The Insert Credit Show

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The Insert Credit Show

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A relentlessly on topic smorgasbord of hard hitting video game questions as addressed by a panel of experts. Featuring Frank Cifaldi, Tim Rogers, Brandon Sheffield, and a rotating group of special guests. Hosted by Alex Jaffe. Edited by Esper Quinn. Original music by Kurt Feldman.

1 hour 3 minutes

Ep. 419 - Half-Life 3: Rd Person
Guest host Esper Quinn asks Frank, Ash, and Brandon about Xbox’s Black Friday failure, The Game Awards, and creative uses for soy sauce. Hosted by Esper Quinn, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: Vanessa B asks, what is the most ridiculous fighting game outfit you’ve seen and what about it irks your nerves? (04:51)
2: You guys see the Nex Cube outsold the Xbox on Black Friday? (09:29)
3: If you ran a video game history foundation, what would you do with an unreleased NES game? (18:30)
4: Given that we record this show on the Thursday before it’s released, recap what happened at The Game Awards (23:46)
5: Yeso asks, if video games had a currency, who would be on the $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 bills? (30:05)
6: What age should a person play their first video game? (37:27)
- Intellivision
- Atari 2600
7: What is the soy sauce of video games? (41:04)
- Soy sauce
- Men’s Testicles Have Taste Receptors?
LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Even More Magic the Gathering Cards (45:39)

Recommendations and Outro (52:47):
- Frank: The Video Game History Foundation’s Winter Fundraiser Calendar of Events
- Brandon: Bullets Over Summer (1999), Jai D - Keichitsu Vol.1, Yoshie Kashiwabara - Luster, please review Demonschool
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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15 December 2025, 11:29 am
1 hour 24 minutes

Ep. 418 - Keep Cringe Alive, with Vanessa B
Crystal Dynamics and GDQ Community Manager Vanessa B joins Ash and Brandon to talk about Horses discourse, engaging with game communities, and Juri’s feet. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Ash Parrish, Brandon Sheffield, and Vanessa B. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: What’s the best community in speedrunning? (04:57)
2: How does a community manager keep the fanbase of a series engaged between release cycles? (13:23)
3: Here in 2025, how do you explain the significance of Lara Croft? (20:54)
4: What is Gex like in real life? (30:17)
- Gex
- Geoff Keighley
- Conker
- Bubsy
- Sonic
- Alex Kidd
- Crash Bandicoot
- Ratchet
- Jak
- PaRappa Rappa
- Nathan Fillion
- Geico Gecko
- Batman
5: spencergifs asks, how would one make a video game that had the fewest amount of players while generating the largest amount of discourse and content? (37:07)
6: Are there specific racial stereotypes within the video game industry and community that we have to contend with? (43:29)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Synestheatre (50:05)

Recommendations and Outro (01:10:21):
- Vanessa: Back to Black 2026, Speeding Through the Holidays
- Ash: Sit with art that makes you uncomfortable
- Brandon: Under Siege (1992), the blu-ray commentary for The Hunted (1995) if you’re interested in the craft of making movies, Unglued - Way Back When
- Jaffe: Demonschool
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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8 December 2025, 8:53 am
42 minutes 22 seconds

Insert Credit Gaiden #14 - Arcadevania, with Ben Fiquet
At Tokyo Game Show 2025, Necrosoft’s Brandon Sheffield (Demonschool, Hyper Gunsport) interviews Lizardcube’s Ben Fiquet (Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Streets of Rage 4) on animation, working with larger studios, and the right amount of exploration in action games. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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A SMALL SELECTION OF THINGS REFERENCED:
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4 December 2025, 5:17 am
1 hour 30 minutes

Ep. 417 - Large Mangle
Frank, Ash, and Brandon hang out and talk about Steam’s censorship, friendslop, and the Never Gonna Give You Up of video games.

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: How, if at all, should video game distribution services be screening submissions of video games? (05:15)
2: Where is the line between inspiration and plagarism? (11:40)
3: What are the best video game tiles? (16:43)
4: What is the newest kind of video game? (22:36)
A Statement from Frank Cifaldi (30:01)
- Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
5: Esper Quinn asks, who is the best game developer in literature? (32:33)
6: Should every roleplaying game have romance options? (39:56)
7: What is the Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up of video games? (45:44)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Jaffe didn’t come up with a name for this one but he’s asking the panel to name games from a specific year and they’re knocked out if they can’t (54:12)

Recommendations and Outro (01:19:29):
- Brandon: Please review Demonschool on Steam if you’ve bought it, Doritos has three levels of spiciness now
- Ash: News Tower
- Frank: Lucky That Way by Brad Fregger
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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1 December 2025, 6:35 am
1 hour 11 minutes

Ep. 416 - Impulse Rifle
A game historian, a game journalist, and a game developer discuss Half-Life 3, The Game Awards, and mpreg.

