Level Up Your Holidays: A Video Game Deep Dive
LISTEN HERE
🎄Join Ryan, Everett, and Pam in this year's Ten News Holiday Deep Dive! 🎮 They dive into their favorite video games and share listener favorites. ⭐️ Plus, a Nintendo Surprise!
Get Connected
🫶 Help fund The Ten News by donating today!
✔️ Subscribe to our Ten News-letter!
📱 Follow the show on Instagram: @thetennews
📧 Email us at hello@thetennews.com if you have any questions or want to submit audio!
🖱️ Visit thetennews.com for additional resources, our online store, the Ten'ers Club, and more!
Transcript:
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
RYAN: <yawns> Good morning Alarmo, what a delightful way to wake up–
EVERETT: Whooooa, an Alarmo! I wish I got to wake up with a Nintendo alarm clock that played Legend of Zelda sounds–
RYAN: It’s pretty sweet–wait, why are you here when I’m waking up? What are you doing in my bedroom?
EVERETT: I’m not in your bedroom. We’re at the Ten News office…why were you sleeping here?
RYAN: I’ve been waiting for my secret friend's holiday gift to arrive…
EVERETT: Who’d you get??
RYAN: I can’t tell you bro. That’s why it’s a SECRET friend holiday gift exchange–
EVERETT: It’s Pam again, isn’t it–
RYAN: No, it’s not Pam, I had her last year–HEY! Stop trying to get it outta me! It’s a secret! Go charge the controllers, we have work to do!
EVERETT: Ahhh I love when we get to do video game updates! <SFX runs right past→ HI PAM BYE PAM
PAM: Hi Everett, bye Everett. Hey, Ry, I need your help… I got Owen for the Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange and I was wondering if you had any gift ideas for him–
RYAN: I definitely, most DEFINITELY do.
PAM: Who did you get for the Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange? And did you remember to–
RYAN: <hushed> I got Everett. And yes I remembered to get him a gift. But it hasn’t come yet, so I gotta stall… AND YES we gotta start the show!
PAM: Well, I’m Pamela Kirkland and I’m in the holiday spirit of GIVING. It’s Friday December 13th…
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard and I’m in the holiday spirit of… GAMING! But also giving.
PAM: This is a Ten News Holiday Deep Dive!
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO - HALLWAY
RYAN: Not gonna lie, I’m a little jealous you have Owen and not me. You give the BEST secret friend holiday gift exchange gifts.
PAM: Thanks Ry, I try! His trivia has been AWESOME this season so I want to get him something he’ll love. Do you have any video game suggestions?
EVERETT: OF COURSE WE DO.
PAM: Oh boy…
RYAN: Step in to the game room Pamela, you just happened to ask that question on our favorite day:
EVERETT/RYAN: VIDEO GAME TESTING DAY
<SFX PLAYSTATION STARTUP SOUND>
RYAN: Alright, I literally just finished Mario and Luigi Brothership for the Switch. You follow Mario and Luigi as they try to help the people of Concordia fight off a dark force called Glohm. It’s an RPG that feels like a comedic anime, with a great story and a turn based battle system that’s really fun.
EVERETT: I just finished Lego Horizon Adventures, which is based on the hit Playstation series, Horizon Zero Dawn-
PAM: Oooooh, Horizon Zero Dawn is soooo good! I’ve played that! Aloy is so cool.
EVERETT: Lego Horizon Adventures reimagines and simplifies that story, and makes it hilarious in that signature Lego way, while maintaining the awesome action of the original. It’s really cool to fight the animalistic machines in that world, faithfully recreated with Lego bricks. Lego Horizon Adventures is on Switch, Playstation and PC.RYAN: Sonic x Shadow Generations is actually two games in one. It’s a great remake of Sonic Generations, which in itself is a tribute to the history of Sonic. But the other half of the game follows Shadow the Hedgehog in creative reimaginings of the stages of his previous appearances in the Sonic games. I gotta say, Shadow is one of my favorite characters in the Sonic universe–
PAM: I can’t wait for the third Sonic movie, Keanu Reeves is voicing Shadow!
