This week, Princess and Tessa chat about the awesome, and sometimes divisive, adaptations of video games into TV and movies. They get into the nitty gritty of what makes a good video game adaptation – from The Witcher to Arcane to Cuphead, they talk about it all and much more!
This week, Princess and Tessa chat about the awesome, and sometimes divisive, adaptations of video games into TV and movies. They get into the nitty gritty of what makes a good video game adaptation – from The Witcher to Arcane to Cuphead, they talk about it all and much more!
Netflix Geeked - Ep8 - Games - MIX_V3.mp3
PRINCESS: [00:00:01] Geeked. Hello geeks. I'm Princess Weekes.
TESSA: [00:00:08] And I'm Tessa Netting.
PRINCESS: [00:00:09] And you are listening to the Geek Podcast, your weekly energy boost of the worlds fandoms and stories you love.
TESSA: [00:00:18] Each week we're going to skim the surface of what's popular in geek culture. Then Deep dive into the lore of Netflix worlds bigger than our own.
PRINCESS: [00:00:25] Today's world is the world of virtual reality video games adaptations. We are talking all about it, baby. And yes, that means The Witcher. Which Tessa?
TESSA: [00:00:35] Yes.
PRINCESS: [00:00:36] I will call you out on in front of all of our listeners. You haven't yet started I believe?
TESSA: [00:00:41] I have started, Princess. Finally, I have started watching it and I cannot believe that it's taken me so long to watch one of the best fantasy shows I think I've ever seen. So I am so pumped to keep watching. But also I'm excited to talk about arcane and just cuphead. So many different amazing video game properties are on Netflix and I just want to hear all about your gaming life. Everything I just this is - this episode is very exciting. So Princess, before we go into that, what's got you geeked this week?
PRINCESS: [00:01:20] Oh, my goodness. I think what I'm really excited about is Persuasion just came out on Netflix, but I got to see it early. So and I'm very excited about it because I love Jane Austen adaptations. I love Dakota Johnson. It's been getting like mixed reviews and I think people are being way harsh-ty about it, but that's okay. I'm used to hateration holleration, but I'm really enjoying it and I currently am like two volumes deep into my Sandman reread. So it is like so many sticky notes all over this beautiful illustrated edition. So yeah, I am thriving on nerd content right now. What about you, my beloved co-host.
TESSA: [00:02:09] So for me, I got to go to the Resident Evil Series premiere this week and well, I guess last week and there was a screening of the first episode, plus a little Q&A with the main cast. And everyone that I talked to seemed like really interested in intrigued to keep watching because that friggin first episode ends on such a cliffhanger word. Everyone was just like, What? And I'm like, You guys don't even know. You don't know what's about to happen!
PRINCESS: [00:02:43] Well, we do. That was so funny because you're in L.A., so you get to go to all the fun events. While I just sit here in New York.
TESSA: [00:02:51] All the L.A. things, L.A. people just love to party. We love going to parties. It's our favorite thing. And I actually really enjoyed watching Resident Evil, like for a second time. I liked it even better because I wasn't sort of like, What are these timelines? What is all this like? Because I already knew it was happening. I could really enjoy it. And everyone like really loved the Easter eggs. Lance Reddick as Wesker is just amazing. So it's we're good like we got a good resident evil adaptation it's a miracle.
PRINCESS: [00:03:24] I'm so it can happen. Yeah I feel like when we saw first kill with a crowd, the energy is just so different. And when you're like watching it on your little screen or screen and you're just like, you know, like even watching it on my TV isn't the same as watching it on a big screen with people who have no idea what's going to happen. They're just there to have a good time. And I'm glad you got to have that. That sounds really awesome.
TESSA: [00:03:46] Yeah. I even find that sometimes when I'm watching just by myself versus with another person or with a group of people, then my experience can be different too.
PRINCESS: [00:03:55] Absolutely.
TESSA: [00:03:57] Like this show is fun. You should watch it with someone because it's so many bizarre, crazy things happen, but it'd just be fun to talk to someone about.
PRINCESS: [00:04:05] And you can hold hands when it gets scary,.
TESSA: [00:04:07] Of course. Oh, yeah. I mean, that's like the best part of these, like go on a date and be like, Oh, the zombies. Oh, no. At the afterparty, there were like actors dressed up walking around as zombies and.
PRINCESS: [00:04:23] Oh my God, I'm jealous. Did you remember all my tips about survival, though? Like, I hope that you were still keeping your mind on the survival because that's how they get you. First they say. Like, Oh, we're just here to help. Then they bite you.
TESSA: [00:04:38] Absolutely not, Princess. I was just in like I was enthralled by the zombies. I was like, Oh, no, I have wanted to befriend all of them.
PRINCESS: [00:04:49] See, all it really does is prove that our zombie queen theory for you is what's going to be your end game like.
