Last Save Lounge

Aaron got a new job, which means his recordings time are FUNKY. Here's a note on what to expect.

What happens when the video game you've been waiting years for arrives during the hardest week of your life? This week on Last Save Lounge, the cozy gaming podcast about the games that saved our progress (and a little bit of us), I'm joined by Zelda content creator Pea of HylianPeaPod (Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube) to talk about her favorite game of all time: The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the Nintendo Switch.Pea didn't fall for Breath of the Wild right away — her first reaction at the midnight launch was that it wasn't "a normal Zelda game." But by the time Tears of the Kingdom arrived, everything had changed: the release landed during a genuinely difficult week, right after her dog was diagnosed with two illnesses, and she describes opening the game at midnight and bursting into actual tears. We talk about how Tears became her comfort and her escape that weekend — and still is today — why she thinks it improves on Breath of the Wild in nearly every way, her Twitch community built almost entirely around 100%-ing the game on stream, and her advice for anyone looking to start their own Zelda journey.In this cozy gaming podcast episode, we explore:The emotional midnight launch that turned Tears of the Kingdom into more than just a game for PeaWhy she says "Breath of the Wild walks, but Tears of the Kingdom runs"Building her Twitch community and content career around ZeldaHer favorite in-game builds, including the now-legendary "Korok Crusher 3000"Where to start if you've never played a Zelda game beforeIf you love Zelda, cozy gaming podcasts, gaming memories, comfort games, games as escapism, Nintendo Switch games, or stories about the games that show up for us exactly when we need them, this episode is for you.Last Save Lounge is my weekly hangout for people who still think about the games that shaped them. Come find me @lastsavelounge on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. If you'd like to buy me a metaphorical coffee (I run on good conversations and caffeine), you can do that at patreon.com/hoodieweather. And if times are tough, you are too — you can still become a free Patreon member and get exclusive benefits.

Is there a single greatest platformer of the 1990s? Kevin Cortez thinks so, and he's not shy about it. This week on Last Save Lounge, the cozy gaming podcast about the games that saved our progress (and a little bit of us), I'm joined by journalist and content creator Kevin Cortez — whose work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, HuffPost, and Mothership — to talk about his favorite game of all time: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest for the Super Nintendo. Kevin lays out exactly why — the tightened controls, the soundtrack, the level design that escalates from world to world, and a difficulty curve he calls "just right." We also dig into the distinction he draws between his favorite game and the most important one (that'd be Super Mario World), how DKC2 was the first game that taught him a sequel could actually surpass its predecessor, and what it was like revisiting the game as an adult to prep for this conversation.In this cozy gaming podcast episode, we explore:Why Kevin stands firmly behind Donkey Kong Country 2 as the best platformer of the 1990sThe soundtrack, controls, and level design choices that set it apart from its predecessorWhy Kevin draws a distinction between his "favorite" game and the "most important" game he's playedHow DKC2 taught him what a great sequel could look likeHis career writing for Popular Mechanics, HuffPost, Mothership, and more.Last Save Lounge is my weekly hangout for people who still think about the games that shaped them. Come find me @lastsavelounge on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. If you'd like to buy me a metaphorical coffee (I run on good conversations and caffeine), you can do that at patreon.com/hoodieweather. And if times are tough, you are too — you can still become a free Patreon member and get exclusive benefits.

What do you do when your favorite game of all time is also a family tradition? This week on Last Save Lounge, the cozy gaming podcast about the games that saved our progress (and a little bit of us), I'm joined by Baron Jones — better known as BaronJ67, Communications Director at LV1 Gaming — to talk about his favorite game of all time: Ogre Battle 64.Baron's history with the game started before he ever picked up a controller for it — watching his late uncle and cousin command chibi armies, cast spells, and navigate a branching, morality-driven story with multiple endings. That early exposure turned into a lifelong love once he played it himself, and it ended up shaping his entire taste in strategy RPGs from there. We talk about the game's surprisingly ahead-of-its-time chaos/alignment system, how it led him to XCOM, Mount & Blade: Bannerlord, and Final Fantasy Tactics, and whether it would still hit the same way if he discovered it for the first time today.In this cozy gaming podcast episode, we explore:How Ogre Battle 64 became a shared experience across Baron's family before it became personalThe branching story, chaos/alignment system, and RTS-style battles that made the game years ahead of its timeHow the game shaped Baron's lifelong love of tactics RPGsHis path from streaming under the BaronJ67 name to becoming Communications Director at LV1 GamingWhy some games become part of our family history, not just our personal oneIf you love tactics RPGs, retro N64 games, strategy games, cozy gaming podcasts, gaming memories, or games that get passed down like family traditions, this episode is for you.Last Save Lounge is my weekly hangout for people who still think about the games that shaped them. Come find me @lastsavelounge on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. If you'd like to buy me a metaphorical coffee (I run on good conversations and caffeine), you can do that at patreon.com/hoodieweather. And if times are tough, you are too — you can still become a free Patreon member and get exclusive benefits.

This week on Last Save Lounge, the cozy gaming podcast about the games that saved our progress (and a little bit of us), we're joined by Nellie of NellieQuests (@nelliequests on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch) to talk about her favorite game of all time: Animal Crossing: New Horizons.Nellie opens up about picking the game back up during a major transitional period in her life, how it reignited a passion for gaming she hadn't touched since her DS days, and why the villagers of Animal Crossing became a source of stability for someone who moved around a lot growing up. We also dig into her creative process as a working actress, why cozy games like Animal Crossing, Paralives, and Palia scratch a similar itch to performing, and her ongoing (deeply ambitious) Bob's Burgers build in Paralives — including a 100 Baby Challenge starring Linda Belcher.If you love cozy gaming podcasts, gaming memories, and conversations about how our favorite games shape who we are, this episode is for you.Last Save Lounge is a weekly hangout for people who still think about the games that shaped them. Join us @lastsavelounge on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, and if you'd like to buy us a metaphorical coffee (we run on nostalgia and caffeine), find us at patreon.com/hoodieweather.

This week's Last Save Lounge is gonna hit a little different. I'm recovering from a major stomach bug that lasted weeks, and a few guest rescheduled so I'm calling an audible and recording a brief solo episode this week! If you like this, lemme know and I'll try to do more in the future