Number 32 - Super Mario Maker, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, Mario Kart 8

Kick off this week's festivities with a 'double pointer' quiz question!

Then journey with Jonathan to the Isle of Armor, before commiserating with him as he throws in the towel with first person shooters on console; share in Chris' excitement as he watches his brother dominate a 20+ year old handheld football game; and sit patiently with Minty as he 'potters around, enjoying his life' as he anticipates the release of the new Paper Mario. 

Then three VERY list-worthy games. 

Jonathan goes deep on Super Mario Maker, offering a huge thank you to Nintendo for passing the design torch to its players. And why not challenge his Super World from Super Mario Maker 2 like Chris did in our recent YouTube video - Maker ID: 1L9-KKR-22H

Minty shrinks down with the aid of the Minish Cap in the GBA's Capcom-helmed entry in the Legend of Zelda franchise.

Chris adds Mario Kart 8 to the list of Our Three Cents approved titles, sharing disparate memories of his tenure with the Greatest Kart Racer of all time. 

(I think it's fair to say that we are big fans of Nintendo!)

Number 33 - Golden Sun, The Simpsons Arcade Game, Rise of the Tomb Raider

Two thirds of the list down. Two ENTIRE thirds, now in the past. But with a final third starting THIS strongly, we hope your tears are short-lived. 

Minty makes friends with a Kung Fu bear, Jonathan wraps up Xenoblade Chronicles with a gaggle of Nopon tag-alongs, and Chris… moves house? 

Is Summer in Mara any cop? How many levels of Doom 64 did Minty get through this week? Is there any chance whatsoever that Chris will get through the first Last of Us?

Then let a teenage Minty sell you on the outrageously strong Golden Sun; a single-digit Chris talk up a weekend trip to soft play to leap in ball pits and play The Simpsons Arcade Game; and a full blown adult man, one Jonathan A Dunn, wax lyrical about Rise of the Tomb Raider. 

Cosy couches! Pat Sharp! Akimbo pistols! They're all here.

Number 34 - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, Hyrule Warriors, F-Zero X

It’s Monday. You all know what that means? Time to wrap your willing ears around a new episode of this absolute wallop of a podcast!

How have these three gents enjoyed video games this week?

Chris has a boo boo back :( and as such has resorted to less taxing games in easy-to-play forms, such as a classic card game on the Switch that has captured his imagination, and continued forays into his handheld retro machine, the Evercade!

How is Jonathan’s ongoing quest with Xenoblade Chronicles coming along - does he have time to spend a wee smidgen of his Summer in Mara in the new Kickstarter indie game release?

And, in light of a fallow gaming week for Mr Minty and in a delightful turn of events, we find out how Mrs Minty is getting on in the collective Mintys’ Clog Island in Animal Crossing!

And then the rankings! 34 deep means it’s wall-to-wall excellence now!

Minty takes us on a charming locomotive trip down memory train track with his recollection of one of the more quaint Legend of Zelda adventures, in the DS’ wonderful Spirit Tracks.

Jonathan takes us on an epic, console-spanning, dimension-hopping trip down adventure lane with the uncompromising Zelda/Dynasty Warriors mash-up, Hyrule Warriors.

And Chris takes us on a warp-speed trip down memory-racing-tube with his childhood reminiscences of Nintendo’s flagship sci-fi racer, F-Zero X.

Number 35 - Timesplitters 2, Doom 2, Mario Kart DS

Minty is in a hole - a GOLF hole! - in Team 17's Golf with Friends. Jonathan details his Reyn time in Xenoblade Chronicles, as well as a late night foray into the recently Chris-approved VVVVVV. Chris commits to collecting physical games for yet another console with the brand new portable retro-tech, Evercade!

FROTH AT THE MOUTH as Chris says that Timesplitters 2 is a better console first person shooter than Goldeneye!

DON THE SUIT OF THE DOOMSLAYER to fight through the gates of hell with Minty in Doom 2!

REMEMBER THE GLORY DAYS of Nintendo's early online multiplayer efforts as Jonathan talks up Mario Kart DS!

BOOOOOOSH!

Number 36 - Super Smash Bros. Melee, Resident Evil 4, VVVVVV

…oh, hello! Didn't see you there. I was just listening to the latest episode of Our Three Cents here.

You won't believe it, but in this podcast, these three little boys tell stories about their favourite games of all time, and in this very episode they're talking up the games they proclaim to be their 36th favourite games ever made. 

In addition, they talk about some of the current games they've been playing. Fancy that, eh? This fella called Chris has been playing some weird title called Ace of Seafood that he reckons is worth a go despite 'defying classification', as well as a title called Adam's Venture which sounds pretty dreadful. Then a wee lad named Jonathan said he's been enjoying a recent remaster of Xenoblade Chronicles as well as an indie title called Hyper Light Drifter on the Nintendo Switch. The final member of the cast, Minty, says he's returned to playing the ludicrously named Tales of Vesperia, alongside a handful of other strangely titled Japanese role playing games. 

