Number 37 - Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3, Doom, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

After almost two years in the video game trenches, our heroes, Jonathan, Chris and Minty, have reached number 37 on their lists. 

Jonathan strikes fear into Chris' heart as he nears the end of construction on his Super Mario Maker 2 Super World, and then invites us all to Golf with Friends. Chris tarts up his Animal Crossing island, and beams with admiration at two indie games: Gone Home and Desert Child. Minty treads water with a smidgen of Dead Cells, a pinch of Labyrinth of Refrain, and lashings of hot Disgaea 5.

Bust kickflips and boneless pop shove its with the excellent Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3. Batter hellspawn with a twelve gauge in the genre-defining Doom. Wrestle with the sombre sense of isolation (but also the Wiimote controls) of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

Better than Panzer Dragoon Saga? Why don't YOU tell US.

Number 44 - Worms Armageddon, Banjo-Tooie, Donkey Kong Country

We are reliably informed that it's... Monday? In the absence of any real societal markers of time and date, why not use this weekly episode of Our Three Cents as a reminder that yes, time is passing, and yes, video games still exist.

There's more Animal Crossing chat, naturally, as well as opinions on Doom 64, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, some eShop bargains, and… TETRIS. 

Chris adds Worms Armageddon to the list of games revered by all three cents alongside Fantasy Life. Minty makes the extreeemely controversial statement (can you tell it's one of the other Centurions who writes these blurbs?) that Banjo-Tooie is the best game on the Nintendo 64. Finally, Jonathan swells with joy talking about Rare's pre-rendered sprite classic, Donkey Kong Country.

WORMS
BEAR AND BACKPACK BIRD
MONKEYS

Oh, we do spoil you!

Number 51 - Super Mario 3D Land, Pokémon Blue, Guardian Heroes

In our final numbered episode of season one you will hear:  a particularly weasely quiz question; Jonathan getting hot and heavy over a listener's question; some thoughts on our secret santa gifts; and Chris' thoughts on a classic.

Then more games. Three incredible games. A veritable triumvirate of bloody good games.

Jonathan talks up one of the best handheld Mario games of all time whilst simultaneously throwing swathes of depth-perception-based criticism at 1986’s Labyrinth. Minty reminisces about Pocket Monster themed ephemera present at the birth of a franchise and Chris bigs up a mostly forgotten brawling treasure from the back catalogue of the legendary Sega Saturn.

Perhaps these are games you loved? Or perhaps they're games you'll grow to love. 

We certainly love them. And we love you.

Number 52 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Wario Land 4, TxK

Would you, our dear listeners, consumers of our humble podcast, wish to listen to our thoughts and feelings on games of the video variety?

Allow Jonathan to describe the three stages of the Souls-like, and the violent combination of Hotline Miami and MasterChef Australia. Humour Chris' attempt to intellectualise not one, not two, but THREE indie-darlings. Let Minty sell you on the joys of Volition's Saints Row: The Third through its semi-recent release for Nintendo's hybrid console offering.

Then dive into extended discussion on a flagship Ninty franchise's tentpole release; a genre defining puzzle platformer; and an arcade shooter that no-one played.

HURRY UP!!

It's Ocarina of Time, Wario Land 4, and TxK.

And some other bits.

Number 55 - Mario Golf, Metal Gear Solid, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

This week on Our Three Cents we have another eclectic triptych of games including an Italian-plumber-based-handheld-sporting RPG, a 32-bit odyssey about a man’s obsession with hiding in a cardboard box, and an epic adventure involving a black knight in the darkness of the night whilst you try to forge some lightness into the world!

Elsewhere, Chris spends his week killing time with Suicide Guy, and we also have a full debrief on Pokémon Sword & Shield, complete with the presentation of the 1st ever annual Jonathan Andrew Dunn Pokémon Awards. Find out which lucky critters have been selected as the recipients of the coveted JADPAs! 

And, more importantly, find out whether Jonathan & Chris’ school English teacher, Mr Haywood, ever got round to playing Chris’ childhood gaming creation, Dunce Goes to Hollywood?

Only on Our Three Cents. What a bunch of absolute ridiculousness. Amen.

Bonus Level - Wellbeing Special

Thursday the 10th of October marks World Mental Health Awareness day. In recognition of this, our trio tell personal stories of how videogames can be a force for good in managing mental health and periods of distress or low mood.

Clone Hero, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, A Link to the Past, Alto's Adventure, Tetris, and Super Mario Bros 3. Disparate games linked here by their ability to make our triumvirate slow down, refocus, and calm.

Videogames may not be the solution for everyone, but we at Our Three Cents firmly believe in their value as tools for offering escapism, structure, or soothing nostalgia when the world seems a difficult place.

Much love to all listening. Be kind to one another.

Bonus Level - Summer Special

Take shelter from the UK's unseasonably warm start to the summer, by allowing the cool, soothing tones of three doofi (doofus; plural) talk sunny, bright weather and sunny, bright games.

Find a comfy spot in the garden, crack open a fizzy pop, then injure your neck as you twist to best utilise the sun's searing rays to illuminate your Gameboy's monochrome screen, sharing all the while in the summer gaming memories of three young men who could probably do with getting outside a bit more.

