Into the Aether - A Low Key Video Game Podcast · Stephen Hilger + Brendon Bigley

Mud is Overpowered (feat. Mario Tennis Fever, Reanimal, Danganronpa, and Paranormasight)

·1 hr 44 min·5 clips

Steven says Mario Tennis Fever makes him feel the way he feels about Street Fighter, Tekken, and Guilty Gear.

Brendan Bigley and Steven Hilger open by circling Mario Tennis Fever. Both of them say the Nintendo Direct trailer did not exactly build confidence. Tennis is not usually the Mario sport either host goes to first. Golf keeps coming up as the easier choice. They compare the new game with Mario Tennis Aces and with Super Rush. The discussion then takes on a familiar Into the Aether rhythm, where something that looks questionable at first ends up quietly taking up several hours anyway. They do not frame it as the best game they played this year. They are, however, clearly okay with how much time they spent on it. Reanimal becomes the next detour. Its co-op setup and horror tone make it more interesting to them than the brighter, more obviously hangout-driven lane that Hazelight occupies. The aesthetic matters a lot here. They keep coming back to the sense that the game has a little A24 and The Lighthouse energy in the mix. That opens into a broader thought about why horror can feel easier to take in with company. A guide or a friend can make the scare feel more welcoming. They also note that plenty of people already experience horror through streamers or other people, so the social layer is not just an extra feature. It is part of the draw. The episode then drifts into related game memory and genre talk. Bowl of Lentils comes up near the end, along with a helpful thread they had cited before in show notes. By the end, the episode has moved from a skeptical sports-game opening to a solid set of thoughts about co-op, horror, and the way old favorites keep resurfacing.

As heard by us

A wary Mario Tennis Fever opening that opens into easy talk about horror co-op and why some games click.

Brendan Bigley and Steven Hilger start with Mario Tennis Fever and a wary first take that opens into a broader question about why some Mario sports games land and others do not.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

For when you want a skeptical Mario sports take that wanders into horror and Paranormasight talk.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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