TESSA: [00:04:58] Yeah, I think that's right. I think that's right. And then last night, I went to the premiere of The Gray Man.
PRINCESS: [00:05:06] You got to see the sexy, sexy mustache in person.
TESSA: [00:05:09] I did. I got to see it on the big screen. I was all blown up. And I was very surprised because I loved this movie a lot more than I thought I was going to, just because I'm not that big of an action gal. Also, I'm usually not that big of a Ryan Gosling gal, but damn. In this one, he got me.
PRINCESS: [00:05:32] You're a Gosling gal?
TESSA: [00:05:34] I'm a Gosling gal.
PRINCESS: [00:05:35] Now he's preparing you for Barbie. He's preparing you.
TESSA: [00:05:39] Correct. Correct. I like I am completely like. I get it. I was like, what do people see in this guy? And I completely understand now it was the dad angle. You just need to make someone. I just. Dad, I fell in love with them immediately. So there is just you add a dad angle and then I'm like, Oh, wow. Okay, one more thing. I'm so busy, Princess. This is the problem.
PRINCESS: [00:06:02] I'm just sitting here. Like, I'm just editing videos and, like, trying to, you know, plug my own content. Tessa's going to actually teach me all about marketing eventually because she's so good at promoting herself. And I'm sitting here like, well, you know, like, I what I also am geeked about this week is so my therapist is doing such a good job with me trying to learn how to have self-esteem, again. I feel like when you are raised religious, but especially when you are raised Catholic, the whole like you internalize so many things. And to me, all kinds of pride. And like pride in your work. Pride in your accomplishments are all like little mini traps, you know? It's like, if I boost myself up too much, it's going to create the fall and it's going to be like, You know that. And my therapist was just leaving like, No, that's not fair to you. It's not true. And like, you've earned these things. You didn't just get them and are like, Look at how great I am. So what I'm geeked about is learning how to have high self esteem and getting out of the Catholic school system.
TESSA: [00:07:03] Holy crap.
PRINCESS: [00:07:05] Back to the actual geeked content. Tessa's gonig to Comic-Con.
TESSA: [00:07:09] At Comic-Con apparently right now when this is getting released, I will be at Comic-Con and it's going to be a real fun time and I'm doing a cool thing with Netflix. At Comic-Con, I will be cosplaying as Eddie Munson and then I will be running around the con looking at all the different Netflix booths and finding other Eddies. And we're going to get all together and have a big Eddie pic. Council of Eddie's, and then we're going to just have a good time. Like I'm going to interview different people on the floor and it's going to be really fun, but I'm just really excited to be dressed as Eddie Munson, so.
PRINCESS: [00:07:53] I am so excited for you. I'm so excited for you. I'm actually working on my first cosplay eve.
TESSA: [00:08:01] What?
PRINCESS: [00:08:01] So, I'm a big magic, the gathering fan and I'm going to be attending Gen Con. I go to cons too, but I'm going to Gen Con this year and Flame Con. And for a gen con I'm dressing up as this character Kaia, who's a plains walker in the magic, the gathering games and I commissioned someone to make me these two light up swords. So I'm going to have light up purple swords. And I got like these purple contact lenses. I'm going to look so fire.
TESSA: [00:08:24] Amazing.
PRINCESS: [00:08:25] Because I love games. Speaking of, isn't that what this episode is about, Tessa?
TESSA: [00:08:32] It is! Video games.
PRINCESS: [00:08:33] Transition, transition.
TESSA: [00:08:36] Video games.
PRINCESS: [00:08:36] Bah bah bah bah! We're bringing it back, baby, our favorite segment, Fight Club. But this time, video game edition.
TESSA: [00:08:50] Dun dun dun.
PRINCESS: [00:08:52] We're going to talk about this fight club again. So today we're going to pin together pits against each other, not pin. Ooh, if only.
TESSA: [00:08:59] Oh, that's a different.
PRINCESS: [00:09:01] Type of club. Different, different fight club. And see who we think would win in this fight club off round one. So the first one we have is the one, the only Geralt from The Witcher versus Lady Dimitrescu, our super tall vampire Mommy tank brought to life from Resident Evil eight. Who will win? I know that already. Tessa.
TESSA: [00:09:31] Oh, man. Well, it's one of those things because I've been watching The Witcher so much recently, I just was blown away by the swords. I don't know how lady, how miss Vampire Mommy, how she is with a sword. And I don't know. Like I feel like I don't know. Geralt has just fought so many different monsters that I feel like he could take out this mommy. Unfortunately, I. I don't think this. I don't think she will be intimidating or scary to him. Whereas like with other people, she could be intimidating. She could sort of like be someone that they are scared of. I don't know. I just think that he's going to win. But I don't want to say that she's not amazing because I love her and she is a tall queen. I've not played against her, but I have watched twitch streams of people like finding her. And it was always a moment. So I don't want to take away from her moment in society, but I just think that he would win.