EVERETT: I’m really hyped for that too. Sonic x Shadow Generations is on Switch, Playstation, XBox and PC.
RYAN: Pam, you could also get him my favorite Playstation game of the year: ASTROBOT. It’s a 3D platformer based on a free game that comes with the PS5, Astro’s Playroom. Astrobot takes it to a whole other level and really utilizes the DualSense controllers, making the game come alive in a whole different way. It’s an incredibly joyful game that celebrates the Playstation universe, you gotta experience it to understand it. Astrobot is only available on Playstation 5.
<SFX INCOMING EMAIL (or text?)>
EVERETT: HOLD UP.
RYAN: WAIT A MINUTE. Is that…
EVERETT: Are those what I think those are?!
PAM: YUUUUP! We just got some Ten’er recommendations! <SFX 1UP or something fun!>
PAM: A Ten’er named Duh Minecrafter said, “some of my favorite games on the Nintendo Switch are Pikmin 4, Super Mario Odyssey and finally, the Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Thank you and love the podcast!”
RYAN: Great calls Duh Minecrafter. A Ten’er named Olivia also said, “haha you should play Tears of the Kingdom, it’s da best!”
EVERETT: “A Gamer 1578” said, “for video game suggestions I will suggest… LEGO STAR WARS THE SKYWALKER SAGA.” I’m with you, A Gamer, I have it, finished it and LOVED it.
PAM: A Ten’er named Ridge said, “my favorite games on the Switch has to be Lego Jurassic Park and Lego Marvel Superheroes 2.”
RYAN: Gosh, our Ten’ers have great taste. Last one! A Ten’er named Silas said, “My favorite games are Lego Star Wars and Mario Kart 8. This Summer, I played Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order with my dad every Sunday during Naptime. It is cool. You fight monsters and storm troopers in it.” And Silas’ brother Ben said, “We built a chicken walker to save R2D2.” Okay I need to game more with the Ten’ers, you all know how to play and I’m here for it!
EVERETT: Last but not least, a Ten’er named Everett said, “My game of the moment is Mario Party Jamboree. I played it at my friends house and want to play it again. Will somebody please play it with me?”
RYAN: Ummmm, Everett, are you talking about yourself?
EVERETT: Yes, I was. I’m glad you caught my not so subtle hint.
PAM: Okay these are awesome suggestions…I think I have enough inspiration…I’m gonna run out and see what I can get Owen.
RYAN: So, should we…test more games?
EVERETT: OBVIOUSLY.
PAM: Hey Ten’ers, do you want to hear Ryan and Everett’s bonus top 10 lists of their favorite games on each system? If so, leave us a comment on spotify or a review on Apple and tell us you want to hear “Ten Games You Need to Know” and we might put out a bonus with it! Okay back to the show!
<SFX controller sounds>
EVERETT: So are you gonna tell me who you got now?
RYAN: Nope.
EVERETT: Did you get Kap for the Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange?
RYAN: No I didn’t get Kap– hey stop trying to get it out of me! I will reveal it at the perfect time! < DOUBLE SFX controller sounds>
EVERETT: Okay okay…I can’t believe Sony Playstation just celebrated their 30th anniversary.
RYAN: Did you know the original Playstation debuted in North America in 1995 and sold 102,000,000 units worldwide. And I had one.
EVERETT: I didn't know that. I can’t believe you had a gaming console from last century. When’s the PS6 coming out?
RYAN: Not for a while…
EVERETT: What about the successor to the Nintendo Switch?
RYAN: According to Nintendo, they will announce when it’s coming out sometime BEFORE March 31st, 2025.
EVERETT: The Switch was the first gaming console I ever owned. And I still can’t stop playing it.
RYAN: Well…the Nintendo Switch is the GNOAT at this point.
EVERETT: THE GOAT? As in, better than PS5 and XBOX?!
