42 - The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Hello everyone, this is Melanie. I’ve wrested Joe’s keyboard away from him to bring you this urgent message: I’m being held hostage in game #42: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and I need you to come save me. I believe I’m being kept in a bad dungeon, which I understand doesn’t narrow it down very much. Oh god, he’s coming, make sure you burn this message before he can—

Melanie has unfortunately and painfully died of scurvy, just take my word for it.

Join us next time as we pick up our swords and meet our dragon wives in Smashterpiece #42: Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade

Our list of games can be found here.

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing by Peter Spezia.

BONUS - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Oh god Wind Waker’s taking forever, this is technically our third bonus episode in a row, what have we do-… Oh uh, hey I didn’t see you there! Uh… P-pirate crocodiles, am I right? What’s up with them? They kidnap your friend and you have to take your girlfriend to beat them up? And your girlfriend has hair that she can like… uh… she can pick stuff up and be a helicopter and uh… um… This bonus episode is about Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, a game that is in fact not called Diddy Kong’s Quest, and I’m sure at least a few of you are going to be shocked by this revelation. It’s a platformer full of monkeys and bananas and it’s got a good soundtrack and look I’m sorry we’re working on it, the ocean is big and sailing is hard, this game also has a pirate ship in it please just accept our apology.

We’ll be back soon with our episode on The Wind Waker, hang in there.

Our list of games can be found here.

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Melanie.

BONUS - Metroid Dread

Do you feel that? The dread? The fear? The anxiety? Mostly the dread though, it’s the one that’s in the title so I guess it’s the most important. Please stop talking, or that evil robot is going to find us. What? I’m the one who’s been talking this whole time? Have I at least been telling you about this new bonus episode from Smashterpieces on 2021’s Metroid Dread for the Nintendo Switch? Yes? What about how we liked it and talk a lot about why we like it? Have I mentioned how Kraid doesn’t deserve respect? You’re waving your arms wildly with fear in your eyes, but I asked a yes or no question could you at least answer? It’s rude not t- Oh I appear to have been stabbed.

Our list of games can be found here.

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Melanie.

AF22 - Resident Evil 4

Your mission is simple: you’ll be sent in solo and quietly, armed with nothing but a single handgun. All other equipment will have to be procured on site. We don’t know what you’ll find in there, but satellite imagery doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Your orders are to kill on sight, do not attempt to speak to the targets about anything, do not engage with the targets about anything, do not make eye contact with the targets, do not shake their hand, do not sit down for a friendly game of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with them. It is vitally important you understand this. If you falter they may begin to tell you about Resident Evil 4, the only horror title you’re likely to ever hear them talk about on this show (unless they decide otherwise I guess). You may be asking yourself: is a full assassination really necessary for these two? What you have to understand is that they keep putting out podcasts and we just don’t know what else to do at this point. Good luck.

Join us next time as… something about beans? I think?

Our list of games can be found here.

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Joe.

41 - Metroid Prime

In the reaches of space, below the surface of planet Plagiarism, Joe and Melanie faced video games. They destroyed their operation, wiped out the parasites called gamers, and defeated Mother Brain. But the games were far from finished… Because they still have like 40 of them left on their list. One of those games is Smashterpiece #41: Metroid Prime, one of the very few first-person shooters on our list. No matter how much we try, the games remain, so at least this time we’ve dragged another into this pit with us. Joining us this week to talk about lava worms and chozo ghosts and 3D maps and statistically probably some kind of metroid is George Hyde AKA SuperDQP! How do we feel about the various areas of Tallon IV? How successful is this game’s exploration based design when compared to the 2D games in the series? What the hell does it mean when somebody says they wish Samus could wear different heads? All this and more in today’s episode!

Join us next time as we sail the open seas to save our sister in Smashterpieces #42: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Our list of games can be found here.

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was also edited by Melanie.

BONUS - Sin and Punishment

Look, I want to write a snappy, surreal, weird description for this episode but frankly this game already does so much of my work for me that it feels like cheating. I mean come on, the main villain’s name is Brad. It’s just Brad. Everybody else is named like Saki or Airan or Achi and then there’s just a dude named Brad. How am I supposed to compete with that? Should I just retire? Is this where I have to throw in the towel? I’m having an existential crisis over here, please somebody send help. In the meantime here’s our bonus episode on the N64 title Sin and Punishment, which can be played through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack Extravaganza Galleria or whatever it’s called. His name is Brad.

We’ll be back soon with our episode on Metroid Prime.