PRINCESS: [00:10:38] I have to agree with you. I know I like to be contrary and we get to actually fight. But I actually agree. I think that we are intimidated by a mommy because we want her to mommy.
TESSA: [00:10:47] Exactly.
PRINCESS: [00:10:48] But Geralt has a mommy. Her name is Yennifer. I remember it. And he's also a daddy. So. Right. You know, he's already got his family it together. He doesn't need a mommy. And that's fine. More for us, honestly.
TESSA: [00:11:00] Mommy versus daddy.
PRINCESS: [00:11:03] In the war of mommy versus daddy, who will win. Sadly, in this case, Daddy.
TESSA: [00:11:08] The daddy wins this time.
PRINCESS: [00:11:11] Round two.
TESSA: [00:11:13] Next, we're going to pin in this corner Jinx from Arcane.
CLIP: [00:11:18] That's me.
TESSA: [00:11:19] Versus the Joker from, you know, Batman Arkham. You know who the Joker is, guys? So who do we think is going to win, Princess? What do you think?
PRINCESS: [00:11:29] I'm going for a Jinx because I'll never vote for the Joker for anything except the grave. And also, I think Jinx also makes her own tech and does her own trick. She doesn't need goons. She is the goon, the goon, the goblin, everything.
TESSA: [00:11:44] Like what is the Joker skills except like puns.
PRINCESS: [00:11:48] You know, being a domestic abuser. And that's really it and we don't root for that here. So all I got to say is Jinx. Also, her hair is cooler.
TESSA: [00:11:58] Jinx is my girl.
PRINCESS: [00:11:59] I love her.
TESSA: [00:12:00] So I 100% think that she would kick his ass and I want everyone to kick the joker's ass in multiple realities. So I. I agree. I think that Jinx would win. I want Jinx to win. I'll be rooting for her. We're rooting for you. You're doing amazing, sweetie. Kill him.
PRINCESS: [00:12:21] Kill him. Get him, please? Yes.
TESSA: [00:12:23] Winner. Jinx.
PRINCESS: [00:12:27] Round three. Next we have mug man from Cup Head.
CLIP: [00:12:32] Prepare to have your face rearranged, pal. You're messing with the wrong mug, buddy.
PRINCESS: [00:12:37] And he is up against the plumber himself. It's a Mario. You know from all the Mario merchandise. Who do you have in this. In this war of the M's?
TESSA: [00:12:50] Oh, man. It's one of those things where, like, Cuphead is the one that's usually, you know, going for it. And I feel like he would be the one that would normally try to defeat another foe. But if Mug Man was coming in, honestly, I just want Mug Man to win because I cannot stand Mario. I'm so sorry for all these Mario lovers out there, but I hate most main characters and Mario just annoys the crap out of me. And especially when he's played by Chris Pratt. No offense, Chris Pratt.
PRINCESS: [00:13:23] Offense.
TESSA: [00:13:23] From me.
PRINCESS: [00:13:25] I'll take it. I, offense.
TESSA: [00:13:27] No offense, Chris Pratt like stick to dinosaurs, baby what is Mario Skin? He just bops around like mug man like I guess Mug Man doesn't have much skill either.
PRINCESS: [00:13:37] I would say that the era of Mario is done. It's time for the Cups to inherit the Earth. You know what I mean? It's time for the cups to rise. Because honestly, everyone loves Luigi and Warrio more anyway. And like Sonic is better also. And then finally, like all Mario does, is continuously cock block Bowser and Peach's, you know, kink play. So at this point, it's just like he's really just in the way.
TESSA: [00:14:04] He is. He's really just a third wheel all the time.
PRINCESS: [00:14:07] Absolutely. Like it's time for Luigi to take back the franchise he deserves.
TESSA: [00:14:12] Also that one episode of Cuphead when Mug Man like had on those goggles and then he thought that he was invincible and was doing everything. I just think he needs to put on those goggles and then he will defeat Mario very easily. So give him the goggles. Let him win.
PRINCESS: [00:14:27] Yeah. Agreed.
TESSA: [00:14:28] Mug man.
PRINCESS: [00:14:30] Mug Man with the power of mean mugin' super powerful. And I think, you know this is probably the shortest we've ever done a segment like this. So I think congratulations to us.
TESSA: [00:14:43] We did it. Okay, guys, we are ready. Let's talk about the deep, dark, scary world of video games and.
PRINCESS: [00:14:57] So scary.
TESSA: [00:14:58] You know, they are scary to me because I am I get so addicted to them that it is a problem. But which is a good segue way because I before we get into the video games itself, I want to learn princess, like what is your background with video games? Are you a gamer? Do you have a twitch channel? Like, do you let me know? I need to know everything. So tell me.
