The Insert Credit Show

1 hour 19 minutes
Ep. 465 - It's Not Called Peacehammer
Only the Insert Credit panel could cover the fan response to Bioware’s closure, explain all of Warhammer 40,000 in six minutes, and design a Nathan Fielder video game.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: When making a game, how big should the numbers go? (04:41)
2: How do you design a miniboss? (10:11)
- Miniboss
- Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
3: What does a fanbase do after a video game studio dies? (13:14)
4: Ash, explain the Warhammer 40,000 universe in six minutes. (20:56)
5: Room Check! (29:23)
6: Which video game would be most likely to have a branded codpiece? (41:12)
7: Bigger J asks, how should Valve announce Half-Life 3? (42:08)
8: What would a video game designed by Nathan Fielder be like? (49:53)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Ranthill (53:41)

Recommendations and Outro (01:05:43):
- Brandon: Tube Mapper, 52nd Street - Somethings Going On, Karyn White - Ritual of Love
- Frank: Tom the Postgirl
- Ash: The Horus Heresy, I, Claudius
- Jaffe: Send questions about comics to [email protected]
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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2 November 2026, 10:19 am
1 hour 12 minutes
Ep. 464 - Specdracular 2026
Freaky Frank Cif-AAAAH-ldi, Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust Parrish, and BranDon Corleone Sheffield unite once more to take on Dracula’s biggest challenge yet: discount prices!

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: What fixtures do you put in a final level to prevent heroes from reaching the boss? (06:38)
- Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
2: What are the strangest things that exist out of bounds in a video game? (12:37)
3: What video games have the most hostile and unpleasant aesthetics you’ve ever experienced? (18:48)
4: What happens to a video game studio after it dies? (25:01)
5: What are your feelings on video game recompilation projects, particularly with the role AI has begun to play in them? (30:39)
6: Seva Saturn asks, what non-horror games induce anxiety for you? (38:14)
7: Why Why asks, how do you get a scaredy cat like me to enjoy horror games? (42:50)
8: LeFish asks, what is the Wilhelm Scream of video games? (45:44)
- Wilhelm Scream
- Jaguar
- Atari Jaguar
- Quake
- Doom
- Demonschool
- Crate
- Half-Life 2
9: What would you change if you could change one thing about one game? (47:49)
FRIGHTENING ROUND: What’re Ya Dyin’? (54:32)

Recommendations and Outro (01:02:03):
- Ash: Dress up for Halloween even if you aren’t going anywhere, The Devils (1971)
- Brandon: Dead & Buried (1981), Spike Hellis, The Food Mill in Oakland California, episodes 1, 2, 18, 19, and 20 of Hunter × Hunter
- Frank: Vampire: Master of Darkness, Tokyo Fish Market
- Esper: Have a SCARY good time!
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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26 October 2026, 12:58 am
1 hour 12 minutes
Ep. 463 - Krang Cifaldi
Ep. 463 - Krang Cifaldi

The finest minds in video games return to discuss the enjoyment found in bad games, memorable NPCs, and ooey gooey sticky honey concoctions. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: When do you find yourself most enjoying a game that’s not very good? (07:18)
2: Are there any old video games that you literally couldn’t make today, regardless of whether or not they’d be financially successful? (13:32)
3: What are some of the most baffling launch events in video game history? (19:04)
4: Do you have any favorite weird little video game NPCs? (27:51)
5: BiggerJ asks, what do you remember about ROM sites from the early 2000’s? (34:09)
6: When have you been most moved listening to a new version of an old song from a video game? (40:56)
7: What is the Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger (2026) of video games? (48:12)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Before and After Burner (54:21)

(thanks to barleybap for the idea and the The Matrix: Path of Neo Turf Masters example)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:56):
- Brandon: Physical 100: Mexico, Physical 100: Italy, Vampire Crawlers, KFJC 89.7 FM
- Ash: Thrifting
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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19 October 2026, 7:42 am
3 hours 31 minutes
Ep. 462 - The Hole Fillers, with Alex Jaffe and Esper Quinn
Over one thousand questions have been submitted to the Question Hole at patreon.com/insertcredit, and now it’s up to legendary podcast host Alex Jaffe and legendary podcast editor Esper Quinn to answer more than 200 of them.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Esper Quinn. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:

nah, not for this one, sorry. Join us next week for your beloved Insert Credit panel, and yet another question from the depths of the Question Hole!

