Dads After Dark Show - A Nintendo Podcast · Drew and John

#203: Did Indie World Save the Switch?

·1 hr 24 min·5 clips

He quits Hollow Knight after 7 hours because losing 1,800 currency felt like wasted grind.

1. Dads After Dark Show - A Nintendo Podcast #203 centers on backlog games, the Indie Direct, and the question “Did Indie World Save the Switch?” 2. Drew and John host the episode, with Drew steering the opening banter and John supplying most of the game and weekend stories. 3. The episode asks whether the Switch’s indie slate and recent releases are enough to carry the system through a quieter period. 4. John lists May 2’s Endless Ocean Luminous, then names May 9 releases like Animal Well, Little Kitty Big City, and Vampire Survivors Operation Guns. 5. The hosts talk about Nintendo-published games, including concern that Endless Ocean Luminous may not run well on Switch. 6. John says Vampire Survivors is becoming more interesting because he is now treating it like a campaign instead of a quick test run. 7. He explains that achievements unlock new items in Vampire Survivors, including a crown and other gear that can appear in future runs. 8. John describes upgrading the whip, experimenting with the Bible and wand, and looking for torches, treasure chests, and the Contra-themed DLC. 9. He revisits Axiom Verge, saying the first game is one of his favorite Metroidvanias and that he has now played it three times. 10. He then talks about Axiom Verge 2, including its Antarctica setting, a story about finding a daughter, and the “breach” overlay map. 11. John says Axiom Verge 2 was very good but frustrating because he kept getting lost and did not know what to do next. 12. He describes Unicorn Overlord as grindy but engaging, with overworld exploration, town freeing, unit promotion, and steady level-by-level progress. 13. John starts Dave the Diver on PS Plus and compares its ocean dives to a roguelike loop in the “giant blue hole.” 14. He explains that Dave the Diver adds fish to a sushi menu, then turns restaurant service into a small action routine with tea, food delivery, and cleanup. 15. John quits Hollow Knight after seven hours, saying the currency loss from deaths made the game feel like two hours of grinding vanished. 16. He points to the 1,800-cost light item and the corpse-retrieval system as the reason the game stopped being fun. 17. The conversation around Hollow Knight becomes more technical as they discuss map pins, lost navigation, and the stress of deep nest areas. 18. The episode keeps a casual, conversational pace, with Drew and John jumping between family stories, release dates, and multiple games without a formal interview structure. 19. Fans of Switch releases, Metroidvanias, and backlog games would get the most out of it. 20. Listeners wanting a tight single-game review may skip this one.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Dads After Dark Show - A Nintendo Podcast