In this week’s episode of The Andy Bee Show, Andy kicks things off with some hilarious thoughts on Donkey Kong–for everyone! He shares his excitement over the return of Game Informer magazine, reminisces about the glory days of game magazines, and explores the pitfalls of digital vs. physical media. Andy also dives deep into early impressions of Donkey Kong Bonanza for Nintendo Switch 2, talks about backlogs and gaming guilt, and breaks down the latest trends in PlayStation Plus, Xbox Game Pass, and Nintendo’s evolving subscription models.
Andy gives quick reactions to new game releases and trailers like Mandrake, Fallen London, Risk of Rain 2, and more, with commentary on meta progression in roguelikes and community favorite game-length resources like HowLongToBeat. Later, he reviews the new James Gunn Superman movie (no major spoilers!) and highlights community feedback about why we play video games, featuring stories from TikTok and beyond.
Don’t miss listener mail info, Andy’s upcoming plans, and his take on speedrunning spoilers! Subscribe for more video game vibes, nostalgia, and thoughtful gaming talk every week.
Chapters
00:00 Welcome / Donkey Kong is for everyone — Intro to the episode, lighthearted chat, and why Donkey Kong brings people together.
00:10:29 Game Informer Returns — Reviewing the closure, revival, and personal nostalgia around Game Informer magazine.
00:12:25 Donkey Kong Bonanza — First impressions, accessibility, game loop, and required Switch 2 hardware.
00:19:17 Nintendo Direct Rumors — Predicting the imminent Nintendo Direct after Donkey Kong Bonanza’s release.
00:21:03 Game backlogs — Why having a video game backlog is normal and tips on managing and enjoying it.
00:22:37 HowLongToBeat.com — Using community-driven timing to estimate how long major games (like Donkey Kong Bonanza) take to complete.
00:27:19 Fallout 5 & Bethesda — Report that Fallout 5 is greenlit, at the cost of a canceled MMORPG at Zenimax.
00:29:55 Microsoft Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus — Observations and complaints about how Xbox and PlayStation differently announce and rotate free games.
00:38:49 Zelda Movie Cast — Announcing the newly revealed live-action Legend of Zelda movie cast.
00:40:01 Harry Potter HBO — Reactions to the new Harry Potter TV reboot casting and timeline expectations.
00:41:56 Microsoft Stops TV/Movie Sales — Microsoft no longer lets users buy new movies or shows on Xbox; discussion about digital vs. physical media ownership.
00:48:04 Community & Podcast Voicemail — New way for listeners to interact by leaving voice messages; info on how to participate via Patreon.
00:48:28 Mandrake — Highlighting the new game "Mandrake" and why the developer’s history is promising.
00:50:52 Fallen London — Exploring the text-based browser game "Fallen London" and its narrative design.
00:55:21 Risk of Rain 2 — Review and thoughts on the rogue-like shooter Risk of Rain 2.
00:59:07 Superman Movie — Thoughts and spoiler-free review on James Gunn's recent Superman film.
01:03:08 Community Mailbag & TikTok — Announcing audience participation via voicemails, plus reading and reacting to TikTok comments.
01:06:02 Why We Play Video Games — Sharing community answers for why people love playing games and what they get from it.
01:10:11 Recap & Outro — Summary of episode topics, closing remarks, and preview for next week.
Games discussed in this episode:
Donkey Kong Bonanza, Mario Kart World, Portal 2, Cyberpunk 2077, Risk of Rain 2, Mandrake, Fallen London, Sunless Skies, Sunless Seas, Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yote, Horizon Zero Dawn, Super Mario World, Mario Odyssey, World of Warcraft, Fallout, Elder Scrolls Online, and more!
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