1:41:43
1:41:43
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1:41:43Andrew Linde from “Nothing New: A Remake Podcast” uncovers hard truths about Clu Clu Land (NES, 1985), Mario’s Picross (Game Boy, 1995), and Mario’s Super Picross (SNES, 1995) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this revealing e…
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S3E10: Blast Corps -or- I've heard of a crash course, but this is ridiculous!
1:33:40
1:33:40
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1:33:40Nate Brown (Twitch’s @nateblackest) brings down the house as he talks Blast Corps (N64, 1997) with Mike and Jaymo as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this explosive episode, we explore the astronomical precision of the level select screen, the s…
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Welcome to the only RPG awards in the world: the Effies. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to. If you want to chat about the episode, join our Discord. And check us out …
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S3E09: Super Mario World -or- Eggs-it, Stage Right
1:32:44
1:32:44
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1:32:44It’s-a him, Dempsey from the Overthinking Games podcast! In this colorful episode he links up with Mike and Jaymo to play Super Mario World (SNES, 1991) and its 2001 Game Boy Advance port, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo…
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S3E08: Ninja Gaiden and Kung Fu Heroes -or- Kung-Fool Me Once, Game on Ryu
1:38:54
1:38:54
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1:38:54It’s an absolute punch-up as Timmy Williams from The Whitest Kids U’ Know joins Mike and Jaymo as they play the all-time classic Ninja Gaiden (NES, 1988) and the not-so-classic Kung Fu Heroes (NES, 1989) as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we…
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Due to scheduling issues, we've been unable to record a traditional episode of RTFM. So Aaron decides to literally read a fucking manual out loud: The Tome of NeverWorld by Erin Laughlin and Craig Sheeley. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, …
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S3E07: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time -or- Time to Kyl
1:37:32
1:37:32
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1:37:32It’s music to our ears as RiriYells returns with fellow Twitch streamer KylTheSheikah to join Mike and Jaymo in Hyrule as they play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998) as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we find Hyrule’s hidden Arwings, discuss the …
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We interview game designer Kali Lawrie of Gem Room Games, talking Letters to Sandra, fiber arts, and curation and archival work.. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to. If you …
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S3E06: Kid Icarus -or- I Put on my Robe and Eggplant Wizard Hat
1:19:11
1:19:11
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1:19:11Josh Covel from the Still Loading podcast and his frequent guest Dexter Morrill join Mike and Jaymo to fly too close to the sun in Kid Icarus (NES, 1987) as part of an epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, Mike finally gets to talk too much about Captain N: The Game Master as we l…
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S3E05: Phantasy Star IV -or- Hazy Cosmic Jive
1:30:56
1:30:56
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1:30:56Ryan (Warboss5) is rejoining the party for another quest with Mike and Jaymo as they play Phantasy Star IV (Sega Genesis/Megadrive, 1993), continuing their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we discuss when it’s appropriate to search through someone else’s belongings, try to fi…
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RTFM Season 6 Finale: Ranking of the Games
1:06:04
1:06:04
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1:06:04Box season is over, so now we must rank the games. Which boxes are best? Which are worst? (They're actually all pretty good.) Plus we announce next season's theme: no game only PDF. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual s…
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S3E04: Metroid and Metroid II -or- Aran, So Far Away
1:40:32
1:40:32
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1:40:32Our theme song-genius Kristal Fields is back on board with her friend Nick to talk Metroid (NES, 1987) and Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, 1991) with Mike and Jaymo as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll work out just what a Metroid really is, where th…
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S3E03: Pilotwings and Pilotwings 64 -or- In-Flight Entertainment
1:28:07
1:28:07
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1:28:07Colleen is taking off into Pilotwings (SNES) and Pilotwings 64 (N64, 1996) with Mike and Jaymo on board as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll look at how Mode 7 graphics were originally destined for flying insects, argue over both American sea monsters and i…
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You have been selected to work at the Triangle Agency. Game designer Sam Leigh joins us to talk about this corporate horror RPG by Caleb Zane Huett. Is corporate horror for the youths? Does metafiction have a place in RPGs? And who is the yellow voice?! Max Lander and Aaron King dig thr…
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S3E02: Mario Party -or- Mad About Mini-Games!
