Franchise Festival

Season 5 Episode 11 - Mass Effect 3 (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:05:07 +0000

Hamilton, Spencer, and Chris cover the first phase of Commander Shepard's Mass Effect 3 journey, from a trial on Earth to a daring escape from Sur'Kesh. We're reunited with Anderson, Jack, Ashley, Liara, Mordin, Wrex, and more. Also James is there.

Season 5 Episode 10 - Mass Effect 3 (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 14:33:42 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development and gameplay generalities of Mass Effect 3 before setting up the plot with an overview of Mass Effect 2's "Arrival" DLC mission.

Season 5 Episode 9 - Games of the Year, 2025

Franchise Festival — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:07:17 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss their favorite games of 2025 (more or less), along with some honorable mentions. Don't worry, it's spoiler-free! Topics include:

The Seance at Blake Manor
The Roottrees Are Dead
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
Pokemon Legends: Z-A
Monster Train 2
Metaphor: Refantazio
Blue Prince
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii
World of Warcraft Classic
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Song Samples (in order):

"Battle Theme" - Metaphor: Refantazio
"Westwardly Winds" - Blue Prince
"Strive" - Hollow Knight: Silksong
"Indigo" - Death Stranding 2
"Lumiere" - Clair Obscur

Season 5 Episode 8 - Mass Effect 2 (Part 5)

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:31:57 +0000

Chris and Hamilton conclude their whirlwind tour through Mass Effect 2 with the Lair of the Shadow Broker mission, Legion's recruitment, and the climax of the Collectors' nefarious plot.

Season 5 Episode 7 - Mass Effect 2 (Part 4)

Franchise Festival — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 21:00:00 +0000

Chris, Spencer, and returning guest Lily discuss nearly all remaining loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2 and make a surprising discovery on-board the derelict Collector vessel.

Be sure to check out Lily's great work at The Avocado and on her Patreon page!

Season 5 Episode 6 - Mass Effect 2 (Part 3)

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by The Avocado's Lily Bones to discuss Mass Effect 2 recruitments (Samara, Thane, and Tali) as well as the loyalty missions for Garrus and Jack.

Please note that we had some audio issues with this recording, so Lily's farewell is absent from our wrap-up and you may hear some minor audio distortion from time to time. Worry not, though: you can still find Lily's excellent work on The Avocado and support her on Patreon.

Season 5 Episode 5 - Mass Effect 2 (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 20:58:01 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss the first third or so of Mass Effect 2's plot, from the prologue to the rescue mission on Horizon. This covers most of recruitments, which means you get to meet Mordin Solus in this episode!

Season 5 Episode 4 - Mass Effect 2 (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 May 2025 20:39:22 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by Matt Storm (aka Stormageddon) to discuss the development, gameplay, and universe of Mass Effect 2 (2010). Be sure to check out Matt's Linktree to find more of their work!

Season 5 Episode 3 - Mass Effect (Part 3)

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:36:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer navigate the back half of Mass Effect's narrative, from Feros to the final confrontation with Saren.

Season 5 Episode 2 - Mass Effect (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 14:53:44 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer wind their way through the first half of Mass Effect's plot, from character creation to Noveria. Along the way, we also discuss party member backstories, the Asteroid X57 bonus mission, and how exactly one should pronounce "Benezia."

Season 5 Episode 1 - Mass Effect (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Feb 2025 08:00:00 +0000

Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, and background lore of Mass Effect (2007). Come for the BioWare history, stay to find out which alien species is the biggest bunch of nerds.

Sources/Links:

Season 4 Episode 13 - Last Thoughts on Mega Man

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Jan 2025 05:30:00 +0000

We close the book on Season 4 with a round-up of topics on Capcom's Mega Man, including: personal histories with the series, favorite entries, least favorite entries, biggest surprises, and more!

Season 4 Episode 12 - Mega Man 11

Franchise Festival — Sun, 01 Dec 2024 14:31:42 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, stages, and bosses of Mega Man 11 (2018).

Season 4 Episode 11 - Mega Man ZX

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 04:15:00 +0000

Hamilton and Chris discuss Inti Creates' Mega Man ZX, including its origins as a potential Mega Man Zero 5 and its awkward (yet admirable) efforts to infuse the Mega Man formula with Metroidvania mechanics. Along the way, we uncover surprising connections to Shantae and Ace Attorney.

