Welcome to episode 65 of Shack Together! We're joined by special guests Donovan Erskine and Greg Burke to discuss their impressions of Universal's Epic Universe theme park. Today's show features our review of Elden Ring Nightreign, as well as our new "Mount Switchmore" segment, where we match Nintendo Switch first-party games to Mount Rushmore presidents based on their leadership qualities and legacy.

The Nintendo Switch 2, launching next week, continues to dominate headlines with Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake's October release window and an upcoming Pokemon Presents showcase announced for July 2025. Meanwhile, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 celebrates an impressive milestone of 3.3 million units sold in just 33 days, while EA makes waves with the cancellation of their Black Panther game and the closure of Cliffhanger Games.

We also explore new previews of Persona 5: The Phantom X and review several recent releases including Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon and The Siege and the Sandfox. Industry news brings record-breaking results from NVIDIA's Q1 2026 earnings, with gaming revenue hitting an all-time high of $3.8 billion. And that's all for today's show! Thanks as always for listening and enjoy!

Timestamps

• 00:01:27 Asif On Assignment
• 00:03:30 It's Shack Together!
• 00:03:59 Greg and Donovan's Universal's Epic Universe Grand Opening Trip
• 00:36:39 Joe's PC, Clair Obscur
• 00:38:30 Asif's Games: Blue Prince, Doom: The Dark Ages
• 00:55:36 Mount Switchmore Draft: Matching Nintendo Switch Games to Mount Rushmore Presidents
• 01:30:00 Story Time!
• 01:30:04 Previews: Persona 5: The Phantom X, Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake
• 01:33:49 Reviews: Elden Ring Nightreign, Tainted Grail, F1 25, The Siege and the Sandfox, Scar-Lead Salvation
• 01:56:21 News: Black Panther Game Cancelled, Star Wars Battlefront 2 Record, Clair Obscur Sales, Pokemon Presents July 2025
• 02:11:08 Industry: NVIDIA Q1 2026 Earnings, Record Gaming Revenue
• 02:13:34 Community Notes

Articles mentioned in this episode

• Universal Epic Universe park impressions
• Elden Ring Nightreign review
• Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake preview
• Pokemon Presents showcase July 2025
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sales milestone
• Black Panther canceled, Cliffhanger Games closed
• NVIDIA Q1 2026 gaming revenue record
• Persona 5: The Phantom X preview
• Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon review
• The Siege and the Sandfox review

Welcome to episode 64 of Shack Together! We're joined by special guest Sam Chandler as we discuss Bungie's ongoing copyright controversy with an artist claiming unauthorized use of assets in Marathon, while also sharing our continued experiences (and Sam's divisive take) on DOOM: The Dark Ages.

Today's show features our "2015 MetaGames" segment, where we compare critic and user scores from that landmark year in gaming, analyzing the sometimes significant disparities between professional reviews and player reception for titles like Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Halo 5: Guardians.

In Story Time, we cover major industry developments including Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2's surprise PS5 announcement and the ongoing Epic vs Apple saga as Fortnite briefly returns to iOS before being blocked again. We also explore new previews of Lies of P: Overture's frozen zoo and Yakuza 0: Director's Cut coming to Switch 2, while discussing OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's AI startup. And that's all for today's show! Thanks as always for listening and enjoy!

Timestamps

• 00:01:07 TikTok Salsa
• 00:04:26 It's Shack Together!
• 00:05:15 Sam's Games: Oblivion Remastered, The Finals, DOOM: The Dark Ages
• 00:34:12 Joe's Games: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• 00:41:09 Asif's Games: DOOM: The Dark Ages, Blue Prince (Spoilers?)
• 00:48:34 The 2015 MetaGames: Critics VS Users
• 01:14:40 Story Time!
• 01:14:45 Previews: Lies of P: Overture, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S, Gimmiko
• 01:20:36 Reviews: Deliver At All Costs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, Monster Train 2, Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny, Blades of Fire, Roadcraft
• 01:32:40 News: Mario Kart World Info Dump, Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 to PS5
• 01:40:15 Industry News: OpenAI acquires Jony Ive Startup, Marathon Art Theft, Fortnite to iOS Issues Continue
• 02:05:39 Community Notes

Articles mentioned in this episode

• Artist claims Bungie used assets for Marathon without permission
• Lies of P: Overture DLC preview
• Yakuza 0: Director's Cut Switch 2 preview
• Monster Train 2 review
• Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 PS5 reveal
• Mario Kart World free roam jukebox features
• Fortnite returns to iOS App Store
• Apple blocks Fortnite's re-submission
• OpenAI acquires Jony Ive's AI startup

Welcome to episode 63 of Shack Together! We're joined by special guest David Craddock to discuss his review of DOOM: The Dark Ages, who shares insights from his extensive time with the entry's new parry mechanics and combat mechanics.

Afterward, we dive into everyone's favorite "DOOM: The Darth Plagueis" segment, where we compare and contrast the lore between DOOM and Star Wars universes, from ancient civilizations and powerful artifacts to legendary warriors and dimensional portals.

In Story Time, we cover the crew's most recent PAX East previews including Shadow Labyrinth's Metroidvania-meets-Pac-Man approach and FBC: Firebreak's return to the Bureau of Control. Industry news brings significant developments with Take-Two's optimism for Nintendo Switch 2, Microsoft's 3% workforce reduction, and Sony's $1.7 billion share buyback program. We also discuss Palworld's monster glider removal and Epic Games' official Fortnite iOS submission. And that's all for today's show! Thanks as always for listening and enjoy!

Timestamps

• 00:01:09 NBA Playoffs Update
• 00:04:02 It's Shack Together!
• 00:04:42 David's Games: Doom: The Dark Ages, WWE 2K25
• 00:34:21 Joe's Games: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Fragpunk
• 00:42:47 Asif's Games: DOOM: The Dark Ages, Blue Prince, F-Zero 99
• 00:49:47 Doom: The Darth Plageuis
• 01:06:13 Story Time!
• 01:06:18 Previews: Tony Hawk 3+4, Shadow Lbyrinth, Hank: Drowning on Dry Land, Patapon 1+2, Battle Train, God Save Birmingham, FBC: Firebreak, Gex Trilogy
• 01:27:04 Reviews: DOOM: The Dark Ages, The Midnight Walk, Capcom Fighting Collection 2, Deedlee Doo! Carkour!
• 01:37:24 News: Mafia: The Old Country Release Date, Palword Concessions to Nintendo, NTDOY Sales Forecast, Bam Margera in THPS3+4, Fortnite Submitted to iOS
• 01:43:38 Industry News: Twitter AI, TTWO Q4 Earnings, Microsoft Layoffs, Super Mario World, Sony Supply Chain out of China, Sony Share Buyback
• 02:02:15 Community Notes

Articles mentioned in this episode

• DOOM: The Dark Ages review
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 preview
• Shadow Labyrinth PAX East preview
• FBC: Firebreak hands-on preview
• Bam Margera confirmed for THPS 3+4
• Palworld removes monster glider mechanics
• Take-Two CEO on Nintendo Switch 2
• Microsoft laying off 3% of workers
• Sony announces $1.7B share buyback
• Epic Games submits Fortnite to Apple