PRINCESS: [00:15:20] I should have a twitch channel. So if you could see what Tessa sees, which is the back of my wall, it is on it I have two posters from Fire Emblem: Three Houses with Edelguard prominently featured. I love video games. I'm always reluctant to call myself a gamer because I like to play the same kind of games. I always play Pokemon, every edition, every time. I love turn based RPG, so I love like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. I love like the Fire Emblem series. I love I basically love strategy games. I love anything where I can like pause, think. And I've slowly got into Dungeon Crawlers, like since I got the Nintendo switch and I'm also having a lot more friends who are into games. I like love Hades. I literally my wrist turned into like a noodle because I was just grinding through it so I could unlock things so much. That game was is brilliant and I've been playing more Tomb Raider. I've been playing more Deathloop, God of War. I have been really engaging now as an adult consumer of games, really into the storytelling aspects of it. So for me it's like it started off. I'm just like, I just want this distraction where I can just go into a world and be fully immersed and just, you know, play siv for like a thousand years, right? And now I really do like playing a game that is taking me on a world building journey. And I get to do it with this little person I get to control. So I love games. I've also spent an entire summer playing The Sims, so that that's my origin story. It's Pokemon and then everything else got to catch them all.
TESSA: [00:17:02] Are you like a Completionist or do you like to just sort of explore, do your own thing? Like, do you need to get everything to 100 and then you like to play again or how do you like to play games?
PRINCESS: [00:17:14] I am not a completionist, which is probably my biggest issue. Like I, if I am about to win, I don't. I usually stop playing. I like to live on the edge of completion. Like part of the reason why I like three houses so much is because like there was so much more to do after you completed a game. Like you get to play the other two houses there was a DLC, did you unlock all the supports? So I like when a game gives you so many avenues to keep enjoying it after you finish the main game. Which is which is what keeps me going. I'm trying to work on being a Completionist. I'm currently trying to complete Miles Morales, but it's very hard.
TESSA: [00:17:57] You just don't want it to end.
PRINCESS: [00:18:00] I don't. I want to keep and I keep I want to keep living that experience. And I think there's a part of me the like frugal part of me that's like, well, if I'm still playing it, that means I'm still getting my money's worth out of it. You know, it almost feels like if I stop playing and I'm like, well done with that 69.99 on to the next one. So it fuels this idea that I that I'm still getting money out of this, this purchase.
TESSA: [00:18:25] And do you have like a favorite platform? Do you play like computer games? Are you just sort of like?
PRINCESS: [00:18:31] I'm a Nintendo girl because I love handheld. I love I love the switch lite. So that's what I have. I love to just be in bed grinding through. Like, I'll be like, I'm going to play 10 minutes before bed at 11:00. Next thing I know, the sun is coming up, my wrist is swollen and I have.
TESSA: [00:18:49] And you've. gone through a journey.
PRINCESS: [00:18:50] And I and I've literally just been playing Zagreus killing his dad a bunch of times. So like that to me, like I will. I love that. I also am a PlayStation girl. So Nintendo and PlayStation. I don't look at an X-Box. I've never seen a Xbox. I guess they come in ones and zeros. I don't know. I'm I'm very much a loyal Nintendo PlayStation person.
TESSA: [00:19:15] Got it.
PRINCESS: [00:19:16] What about you?
TESSA: [00:19:18] So for me, I I'm a voice actor. So I have been lucky enough to actually like voice some characters in video games and video game voice acting is just on another level. Like, I have so much respect for these voice actors because not only are you acting the story, but then you have to make like playing the game believable because it's like you need to put in this insane physical effort and make it feel like you're in battle because the voices is what's like bringing this whole game to life and conveying like it feeling real to the person that's playing. So it's so difficult. Like you have to be able to die many different ways. It's like, okay, you have to die falling off a cliff. Now you're dying, getting stabbed, which has just all sound different. So it's like you have to have ten different ways of dying that sound different. You have to have all these different ways of doing efforts.
CLIP: [00:20:17] Ha ha.
TESSA: [00:20:18] It's such a specific skill and the people that are good at it are so good at it. And I just, I, I bow down. But personally, for me, with video games themselves, I, I cannot play them, especially by myself because, because I get addicted in a way that is so destructive to not only myself, but every person around me. Like I cannot be a productive member of society and play video games. And I completely blame my mother for this because growing up I was a PlayStation kid, so we had a PlayStation. Me and my sister were obsessed with it. We played it constantly. I loved the Crash Bandicoot games like especially like Crash team racing. But the reason why I blame my mother for my video game addiction is because she did not buy us a memory card. We didn't own a memory card. So the only way that we could finish a game is we would have to play it all in one sitting. So me and my sister.
PRINCESS: [00:21:25] Oh that's so bad.