Sources

Season 4 Episode 10 - Mega Man Zero

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:46:04 +0000

Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Patrick of the Boss Rush Network to discuss Inti Creates' first entry in the Mega Man series: Mega Man Zero (2002). Be sure to support Patrick's work by visiting https://bossrush.net/, following him on Twitter using the handle @Auditor415, and backing the network on Patreon.

Sources

Season 4 Episode 9 - Mega Man Battle Network (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 13:43:32 +0000

Hamilton and Chris conclude their coverage of Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network (2001) with a close look at the game's plot. Even as the level design grows tedious and the story meanders, boss fights remain a highlight.

Season 4 Episode 8 - Mega Man Battle Network (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:30:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton tackle the development, gameplay, and early hours of Mega Man Battle Network (2001). Along the way, they lavish praise on the deckbuilder format and uncover the startling commonality between Capcom's abandoned IPs.

Sources:

Season 4 Episode 7 - Mega Man X4

Franchise Festival — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 16:28:03 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss Mega Man X4 (1997), the first Mega Man X game developed from the ground-up for 32-bit consoles. Are the updates worthwhile, or do they just over-complicate a classic formula?

Development Sources:

Season 4 Episode 6 - Mega Man Legends

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 04:15:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, and plot of 1997's Mega Man Legends (Nintendo loyalists may know it as Mega Man 64). If our show piques your interest, don't miss the great development team interviews available on shmuplations.

Season 4 Episode 5 - Mega Man 8

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 May 2024 04:05:00 +0000

Hamilton and Chris go in-depth with Capcom's first 32-bit Mega Man game: Mega Man 8! Along the way, your hosts give a primer on the series' extended sidekick roster, offer their thoughts on the (in)famous auto-scroll stages, and get to the bottom of why this game's voice acting is so... unique.

Season 4 Episode 4 - Mega Man X

Franchise Festival — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 22:14:20 +0000

Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Nadia Oxford, author of the Maverick Hunter's Field Guide, to talk about Mega Man X (1993). Along the way, they learn about Capcom's difficulty growing Mega Man past its 8-bit roots, discuss changes between the original and its 2006 remake, and let listeners in on Dr. Cain's secret weakness.

Be sure to support Nadia's work over at Axe of the Blood God!

Season 4 Episode 3 - Mega Man 3

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer talk about the first Mega Man game developed after the departure of creator Akira Kitamura: Mega Man 3! Along the way, your hosts discuss yet another troubled development period, a bewildering localization, and what happens when you build a tower out of snakes.

Season 4 Episode 2 - Mega Man 2

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 05:05:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, Spencer and special guest Eddie V (@thatretrocode) discuss the development, gameplay, and stage design of Capcom's Mega Man 2. Don't miss Eddie's work over on The Boss Rush Network!

Season 4 Episode 1 - Mega Man 1

Franchise Festival — Mon, 01 Jan 2024 13:30:42 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer embark on a new season covering Capcom's 11 classic Mega Man side-scrollers. Unfortunately, in order to appreciate the heights which the series would later reach, this requires taking a critical look at the franchise's inauspicious 1987 debut. Even so, there's always joy to be had in learning about abandoned concepts and early installment weirdness!

Sources on development information include:

Season 3 Bonus Episode - Resident Evil: Death Island

Franchise Festival — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 17:44:40 +0000

Hosts Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton got into the eggnog and decided to cover the Resident Evil: Death Island CG movie as a Christmas bonus show. It may not have been a great film, but we all had a great time talking about it! Happy holidays, friends!

Announcement - December 2023

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 22:16:25 +0000

Hello listeners, this is your Franchise Festival host Chris. We just wanted to provide a few quick announcements:

(1) There is no new episode on the public feed this month, as we’re taking a short break between seasons to recuperate and enjoy the holidays with our family and friends.

(2) Patrons will get our annual Game of the Year podcast on or around December 15th. If you’d like to hear it, please subscribe to at patreon.com/franchisefestival for as little as $3/month. You’ll also get access to the full back catalog of bonus shows, including some very strange Resident Evil spinoff episodes and a bunch of indie game coverage from Season 3.

