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Episodes
Sunday Aug 10, 2025
Sunday Aug 10, 2025
In this week’s episode of The Game Deflators, John and Ryan dive into a treasure trove of gaming updates, pickups, and hot takes:
Magic: The Gathering fans won’t want to miss the duo’s latest haul from Edge of Eternities, plus an update on the closure of Strixhaven Year Three in their long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
The Game Deflators also explore Hasbro’s initiative to attract more women to Magic: The Gathering, analyzing what it means for future set releases.
On the digital front, Nintendo’s aggressive IP protection strikes again—this time forcing a popular speedrunning charity event to remove all Nintendo titles. John and Ryan provide their differing views on the outcome.
Rumors are swirling about the Nintendo Switch 2 and a potential increase in cartridge storage capacity. Could this be a game-changer for next-gen titles or just price increases?
Finally, the retro spotlight shines on Tomba! for the PlayStation 1, as the hosts visit this cult classic with a fresh review—does it still hold up in 2025?
Articles covered:
https://mtgrocks.com/hasbro-ceo-teases-k-pop-mtg-release-to-entice-women-to-play/
https://www.gamesradar.com/games/nintendo-forces-japanese-charity-speedrun-event-to-pull-its-games-from-the-lineup-after-claiming-unauthorized-use-now-organizers-have-to-ask-permission-for-every-single-game-in-the-future/
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Aug 03, 2025
Sunday Aug 03, 2025
On this week’s Game Deflators episode, John and Ryan unbox their latest gaming hauls and share what’s hitting their shelves. The duo then dives into Wizards of the Coast's latest attempt to heal wounds in the D&D community by offering virtual tabletop map access across DnD Beyond. Is it a gesture of goodwill, or just clever cartography?
Next, the guys give their unfiltered reactions to the newest Nintendo Direct, unpacking the big reveals, the head-scratchers, and what has them reaching for their wallets.
Finally, the guys join Higgins in Super Adventure Island, a nostalgic platformer that brings surfboards, slingshots, and tropical chaos to center stage.
Articles covered:
https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/free-maps-vtt
https://www.theverge.com/games/716586/nintendo-partner-direct-july-2025-news-trailers
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
Sunday Jul 27, 2025
In this week's episode of The Game Deflators, John and Ryan tackle a dynamic mix of gaming news, nostalgic throwbacks, and anime hype. They kick things off with a breakdown of the latest One Piece anime episode and dive into their current progress reading the manga. Ryan then shares his newest Magic The Gathering pickups as John contemplates his next MTG purchases.
The duo then dissect a recent job listing showing Sony’s push for multiplatform releases and what it could mean for the future of exclusives. Microsoft’s decision to roll back its $80 game price point sparks a lively debate on pricing, strategy, and what it means for consumers. Finally, the guys go bananas with Donley Kong Land 2 on the Game Boy with a retro review—does it hold up, or get lost in the shadow of its SNES sibling?
Articles covered:
https://gamerant.com/sony-playstation-mutiplatform-strategy-change-xbox-pc-steam-switch/
https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-concedes-that-the-outer-worlds-2-retail-price-was-too-high
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
John and Ryan are back at it with a jam-packed episode of gaming goodness and industry buzz. Things kick off with their latest gaming-related pickups and what’s currently stealing time from their backlogs.
Then it’s onto the mystical halls of Strixhaven, as John leads a recap of their ongoing D&D campaign discussing enchanted puzzles, morally murky professors, and all the magical mayhem you'd hope for from an academic arcane adventure.
After the fantasy fades, the duo dives into real-world drama—first tackling Ubisoft’s eyebrow-raising comments on microtransactions from its recent financial report and recent layoffs by Candy Crush makers King Games.
Finally, the hosts wax nostalgic with a review of Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer on the Nintendo GameCube, revisiting wave mechanics, extreme sports culture, and whether this sleeper hit deserves a second ride.
Articles covered:
https://www.eteknix.com/ubisoft-says-microtransactions-make-games-more-fun/
https://www.thegamer.com/microsoft-king-layoffs-replaced-by-ai-they-trained/
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jul 13, 2025
Sunday Jul 13, 2025
This week on the Game Deflators Podcast, John and Ryan share what they've been playing lately, swapping thoughts on new digital adventures and long-time favorites. John recaps his Crit Hit experience packed with tabletop energy and provides an update from the duos ongoing Strathaven Dungeons and Dragons campaign—expect magical mayhem and unexpected twists.
The discussion shifts toward the industry as they explore a new study showing younger gamers are cutting back on spending, and what that might signal for the future of game development and marketing. Nintendo’s latest consumer survey also takes the spotlight, with a spirited debate about the pros and cons of physical keycards versus digital downloads.
To cap things off, there’s a nostalgic deep dive into Sonic Adventure, looking at how the game holds up across Dreamcast and GameCube. Was it ahead of its time or a beautiful mess? Tune in to find out.