1:13:31
1:13:31
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1:13:31Sarah and Kyle Ford from Stream Team party down with Instagram’s Jaclynfrances in the hit party game that birthed a franchise: Mario Party on the Nintendo 64. Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog has never been more wild! In this raucous episode, we kick off the first annual Bloop…
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Prepare to enter The Zone by Raph D'Amico. We compare the gamefeel of cards versus tables. We talk mutations. And we talk shit about the Southern Reach Trilogy. We're talking the Possible Worlds series by Tyler Crumrine, six discreet games boxed together. We have them fight to the death until only the best emerges victorious. Just kidding, we lov…
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S3E01: Link's Awakening -or- A Nightmare on Koholint: Dream Warrior
1:32:23
1:32:23
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1:32:23Twitch streamer RiRiYells and the Underrated movie podcast’s Derick McDuff are instrumental in exploring The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy / Game Boy Color 1993/1998) as Mike and Jaymo continue on season 3 of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll learn t …
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RTFM Interview: Austin Walker & Tyler Crumrine
1:27:39
1:27:39
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1:27:39The RTFM interview series continues. We talk to Austin Walker and Tyler Crumrine about Realis, the meaning of "ashcan," and Wawa versus Sheetz. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have t…
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Lite Switch: Feb 26, 2025 | To the Moon, Fatal Fury, Starstruck Vagabond, and more
45:54
45:54
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45:54As we wrap up our season-break episodes of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, Mike and Jaymo dive into their gaming adventures during this downtime. Mike shares his experience with the emotional journey of the To the Moon series, discussing its unique storytelling and how it resonates on a personal level. Jaymo, on the other hand, introduces listener…
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We're talking the Possible Worlds series by Tyler Crumrine, six discreet games boxed together. We have them fight to the death until only the best emerges victorious. Just kidding, we loved them all. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, …
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Lite Switch: Feb 12, 2025 | Animal Crossing
45:40
45:40
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45:40It’s time to cross swords over Animal Crossing! In this episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, Jaymo continues his break from researching, reviewing, and playfully ribbing all 250+ games in the Nintendo Switch Online retro catalog. Today, he faces off against returning guest Lisa from the Geek Pop Podcast in a competition to see whose Animal C…
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Fantasy soap opera in a box? That's what you get in Dragonlance: Fifth Age. We talk about Dragonlance in general, card-based RPG mechanics, and kender genitals. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fuckin…
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Lite Switch: Jan 29, 2025 | Jaymo's Top Twenty Games
56:39
56:39
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56:39Join Mike and Jaymo for another engaging episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, as they continue their break from the usual Nintendo Switch Online catalog to dive into Jaymo's top twenty games of all time. This episode is packed with nostalgia, excitement, and a few surprises as they explore the games that shaped Jaymo's gaming journey. The di…
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The RTFM Show! 054 - First Show of 2025
1:30:23
1:30:23
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1:30:23By Jay, Nic, and Phil
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Lite Switch: Jan 15, 2025 | Street Fighter III, The Duck Detective, Sonic Galactic, and more
20:19
20:19
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20:19Join Mike and Jaymo for a laid-back season-break episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, where they take a breather from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what they've been playing during the offseason. This time, it's all about the games that have captured their attention while they gear up for the excitin…
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RTFM: A Guide to Casting Phantoms In the Revolution
1:17:31
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1:17:31Box season continues with A Guide to Casting Phantoms In the Revolution by Adam Vass & Will Jobst. We're talking mechanical crunch in narrative structure, scene-based roleplaying, and breaking Kickstarter. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lo…
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Lite Switch: Jan 1, 2025 | Screentime: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Review
1:03:00
1:03:00
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1:03:00Join Mike and Jaymo for a special episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, where they take a break from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what gaming and gaming-related activities they've been up to during the offseason. In this special SPOILER-FILLED episode, the boys are joined by two lifelong Sonic fans, …
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It's a holiday miracle! This Christmas, we're covering Pendragon, the classic RPG of chivalric knighthood. Can the game split the difference between history and fantasy? What can you learn by staring at bees? And would you like to roll on the cuck table? Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore t…
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The RTFM Show! 053 - Thats a Wrap for 2024
1:33:00
1:33:00
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1:33:00By Jay, Nic, and Phil
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Lite Switch: Dec 18, 2024 | Star Wars: Hunters Squad Brawl-Star Battle Royale
1:06:52
1:06:52
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1:06:52Join Mike and Jaymo for a special episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, where they take a break from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what gaming and gaming-related activities they've been up to during the offseason. In this very special episode, the boys are joined by SwitchAroo alums Bryan & Lisa to ra…
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Just Aaron today with a stopgap episode covering session planning and playing Traveller. Why run an incomplete game? Is the military bad? How can you get a horse with an exoskeleton? Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They r…
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Lite Switch: Dec 4, 2024 | the Nintendo Music app, Vampire Survivors, Meta Quest, and more
41:52
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41:52Join Mike and Jaymo for a special episode of The Old SwitchAroo Lite Switch, where they take a break from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what gaming and gaming-related activities they've been up to during the offseason. This episode explores the newly released Nintendo Music app, a service that has quickly c…
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Today we're covering Mausritter: The Estate, a box set of adventures and setting materials for teeny tiny mice adventures. What makes for a good adventure? Are you a filler-inner or a chipper-awayer? How do you deal with an evil cat wizard? Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuab…
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S2E16: 16th Bit Retro-Spective Season 2 Finale
1:39:08
1:39:08
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1:39:08Celebrate the end of another season of The Old SwitchAroo with the 16th-bit Retro-spective Season 2 Finale as Mike and Jaymo reflect on their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode Mike and Jaymo go head-to-head as they're quizzed on this season’s games from all our wonderful guests…
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The RTFM Show! 052 - is AI ruining our world?
1:37:35
1:37:35
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1:37:35By Jay, Nic, and Phil
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S2E15: Gunstar Heroes and Sin and Punishment -or- Treizure Warning
1:29:28
1:29:28
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1:29:28Brad from Arcadiology helps us mine for rare gems looking at two games from Treasure, Gunstar Heroes (Genesis, 1993) and Sin and Punishment (N64, 2000), as part of Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode we look at how Treasure cut their teeth with McDonalds, what gi…
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The RTFM Show! 050 - New Studio discussion, CPU talk and More!
1:31:20
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1:31:20By Jay, Nic, and Phil
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Today, we interview game designer and podcast Daniel Kwan. We talk games in museums, wuxia movies, and smelly Toronto. Max Lander and Aaron King dig through RPGs of yore to bring you valuable nuggets of mechanics, lore, and strangeness. They read the fucking manual so that you don't have to. If you want to chat ab…
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S2E14: Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol -or- Revenge of the B Movie
1:34:55
1:34:55
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1:34:55We scare up Nick and Josh from Smashing Game Time to blast through Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES, 1993) and Ghoul Patrol (SNES, 1994) as we take a detour from Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode we look at why chainsaws were replaced with axes when Zombies went …
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