RYAN: I actually said, the GNOAT… And, that’s a tricky question, because Nintendo can’t really be compared to Playstation or Xbox…
EVERETT: What do you mean?
RYAN: You know what, let’s just break it down. Here are 5 reasons why the Switch is the GNOAT. Aka the Greatest NINTENDO Of All Time.
RYAN: Number 1: Nintendo doesn’t compete in the “Console Wars.” The Nintendo Gamecube system of 2001 was the last time Nintendo competed with Sony and Microsoft in their race to have the most powerful hardware and graphics. In 2006, they came out with the Nintendo Wii which was less powerful than the Playstation and Xbox, but introduced motion controls and Wii-motes (WII CONTROLLERS). The Wii would go on to sell 101.6 million units, outselling the competition. In 2017 when the Switch debuted, it arrived AFTER the PS4 and XBOX 1, and was again, less powerful hardware! But the innovations the Switch brought once again put it in a category of its own
EVERETT: Oooooh, Number 2: The Switch comes with a pair of joy-cons, which can be attached to the Switch, or detached and used as one single controller, or split into two independent controllers. The joy-cons also have motion controls, which can be used in all sorts of ways, depending on the game. With so many different functions and ways to use them, the joy-cons are still some of the most innovative controllers we’ve ever seen.
RYAN: Number 3: The biggest innovation was that the Nintendo Switch was Portable AND Dockable, you can play on the go AND on the couch. Before the Switch, Nintendo always had two systems: a home console and a handheld system. There was the NES and the Gameboy. The Wii and the DS. The WiiU and the 3DS. The Switch COMBINED the handheld and home system and made them work seamlessly. By doing so, it allowed their software development teams to focus on one single system.
EVERETT: Number 4: AKA THE GAMES. By focusing on one system, the Switch has had a continuous stream of games coming out. For example, in November we got Mario and Luigi Brothership. In October, Mario Party Jamboree–which is my current favorite game of the moment...And in September it was Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. This year alone, Nintendo has released a new game almost every single month. In total,with indie and cross console titles, the Switch currently has over 4,200 games available.
RYAN: Number 5: The Nintendo Switch debuted in 2017 and we know that Nintendo will announce its successor before the end of March 2025, which makes the Switch, Nintendo’s longest running system. And the numbers don’t lie, Nintendo has sold over 146 Million Switches and over 1.3 Billion games for it, more games have been played on Switch than any other Nintendo console. And we know that the successor to the Switch will be backwards compatible and able to play Switch games.
EVERETT: So just because a new Nintendo console will be announced next year, the Switch isn’t going away anytime soon.
RYAN: EXACTLY. And that’s why, the Switch is the GNOAT. <SFX Super Mario Ringtone> Hold on one sec…Hi this is Ryan. Oh you’re ready? Alright, bet. <SFX hangs up>
EVERETT: Who’s ready for what?
RYAN: Alright Everett. I gotta confess, I have YOU for the Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange.
EVERETT: REALLY?! What’d you get me?!
RYAN: Well…I feel like you’ve been ‘casually’ mentioning how much you wanted a certain game…so I got you a physical copy. <SFX pipe warp sound> <SFX mario toss> There you go.
EVERETT: YOU GOT ME MARIO PARTY JAMBOREE?! No way!
RYAN: Yeah I figured we could play online during the holidays, and also thought you and your brother Bennett might dig it. Did you know that I had you?!
EVERETT: Of course I knew. I overheard you telling everyone you got me and asked what to get me. That’s why I dropped the not so subtle hints.
RYAN: It’s like you were playing Jedi Mind Tricks on–
EVERETT: Think how much easier I made your shopping experience…
RYAN: It was…easier…thank you?
EVERETT: You’re welcome!
RYAN: Instead of getting you a game, I wanted to get you an EXPERIENCE. And I know Mario Party Jamboree is your favorite game of the moment, so I thought we should play with some people FROM Nintendo.
EVERETT: NO WAY. That’s one of my dreams, I’ve always wanted to play Nintendo with people who work at Nintendo. I AM SO DOWN.