(3) We’ll be shutting down our website in 2024. It’s pretty expensive to maintain, and the data indicates that most of you listen either through podcast apps or our Patreon page. Consequently, the Patreon will become our new home on the web. Public feed episodes are still posted there for free listening, so you don’t need to be a member to enjoy it.

(4) Finally, our fourth season starts on January 1, 2024. In case you missed it, our plan is to cover Capcom’s Mega Man series from start to finish over the course of eleven shows. We’ll also be releasing patron-exclusive bonus shows on remakes, spinoffs, adaptations, and spiritual successors.

We appreciate your interest in the show and look forward to joining you all again next year. We’d also like to express a very special thank you to our patrons: Cheatachu, Celeste, Ed, Loren, Quinley Thorne, Cedric the Owl, Jarathen, and Jasper - you bring joy to our hearts and inspire us to make the best content we can. Thanks for listening, everybody! Goodbye.

Season 3 Episode 10 - Supergiant & Sonic Wrap-Up

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 04:30:00 +0000

Hamilton, Spencer, and Chris offer their final thoughts on the topics covered in Season 3. Along the way, they recount their favorite and least favorite games in these franchises, whether there are any similarities between Supergiant and Sonic the Hedgehog, what they'd like to see in the future. Finally, Season 4's topic is announced at the end...

This episode, like all episodes in Season 3, was made possible by our patrons! Thank you to Cheatachu, Quinley Thorne, Celeste, Ed, Loren, Jasper, Cedric the Owl, and Jarathen.

Season 3 Episode 9 - Sonic Frontiers

Franchise Festival — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 04:05:00 +0000

Hamilton and Chris explore Sonic the Hedgehog's first "open zone" adventure, Sonic Frontiers (2022). Along the way, they discuss the game's development, its peculiar minigames, and how well it succeeds at shifting the franchise away from linear stage design.

Noteworthy sources include interviews with Sonic Team Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka by IGN and Eurogamer.

Season 3 Episode 8 - Hades

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 22:15:18 +0000

Spencer and Chris get downright crunchy with Supergiant's Hades (2020), working through the finer details of how its gameplay systems interact with one another to produce one of the best roguelikes of the last decade. Along the way, they explore how Hades was made and how the elusive good ending plays out.

Sources

MCV Interview with Jen Zee

Gamasutra Interview with Greg Kasavin

Noclip Documentary Series - "Hades: Developing Hell"

Season 3 Bonus Episode - Stories Untold

Franchise Festival — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:29:51 +0000

Chris and special guest Celeste Roberts go in-depth with NoCode's Stories Untold (2017). Along the way, they manage to discuss Zork (1977), Cold War-era cyanide tooth capsules, and the Alien film franchise.

For more from Celeste, please check out the Boss Rush Network, Another Zelda Podcast, and Read Only Magazine!

Also, this episode was guest-edited by Carly Pryor! You can find more of her great work on Instagram and YouTube.

Season 3 Episode 7 - Sonic Generations

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 04:01:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton recall the first 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog by taking a close look at Sega's Sonic Generations (2011). Along the way, they discuss what happened to the property over the preceding decade and why some characters' names were changed during the localization process.

Season 3 Episode 6 - Pyre

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Jul 2023 04:20:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, characters, and story of Supergiant's Pyre (2017). Enjoy! If you'd like more details on how Pyre was made, we recommend NoClip's documentary on the subject.

Season 3 Episode 5 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Impressions

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 04:05:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - including development details and what's changed from Breath of the Wild - in a largely spoiler-free informal addendum to Season 1.

Sources:

- Nintendo Developer Roun d table

- Washington Post Interview with Eiji Aonuma by Gene Park

Season 3 Episode 4 - Sonic Adventure 2

Franchise Festival — Mon, 01 May 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and special guest Rosalie discuss the development, gameplay, and plot of Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Along the way, they also explore the game's amazing soundtrack and what led Sega to exit the home console market in the early 2000s. Let's escape from the city together, folks!

You can find Rosalie online at littlerecordgirl.com and on Twitter at @lilrecordgirl.

Bonus Episode - Resident Evil 4 Remake

Franchise Festival — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 02:14:29 +0000

Chris, Spencer, and special guest Stephanie (from the Boss Rush Network) discuss their impressions of the Resident Evil 4 remake several weeks after its release, paying special attention to changes from the original's gameplay, characters, and enemies. You can find Stephanie on Twitter at @klimov_author.