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

40 - Super Mario Sunshine

Hello, I am writing to you from a jail cell on the beautiful, tropical Isle Delfino. I know that may sound like I am in a setting most would only dream, full of swaying palm trees, sunny beaches, and drinks that are five types of alcohol dumped into a coconut, but I regret to inform you that I am having no such experience. Upon disembarking the plane I was immediately arrested for a crime committed by somebody who could by certain definitions maybe sort of look like me (which side note: could also be grounds for a discrimination lawsuit) and was thrown into a dingy prison likely to rot away while my girlfriend (unofficial) is allowed to wander free. It is damaging to my reputation, an infringement on my rights, and really harshing the vibe of my vacation. I am sending this episode of Smashterpieces talking about the 2002 Nintendo GameCube title Super Mario Sunshine, in the hopes that you will take up my case as an attorney. You may be hesitant given my record, but hopefully the discussion of why the platforming in this game feels so off, why the aesthetic is both strong but has its drawbacks, and why the music is overall pretty decent will change your mind. I hope to hear from you soon, otherwise I fear the gallows may be in my future.

Join us next time as we shift our perspective into first person for Smashterpiece #41: Metroid Prime

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

2021 Wrap-Up

Look, normally this would be where I wrote this weird abstract abomination to the English language that would cause everybody reading to reach out and ask if I’m okay, but I don’t know, man… 2021 was not a great year for most people, ourselves included. But that doesn’t mean that Smashterpieces did not have a banger of a year. We have to take stock sometimes and remind ourselves that hey we actually did really good this year! Ten more games done, the completion of the N64 era, our first Pokémon battles for the show, the beginning of the GameCube era, a month in an animal filled town, a night in a haunted mansion, the death of many many sons, our introduction to Pac-Man’s terrifying dog, the introduction of Mickey Mouse into the Smashterpieces canon. These are all good things! These are all things we had fun with in 2021, these are things we accomplished that are good. We can step back and look at these things and think “hey, you know what? 2021 wasn’t a waste.” I think that’s important.

We’ll be back soon with our episode discussing Super Mario Sunshine, but until then take care and happy new year. We ain’t stopping any time soon.

Auld Lang Syne 8-bit rendition by Bulby

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Melanie.

39 - Kingdom Hearts

One fateful day in the year 1925, somebody drew some sketches of mice around a picture of Walt Disney. Eventually in 1928 that led to the creation of Mickey Mouse in the cartoon short Steamboat Willie (I should note it was not Walt who designed this character but was instead his friend and colleague Ub Iwerks). From there he was like a runaway steamboat into a town of innocent people, except in this case that town was actually the institution of American copyright law and the townspeople were every single piece of media to ever exist on this Earth. So where am I going with this? Well fast forward to 2002 and suddenly Mickey is sharing the screen with anime, something I’m sure Walt would have just loved to see and definitely would not have hated. Anyways that anime crap is in Smash now, so hey let’s talk about Smashterpiece #39: Kingdom Hearts, the gaming industry’s dumbest and most resilient crossover franchise between the likes of Disney animation and Final Fantasy. What do we think of how this game aged? Is it worth it to fight that giant Ursula? And why is Yoko Shimomura just the best?

Join us next time as we take a little tropical vacation where nothing will go wrong in Smashterpiece #40: Super Mario Sunshine

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

38 - Pac-Man World 2

Alright, folks, let’s continue today’s tour of the Video Game Historical Excavation Site. Oh, what’s this? One of our excavators appears to have found something in the soft earth! Why, it’s a copy of a platformer from the long bygone era of 2002! I’m afraid this discovery means that we must shut down the site to visitors for the day, but don’t you worry! You’ll be given a complimentary recording of us discussing Smashterpiece #38: Pac-Man World 2. It even includes a guest appearance by long time friend of the show Luke (aka Cyberlink420), who brings an unconscionable amount of Pac-Man lore that is sure to haunt your dreams and cause you pain, but in a good way we assume. How surprised were we about this game’s general quality? Why is Pac-Man’s dog Chomper a terrifying monstrosity? How do we feel about the game’s bumpin’ soundtrack? All that and more in today’s episode!

Join us next time as we dive into the heart for Smashterpiece #39: Kingdom Hearts

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Joe.

SPECIAL - Super Smash Bros Melee

Yet another milestone on our timeline has been reached! Today we talk about the game that refuses to die, no matter what those surrounding it do or say. A competitive titan, a wavedashing masterpiece, a space fox’s dream. That’s right, everybody, today we discuss the legendary Super Smash Bros Melee, the early GameCube title that would take the foundation of its predecessor and become a template for all the games to come after. Why do Melanie and Joe consider this game one they love to watch but not necessarily play? What’s it like to know that this is the last time a Super Smash Bros game would have a single lead composer/arranger? And why did Hungrybox come to my house and uninstall all my items before forcing me to play as Jigglypuff?

