Toys are an integral part of childhood, but for quite a few of us, they remain relevant in some way, shape, or form long after they probably should. Then again, that's what's so fun about toys as we get older: They're plastic encapsulations of a simpler time, before bills, relationships, jobs, an...
2019-06-26 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
Did you know words are important and have specific meanings? The gaming industry learned these essential lessons this past week, when a mistranslated and misunderstood Japanese interview concerning Final Fantasy VII Remake made it seem like the dev team was ordered to make one of the character's ...
2019-06-25 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Leave this mortal coil!
2019-06-24 20:42:53 +0000 UTC View Post
When it comes to Nintendo franchises, Metroid sticks out like a sore thumb. It's completely unlike almost any other Nintendo fare. It simply doesn't fit. But that's what makes it so interesting. It all started humbly enough in the 1986 original, but underneath the unassuming facade of a side-scro...
2019-06-20 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
We've spent a lot of time on Fireside Chats discussing the ins and outs of Christianity, but we never ventured into the territory of its sister religion -- or perhaps parent religion, more accurately -- until right now. Judaism is a fascinating point of conversation, because unlike many other glo...
2019-06-19 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
E3 2019 is behind us, but -- like the persistent radiation of Chernobyl -- its effects still linger. Indeed, there's much to discuss in the afterglow of the show, and we do just that, revisiting The Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Cyberpunk 2077. We also touch on Square Enix's plans for i...
2019-06-18 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Final Fantasy Tactics for a new-old generation.
2019-06-17 19:59:22 +0000 UTC View Post
Christopher Nolan is one of the modern world's most talented filmmakers, full stop. If you ask 10 people what their favorite Nolan flick is, you may very well get 10 different answers. (Really. He's directed 10 films.) Yet, in a catalog of works-of-art, Interstellar may very well be greatest of t...
2019-06-13 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
It's incredibly uncommon for people to hurt themselves out of the clear blue sky and for no reason whatsoever. Even if we can't comprehend why, or understand someone's motives, or make sense of any of it whatsoever, people inflict pain on themselves because they're already hurting. It's one of li...
2019-06-12 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
It's early June, which can mean only one thing: The NHL playoffs are nearly over, and it's time to hunker down for several long, lonely months without hockey. But something else happens in early June each year that's especially pertinent to this podcast's audience: E3! And isn't it so strange -- ...
2019-06-11 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
E3 2019 is Sony-less, which doesn't exactly benefit The World's Most Beloved PlayStation Podcast. Or does it? Because we're as wily and unpredictable as the day is long, such a situation absolutely begged us to make an unusual detour into Xbox Land... fresh off of a 90 minute press conference, no...
2019-06-10 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Every month, our lovely Patreon audience gets to vote on a topic we cover here on KnockBack, and today, we deliver one such episode. Batman made his comic book debut all the way back in 1939, and his amazing staying power is due, in part, to the exceptional number of ways DC has allowed him to be...
2019-06-06 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
The Great PSN Outage of 2011: A Complete History!
2019-06-06 06:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Another Patreon-voted topic, delivered!
2019-06-05 17:26:58 +0000 UTC View Post
It's the week before E3, and all through LA, games keep on leaking much to publishers' dismay. A third Watch Dogs is coming. New Destiny DLC, too. And Modern Warfare's being rebooted, though that one didn't leak, it's true. So to welcome E3, we thought we'd cook up a game. One that replaces 'Pred...
2019-06-05 16:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Please Note: As announced on Twitter, Fireside Chats and Sacred Symbols are going up out of order this week, something we didn't anticipate having to do (hence the late ...
2019-06-04 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
Yo!
This month's Patreon-exclusive podcast, as most of you already know, is an extensive Q&A with Side Quest's new Lead Writer, Sophia Narwitz.
I don't really want there to be "behind-the-scenes" CLS people, as it were. I want you guys and gals to get to know them, to pick their...
Video gaming began after World War II, when primitive punch card and oscilloscope games were played exclusively on university and government supercomputers. But what started as a small niche for the educated and elite quickly found its way into venues every person could enjoy, like bars, lounges,...
2019-05-30 16:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
We get it. You hate us.
2019-05-29 22:07:27 +0000 UTC View Post
The American education system is pretty unique, especially compared to the rest of the modern world. Instead of having a totally top-down governmental approach, schools in the United States are left largely to the whims of state and local bureaucrats, and the outcomes are as varied as they are fa...
2019-05-29 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
E3 2019 is right around the corner, and Sony ain't gonna be there. But that doesn't mean the company is being quiet. Quite the opposite! Likely in anticipation of big Xbox-related moves and announcements at the annual convention, PlayStation has loosened its spigot even more than it already had i...
2019-05-28 16:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
With Rugrats, Doug, and Ren & Stimpy, Nickelodeon launched a cartoon revolution in the early '90s. These three initial Nicktoon-branded offerings toted completely unique art styles, stories, tones, and even target audiences, and the trio proved to be animated powerhouses that persisted in pop...
2019-05-23 16:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post
You voted for it!
2019-05-22 18:50:38 +0000 UTC View PostHey!
Today, I have some pretty exciting news: CLS is pleased to welcome its fourth freelancer to the team, a talented writer named Sophia Narwitz. You may know Sophia from her byline on Niche Gamer, where she holds the title o...
In a strange sort of way, this week's episode of Fireside Chats is all about reality. The reality of living your normal, everyday life while also trying to pursue your dreams and passions. To talk about such a common (yet seldom-discussed) situation is Brian Penaloza, a CLS fan who works by day a...
2019-05-22 13:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
In recent days, word emerged of a most unusual alliance: It seems Sony is teaming up with longtime arch-rival Microsoft across a series of initiatives that could have significant impact on both entities' future gaming success. Indeed, the announcement was such a surprise -- and seemed to have so ...
2019-05-21 16:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post
Castlevania Anniversary Collection Review!
2019-05-21 06:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
It's a wonderful night to have a curse.
2019-05-20 20:07:33 +0000 UTC View Post