RYAN: And you can bring a friend–
EVERETT: OWEN! GET OVER HERE IT’S GAME TIME BABY!
<SFX footsteps run overOWEN: (RUSHES IN) What’s happening? What are we playing?
RYAN: You’ll see. Alright boys, step into this green pipe and warp there–-
<SFX Mario Pipe grows>
OWEN/EVERETT: WHOA./COOOOOOL
OWEN: Wait, we just–
EVERETT: Let’s gooooo! <SFX mario jump> <SFX Warp Sound>
OWEN: Oh that looks fun. Why not? <SFX mario jump> <SFX Warp Sound>
RYAN: Alright Ten’ers, we’re gonna go play Super Mario Party Jamboree with two people who actually WORK for Nintendo… We’re gonna make this a standalone BONUS episode, which you can download and listen to TOMORROW!
<SFX DOOR OPEN>
PAM: Owen? Ooooowen?
<SFX MARIO PIPE WARP> <SFX MARIO JUMP>
OWEN: That. Was. Awesome. Nothing like a game break in the middle of–
PAM: Hello Trivia Master Owen. Did you just…warp here?
OWEN: Yes, I did. Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?
PAM: Yes, I would. Thank you! So…I wanted to stop by to give you…your Secret Friend Holiday Gift Exchange gift. <SFX hands him a box (of Lego Bricks)>
OWEN: You had me?! No way! What is it? <SFX tears open wrapping paper> No way. It’s the LEGO Bowser set.
PAM: Yeah! I know you love video games and Lego Bricks, so I thought this was the best of both worlds.
OWEN: Pam this is TREMENDOUS. Thank you so much! I don’t know if you noticed, but I made a new Trivia Throne, out of Lego Bricks.
PAM: WOW! That is wildly impressive.
OWEN: Wanna hop on up and do some trivia?
PAM: OBVIOUSLY.
OWEN: The Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen. The word Lego is an abbreviation of two Danish words, leg and godt, which mean to “play well.” The Lego minifigures, aka the little Lego characters we all know, are some of the most recognizable toys on the planet…because there are so many of them! How many Lego minifigures are on planet earth? Is it…
2 Billion
4 Billion
12 Billion
PAM: Ooooh, that’s a tough one. I’m gonna guess, A, because 2 billion is a ridiculous amount of anything…
OWEN: The answer is…B, Since 1978 more than 4 billion Lego minifigures were produced… which means, if they were people, they would be the largest population! There are more Lego minifigures than people in India and China combined.
PAM: WOW. I have heard that Lego produces up to 340 million minifigures a year…
OWEN: And if you put them next to each other in a line, it would stretch 7,900 KM!
PAM: That’s almost the distance from London, England to Beijing, China.
OWEN: This is the best, Secret Friend Holiday Gift, ever. Thank you so much Pam!
PAM: You are most welcome my friend!
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<SFX MARIO PIPE WARP>
RYAN: OK. Pam? I think we are officially, AWESOME Secret Friends.
PAM: We absolutely are! Are you all gamed out now?
RYAN: I will never be gamed out, BUT, I am ready for a break.
PAM: Wanna go ice skating?
RYAN: YES PLEASE. You are my favorite not so secret friend.
PAM: And you are mine! Let’s hit the rink, but first, we gotta give Ten News Snaps to some of our listeners!
RYAN: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups…
[Ad Break]
RYAN: TIME FOR TEN NEWS SNAPS!
PAM: A Ten’er named Froggy said, “So good. Omg I loved this podcast you should definitely listen to it.” Thank you for the kind words Froggy, and thank you for recommending our show to others!
RYAN: And if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website. And to our grownups, if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
RYAN: The Ten News creative team is getting into the holiday spirit and includes: Tracey Not A Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian NOT Ryan Douglas, Hebba the Big Cheese Gouda, Tia Johnson, and Carson Pitter Patter Potter. Big thanks to our Trivia Master, Owen, Not Slowin down for anybody.
PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News