Football! Progressive rock! Balance boards! Family holidays! It's all here. As well as, of course, the usual nerdy discussion on games past, present and future that we assume you all harbour an insatiable taste for.

BLUE SKIES FOREVER

Number 72 - Metroid Fusion, Mario Golf, Kirby's Epic Yarn

Congratulations on arriving at the start of another week! Whether or not you have much time for games yourself, listen to the boys recommend the best way to stuff 30 minute windows of stolen gaming time, wax lyrical over the pedagogical approach Nintendo have taken with Super Mario Maker 2’s story mode, before settling in for another esoteric trio of video games linked only by their matching places on three distinct numerical lists.

Jonathan extols the virtue of doing a lot with a little on the Gameboy Advance’s diminutive screen; Chris details the outfit that saw him sneered at when attempting to master the Happy Gilmore swing at a local driving range; and Minty gets all tangled in pastel coloured yarn.

Also: an 'I Love You' present, an abrasive impression of a British children's TV institution, and at least one word that only Minty can comfortably wield in day to day life.

Number 73 - Super Mario Galaxy, DJ Hero, Wario Land II

This week, two games from the Super Mario Extended Universe feature as Jonathan & Minty’s choices, in addition to a literal curveball (rotating disc) from Chris! 

Meanwhile, some things never change - like traffic congestion, pencils and the inevitability of death. Also not changing are our video gaming habits this week: Jonathan’s tackling a Metroidvania indie game, Chris is playing a retro classic and Minty is continuing his tactical adventure through Dead Cells. 

Also, a user question turns the table on another user question, and we discuss what the best movie video games are! Listen to find out if your favourite movie or indeed, your favourite game is mentioned!

This episode is absolutely jam packed with top class video game chat! Talc up, and dive in!

Number 79 - Luigi's Mansion, Kirby's Dream Land, Braid

This week the lads are all investing in their latest obsession in Konami Pixel Puzzle Collection, whilst Jonathan has been off shaking the Hand of Gilgamech in SteamWorld Quest and Chris has been gearing up for Borderlands 3! All the while, one of the Arsenal fans within the collective have been venting their frustrations in their team’s downward turn in New Star Manager! We also decide to throw around the very hottest of accessible potatoes where we discuss the recent discourse about notoriously difficult games and the potential inclusion of Easy modes.

Meanwhile in the rankings, Minty visits the spectral plain with a very spooky entry, Jonathan takes another adorable trip down memory lane and Chris gets his brain tied in a series of complex and metaphysical knots!

Number 80 - Burnout 2, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Harvest Moon GB

This week, in a total car crash of an episode, Chris burns out, Minty pokes a small boy with a dream and Jonathan takes a thoroughly leisurely stroll down memory lane - a lane lined with cows, turnips and Christmas disappointment! Elsewhere, we all get our Picross on thanks to Konami’s new mobile game, Minty tries his hand at Cuphead, and Jonathan sees Image & Form knock yet another genre out of the park first time in their new RPG, SteamWorld Quest! 

Number 82 - Pokémon Snap, SteamWorld Heist, Dragon Quest

This week on Our Three Cents, Minty joins in the Dead Cells fun, just as Jonathan is moving on to playing, what seems like literally, all the other games - ping-ponging from the ludicrously unchallenging Yoshi’s Crafted World to the sadistically-designed Shakira: Hips Lie Twice, and covering a myriad of other recent releases in between! Meanwhile Chris is getting his retro on with some lovely electro-synth mobile pinball action! The chaps also discuss their 82nd favourite video games of all time featuring such classic video-game tropes as shallow tools, pickup trucks, strategic anxiety and the origins of grinding! Plus our dear old friend, nominative determinism rears their appropriately-named head - gender un-assumed.

Number 91 - The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+, Lemmings, Dynamite Headdy

This week on Our Three Cents, the boys forms a series of vendettas! Minty voices his frustrations with Ed McMillen; Jonathan is frankly livid with the developers of the Lemmings mobile game, and Chris continues his crusade against conventional logic when it comes to assessing which video games to spend his time on! And the terrible plague of worms continues to spread across another episode!

Number 93 - Burning Rangers, Final Fantasy III, Dragon Warrior Monsters

This episode has it all! Evil bags, lamentations about finger-pointing at seemingly derivative titles, inflammatory accusations leveled at incredibly average footballers, natural disasters, and that new quiz section we started last week. Listen in to discover the exchange rate between a ‘Chris Hour’ and a ‘Jonathan Hour’, and learn about the Guitar Hero modding community. Just as a good thing came to Minty overnight in the form of his Tales of Vesperia download, here is a good thing that has come to You, Who Hath Waited. SPOILER ALERT: Deep lore abounds.

Number 98 - Jurassic Park, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Rakuga Kids

Schindler’s List, Penny Crayon and bottles of wee! Find out what links these pillars of society together in Episode 3 of Our Three Cents, as the boys wax lyrical about their 98th favourite video games of all time. Plus, has Chris found his new favourite game in a recent release?