Season 3 Episode 3 - Transistor

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 08:00:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, and story of Supergiant's Transistor (2014). Check out NoClip's documentary for more information on how this game was made!

Season 3 Episode 2 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Knuckles

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss one of the best platformer games ever made: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles! In this episode, you'll learn about Sega's evolution from its arcade origins, how Sonic the Hedgehog was created, and McDonalds' unlikely role in this game's notoriously bifurcated release. After working through the game's history, your hosts wrap things up with a thorough look at every zone, boss, and wacky enemy.

Season 3 Episode 1 - Bastion

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 05:05:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer kick off the third season of Franchise Festival with a discussion of Supergiant's Bastion (2011). Along the way, they explore how the game was made, analyze the enemies and weapons in each stage, and make the case for both ending choices.

Noteworthy Sources:

Noclip - "The Making of Bastion"

Season 2 Episode 18 - Resident Evil Wrap-Up

Franchise Festival — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer offer their final thoughts on the Resident Evil franchise. Along the way, they discuss favorite games, locations, characters, and monsters, while also speculating about what might be next for Capcom's beloved survival horror behemoth. Stick around to the end for an announcement about Franchise Festival's Season 3 topic!

Season 2 Episode 17 - Resident Evil Village

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Dec 2022 05:30:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton are joined by returning guests Arielle (@huggablehipster) and Kamijace (@kamijacegaming) to discuss Resident Evil Village. As they dive into its plot and cut content, the crew explores how Covid-19 impacted development, how well the Duke fits into the game world, and which monster scares them the most.

Be sure to subscribe to Arielle's YouTube channel Huggable Hipster and Kamijace's podcast The Weekly Cooldown for more insights from our distinguished guests!

Season 2 Episode 16 - Resident Evil 3 Remake

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 04:20:00 +0000

Hamilton, Spencer, and Chris discuss Capcom's Resident Evil 3 Remake. Along the way, they explore the game's development, assess the merits of Nemesis' glow-up, and debate how this controversial game compares to the universally-beloved Resident Evil 2 Remake.

Season 2 Episode 15 - Resident Evil 2 Remake

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Oct 2022 14:50:59 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer finally return to Raccoon City for a discussion of 2019's long-awaited Resident Evil 2 Remake. Along the way, your hosts explore the game's development, the magic of Mr. X, and how the characters have been updated from their blocky 1998 forms.

For more on how the game was made, we encourage you to check out Capcom's own series of Resident Evil 2: Roundtable videos featuring members of the development team and beta footage available on YouTube.

Season 2 Episode 14 - Resident Evil 7

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 20:25:23 +0000

Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton are joined by special guest Adam Bucceri to discuss the development, gameplay, and plot of Resident Evil 7. Our longest episode yet include cut enemies, tips to get you past the toughest bosses (spoiler: crouch), and plenty of praise for the franchise's scariest moments.

A quick content warning, though: this episode includes descriptions of some pretty graphic violence, even by Resident Evil standards, so proceed carefully if you have a sensitive stomach.

Don't miss Adam's excellent tabletop games, including the Resident Evil-inspired Enter the Survival Horror, available now at https://boocherry.itch.io/!

Season 2 Episode 13 - Resident Evil: Revelations 2

Franchise Festival — Mon, 01 Aug 2022 04:15:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss the criminally underrated Resident Evil: Revelations 2. Along the way, they uncover cut content, encounter the series' best invisible monster, and explore the surprising thematic connection between this game and Frictional's Soma (2015).

Noteworthy Sources:

Season 2 Episode 12 - Resident Evil: Revelations

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 04:05:00 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew performs a deep dive on Resident Evil: Revelations' development, gameplay, and plot with Arielle Danan (@HuggableHipster). Along the way, we speculate about mechanical connections to Dead Space and lore connections to Resident Evil: Code Veronica. We may not have enjoyed the game as much as previous series entries, but we still had a great time discussing Capcom's attempt to revive traditional survival horror.

You can find Arielle on Twitter, YouTube, Patreon, and TikTok.

