Big Walk reviewed by Joseph Shay for PC, narration and video edit by Francis Parco.

Video games have always been one of the best ways to keep up with friends, and Big Walk is one of the best new ways to do it. But is there more to it than just a hangout simulator for friend groups? Find out in our review!

Introducing The Smash Jump Podcast EXTRA, a bonus podcast series to run concurrently with the main series! What's the difference with this podcast series, you may ask? These podcast episodes will be sporadically released and produced to line up with recent and trending gaming events and showcases. Plus, Smash Jump Podcast regular Dylan Shirley is the main host!

Dylan, Francis, and Joshua head up this debut episode to go through almost every game showcased at Gamecom Opening Night Live 2026, where Dylan presents a recurring set of five questions for the panel with each game, and they give their overall thoughts. And then Gravhounds comes up and derails everything.

[ TIMESTAMPS ]
0:00 Introduction to the panel, show and general thoughts on Opening Night Live
03:01 Nodus Fall
09:51 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Tactics
16:05 Gears of War: E-Day
20:48 Ananta
27:03 Silent Hill: Townfall
33:10 Tides of Annihilation
35:39 Lofsöng
39:47 Mega Man: Dual Override
44:29 Rayman Legends Retold
46:06 PUBG: DED.NET
48:45 Game of Thrones: War for Westeros
49:56 Dust: Origins
51:38 Exodus
53:44 Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons
55:39 1001 Threads of Mizan
56:56 Silver Palace
59:32 Metro 2039
1:00:39 Hitman: World of Assassination - The Herbalist
1:02:09 AION 2
1:03:42 Afterworld
1:05:26 Petit Planet
1:06:49 Road Kings
1:07:33 Stage Tour
1:09:32 Crazy Taxi: World Tour
1:12:53 Turok: Origins, and Gravhounds breaks Dylan
1:22:56 Switching gear with a quick rundown of remaining games
124:12 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered and Final Fantasy VII: Revelation
1:24:56 The Defiant
1:29:58 Pony Island 2: Panda Circus
1:30:31 Ontos
1:30:58 No Law
1:33:35 Post-show summary of Gamescom Opening Night Live
1:37:07 Final thoughts and the panel's highlights of Gamescom Opening Night Live
1:40:45 Outro

Star Fox reviewed and narrated by Joseph Shay for Nintendo Switch 2, video edit by Francis Parco.

How much room is there for a legendary game be improved after several iterations? Velan Studios says “plenty” and proves it with their revival of the Star Fox series. The iconic SNES title has been released in various states of upgraded form, from Nintendo 64 to 3DS. The 2026 Switch 2 release is the end-all be-all for the iconic series starter. The narrative implementation alone would have been enough to make this the definitive version of Star Fox, however Velan Studios and Nintendo seem to have felt it was time to give the game all the bells and whistles.

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/star-fox-review-switch-2/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

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#starfox #starfox64 #nintendo #nintendoswitch2 #gaming #dogfightgame #scifigaming

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced reviewed by Chris Melnyk for PlayStation 5, narration and video edit by Francis Parco.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced sees players return to an iconic entry in the Ubisoft series, with the aim to provide a more refined experience for players from both older and new generations. While the game is just over a decade old, it’s exciting to see that Edward Kenway’s adventure is being revitalized again. But, with that being said, does Ubisoft do a good enough job at making an already powder keg blast of a game that much better?

This week on The Smash Jump Podcast, Scott, Joseph, and Francis go over the big game industry news topics of late, from Grand Theft Auto VI's anti-consumer practices, the strikes at acclaimed game studio Quantic Dream, and Xbox hardware going up in price. The panel then steer the ship away from all the drama and negativity of the big gaming studios to discuss their most anticipated indie game tiles, with each panellist presenting three games each. Finally, Joseph talks about his experience playing the latest heavy hitter for Nintendo Switch 2, Star Fox, and how it is more than just another Star Fox 64 retread.

Episode 04 of The Smash Jump Podcast. Date recorded: June 25, 2026

Pragmata reviewed by Chris Melnyk on PS5, narrated by Francis Parco, and video edited by Joshua Howard.

It’s been almost six years since Capcom announced Pragmata, a reveal alongside the PS5. The game has gone through trials and tribulations to reach players. However, after all this time, we are finally able to dive into the game. The game was a mystery to me when it was first announced, with most of the details being a spaceman fighting a threat on the moon. And with Capcom crafting this adventure, I was on board. What we got is a third-person shooter/puzzle hacking experience in all of the best ways.

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]

https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/pragmata-review-ps5/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

[ VIDEO SOURCES ]

https://youtu.be/_dw1uPB1fYc

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#pragmatareview #pragmata #ps5review #capcomgames #scifigaming

Demon Tides reviewed and narrated by Joseph Shay for PC, video edit by Francis Parco.

Platforming is proving to still have uncharted waters, and developer Fabraz is contributing in a major way. Fabraz has now developed and released a sequel to its own 2021 original title, Demon Turf, a game that came with a bit of grit and was very stylized. The same has been done again with Demon Tides, yet it is refreshingly new with a fully 3D art style. With the style comes plenty of substance as well for both newcomers and veterans of the platformer genre.

