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ToB Games - The 2020 Tobie Awards Continued

Julian Meush January 20, 2021

The look back at 2020 continues as the ToB Crew discuss their top 3 favourite games from the previous year. Just like the movie and TV categories the rules are a little loosey goosey. That being said, there are a few key titles that can't be ignored. Listen to find out where ‘Call of Duty: Warzone’ falls on the respective lists, while waiting to hear everyone's thoughts on ‘The Last of Us: Pt II’ now that we're several months removed from it's polarizing release. Plus stick around for some Smash Bros talk (as always) and much more, on this rare episode of ToB Games.

ToB Games - Next Gen Pre-Orders + Microsoft & Bethesda

Julian Meush September 28, 2020

It's been awhile since the ToB Crew got together to talk gaming, but with some of the biggest video game news of the last 5 years unfolding before our eyes, we felt it was time to get back in the saddle. Julian and Jeremy sit down to discuss the huge news of Microsoft buying Bethesda and what that means for not only ‘Xbox Game Pass’ but also for Sony and the next-gen console battle as a whole. It's a major shift of power in the gaming space but it also means fewer independent studios (so it's not all good news). Speaking of anti-consumer moves, the guys also touch on 'Super Mario 3D All-Stars' and Nintendo's baffling decisions around the bundle. Lastly, the pricing for the next-gen consoles are unpacked and the question of "is the series S price point a game changer?" is posed. All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast.

ToB Interlude - Dark Knight Trilogy & XBox

Julian Meush August 5, 2020

Julian and Jeremy have a casual chat about the legacy of the Dark Knight trilogy. Where it got things right and where it fell down. Afterwards the guys jump into some recent video game news. Specifically the Xbox showcase and if Game Pass will change the industry (spoilers: it probably will).

ToB Games - Pre-Next Gen Special

Julian Meush February 25, 2020

The X-box One and PS4 are on their last legs, and we’re only months away from the next generation of consoles. Yet with the release of the PS5 and the X-Box Series X right on the horizon we still know surprisingly little. How much will they cost? Is $450 too much? Does physical media still matter? What’s enough storage? Who’s going to figure out the “Netflix of gaming” first? With so many questions, Julian, Dan, and Jeremy attempt to answer them all on a rare ToB Games special episode!

ToB Games - E3 2019

Julian Meush June 16, 2019

If you follow the video game world, even from a distance, you know that E3 is like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and your birthday all combined for the those in the games business. With it comes exciting new announcements, sizzle reels, reveals, and surprises. Regardless of what types of games you’re into, there’s always something to get excited about. This year, with Sony, and other major players pulling out, it seemed like the show might lack some of it’s luster. Fortunately, there was still a lot to get excited about. Not the least of which being the Avengers game from Sqaure Enix, a sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the first game play of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, plus the surprising new character announcements for Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Julian, Dan, and Jeremy discuss all that and so much more in the annual E3 breakdown episode of ToB Games!

ToB Games - E3 2018

Julian Meush June 13, 2018

It's been awhile since we've taken a break from talking about the latest in film and television news and turned our collective eye towards the gaming industry, but with E3 now upon us we would we remiss if we didn't dive into all the major announcements coming out of gaming's biggest showcase. From Sony and their stellar first party lineup featuring "The Last of Us Pt 2", "Spider-Man" and more to Nintendo and their concentration on all things "Super Smash Bros" and everything in between, the guys discuss the biggest reveals, trailers and demos from this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo.

May 6, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 9 & 10 / Season Finale

There it is, folks - the season finale to the latest creation from Lucasfilm Animation. It was certainly gorgeous to look at, with the new painterly stylings, and there was no shortage of thrilling action to sink your teeth into, nor did they skimp on the stakes. But while the season started off on a welcomed unfamiliar foot, by the end of this season, and certainly in these final two episodes, the hallmarks of what we've come to know from Star Wars animation showed their head. Early on, the admitted inspirations from films such as 'Heat' and 'The Dark Knight', provided a needed grit to a show which was ostensibly following a villain. This provided the show with a fresh personality - distinguishing itself from it's predecessors in animation. Unfortunately, the creatives couldn't seem to maintain that tone, as by this two-part season finale the old tropes and predictable beats of 'Clone Wars' rose into prominence. And while the appearance of a certain fan favourite character adds some very cool action, the unoriginality from a narrative perspective robbed the final moments of the needed pathos and drama required to land the plane in the most satisfying of ways.

April 30, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 7 & 8

There's two of them now?! With the arrival of another Inquisitor things really start to escalate on Janyx. We see Maul at his lowest since probably his spider-leg days (he goes on a self-guided therapy session/vision quest that results in something quite inspiring actually!), providing us a deeper understanding of his motivations, beyond simply "revenge!". Meanwhile, Devon continues to be the most interesting character on the show as she takes two steps forward, one step back, flirting with the dark side (though bonus points for the slick ride she acquires for their getaway). On the action side, the show continues to bring the goods, with dynamic, large scale battles (heavy on LAATs which is always a treat), intimate lightsaber combat, and a special shout out to the speeder chase this week that included a new Star Wars techno track (get outta here Niamos!), which combined for a chef's kiss of a sequence. The finale is next week, dropping on Star Wars Day (May the 4th), so stay tuned to see how much the show wants to tie up and how much it wants to leave dangling ahead of season 2!

April 25, 2026

Episode 205 - CinemaCon 2026 + News Roundup

It's been a minute since Matt and Julian sat down to cover the latest in film and TV news. Some might say it's been dearly missed. Well wait no more folks because this week it's all news and nothing but the news so help me god! If the last few weeks (months?) of stories weren't enough, CinemaCon 2026 also just concluded which had it's own news deluge. The guys unpack it all (well most of it anyway)! Of utmost priority is the news of Michael B Jordan and Austin Butler's reboot of 'Miami Vice', which is close to Matt's heart. Plus 'Spaceballs 2' gets a title and release date, trailers for 'Dune 3', 'Clayface' and 'Street Fighter' all surprise (in a good way), and a new 'Lord of the Rings' movie is announced (and you won't guess who's writing it!). Plus, a 'Game of Thrones' movie, more 'Transformers' and is 'Avatar' over? All this and so much more on this week's Tower of Babble Podcast!

April 23, 2026

SSSW - Maul: Shadow Lord - Chapter 5 & 6

We’ve reached the halfway point of the season and with it comes a tonal shift back to the roots of Star Wars animation - 'The Clone Wars'. With the arrival of the Empire, the focus shifts away from Maul and his dealings and toward the pair of Jedi as they are now in the crosshairs. The noire tone takes a back seat, next to Maul, as things become more pulpy, mixed with an impending doom that is reminiscent of the final season of 'The Clone Wars'. The set-piece action sequences get an injection of scale and danger, which is exciting, and some of the early seeding of characters like Rylee start to pay off. While maybe a bit different from the previous 4 episodes, the quality and the stakes remain high (well... for every character except Maul I suppose). Join Julian and Rachel as the unpack it all in excruciating detail.