Sources:

Season 2 Episode 11 - Resident Evil 6 (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 04:25:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton return to Resident Evil 6, working their way through its dense - well, arguably incomprehensible - plot. We've got international intrigue, a visit to the ocean floor, chainsaw arms, and even evil clones in play! This episode also covers each of the game's many bosses in detail.

If you missed Resident Evil 6 (Part 1), you can find it on our website or your preferred podcast app.

Season 2 Bonus Episode: Outtakes

Franchise Festival — Tue, 03 May 2022 12:49:27 +0000

Here is a collection of outtakes from our episodes on Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil 5, "Zombies!", and Resident Evil 6 (Part 1); there's an abnormally high amount of Bandersnatch talk for some reason! We appreciate your patience and will deliver our Resident Evil 6 (Part 2) episode on June 1, 2022.

Season 2 Episode 10 - Resident Evil 6 (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 04:01:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss the development, gameplay, and monster designs of Resident Evil 6, exploring how best to approach the game's unwieldy four-campaign structure and glibly dismissing prognosticators of the "next big thing."

Noteworthy Sources

Season 2 Episode 9 - Zombies!

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 05:01:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, Spencer, and special guest Carly discuss the history of zombie media. After chatting about their favorite zombie movies, games, and TV, they get down into the weeds with which zombie tropes are still worth saving and which need to be buried. And yes, Typing of the Dead merits a mention.

You can find Carly at @pryorexperience on Instagram!

With regard to sources, we recommend the following PBS videos for an even more scholarly overview of zombie history... The Origins of the Zombie, from Haiti to the U.S.; Why George Romero Changed Monster Movies Forever; and Modern Zombies: The Rebirth of the Undead

Season 2 Episode 8 - Resident Evil 5

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 05:05:00 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew chats about the development, gameplay, and story of Resident Evil 5. Wesker’s back and chewing every piece of scenery he can find, while enemies soak up more bullets than ever. Your hosts debate what exactly separates Uroboros from Plagas.

Season 2 Episode 7 - Resident Evil 4

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 05:05:00 +0000

Chris and Spencer are joined by Duckfeed.tv’s Gary Butterfield and Kole Ross to talk about Resident Evil 4‘s famously troubled development, its delightfully ludicrous plot beats, and what makes it hold up so well today. Along the way, Del Lago punks a new generation of fans.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to check out Watch Out for Fireballs, Bonfireside Chat, and the rest of the great content available over at Duckfeed.tv.

Season 2 Episode 6A - Welcome to Raccoon City

Franchise Festival — Tue, 07 Dec 2021 22:10:45 +0000

Chris, Spencer, and returning special guest SuperNamu chat about Resident Evil‘s newest cinematic adaptation, Welcome to Raccoon City (2021). It was interesting to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what might have been.

Be sure to check out SuperNamu on Twitter, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok!

Season 2 Episode 6 - Resident Evil Zero

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 05:01:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton explore the development and gameplay of the last traditional Resident Evil game. They discuss the game’s notorious inventory and partner systems at length, discovering that not all hookshots are as delightful as the ones in Hyrule.

Note that spoilers are plentiful and language is at least PG-13.

Sources for development information include Alex Aniel’s Itchy Tasty (BUY ASAP) and footage of the Nintendo 64 Resident Evil Zero prototype circulated by the Neogamer Video Game Archive YouTube channel.

Season 2 Episode 5 - Resident Evil REmake

Franchise Festival — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 15:19:20 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss the development, gameplay, bosses, and puzzles of the Resident Evil REmake. Lisa Trevor and Crimson Head Zombies make a strong impression. The Aqua Ring receives an extensive makeover.

Season 2 Episode 4 - Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 00:05:00 +0000

Join Chris, Hamilton, Spencer and special guest Kamijace as they explore Resident Evil: Code Veronica‘s deep lore, discover the game’s original protagonist, and debate the merits of how director Hiroki Kato creatively reinterpreted Resident Evil 2‘s famous “zapping” system.

Be sure to check out The Weekly Cooldown for more from wonderful guest host Kamijace! You can also become a patron of Franchise Festival to get bonus episodes covering spinoffs and other topics on Patreon.