Join us next time as we journey into a world of… ghosts and dots? Probably? In Smashterpiece #38: Pac-Man World 2

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Joe.

37 - Pikmin

CAPTAIN’S LOG: We have crash landed on an alien planet, the various parts of our craft have been scattered amongst the foliage. For awhile we were able to scrounge up the necessary resources we needed to survive but at around the two week mark our inspiring story with themes of determination and grit quickly transformed into a tragedy. Joe was the first to go, a bird sprouting from the ground as if it were a root vegetable being plucked from the earth and wrapping its mighty beak around Joe’s soft frame. Melanie went soon afterwards, chased down and devoured without hesitation by one of those damned Bulborbs. David was able to last a few more days but alas, he too met his end when a stupid frog broke every bone in his body with a body slam. All this death really makes you wonder: if they’re all gone then who the hell is hosting this episode of the show? You know, the one covering Smashterpiece #37: Pikmin? It’s the episode guest starring David (DVD Smith) where they talk about Joe’s first experience with the game, the pseudo RTS style gameplay, the many many Pikmin corpses left in their wake, and of course how pleasant the soundtrack is to listen to. This may be a mystery that’ll never be solved, but hey at least we have an episode that came out of it!

Join us next time for a special episode on the second game in Nintendo’s beloved crossover fighter: Super Smash Bros. Melee

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

36 - Luigi's Mansion

Hello and welcome to our latest seminar on the housing market in the Mushroom Kingdom, I know you’re all dying to get started so I’ll make this quick. Our usual speakers are here but we have also prepared a guest speaker presentation on the subject of what to do if you win a mansion in a contest you don’t remember winning, only to find that the mansion is full of ghosts and the boss of all those ghosts has trapped your brother in a painting, forcing you to equip a weird vacuum to destroy those that have come from the realm beyond who stand in your way. You may be thinking that this is a very specific subject on which to hold a presentation, but apparently it happens frequently enough that it’s warranted. Our guest, Mr. Xander Morningstar, joins us to tell the cautionary tale of Smashterpiece #36: Luigi’s Mansion. How do we feel this game stacks up against its more recent sequels? Why is Joe over the moon about the sound design? And why are the boos so mean? All that and more in today’s semina- er, episode!

Join us next time as we crash land on a distant planet in Smashterpiece #37: Pikmin

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Joe.

35 - Animal Crossing

Welcome to the first and likely final meeting of this HOA, we’re glad you’ve taken the time out of your busy schedule to be with us today. We don’t want to keep you here for too long so let’s just go ahead and jump into it, shall we? Today’s agenda is a collection of neighborhood complaints from the town of Smash that have been combined to form what we’re calling Smashterpiece #35: Animal Crossing. All parties involved have decided to remain anonymous out of fear for their safety. Complaint #1: One resident of Smash, hereby known only as “K”, grifted the town salesman out of roughly 50% more paper than she would ever need, he didn’t appreciate it. Complaint #2: Another resident, now known as “B”, was seen walking along the beach in the dark with what a neighbor described as “a look of murderous intent” and went fishing for several consecutive hours. Complaint #3: Multiple instances of people taking things out of the lost and found that is not their’s. We’re going to jump to our panel of experts now so they can talk about their month in the town of Smash, so I guess please enjoy that.

Join us next time as we totally win a completely free and non-haunted mansion in Smashterpiece #36: Luigi’s Mansion

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Melanie.

BONUS - New Pokémon Snap

Hello and welcome, we’re delighted that you have chosen to join us on the Smashterpieces Pokémon Photo Safari Extravaganza. Please remember to keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times, Smashterpieces will not be held responsible for any loss of limb or other bodily harm you may sustain during your time spent with us. Each of you has been provided with three tools, all of them of vital importance to your journey. First of all there’s the illumina orbs, it can make the Pokémon glow and sometimes they jump higher, or at least that’s what the script says I have to say. Then you have your apples, those are mostly gonna come in handy when we enter the volcano portion of our tour. There may or may not be a Tyrantrum that appears, he will want you dead. What you’re gonna do in that case is throw the apple at him and he maybe won’t charge at you. If I’m being honest you got about a 50/50 shot on that one, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You also have a music player, it’s just there for tax reasons, it doesn’t do anything. Anyways if you’ve signed your liability waivers and have your cameras ready, we hope you enjoy your safari. In the meantime please enjoy this bonus episode on New Pokémon Snap, a game we brought into existence with our weird reality bending curse. Good luck!

We’ll return with Animal Crossing soon!

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Joe.