Then they all get quite excited about some game about Animals? But to be honest I just glazed over for a bit then. 

Aren't they all busy boys? 

Then the lists! Oh heavens, the lists!

Master Minty tells a story about learning of the Nintendo franchises at the edges of the multiverse in Super Smash Bros Melee.

Master Jonathan talks about the horror game Resident Evil 4, waxing lyrical about its atmosphere, and optional chainsaw controller.

Master Chris praises the simplicity of a game called VVVVVV by a lone developer named Terry that was apparently inspired by the old ZX Spectrum.

What a strange show?! Right, back to it.

Ta-ra!

Number 37 - Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, Doom, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

After almost two years in the video game trenches, our heroes, Jonathan, Chris and Minty, have reached number 37 on their lists. 

Jonathan strikes fear into Chris' heart as he nears the end of construction on his Super Mario Maker 2 Super World, and then invites us all to Golf with Friends. Chris tarts up his Animal Crossing island, and beams with admiration at two indie games: Gone Home and Desert Child. Minty treads water with a smidgen of Dead Cells, a pinch of Labyrinth of Refrain, and lashings of hot Disgaea 5.

Bust kickflips and boneless pop shove its with the excellent Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Batter hellspawn with a twelve gauge in the genre-defining Doom. Wrestle with the sombre sense of isolation (but also the Wiimote controls) of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Better than Panzer Dragoon Saga? Why don't YOU tell US.

Number 38 - 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Panzer Dragoon Saga

The games start coming, and they don't stop coming, eh?

Tetris Attack, a game in no way connected to Tetris entertains Mr Dow. Mr Booth continues to flit merrily through Labyrinth of Refrain, but also returns to Dead Cells. Mr Dunn brings a veritable cavalcade of games to the table as he continues to make progress in Lonely Mountains, New Horizons, as well as his magnum epic Super World opus in Super Mario Maker 2.

Then, our number 38s. 

Monsieur 'Egyptian Boat' gets tangled in his attempts to talk up the visual novel 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, without, y'know, just explaining the novel itself. Good endings! Bad endings! Layered endings!

Monsieur 'Enclosed Seating at a 60s Diner' gets all fired up talking about the high point in flat Mario's role-playing offshoot Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Chapters! Consoles with handles! Battle towers!

Monsieur Completed Task relives Chris' agony at placing Panzer Dragoon Saga too low on the list after a modern replay, by placing it too low on his list after, you guessed it, a modern replay. Artistry! Scale! Parallels to Japanese anime! 

Bleedin' 'eck. How on EARTH are there still 37 games better than these?

Number 39 - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, New Super Mario Bros, Panzer Dragoon Saga

It's a week of - q u e s t i o n s -

ROUND ONE
Will Minty continue his meteoric quiz comeback?
How is Minty doing with the big bees of Labyrinth of Refrain, a dungeon crawler he hasn't picked up since the beginning of the podcast? 
How many games has Jonathan beaten during a fallow period of self-employment due to lockdown? 
Can you count the number of racing games the boys lavish praise upon in the first fifteen minutes of the episode? 
Why is Streets of Rage 4 so, so good?
Which VR game made Chris feel like he was truly 'in space'?

ROUND TWO
What is Minty's excuse for playing Skyrim for eleventy billion hours and not 100-percenting the main game?
Is Skyrim worth playing in virtual reality?
Just how 'new' was New Super Mario Bros? 
Why does Jonathan 'not accept' Super Mario Advance as a legitimate 2D Mario title?
Does Minty ever get bored when Chris and Jonathan get all toasty about the Sega Saturn?
And why is Chris simultaneously incredibly excited and dreadfully upset to talk about Panzer Dragoon Saga?

Phew!!
Answers on a postcard, team!

Number 40 - Stardew Valley, Super Mario 3D World, Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Today is the start of the week, and therefore the start of another Our Three Cents ODYSSEY!

Can you believe we are now sixty games deep? There's been some crossover, sure, but still, we have now collectively delivered ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY monologues about our favourite games. 

'fore we raise this hallowed number to 183, listen out for: a mysterious creak on Minty's audio channel (a genuine prize for ANYONE who gets close to identifying its source - details on our Facebook page!); a deep discussion on secondary school discos; thoughts of Bravely Default 2's refreshing approach to game demos; Jonathan's multiplayer PC smorgasbord; thoughts on the recent Streets of Rage 4; Chris' apology to indie developers who find themselves at the behest of unscrupulous console porting houses; and… of course... some updates on the gang's progress in Animal Crossing. 