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:
- Demonschool
- Mpreg
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Mr. Mom (1983)
- Junior (1994)
- Joe Pesci
- Michael Keaton
- Beetlejuice (1988)
- Hideo Kojima
- “Welcome to the virtual zone. I hope you enjoy yourself.”
- Kasha varnishkes
- Lancaster, Pennsylvania
- Shake Weight
- America’s Test Kitchen: How to Make Brussels Sprouts Taste Good
- Brandon’s Vegetarian Gravy
  - Start with a roux
  - Add milk (oat is probably fine)
  - Add nutritional yeast, soy sauce, herbs like sage and thyme, cumin, beer if you want
  - Just keep cooking it up until it tastes tangy
  - Optional: add a smidge of vinegar
- Ash’s Greens
  - Sautee Turkey necks until kinda brown
  - Add chicken stock, sauteed onions, garlic, whatever
  - Braise meat until tender
  - Add greens (not kale)
  - Add seasonings (bay leaf, thyme, sage, pepper, mustard powder, smoked paprika, garam masala, whatever)
  - Boil another 20-30 minutes
  - Add a little apple cider vinegar but not too much
1: What happens at an independent game development studio immediately after they release the game they’ve been working on for years? (13:18)

2: What are the best possible conditions under which to play a video game for review purposes? (16:22)
3: What can we say about Rebecca Heineman? (22:28)
4: What video game would have the best lipstick and nail polish line? (31:13)
5: Low Guppy asks, if you could take the assets of any videogame and make a completely different game with them, which game would you use and what would you make? (36:59)
6: BreadyToDie asks, how hard should a game push a player to play a certain way? (39:08)
7: What effect does The Game Awards actually have on video games? (43:47)
8: How are they going to one-up the Gravity Gun? (49:22)
LIGHTNING ROUND: One Sentence Review but it kind of also becomes Name Design halfway through (54:52)

Recommendations and Outro (01:00:57):
- Brandon: All Those Moments by Rutger Hauer, please review Demonschool on Steam if you’ve bought it
- Frank: Windswept, review the games you like
- Ash: Let the people in your life know you love them, Sailor Moon Abridged
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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24 November 2025, 6:38 am
56 minutes 44 seconds

Ep. 415 - The Demonschool Episode
Go back to hell! Insert Credit celebrates the release of Demonschool by analyzing trends in indie releases, the best grids in games, and of course, woke. 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: What’s the difference between setting a video game in high school and setting a video game in college? (03:33)
2: Do indie developers find success by making what they want to play, or by following the market? (09:18)
3: What are the best grids in video games? (14:49)
4: When making a video game, how woke should it be? (20:39)
5: Tom Arrow asks, how did the rise and fall of Blockbuster video impact videogames? (27:39)
6: How much does the average video game player want to be challenged? (34:13)
7: What movie is Demonschool of video games? (40:02)
8: What’s the Empire Records (1995) of video games? (42:01)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Trashtalkal RPG (43:21)

Recommendations and Outro (48:20):
- Brandon: Demonschool
- Ash: Demonschool, consider running for office
- Frank: Demonschool, Pluribus
- Jaffe: Call and yell at your representatives
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

Send in YOUR ideas for fun video game blister pack pairings to [email protected] as an audio recording 1 minute or less in length and maybe we’ll play it on air in a future episode.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by Death_Strandicoot. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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17 November 2025, 11:19 am
57 minutes 45 seconds

Ep. 414 - Insert Credit Does Not Endorse Drunk Driving
Our beloved heroes convene for games that are clearly psyops, the Rocky Horror Picture Show of video games, and the shocking return of the Improv Zone. 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:
- “Yow! A filthy man is here! Leave!”
- Sailor Moon
1: Pro_Kesadia asks, if you could choose any character from any source of media to be your mentor for any profession who would it be (02:04)
2: What are the most interesting win objectives you’ve seen in a game? (08:14)
3: Which two video games not from the same series should be sold as a package? (13:47)
4: IMPROV ZONE - Even More Unused MLB SlugFest 20-03 Voice Lines (19:34)
5: Cracking Jonze asks, other than Call of Duty which video games are psyops? (26:40)
6: What are habits people pick up in game development that carry over to the rest of their lives? (31:48)
7: Design a communal video game experience equivalent to Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (37:04)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Is It Wrong to Retitle Video Games For a Podcast? (41:52)

Recommendations and Outro (48:05):
- Frank: We Launched the NES 40 Years Ago Today - Gail Tilden, Lance Barr, Bruce Lowry - PRGE 2025 Portland
- Brandon: don’t watch Weird Science (1985)
- Ash: Have your pets spayed or neutered
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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10 November 2025, 5:56 am
1 hour 5 minutes