TESSA: [00:21:26] What we would do is we would wake up early and the whole day we would spend playing this game because we would want to beat it and we would try to get as far as we could. But it was so unhealthy because now in my brain I just like whenever I play video games I'm like, Oh, well, I just have to keep playing until it's complete. And now nowadays there's even more there's more and more hours that you need to put into a game. And so it's just it does not work for me. I can play games if it's like a multiplayer, if I can play with other people. I also love watching people play video games. I like watching different people's twitch channels. Joe My husband, which I'm sorry, I'm going to mention him like almost every podcast episode because I'm just so in love with him. It's disgusting. And we both love nerdy things like this is the reason I married him. But he loves video games. He loves it. It's it's to the point where we have, like, almost every system. He has a switch, we have an Xbox, we have a PlayStation, we have everything. And we will continue to get everything because that's sort of his release. You know, he goes to work and then he plays video games. But I love watching him play. I really do. Like it's one of those things where a lot of people didn't understand, like, what? Why would you watch someone play on Twitch? Like, why just play it yourself? And it's it's so satisfying to watch someone else play, especially if they're good. I mean, that's like a whole other level, but it's also really cool to watch because video games are so personal because you get to decide, like the journey that your character's going on and what you want to do with that. And it's cool to watch other people play because not only will sometimes they choose something that you would not do, so you're like, Oh, this is cool to watch. I wonder what they're going to do. But then also you get to like go on this journey with them. So it feels like a collective experience even though, you know, it's really personal to them. And that's why, like with these gamers, why people feel so connected to them because they're going on these personal experiences with them because video games are so personal. So yeah, I like watching people play. I'll play like if it's a fun multiplayer game with people but cannot play by myself. It's bad.
PRINCESS: [00:23:46] No I love watching play and what you said is so true. I have a there's a friend of mine named Henry Rosenberg and he like does like some video. As I said, what I love about how he talks about video games and watching him play is that he plays totally different than I would, you know, like, for example, like there's this game called Slay the Spire and my partner always plays the poison deck. Because that's how she likes to do it. With me I like to play the weird one character that has this deck that's like build with all orbs and it's like it's two completely different mindset. You know, when I play, when I play Tomb Raider, like the new Tomb Raider games, I'm just doing it so I can merc people from a distance. The moment you want me to, like, fight someone with a gun close up, I'm like, stay away from me like Deathloop. That's why Deathloop is so hard for me, because they want you to do both. And I'm like, but I want to just do the one.
TESSA: [00:24:36] Yeah, like, like I want to do it my way.
PRINCESS: [00:24:40] And only my way. stop to force me and melee combat. I'm trying to shoot arrows. I'm not trying to stab. Yes. So, yeah, it's always interesting to see how like that's what makes Elden ring so cool is because everyone can build their own thing and build a totally different way. Me, my dumb self, I'm sitting here like I want to be a magic user. Do I fight with magic? No. I'm always like, sword swords. Swords, and everyone. else is like, you have to build it so that you're only ever doing magic. And I'm like. Huh?
TESSA: [00:25:12] No, but I love that.
PRINCESS: [00:25:13] Only. ever doing magic. That's interesting. I wish I had a combo.
TESSA: [00:25:18] I like that. I love when people play games in chaotic ways. It's my favorite. Like I remember as a kid playing Halo, like going to my friend's house and playing Halo. And my favorite thing would be to, like, jump in this invisibility thing and just be invisible, run around in a circle and just shoot people. And it's like. And it was so hard for people to get me that, like, I would end up winning. But it was because I was so chaotic that they couldn't like see what I was doing. Joe a thing that he likes to do when he plays Call of Duty instead of like shooting, he'll be like, Nice guys, let's play knife guys and he'll just stab people. And it's like, it's so chaotic and stupid that everyone like, playing against it is like, what is this? Like this is so stupid. But I'm like, that's the fun part. When you can just be like weird and do something different and because most people just do the obvious thing. So I like that, Princess. I think you should keep playing the way that you like.
PRINCESS: [00:26:15] Yeah, I just. I just love playing it in my own way, doing it with my own energy and like, that's what makes it fun. That's why I like tactics. Games are engaging to me. Like I got really into Civ civilization while I when it was released on the switch because I was just like every time was a new thing and it was always evolving and changing. And I think that's what makes playing a video game so interesting is that like your choices do have consequences and you have to and you have to eventually learn how to play smarter. Like it's a it's like a really great exercise. Any you trying to crack whatever puzzle the game is putting in front of you? And I think that's what makes them so engaging. And that's why for so long it's been hard to see how that translates into a show, but we have been slowly seeing that come to fruition,.
TESSA: [00:27:09] Right. Yeah. It's really interesting to see these sort of like video games become adaptations because a lot of times people have such a love for these franchises, for these games already. And so there's a lot of pressure there. But my favorite kinds are shows like Arcane, like Cuphead, shows that don't have like the video game itself doesn't have a lot of lore or back story to it. So then when you can add that in and then after knowing that if you go back and play the game, it's like you can play that game with fresh eyes and just with this new love for these characters because you know so much more about them that it just becomes this whole new experience. So I, I think it's brilliant. I think that video games should, you know, there should be more adaptations of video games into movies, into TV shows, because it makes sense, because so many of these games, like the storytelling is so good. It's, it's good.