Jonathan tells of the bucolic delights of Stardew Valley.
Chris hazily remembers the Ghibli charm of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch.
Minty is illuminated by the warm glow and feline embrace of Super Mario 3D World.

Every one of these games are worth your time and attention, and hopefully you'll agree that our 40 minute chat about these wonderful titles is an equally solid way to kill a commute, or a morning lie-in if you're currently furloughed. 

Stay safe. We love you all almost as much as we love video games!

Number 41 - Ridge Racer 3D, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Final Fantasy VI

Being served up today: a sweetly hoppy brew of video game chit chat and nonsense. 

For the main event, three gently sparkling jars of amber nectar as Jonathan, Chris and Minty tell tales of their 41st favourite games of all times. But of course, not before a round of aperitifs in the form of Animal Crossing waffle, as well as some thoughts on Ori and the Will of the Wisps, some classic multiplayer PC games,  the recent console port of Doom 64, Super Mario Maker 2's recent update, and lockdown-induced gaming malaise. 

(shall we, uh, stop with this, uh, alcoholic beverage metaphor?)

Today's MAIN EVENT games!

Chris tells some long winded stories of teenage disappointment to tee up his eventual glowing praise of Ridge Racer 3D's greatest hits approach to the Ridge Racer formula. 

Jonathan places Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time atop two towering pedestals marked 'defining 3D action game' and 'best third party title on the Nintendo GameCube'.

Then finally, Minty talks up the grandiosity of Squaresoft's 16-bit crowning glory, celebrating the true artistry of the games sprite work, setting, story and soundtrack. 

Drink up, lads!

Number 42 - Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, Super Mario Maker, Super Mario 64 DS

As April 2020, the longest month in recorded history, draws to a close, Our Three Cents is back to give your earholes a tickle with our sultry voices. 

Are we still playing Animal Crossing?
Has Jonathan really turned to the dark side and started playing on, deep breath, the Xbox One? 
Which VR games has Chris been using to escape from the reality of L O C K D O W N?

Then, hear us get excited about THREE distinct Mario games. Three! THREE!!

Mario… in a stomach! 
Mario 64… but not on the N64!
Mario… that you make yourselves?

Nintendo's mascot there; as equally comfortable in an RPG, a 3D platformer, or a sandbox creation toolbox. Doff your red cap in honour of his genre-hopping maleability.

Number 43 - Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Splatoon, Pro Evolution Soccer 6

On this week's Ournimal-Crossing Three Cents, Chris celebrates his birthday amongst friends on Jonathan's Otter Isle, Minty stuffs his pocks with eggs, and Jonathan welcomes genuine canine celebrity KK Slider!

What's this show meant to be about again?

Games! Is Roundguard, the Peggle / Rogue-lite hybrid any good? Is mobile puzzler The House of Da Vinci as good as it's inspiration, The Room? Do you really need to go through 3000 duels to conquer 3000th Duel? 

Then, big entries for our big lists.

Jonathan remembers Tomb Raider: Anniversary, spinning vivid tales of his initial exposure to the series via the Sega Saturn's port of the original release before it's Wii update.

Minty is thrilled by Splatoon's 'electric newness', Nintendo's incredible foray into the world of online shooters completely devoid of screaming, racist children. 

Finally, Chris relays a series of fraternal memories connected to Pro Evolution Soccer 6, the ONLY football game worth playing! (In some people’s very specific opinions! - JD)

Oh my! Games are so, so good.

Number 44 - Worms Armageddon, Banjo-Tooie, Donkey Kong Country

We are reliably informed that it's... Monday? In the absence of any real societal markers of time and date, why not use this weekly episode of Our Three Cents as a reminder that yes, time is passing, and yes, video games still exist.

There's more Animal Crossing chat, naturally, as well as opinions on Doom 64, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, some eShop bargains, and… TETRIS. 

Chris adds Worms Armageddon to the list of games revered by all three cents alongside Fantasy Life. Minty makes the extreeemely controversial statement (can you tell it's one of the other Centurions who writes these blurbs?) that Banjo-Tooie is the best game on the Nintendo 64. Finally, Jonathan swells with joy talking about Rare's pre-rendered sprite classic, Donkey Kong Country.

WORMS
BEAR AND BACKPACK BIRD
MONKEYS

Oh, we do spoil you!

Number 45 - Diddy Kong Racing, Pokémon Black 2, Fallout 3

The boys are playing Animal Crossing, of course, but what else is floating our collective boats?

Are Chris and Jonathan going to be able to keep up their Ring Fit regimes? Why has the Panzer Dragoon remake rankled the J-man? Which eShop games are worth your pocket change? Which Gameboy exclusive sequel has Chris's heart all afloat? 