Articles covered:
https://www.ign.com/articles/younger-americans-have-spent-25-less-on-video-games-this-year-than-last?
https://www.gonintendo.com/contents/50671-nintendo-sending-out-game-key-card-surveys
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jul 06, 2025
Sunday Jul 06, 2025
In this episode, John and Ryan bring a fastball of nostalgia and digital reckoning to your speakers. The duo dives into EA’s announcement to shut down Anthem's servers in January 2026, dissecting the legacy of a game that promised big but struggled to soar. Then it's a deep-tech discussion as they unravel the silent killer behind your favorite handheld and console games—bit rot in SSDs affecting Nintendo 3DS, Vita, Switch, and even the shiny new Switch 2. Should collectors be worried?
To close things out on a high note (and a few strikes), they revisit the chaotic joy of Mario Superstar Baseball on the GameCube. Is it still a home run, or does it whiff in today’s gaming landscape?
Articles covered:
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2025/07/bioware-flop-anthem-dies-january-2026-servers-to-be-turned-off
https://www.thegamer.com/nintendo-switch-3ds-game-cartridges-unplayable-data-loss-if-left-for-multiple-years/
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jun 29, 2025
Sunday Jun 29, 2025
In this episode of the Game Deflators Podcast, John and Ryan unpack an action-packed week in gaming with a lineup that spans kart racing chaos, collectible card surprises, corporate culture wins, and a splash of retro nostalgia.
They kick things off with the wild new Sonic Racing CrossWorlds where iconic franchises like Minecraft, TMNT, and Avatar: The Last Airbender collide on the track. The conversation then shifts to cardboard as Sonic speeds into Magic: The Gathering with an upcoming Secret Lair set—John and Ryan speculate provide their opinion on the quality of cards revealed and their interest in the video game franchise cards. They then take a thoughtful detour into the real-world side of gaming, discussing recent data that shows Nintendo’s impressively low employee turnover rate and what that says about its workplace culture in contrast to wider industry trends.
Rounding out the episode is a retro review of Wave Race: Blue Storm for the Nintendo GameCube, as the duo discusses the game’s intense physics, water mechanics, and enduring difficulty curve.
Articles covered:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/secret-lair-the-sonic-superdrop
https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/06/sonic-racing-crossworlds-officially-reveals-nickelodeon-collaboration
https://thenerdstash.com/while-layoffs-keep-hitting-the-industry-nintendo-retains-98-of-staff-including-78-with-disabilities/
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jun 22, 2025
Sunday Jun 22, 2025
Strap in for a nostalgia-meets-news deep dive on this week’s episode of The Game Deflators! John and Ryan kick things off with a fresh batch of gaming pickups. Then it's time to roll initiative as the duo shares behind-the-screen updates from their latest Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
In the tabletop world beyond their own, the guys examine big moves from the Critical Role team as they bolster their crew for the launch of Daggerheart—is this the next big leap in TTRPGs? And speaking of epic crossovers, John and Ryan discuss recent pulls of the Golden Chocobo serialized cards from Magic: The Gathering x Final Fantasy set and what it means for collectors and competitive players alike.
Finally, the wave machines are primed for a retro review of Wave Race 64—does this water racer still make a splash, or has time drained its shine?
Articles covered:http://thegamer.com/dungeons-dragons-dnd-critical-role-daggerheart-jeremy-crawford-chris-perkins/
https://kotaku.com/golden-chocobo-mtg-final-fantasy-price-foil-restock-1851784836
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jun 15, 2025
Sunday Jun 15, 2025
John and Ryan are back on the mics with sand in their shoes and cardboard in their backpacks, kicking things off with a roundup of their latest video game and Magic: The Gathering pickups—some gems and some regrets.
Then it's onto showcase season, where the duo dives into their most anticipated titles from the latest Xbox Showcase and Sony's State of Play.
But not everything is sunny in hardware land. The guys break down the rumored cancellation of the Xbox handheld, chatting about what it could mean for Microsoft's third-party strategy and whether a hardware pivot is smart—or just sad.
Next up, Nintendo’s out of the gates with early Switch 2 sales figures, and John and Ryan weigh in on whether lightning’s struck twice for the Big N.
To round it all out, the guys fire up their NES and hit the pixelated waves with a retro review of Town & Country Surf Designs: Wood & Water Rage. Is it gnarly or just a wipeout?
Articles covered:https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/handheld-gaming-pcs/xbox-handheld-rumoured-to-be-essentially-cancelled-but-the-new-asus-xbox-ally-is-actually-a-preview-of-all-future-xbox-consoles-not-just-handhelds/
https://wccftech.com/nintendo-switch-2-set-another-record-by-selling-1-1-million-units-in-its-launch-week-in-the-us/
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
This week on The Game Deflators Podcast, Ryan is joined by Jim Miller, the mastermind behind Crit Hit—Arizona’s premier tabletop convention! They kick things off by discussing their latest gaming pickups and what’s been keeping them glued to the table.
Jim then shares exciting updates on Crit Hit 7: Cosmic Calamity, revealing what attendees can expect at this year's event—from epic game sessions to stellar surprises. But that’s not all—he also dives into the latest news on his gaming app, Congeon, offering insights into the creative thought process behind its development and the projects he's currently working on.
Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com
Find us on Social Media
Twitter @GameDeflators
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Facebook @TheGameDeflators
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Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18