Season 2 Special Episode - Interview with Nadia and David Oxford

Franchise Festival — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 00:05:00 +0000

Chris and Hamilton discuss Mega Man X: The Maverick Hunter’s Field Guide with authors Nadia and David Oxford. They explore how the book was written, which Mega Man X spinoffs are worth playing, and which Maverick is the wackiest. The reason for Mega Man X5‘s seemingly inexplicable Guns ‘N Roses references is revealed.

You can buy the book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, or your preferred retailer. You can also follow Nadia Oxford on Twitter at @nadiaoxford and David Oxford on Twitter at @LBD_Nytetrayn or check out their other projects, the Axe of the Blood God podcast and website poisonmushroom.org.

Season 2 Episode 3 - Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 00:05:00 +0000

Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer are joined by special guest SuperNamu to discuss Resident Evil 3: Nemesis‘ rocky development and controversial dodge system before celebrating the unique terror introduced by its title character. Mercenaries Mode makes its thrilling debut.

Selected Sources

You can find SuperNamu on Twitter, Twitch, and Instagram.

Follow Franchise Festival on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Season 2 Episode 2 - Resident Evil 2

Franchise Festival — Sat, 31 Jul 2021 23:41:13 +0000

The crew discusses the development, gameplay, and story of Hideki Kamiya’s brilliant follow-up to 1996’s Resident Evil. Chris and Spencer take a deep dive into Resident Evil 1.5 while Hamilton explores how zombies turns into lickers. The origins of “Mr. X” are explained at last.

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official website for more video game history resources, and be sure to email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Selected Sources:

Season 2 Special Episode - Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness

Franchise Festival — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 22:07:18 +0000

In a rare bit of zeitgeist-capturing, up-to-the-minute coverage, the Franchise Festival crew offers their impressions of Netflix’s Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness (2021). Spoilers abound, so be sure to watch the show before you listen if you want to remain surprised.

Season 2 Episode 1 - Resident Evil

Franchise Festival — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 16:09:06 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the development, gameplay, monsters, and story of Capcom’s Resident Evil (1996). The Franchise Festival crew also surveys a selection of earlier genre titles and later console ports, confirming the historical significance of Shinji Mikami’s survival horror debut. Tank controls and an idiosyncratic save system provoke strong reactions from your hosts.

Selected Sources

Season 1 Episode 23 - Spiritual Successors and Wrap-Up

Franchise Festival — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 23:16:19 +0000

Chris, Jasmine, Hamilton, and Spencer survey nearly thirty years of The Legend of Zelda spiritual successors, including Crusader of Centy, Blossom Tales, Okami, Genshin Impact and more. Then they each share their ‘Top 3’ titles in Nintendo’s long-running action-adventure franchise before bidding a fond farewell to Season 1 and looking ahead to Season 2: Resident Evil.

Selected Sources:

Season 1 Episode 22 - Age of Calamity

Franchise Festival — Mon, 31 May 2021 18:59:08 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew explores the development, gameplay, and plot of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity (2020). Chris, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss their favorite characters and speculate on why this game falls short of its 2014 predecessor.

Selected Sources:

Famitsu via Nintendo Everything – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity devs on how the game came to be, Nintendo wanting it to be a new experience, more

Season 1 Episode 21 - Breath of the Wild (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 10:16:51 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew discusses the story, sidequests, and cut content of Breath of the Wild in the second of two episodes on Nintendo’s legendary 2017 release. Chris and Jasmine share their love of Kass while Hamilton and Spencer debate the merits of an easy final boss. The curious etymological roots of the Sheikah are uncovered through a look at their original Japanese names.

Selected Sources:

Season 1 Episode 20 - Breath of the Wild (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:51:19 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew discusses the development, gameplay, and enemies of Breath of the Wild in the first of two episodes on Nintendo’s legendary 2017 release. Chris, Jasmine, Spencer, and Hamilton discover that they have very different opinions on silent protagonists and weapon durability. The surprising connection between Miis and Hylians is revealed.

Selected Sources:

Season 1 Episode 19 - Hyrule Warriors

Franchise Festival — Sun, 07 Mar 2021 09:47:23 +0000

The Franchise Festival crew discusses 2014 beat-’em-up Hyrule Warriors. Chris dives into the history of the Dynasty Warriors / Musou series more generally, along with the serendipity of Hyrule Warriors‘ creation, while Hamilton explains ‘Musou fatigue’ and Jasmine details the surprising origins of character weapons. Everyone has a good laugh about the reformed Ganondorf.