Then, after the dust has settled on our April Fools fake out, what are our ACTUAL 45th favourite games of all time? 

Chris gets a bit over excited talking about Diddy Kong Racing, the 'best racing game on the N64'; Minty explains why the weird animals and cultural pastiche of Pokémon Black 2 beats out much of its franchise competition; and Jonathan emerges from the depths of vault 101 to explain why the post-nuclear wasteland in Fallout 3 stands head and shoulders above its sequels. 

If you'd like to argue with us about any of this week's opinions, feel free to use the following sentence pro formas:

• "CHRIS is wrong about Diddy Kong! Mario Kart 64 is truly the best kart racer on the Nintendo 64 BECAUSE..."

• "MINTY is wrong about Black 2! Generation 1/2/3/4/6/7 (delete as appropriate) is much stronger BECAUSE..."

• "JONATHAN is wrong about Fallout 3! 4 was a true evolution of the series BECAUSE..."

Be safe, stay home.

Number 46 - Final Fantasy VII, Parodius: Fantastic Journey, Luigi’s Mansion 2

Hey, hey, kids! 

Have you ever played Final Fantasy VII, Parodius: The Fantastic Journey or Luigi's Mansion 2? 

If so, listen in and see what we thought of the games you may have loved or loathed. And if not so, maybe we can talk you into giving them a blast? 

We three cents place hands firmly on our hearts and suggest that this generation defining RPG, this cutesy, parody shoot 'em up, and this.. hoover simulator (?) are all very, very worthy of your time. 

Also this week: Jonathan finishes Outer Wilds, Minty doesn't finish Tales of Vesperia, and Chris gets someone else to finish Limbo.

Number 47 - Bastion, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Sonic R

Another episode? A whole one?
Fair enough. 

Is Minty still playing that Tales game? Is Jonathan likely to beat the 400 hour long Witcher 3 before Animal Crossing: New Horizons releases? Can Chris contain his excitement at winning his first Tetris Invictus Maximus?

Then the rankings. Ohhhh, the rankings. 

Three games that we felt were very good. Three games that we felt were SO very good, that we took the time to talk them up within the very podcast you hold digitally in your hand. 

The sumptuously narrated space-Western, Bastion.
The gorgeous, expansive collectathon masquerading as an action RPG, Xenoblade Chronicles X.
...and Sonic R?

We love games and we love you. 

(please wash your hands and take care of one another)

Number 48 - Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Firewatch, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap

As the weekend crumbles to dust, sweep away the Monday blues and listen as the boys tell meandering stories about their 48th favourite video games of ALL. TIME.

TUROK 2 and its BULLETS and GUNS
FIREWATCH and its WALKIE TALKIES
WONDER BOY 3 and its TRANSFORMATIONS

...but before we do that, perhaps you'll appreciate the long awaited return of the quiz pun? Or enjoy mulling over the thought of Ralph Fiennes hypothetically voicing the mammalian face of capitalism? Or share in Jonathan's disappointment in the relative calorific deficit of Level-5's Snack World, Chris's off-hand lamentations on The Simpson's gradual decline, or Minty's travel log through the impossibly named factions and cities of Tales of Vesperia?

PLUS: Chris does a -LOT- of laughing. 

Come and have fun with us. 

Number 49 - F-Zero GX, Thief: Deadly Shadows, Phantasy Star Online

Our very own menthol man details how Nintendo hits it out of the park with their 'coolest' racer F-Zero GX. Our host extroadinaire revisits the gloom of Thief's grubby dark-age world in Deadly Shadows. That hairy bloke talks about Arsenal Football Club and its weird connection to Sonic Team's online experiment Phantasy Star Online. 

Listen for Chris' thoughts on the Open Source Scanline Converter, Jonathan's thoughts on breaking the back of flagellation simulation Blasphemous, and Minty's thoughts on a selection of eShop demos.

PLUS: 
Where are we plonking our virtual homes? 
Are Minty's valiant efforts to fight a four point quiz defecit in vain? 
Why is Chris so shit at turn-based combat? 
How's Jonathan getting on in S N A C K W O R L D? 
Why are the boys going to Butlins in Bognor Regis? 

Number 50 - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader, Portal 2

“Jeremy, are you insane?!”

We’re only halfway ruddy there! Come with us into our second season where we discuss, among other things, a video game licensing clusterf*ck, a 128-bit space opera specific graphics card, and the irrefutable truths of the internet!

Also this week, Chris goes subsurface in a circular fashion in Mike Bithell’s latest video game creation. Find out if Minty & Mrs Minty can escape their latest mobile room game in Nox. And what pics will Jonathan’s paths make in his latest mobile addiction, PathPix?

We have hit the ground running as we go into our Top 50, so grab hold of this podcast bus and come with us on a video game journey, a videogourney.