This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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12 October 2026, 6:34 pm
1 hour 17 minutes
Ep. 461 - Thanks, Odama
Insert Credit co-founder Brandon Sheffield joins the panel to cover the current state of Japanese games, ace representation in video games, and owning seven PSPs.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: Brandon, what’s going on in Japan with video games right now? (08:13)
2: How do you make equipment management fun in games? (15:25)
3: Which characters in video games can be claimed as asexual? (21:50)
4: What is the most ill-advised video game related purchase you’ve ever made? (30:02)
5: Room Check! (37:05)
6: Joel Valentin asks, what game do you wish had become the defining influence in its genre? (50:05)
LIGHTNING ROUND: The Forgotten-Named Game (54:14)

Recommendations and Outro (01:09:33)
- Brandon: T-Ride, They Will Kill You (2026), Tippett Studios Visual Archive
- Ash: Get away from the internet, go touch grass
- Frank: Go touch grass
- Jaffe: Go touch grass
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by and patrons like you. Thank you.

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5 October 2026, 8:49 am
1 hour 16 minutes
Ep. 460 - Guiltlessly Child Free, with Shivam Bhatt
Writer, podcaster, and Hindu pandit Shivam Bhatt joins the panel to cover spirituality in games, Activision’s Halo, and video games for dogs. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Shivam Bhatt. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: Which video games have you had spiritual experiences with? (08:26)
2: What is the difference in tone and content between Western and Asian dramas? (19:54)
3: What is Activision’s Halo going to look like? (25:36)
4: Joel Valentin asks, what is something you thought only existed in video games until you were made aware of it in real life? (31:22)
- Silent Hill series
- The Simpsons
- Super Mario series
- Don Quijote
- Yakuza series
- Ifrit
- Shiva
- Sid Meier’s Civilization series
- CalorieMate
- Metal Gear Solid series
- La Li Lu Le Lo
- Ocarina
- Echidna
- Knuckles
- Hedgehog
- Sonic
- DuckTales
- Hollywood Reporter: Disney+ Revives Darkwing Duck
5: Brandon Sheffield asks, design a game for a dog (36:34)
- Stella, the dog that “talks”
- NOVA | Can Dogs Talk?
6: What is the printing a Magic card so imbalanced it has to be immediately banned from tournament play of video games? (40:23)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Planes Talkers (46:01)

Recommendations and Outro (01:07:58):
- Frank: The Digital Archive at VGHF Library
- Shivam: Sanjay Patel’s Ramayana and Mahabharata
- Ash: Squeakross: Home Squeak Home, let Ash know what Warhammer she should read next
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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28 September 2026, 4:34 am
1 hour 15 minutes
Ep. 459 - Mission Impastabowl, with Chris Plante
Host of Post Games Chris Plante joins the panel to the future of video game journalism, the new Wolverine game, and a boxed copy of Microsoft Excel.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Chris Plante. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: How can video games responsibly portray physical disability? (07:15)
2: How important is fidelity in video game adaptation? (14:47)
3: Brandon Sheffield asks: what are some games that struck you immediately as being good, bad, or otherwise tailored toward you? (23:30)
4: How do you adapt a podcast into a broadway show? (29:03)
5: Bigger J asks, there’s a lot of recurring level themes in platform games. What isn’t one, but should be? (36:23)
6: Is there a future for professional video game journalism? (43:31)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Arcade Of Our Own (52:46)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:22):
- Chris: Butter Side Down, Post Games
- Frank: Try to watch things that don’t have commercials
- Ash: Make shit to eat that you’ve never made before, Firefly Wedding
- Jaffe: Pasta e Fagioli
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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21 September 2026, 6:41 am
1 hour 6 minutes
Ep. 458 - Wet Adult Link, with Alex Fraioli
Podcaster, Essayist and Voice Actor Alex Fraioli joins the panel to cover the Ocarina of Time remake, barcade preferences, and keyblade nonsense.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Alex Fraioli. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: Brandon Sheffield asks, what is the most fun you’ve had with a game on a gimmick-based platform? (09:36)
2: How did you see video games evolve socially over time? (14:51)
3: Which video games do you associate with specific cities? (20:39)
4: What should we anticipate from this recently announced Kingdom Hearts anime? (24:42)
5: The 1000-Year Old Man asks, what is the Mt. Fuji of video games? (34:20)
6: Where is the uncanny valley? (40:38)
7: What do you think is the hardest job in voice acting? (44:24)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Lorre Not Lorre (48:44)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:18):
- Alex: No More Whoppers, Draw Game, Quartet
- Ash: The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Great Food Truck Race
- Frank: If you have blood in your dong water go see a doctor, PBS
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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14 September 2026, 11:12 am
1 hour 10 minutes
Ep. 457 - Hey Me, Pikachi
Your beloved panel covers advances in stealth games, new Pokemon types, and whether or not Marty McFly has a scrote. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: What is the correct amount of time to sit down and play a video game in front of your TV? (05:57)
2: Which video games are most responsible for advancing their genre? (13:02)
3: What even is the incentive to make video games commercially? (19:43)
4: Design a new Pokemon type (25:13)
- Water
- Fire
- Ground
- Rock
- Normal
- Ghost
- Fairy
- Grass
- Poison
- Flying
- Dragon
- Dark
- Bug
- Psychic
- Fighting
- Ice
- Electric
- Yu-Gi-Oh
- Steel
- Hey You, Pikachu!
- Mimikyu
- Missingno
- Skylanders series
- Spyro
- Palworld
- Unown
- Rotom
5: Dr. Booperstein III asks, are all video games derivative of the first generation of video games? (32:08)
6: What’s the stupidest playable race in a video game? (39:18)
- Pepsiman
- Mass Effect series
- Asari
- Quarian
- Turian
- Star Trek
- Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Bajoran
- Vulcan
- Spock
- Dwarf Fortress
- Dwarves
- Blood Elves
- World of WarCraft
- Night Elves
- Orc
- Tauren
- Troll
- Undead
- Pikmin
- Pikmin series
- Zerg
7: What is the Steven Spielberg’s Stanley Kubrick’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) of video games? (46:16)
LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (52:58)