Selected Sources:

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, check out our official Twitch channel for streams of new and classic games, and be sure to email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Season 1 Episode 18A - A Link Between Worlds Outtakes (Bonus)

Franchise Festival — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 13:14:13 +0000

This bonus feature covers content cut from our A Link Between Worlds/Triforce Heroes episode. In these clips, Spencer, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Chris discuss the history of Nintendo EAD, minigames, comparisons with A Link to the Past, and more. Note that audio quality and editing may be a touch rougher than standard episodes.

Season 1 Episode 18 - A Link Between Worlds and Triforce Heroes

Franchise Festival — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 04:27:54 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Spencer explore the development, gameplay, plot, and localization of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Triforce Heroes. Then they debate the relative merits of building on a bonafide 2D classic and the travails of internet communication in the mid-2010s.

Please let us know what you like or dislike by emailing franchisefestival@gmail.com. You can also find show notes online at our official website and follow @franchise_fest on Twitter for news on future episodes.

Season 1 Episode 17 - Skyward Sword (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 19:58:19 +0000

Christian, Jasmine, and Spencer explore the story, dungeons, and bosses of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Nintendo’s crisis of confidence in the late 2000s and Skyward Sword‘s connections to From Software level design are discussed. The crew confesses its undying love of timeshift stones.

Please let us know what you like or dislike by emailing franchisefestival@gmail.com. You can also find show notes online at our official website.

Season 1 Episode 16A - 2020 Game of the Year Discussion

Franchise Festival — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 11:04:09 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss the three best games they played in 2020 before looking ahead to 2021 and what it might bring. Be aware that this conversation has more adult language than typical episodes, so it may not be suitable for all ages.

In the order they appear, song samples include:

Tell us about your favorite games of 2020 by following/tagging @franchise_fest on Twitter or by writing us directly at franchisefestival@gmail.com.

Season 1 Episode 16 - Skyward Sword (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 20:02:04 +0000

Christian, Jasmine, and Spencer cover the development history, gameplay mechanics, minigames, localization, and cut content of Skyward Sword (2011). This game's unique status as the intersection between portable and home console series entries is discussed. The crew mourns Zelda's lost Second Quest.

Subscribe to @franchise_fest on Twitter to get notifications of all new episodes and other Franchise Festival content. Let us know what you think by emailing franchisefestival@gmail.com or by reaching out via franchisefestivalpodcast.com.

Season 1 Episode 15A - Spirit Tracks Outtakes (Bonus)

Franchise Festival — Sat, 14 Nov 2020 15:47:21 +0000

This bonus feature covers content cut from our Spirit Tracks episode. In these clips, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Christian discuss the Tower of Spirits' development process, anti-piracy measures, localization quirks and more. Note that audio quality and editing may be a touch rougher than standard episodes.

Season 1 Episode 15 - Spirit Tracks

Franchise Festival — Sat, 31 Oct 2020 14:58:49 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and new full-time co-host Jasmine go in-depth with The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. The crew covers this controversial Nintendo DS game's development history, gameplay, and cut content. Zelda's silliest species - the Lokomo - is revealed.

Follow the show on Twitter using the handle @franchise_fest, and check out our official Twitch channel for streams of new and classic games. Be sure to email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Season 1 Episode 14 - Phantom Hourglass

Franchise Festival — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 00:30:25 +0000

Christian, Spencer, and Hamilton explore the development, gameplay, story, dungeons, and bosses of The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. The Temple of the Ocean King is litigated at length. Your hosts discover that, though they have very different opinions on this divisive game, they all love Linebeck. Be sure to visit franchisefestivalpodcast.com for sources and email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Season 1 Episode 13A - Twilight Princess Outtakes (Bonus)

Franchise Festival — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 17:18:26 +0000

This bonus feature covers content cut from the original two Twilight Princess episodes. In these clips, Hamilton, Spencer, and Christian discuss fishing minigames, the origins of Twilight Princess' Shiekah ghost town, and more. Note that audio quality and editing may be a touch rougher than standard episodes.