PRINCESS: [00:28:17] My favorite example is Castlevania, because those games are very like, they're fun, they're goth, we love it. But the way they turn that series into an emotional, existential, like Vampire Gothic crisis making Dracula one of the greatest romantic heroes of all time, the icon, gay icon Alucard. You know, all of it was just so well done. And like it had one I like the most optimistic, happy endings I'd ever seen. The animation was gorgeous. It just knew, like, the story holds up, the story is good. Let's just take that story and flesh it out and make it interesting. Make these bring these characters from the game to life really like give them little teasers, but don't get so caught up with trying to recreate every single right from the game. Because you can. Completely different media, but you have the exact therefore find the structure that works for you. And I think Castlevania and The Witcher two does that really well because The Witcher is full of mythology and all of that stuff, which makes it excellent to become like a Game of Thrones type fantasy series.
TESSA: [00:29:25] Perfect.
PRINCESS: [00:29:26] Especially because it's from books. So it's like it's, you know, it's already a book broken down into so many different ways of telling a story. And I love that.
TESSA: [00:29:34] Oh, my gosh. I completely agree. It's I think we're so lucky to be to be alive. To be alive in this time right now. Where.
PRINCESS: [00:29:43] [sings] Look around look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.
TESSA: [00:29:47] Video games are such an evolving art form that just thinking about the games that I played back when I was a kid and the games that are available now and how technology has changed them and made them even more immersive, even more realistic, even more like incredible that I can't even imagine, like in the next like 30 years what's going to happen to video games. So it's like it's so cool to see that change. And to me, like with video games, you're basically bringing together three worlds. You're bringing together, like the vision of the game that's like made by the creator. And then you have the game itself, which is like bringing that vision to life with like the voice, acting, the animation. And then you have the player of the game who is like following the story that like the creator made, but it's like based off of their own choices like we were saying. So it's like becomes more personal. So it's like these shows are just taking that formula and then adding on to it. It's making it even more rich, making the world building, making the whole experience just so much cooler, because then you can interact with it in different mediums in different ways. I love when that happens with any franchise. Like I'm all I'm the type of person where I'm not a big cannon person. I'm like, Hey, let's try this out. Let's have fun doing this. Because if you love something in a, in a certain way, like if you are obsessed with the video game, just go back and play that game. That game has not changed and it's like and you can still enjoy that game and have fun and enjoy something else in that realm. It doesn't have to ruin that for- like for me, it never ruins it. For some people I know that's a problem, but I wish that people would let that go because then it would just it's so much more fun when you can just, like, explore the imagination. A little bit.
PRINCESS: [00:31:44] Yeah. And things have to evolve. I mean, like, things can't stay stagnant as a medium. If that was the case, video games would not be getting better. You know, even though it's different for me. Like when the newest Mortal Kombat came out, I loved it so much. The storytelling was good, the animation was great, the character design was really good. There were some voice acting issues, but like it was a solid game and seeing people be like, they're not sexy anymore. I'm like, Please grow up right. Games that are meant to be like, These are violent video games, which I love.
TESSA: [00:32:18] Yeah, I do too.
PRINCESS: [00:32:19] If your biggest concern are the titties. I mean, are you even gaming? It's like you didn't feel anything that you was like, I'm sorry. You can find animated boobs everywhere.
TESSA: [00:32:29] Yes.
PRINCESS: [00:32:29] Not hard. Not an accomplishment.
TESSA: [00:32:31] Oh, yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:32:31] Like creating a really sleek game where there are stakes, where there's character arcs. Like that's the core of the game.
TESSA: [00:32:40] Yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:32:40] And when you reduce it to just these weird booth conversations, it really does a disservice to the medium. It does a disservice to everyone who plays the game. Right, because it's so much more than that going on.
TESSA: [00:32:51] Oh, for sure. And it's like and you can still find the boobs. They will exist, the fan art will exist and you can air. Yeah, exactly. So it's yeah, that really annoys me too when people just get caught up in these little things or when sort of these fans of these games get so protective and so they're like, it has to be seen in this way. I think it's because video games feel so personal to them that they're like, If this is going to be created into another art form, it needs to be exactly how I pictured it and exactly how I played it. And all my favorite parts have to be in it. And if not, then it sucks. And it's like, Yeah, I don't you see that like every person has a different experience with every game that it's like even if it's not your perfect vision, it might be someone else's perfect vision for it. So that just annoys me as well, where I just wish people would be a little more open minded.