Ep. 413 - Men Be Shopping, with Pro_Kesadia
Streamer and esports commentator Pro_Kesadia joins the panel to cover Halo on PlayStation, 4th-party game studios, and the Knife Economy. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, Brandon Sheffield, and Pro_Kesadia. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: What are the first things that stick out to you when playing a new game? (04:31)
2: What are some aspects of games some people in games care about a lot, but most players don’t think about at all? (10:51)
3: Which esports have the best commentators, and what makes them the best? (16:12)
4: Which character has the best hair in video games? (21:19)
5: Death Strandicoot asks, what does Microsoft’s shift to third party mean for gaming? (28:03)
6: What do Twitch streaming audiences most frequently misunderstand about Twitch streamers? (33:44)
LIGHTNING ROUND: GameFAQ&As - Persona 5 (45:11)

Recommendations and Outro (53:52):
- Brandon: BuyBust (2018), Oldies.com catalog
- Frank: The Beths - No Joy
- Ash: Donate cash to your local food bank, don’t narc on shoplifters
- Pro_Kesadia: Twitch.tv/Pro_Kesadia, Tiktok.com/@Pro_Kesadia, @Pro_Kesadia.bsky.social, check out a smaller creator and make their day
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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3 November 2025, 9:04 am
1 hour 17 minutes

Ep. 412 - Specdracular 2025
Fearsome Frank Cifaldi, Ash And Bones Parrish, and Brandon Deathfield mash through FMV horror games, nepo babies, and a surprising Alucard cameo in the spookiest episode of the year.

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: Colin Spacetwinks asks, what would be the best horror story to turn into an FMV point-and-clock adventure? (01:43)
2: What are the most unintentionally terrifying video games? (09:01)
3: Where do you stand on large scale open world traversal in video games? (15:00)
4: What role does nepotism play in video games? (21:02)
5: Which musical artists would you recommend for a triple-A horror game? (28:46)
6: What are the most successful instances of rebranding in video games? (35:05)
7: How do games reach an intended audience? (41:32)
- Demonschool
- Tectoy
FRIGHTENING ROUND: The Monster Match (48:26)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:51):
- Brandon: The Hitcher (1986), Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- Ash: You can just do stuff
- Frank: Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)
- Jaffe: Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), Nope (2022)
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

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27 October 2025, 7:02 am
1 hour 18 minutes

Ep. 411 - Zebrataur, with Colin Spacetwinks
Writer and photographer Colin Spacetwinks joins the panel to talk about discovering new games, games for furries, and the correct pronunciation of FIFA. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Ash Parrish, Esper Quinn, Brandon Sheffield, and Colin Spacetwinks. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: How do you discover more obscure video games? (08:27)
2: What’s the most heated argument you’ve ever had with someone over a video game opinion? (16:05)
3: What is the most efficient way to establish a video game character’s personality? (25:12)
4: Which games are for furries, and which games are for monsterfuckers? (29:57)
5: Psinuxi asks, what do you recommend as a bedtime game? (36:43)
6: What is the Space Ghost Coast 2 Coast of video games? (40:57)
7: What is the Sinners (2025) of video games? (47:07)
LIGHTNING ROUND: The Circle K Corral (53:51)

Recommendations and Outro (01:06:30):
- Esper: Insert Credit Show, 52 Pickup, DC Action News, Topic Lords, Women Wearing Shoulder Pads
- Brandon: Survivor (1987), play games that are bad like Hi-Leg Fantasy
- Ash: support your local businesses
- Colin: thecatamites games
- Jaffe: spacetwinks.bsky.social, spacetwinks.itch.io
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by selib. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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20 October 2025, 8:40 am
1 hour 6 minutes

Ep. 410 - Games Somerton, with Mathew Kumar
Writer and developer Mathew Kumar guest hosts the panel, covering the Balatro of coin flips, Bitmap Books bad decisions, and especially crude actions performed by Rabbids. Hosted by Mathew Kumar, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman.

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SHOW NOTES:
1: Why are coin flips so hot right now? (02:47)
2: What was Nintendo thinking with the weird baby animation? (08:29)
3: How does Bitmap Books dig themselves out of the hole they just dug for themselves? (14:47)
4: Who will make the reconstruction-era Assassin’s Creed game now? (21:40)
5: Esper Quinn asks, if you could take the assets from any existing game and make a different game, what would you take from, and what would you make? (29:47)
6: What’s the video game you have the warmest feelings about? (36:47)
7: The Zine Fairy has gifted you with resources and time to make a bizarrely specific zine. What’s it about? (43:06)
LIGHTNING ROUND: Name Design - Matt Farley & Charlie Roxburgh Films (49:41)

Recommendations and Outro (58:04):
- Frank: Disney’s Donald Duck: Goin’ Quackers
- Brandon: Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
- Ash: Get some sleep
- Mathew: Help Rebecca Ann Heineman Fight Aggressive Cancer, exp. zine, Mathew Kumar’s Patreon
This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you.

This week’s horrible buzzer was sent in by Matt McNeely. Thanks! To submit your own horrible buzzer, send an original recording no longer than two seconds in mp3 or wav format to [email protected], and maybe we’ll use it on the show!

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13 October 2025, 3:07 am
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