34 - Dr. Mario 64

All rise for the honorable Judge Toadsworth. Today we find ourselves at the trial of one of history’s greatest monsters. This sick individual took advantage of the tired and weary at the worst possible moment, sick and desperate they clung to his lab coat begging for a cure he knew he did not have, and yet… he persisted. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this individual calls himself Dr. Mario, but he is no doctor! As evidence of this malicious malpractice, we present Smashterpiece #34: Dr. Mario 64! How does the jury feel about this falling block puzzle game? What does this game do impressively, and what does it do very unimpressively? Does the soundtrack sure exist? All that and more in today’s trial! … I mean episode!

Join us next time as we spend a month of cohabitation in an animal filled town in Smashterpiece #35: Animal Crossing

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie stream these games and more here, and you can watch Joe stream here!

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. The preshow for Animal Crossing was edited by Melanie.

33 - Pokémon Stadium 2

The crowd cheers, the combatants face each other. Here come the pokéballs, the battle is about to begin in earnest! Oh, it’s Alakazam! Oh, it’s Wooper! This does not seem like a fair fight, but let’s see how it plays out. Well, that Alakazam was knocked out before I even had a chance to blink, what an amazing battle this has been. While we wait for the next Pokémon to emerge, let’s take a second to tell the folks at home that this is the episode representing Fighter #19: Pichu, it’s the 2000 Nintendo 64 game Pokémon Stadium 2. What makes this game such an interesting piece of video game and Pokémon history? Why does it feel like the RNG seems unfairly against you in certain situations? What do we think of the minigames? And why does it feel like the soundtrack is overall such a dud? All this and more in today’s episode!

Join us next time when we get our medical licenses revoked in Smashterpiece #34: Dr. Mario 64

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie stream these games and more here, and you can watch Joe stream here!

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

AF21 - Halo: Combat Evolved

Let us look back, far into the past (roughly around 2001, so basically ancient). In the wondrous land of “Bun-Jee” a small single celled organism called “combat” enjoyed a carefree existence. But one day combat found itself in the shadow of a larger being called a MICROSOFT. At first it was afraid, but eventually the two formed a symbiotic relationship, and thus combat… evolved. Yes, I am aware the previous sentences sound like the rantings of a madman but to be honest you should know what you signed up for by now. Today’s episode is about the game representing fighter #458, Master Chief, it’s the one and only Halo: Combat Evolved. How did it feel playing this game in co-op, and how did this affect Joe’s first time playing in general? What is the fascinating development history behind this game? How is that music so damn good? All that and more in today’s episode!

Join us next time as we probably don’t travel into the mushroom forest.

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie stream these games and more here, and you can watch Joe stream here!

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode in particular was edited by Melanie.

32 - Pokémon Puzzle League

Hello, we’re back once agaI’M GONNA WIN! … We are here to talk abouYOU’VE HAD IT! … Can I please just get a full sentence out beCAN’T WIN ‘EM ALL! … This is seriously gratiYOU’RE WASTING MY TIME! I beg of you, just let me… oh, they’re done. Cool. Today’s discussion is about Smashterpiece #32: Pokémon Puzzle League, a reskin of Tetris Attack which in itself was a reskin of Panel de Pon. Why did we initially think this game would be a mistake, and how deep did we go into the game itself? Why does Joe describe the game’s sound design as “a nightmare”? Why is the soundtrack a weird one to discuss? And is Ash truly going to win? All that and more in today’s episode!

Join us next time as we battle our way up Gym Leader Castle in Smashterpiece #33: Pokémon Stadium 2

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia.

BONUS - Sonic Adventure 2

We’ve heard the words of many a wise guide throughout our years, a mentor or simply a person on the street trying to give us words to uplift us in a time of struggle. Sometimes however these beings of great knowledge instead ask us questions, ones meant to help us come up with our own wisdom that we too can pass on to those who come after. So we pass the question we were asked to you: Can you feel life moving through your mind? Can you feel time slipping down your spine? Basically what I’m saying is we played Sonic Adventure 2 for this bonus episode. While Melanie was hanging on to the edge of tomorrow, Joe did not enjoy this opportunity to live and learn from the works of yesterday. What does this game do well? Why is it seemingly responsible for the divide between generations of Sonic fans? How great is that music? Why does the dialogue all bleed intAnd why does Joe have such a beef with the level design? All that and more in this bonus episode.

We’ll be back soon for our final discussion on Pokemon Puzzle League!

Our list of games can be found here!

You can watch Melanie and Joe stream these games here.

Smashterpieces is brought to you by Anonymous Dinosaur and Nintendo World Report, editing assistance is provided by Peter Spezia. This episode was edited by Melanie.