PRINCESS: [00:33:41] So open minded. And I get that especially because like there are nitpick and then there are valid criticisms, right? So to me like a nitpick is like if a color is different, if like you're upset about race bending, then you're just also a racist. Like those are like, yeah, if you're like that. But that stage should have been that tree or that. But like things are nit picks and like we all have them. Actual criticism is like say something was more, something was queer in the game and it got cut when I got it. That's something too worth discussing,.
TESSA: [00:34:13] Right.
PRINCESS: [00:34:13] That's worth being like, why did I make a choice to de-canonize this thing?
TESSA: [00:34:18] Yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:34:18] And I feel like because we always are having, like, the pedantic conversations we can't actually discuss, like, how can we adapt a video game in the modern era to be more contientious, just like Tomb Raider, for example. Tomb Raider is already like kind of an inherently sort of problematic franchise because it is like there's a British woman going around to other people's countries taking their shit, right? And like the games have tried to really deal with that, especially the recent ones, it's like and now it's being workd to another adaptation, how are they now going to take that same material but make it work for a narrative? And that's going to be the journey because you have to go with the concept forward. And also, I think and you can I think you'll agree this is someone who likes to watch video games, figuring out the part that is worth watching.
TESSA: [00:35:09] Right.
PRINCESS: [00:35:10] That's not just the gaming mechanics.
TESSA: [00:35:12] Yes. Yes. To be real. I think Arcane is one of the best animated things I've ever seen. Like, ever. I like it was. Sometimes animation just blows me away. Like, into the Spider-Verse avatar, the Lion King, the freakin Looney Tunes like animation can be so iconic. And to me, this show was like, was iconic in itself, even outside of the video game, because I had never played League of Legends. I've never watched League of Legends. I like I knew nothing about it. But I watching Arcane, they did such a good job of creating this world and taking like taking this game that is just this fighter game and turning it into this art. This a masterpiece. It's I was so I was so blown away. The animation style was so gorgeous. And the worldbuilding, the storytelling, the character development, the music, like, I could go on and on about how I think this is one of the most perfect animated things ever. But then so it's like, okay, we have this little thing that is perfect in itself. And then there's a game like, Oh yeah, there's also a game that exists. And this one, I feel, is very different than something like The Witcher, where The Witcher game and again, I know this because I've had conversations with my friend Brizzi, with Joe, with people that have played these games. I've not played these games, but The Witcher, The Witcher show in The Witcher game feel like they're in the same world, in the same universe. Like after you play, like after you play The Witcher and watch The Witcher, it's like it connects in that way. Arcane They sort of took something and then went a completely different direction. And I think it shows that you can also do that. Like you don't have to stay into the same vibe that the game always gives because I think that is something that everybody wants to see. But I think this sort of proves that you can take a game that people are used to playing and completely flip it around and turn it into something different or new or exciting. And then if you go back and play that game, it makes it even cooler. So it's just like two, two different ways of at, of like adapting it in this way. So, like, do you do you agree or do you think that Arcane like have you played League of Legends at all? Have you ever played?
PRINCESS: [00:37:47] I've played a little bit. And I and I was familiar with Jinx from because like I kept seeing her. I really you know, sometimes when you do a prequel and as we know from our daddy Anaakin, you know, like, you know, as we know from that generation, it can really be hit or miss. But I feel like we did a good job of doing that with Jinx while also making- like it takes nothing away from the series.
TESSA: [00:38:12] Yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:38:13] And I think to use something I'm a little bit more familiar with with Cuphead, you know, it's the game is really hard. It's hard. It's, it's I've been playing it a little bit with my partner and it's very challenging. And like when I first watched the show, I was like, but this is a show for children. Like, it can't be the game. And I think that's something a lot of people like. I know there was some like discussion, discourse about the show because it was a more, you know, lighter, fluffier feel than the game. But like, of course, it is like the game cannot be translated as the show in that same way. And it's necessary. And and the thing about to I know so many little kids, my friend Brian, his son loves Cuphead and was just talking to me all about it. So like that audience loves it, and he also enjoys playing the game. They both complement each other. You know, it's like what we were talking about in the beginning. I love Pokémon the show.
TESSA: [00:39:14] Yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:39:14] I would play the game and I would be so angry when the rules didn't match up, but I still knew that they were two separate things. Same with Yu-Gi-Oh. Like I think that audiences can live in both worlds. It's about how willing they are to accept that.
TESSA: [00:39:28] And there are games that have such an intense storytelling aspect. So with those games I get that if you're watching a show, you want to experience the story again because that's why you play the game is for the story rather than like, you know, Cuphead or rcane. It's like those games. You're not really there for the story. You're there to just, like, experience the characters and have fun and, like, you know, fight people. And with that, then it gives the creator more, more room to do things. But like The Last of Us or something like those, those games like have such, such intense storytelling vibes that if you, if you went too far off of that, like it's almost an insult to the game. Yeah.