Be sure to let us know if you like this format, as it may become a Patreon bonus in Season 2! Get in touch at franchisefestival@gmail.com.

Season 1 Episode 13 - Twilight Princess (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the second half of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. We go in-depth on the Arbiter's Grounds, Snowhead Ruins, Temple of Time, City in the Sky, Palace of Twilight, and Hyrule Castle before discussing our favorite side characters, spinoffs, and final impressions. Sorry for the long episode but there was just too much to cover! Be sure to visit franchisefestivalpodcast.com for sources and email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Announcement: Publishing Schedule Update

Franchise Festival — Sun, 09 Aug 2020 16:09:45 +0000

Just a quick announcement that we are returning to our original once-per-month publishing schedule beginning with Season 1 Episode 13: Twilight Princess (Part 2) on September 1, 2020. There will consequently be no new episode on August 15. Apologies for the inconvenience and we really appreciate your patience as we work out our format throughout this first season. Write us at franchisefestival@gmail.com if you have any questions or suggestions. As ever, thanks for listening!

Season 1 Episode 12 - Twilight Princess (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:49:27 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the development history and gameplay generalities of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess before taking a deep dive into the story and dungeons through Link’s acquisition of the Master Sword. Minigames are discussed, partner character Midna is confirmed to be just the best, and the NVIDIA Shield makes what will undoubtedly be its only appearance on our show. Be sure to visit the website for show notes and email us at franchisefestival@gmail.com to let us know what you think.

Season 1 Episode 11 - Four Swords and Four Swords Adventures

Franchise Festival — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 01:00:42 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore the development, story, and gameplay of The Legend of Zelda's multiplayer Four Swords spinoffs. The quirky charms of the Satellaview's rare Legend of Zelda remakes are also discussed. Visit https://franchisefestivalpodcast.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links.

Season 1 Episode 10 - The Minish Cap

Franchise Festival — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 06:43:32 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer explore what got them into video games before discussing The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. The series' best sprite graphics are lovingly dissected. Skip to 9:41 to jump straight to Zelda content and visit https://franchisefestivalpodcast.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links.

Season 1 Episode 9 - The Wind Waker (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:30:07 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and special guest Jasmine reminisce about their favorite video game characters before taking a deep dive into the gameplay and dungeon design of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Puppet Ganon's susceptibility to the Mandela effect is examined. Skip to 16:49 to jump straight to Zelda content and visit https://franchisefestivalpodcast.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links.

Season 1 Episode 8 - The Wind Waker (Part 1)

Franchise Festival — Fri, 05 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and special guest Jasmine identify their favorite indie games before discussing the history, plot, and characters (main and otherwise) of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. King Daphnes' passing of the generational torch and Tetra's controversial transformation are scrutinized. Skip to 13:40 to jump straight to Zelda content and visit https://franchisefestivalpodcast.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links.

Season 1 Episode 7 - CD-i Zelda Spinoffs

Franchise Festival — Fri, 15 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss dead franchises which are due for a comeback before launching into an exploration of The Legend of Zelda's unfortunate third-party spinoffs for the Philips CD-i. We unearth one of beloved comedian Phil Hartman's CD-i commercials. Skip to 23:03 to jump straight to Zelda content and visit https://franchisefestival.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links. [temporarily removed]

Season 1 Episode 6 - Majora's Mask

Franchise Festival — Fri, 01 May 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (2000) and its 2015 3DS remake. The game's inspirations and fraught one-year development process are explored alongside its uniquely melancholy tone and bevy of beloved supporting characters. Christian apologizes for his dogs make their presence known with background clatter around 1:15:00. Visit https://franchisefestival.com/show-notes/ for more background information and links. [temporarily removed]

Season 1 Episode 5 - Ocarina of Time (Part 2)

Franchise Festival — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Christian, Spencer, and Hamilton take a deep dive into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's dungeon design. The relative merits of the original Nintendo 64 version and 3DS remake are debated. All your favorite kings are here, from Dodongo to Zora! (Spoilers)

Season 1 Episode 1 - Background and The Legend of Zelda

Franchise Festival — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 15:52:00 +0000

Christian, Hamilton, and Spencer discuss the pre-1986 background of the Legend of Zelda series along with its first Famicom Disk System / Nintendo Entertainment System installment. [temporarily removed]