Recommendations and Outro (58:24):
- Brandon: Doom Runners (1997), Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012), Etiene T. Boy - Jealousy, Vintage Obscura Radio
- Frank: Barkin’, Classic X-Men
- Ash: The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Prisoner of Beauty
Hard Truths (XX:XX):
- Jaffe: If you have a work day that ends at 10 PM, you don’t get to do all the stuff you do if your work day normally ends at 5 PM.
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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7 September 2026, 2:13 pm
1 hour 6 minutes
Ep. 456 - Lady RoboBobby, with Stella Sacco
Narrative designer Stella Sacco joins the panel to cover Grand Theft Auto VI, detecting AI in games, and pink plush Peeps bunnies.

Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Brandon Sheffield, and Stella Sacco. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: How are we feeling about Grand Theft Auto VI? (05:38)
2: How can we trust any new video games not to use AI? (15:52)
3: How have video game companies most egregiously attempted to rewrite their own histories? (20:40)
- Arc System Works
- GDRI
- BioWare
- Electronic Arts
- Treasure
- Yakuza
- Zaibatsu
- Midway
4: Which movies most need a “Scarface: The World is Yours” type sequel with the protagonist coming back to life? (25:17)
5: Room Check! (32:48)
6: WillaWisp asks, what is the CeraVe Daily Moisturizer of video games? (38:16)
7: If Dolly Parton asked you to show her some video games, which ones would you show her? (43:35)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Blind Pull Quote (48:41)

Recommendations and Outro (58:27):
- Frank: Cetaphil moisturizing cream
- Stella: Mortal Shell II, Terminator 2: Judgment Day 35th Anniversary (2026)
- Brandon: The Tong - Dangerous Games, Val Young - Let’s Fall In Love, Save the Green Planet! (2003)
- Jaffe: The Shadow with Orson Welles
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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31 August 2026, 9:08 am
1 hour 24 minutes
Ep. 455 - Resident Fourvil
The panel reviews Resident Evil 4, a foundational 3rd person action horror game with memorable characters, a novelty controller, and an egg meta. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums

SHOW NOTES:
1: What did you know about Resident Evil 4 before playing? (03:17)
2: Do we need to reevaluate escort missions in 2026? (18:18)
- Escort Mission
- Oscar the Grouch
3: How important is it for a horror game to be scary? (23:27)
4: Is inventory management fun? (36:45)
5: Dustin asks, what games should have a novelty controller? (51:08)
6: Let’s talk about the remakes (57:53)
7: Why is this game important? (01:06:31)
8: Where does Resident Evil 4 rank among the Capcom Five? (01:08:27)
LIGHTNING ROUND: What’re Ya Buyin? (01:13:57)

Recommendations and Outro (01:20:15):
- Jaffe, Frank, Ash and Brandon: Resident Evil 4, either on a CRT or with the HD Project mod and ShaderGlass.
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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24 August 2026, 8:21 am
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Ep. 463 - Krang Cifaldi