PRINCESS: [00:40:16] Because they're built that way and I think that every game and that's what makes Resident Evil so interesting as a franchise because it is this ever evolving, ever changing narrative and just the like, you know, capitalism is the real enemy, but also zombies kind of vibes and everything like that. It's a series where you can keep explaining, How did we get here? And moving back and forth through time. Kind of like what the new Netflix series is doing. And I think, Oh, that's an interesting way, like remembering the human element, because as my friend has kind of helped me realize, video games are about tapping into your humanity and transposing it onto a character that is you but doesn't actually exist. And taking into account what they might feel as a character versus what you feel as the player going through their journey. And that's an experience that like you don't have with like a book, you know, you can't play the book.
TESSA: [00:41:16] Yes.
PRINCESS: [00:41:16] But you can play the game. And I think that when creators can tap into the humanity of the game, that's when you get the best stuff. And that's why I think this newest resident evil looks so interesting because taking the main villain, putting him and his kids at the forefront of it, I'm like, okay, this is going to be interesting. How is it going to tie into the main universe? How are these kids going to react to this and this and this and all of that? It's something that you can get now in this adaptation that you couldn't get in the game. I have one last question for you, my darling co-host.
TESSA: [00:41:53] Yes.
PRINCESS: [00:41:54] What was your favorite video game, death sound to make?
TESSA: [00:41:59] Me? Oh.
PRINCESS: [00:42:01] Yeah.
TESSA: [00:42:01] No. Like it's dying. But I can't do it because it would be it would hurt everyone's ears. So most of the video game characters that I play are little kids. So they're like 12 years old, like, little younger. So my voice, I have to, like, pitch it up a little bit and it's like, oh, I'm like talking like this, like, oh, I can't even imagine, like what it's like to be in this world. And it's like, this is like my little kid. Like, yeah, it's like a little kid voice and oh, but don't. And then you just screaming and then like, that's what I mean. I don't want to actually scream, but it's that is one of the most fun things to do is to just go full out and just be like, okay. And you get to like prep everybody and they like turn down the gain and everyone's like, okay, we're ready. Like, time to die. And you always have to save it for, like, the end of the session. Because if you do it at the beginning, you'll just blow your voice out completely. So that's always so, so, so, so, so, so, so fun. I love it.
PRINCESS: [00:43:01] That sounds so fun.
TESSA: [00:43:03] So. Fun. It really.
PRINCESS: [00:43:04] As someone who who plays fighting games like that's my other favorite kind of game. Like I have heard the death cries of many a high pitched fem characters, so.
TESSA: [00:43:15] Yes, exactly. Exactly.
PRINCESS: [00:43:19] That is excellent. You are excellent.
TESSA: [00:43:21] You are excellent.
PRINCESS: [00:43:21] Video games are excellent.
TESSA: [00:43:23] They are.
PRINCESS: [00:43:24] We are so valid.
TESSA: [00:43:25] Oh, my gosh. Give us all the video games and all the video game adaptations. I need them, please.
PRINCESS: [00:43:31] On that note, please tweet us at Netflix Geeked about what are some of your favorite videogame adaptations and what video games you want to see adapted? We want some indie hits out there. Let us know what are your passions, your pleasures, your pains, and which character has your favorite death scream.
TESSA: [00:43:48] Oh my gosh, yes. The Geeked podcast is hosted by me, Tessa Netting.
PRINCESS: [00:43:56] And me Princess Weekes.
TESSA: [00:43:57] You can find me on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube all over the Internet at Tessa Netting.
PRINCESS: [00:44:02] And you can find me on YouTube at princess Weekes and clear as weekesprincess. Okay. All next week we will be tackling a new show that we have already hinted at. We're very excited about, Resident Evil.
TESSA: [00:44:15] I am so terrified, but also excited. I can't wait.
PRINCESS: [00:44:20] I know. Ditto. I am so excited. Okay, y'all, this is a Netflix Geeked and Spoke Media production.
TESSA: [00:44:27] Our executive producers are Keesha TK Dutes, Brigam Mosley, Alia Tavakolian and Keith Reynolds.
PRINCESS: [00:44:33] Kelly Kolff is our producer. Reyes Mendoza is our associate producer. The DaLaura Patton is our coordinating producer and special thanks to Carson McCain.
TESSA: [00:44:42] Sound Design andEngineering by Evan Arnett, who also composed and performed our amazing original theme.
PRINCESS: [00:44:48] To stay up to date on all things Geeked be sure to follow at Netflix Geeked on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
TESSA: [00:44:54] And if you aren't following the Geeked podcast at this point, I don't know what to say to you guys. You can find us wherever you listen to your podcast, and since you're already there, you might as well leave us a five star review because then we know that you love us. Ayee so thank you. Thank you.
PRINCESS: [00:45:11] And thank you so much for listening. Bye bye.
TESSA: [00:45:15] Bye!