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/demon-tides-review-pc/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

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[ MUSIC BY ]

Music track: OSAKA by tubebackr & Tetuano
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
No Copyright Music (Free Download)

Music track: Energizer by Aylex
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
No Copyright Music for Video (Free)

Music track: November by Limujii
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
No Copyright Background Music

Music track: Funky by Waesto
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Background Music for Videos (Free)

Music track: Explosive Energy by Dagored
Source: https://freetouse.com/music

#demontides #demonturf #fabraz #platformer #indiegame #gaming

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A Game About Digging A Hole reviewed by Chris Melynk for PlayStation 5, narration by Francis Parco, and video edit by Max Lemke.

A Game About Digging A Hole is a premise about something so simple, and yet quirky at first glance. It ended up being a fun little title to enjoy. And with the boasting about more fun for the price of a coffee, the justification is absolutely there.

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/ps5/a-game-about-digging-a-hole-review/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

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[ MUSIC BY ]
Epidemic Sound
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/38b78dbc-b760-4189-8b4c-a1478d754fe2/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/04320bef-8be6-44a0-9286-59a8c301d7e7/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/9dcfc7a0-2fcf-4f2a-bccd-b1da18c5048e/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/1ed1c127-1fdb-4389-9087-4ae04d7c72d5/

#agameaboutdiggingahole #playstation5 #indiegame #simulatorgames #gaming

Yooka-Replaylee reviewed by Chris Melnyk for PlayStation 5, narration by Francis Parco, and video edit by Max Lemke.

Playtonic Games has already given gamers a taste of the classic days of original platforming with the flawed collectathon Yooka-Laylee, released back in 2017. However, the team decided not to give up and wanted to try and make good on improvements to it. That way, players can experience the full, authentic version that the studio originally promised. What they produced with this remaster more than lives up to their word.

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]

https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/yooka-replaylee-review-ps5/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

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[ MUSIC BY ]

Epidemic Sound
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/ebf0c465-905b-49bd-8e40-358d20efa3c3/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/183b1f1b-b0a0-3308-ae6d-be35501b98c7/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/9bd9416a-e91a-3d2f-afbe-97e308de58b3/

#yookalaylee #yookareplaylee #collectathon #platformer #gaming

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Star Trucker reviewed by Ben Newton for PlayStation 5, narration and video edit by Francis Parco.

"Star Trucker, more than anything, is all about the vibe. Transplant classic Americana into the far future and add some spectacular visuals and you’ve a strong base..."

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/star-trucker-review-ps5/

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[ MUSIC BY ]
Music track: Catamaran by Ocean Bloom
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Free Vlog Music Without Copyright

Music track: In Orbit by Project Ex
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Background Music for Video (Free)

Music track: Morning Light by Epic Spectrum
Source: https://freetouse.com/music
Background Music for Video (Free)

#startrucker #playstation5 #truckingsimulator #sciencefiction

"In some cases, the best games are a product of pure imagination. In most cases, they’re the result of learning a thing or two from other forms of media. Here are some video games that have been inspired by films."

Written by Martin Popov, with narration and video editing by Francis Parco.

[ FULL WRITTEN ARTICLE ]

https://www.smashjump.com/features/video-games-inspired-by-awesome-movies/

With the recent launches of the controversial Nintendo Switch 2 console and the poorly-received game MindsEye, Ashton, Adrian, Ben, and Jeremy discuss the most disastrous launches in gaming history.

[ MORE SMASH JUMP PODCAST ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya9viyR3wbxggOxsRYpxTFiI

Doom: The Dark Ages reviewed by Matt Marston for PC, narrated and video edited by Francis Parco. Also available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

"Doom was a new experience for me. I would consider myself a video game connoisseur. But the Doom franchise has eluded me to this point — a Doom noob for all intents and purposes. But here comes Doom: The Dark Ages. What an experience it is."

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/doom-the-dark-ages-review-pc/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

"Just thinking of gaming in the year 2015 just makes it feel like it was yesterday, doesn’t it? If so, prepare to re-live some decade-old nostalgia because here are my selections for five video games turning 10 years old this year."

Written, narrated and edited by Francis Parco.

"We’re currently in a generation where it’s possible for long forgotten franchises to come back from the dead. Franchises such as Dead Rising, Metroid Prime, and Dead Space just to name a few, have been given new life in the form of a remaster or a full-blown remake. However, whereas titles like those are deserving of more entries, there are some franchises that many believe have ran their course and should be allowed to rest."

Written and narrated by Sam Flanagan, edited by Francis Parco.

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Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves reviewed by Jeremy Lowe for PC, narrated by Francis Parco and video edited by Stuart Parke. Also available on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5.

"After being dormant for 26 years, the Fatal Fury series has finally got a brand new entry. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves has been released and is set to become the best fighting game of the year. But how good is it?"

[ FULL WRITTEN REVIEW ]
https://www.smashjump.com/reviews/fatal-fury-city-of-the-wolves-review-pc/

[ OTHER GAME REVIEWS ]
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVYbgBR-uya_mwvKJrW5yMD1QKA9OKQ8j

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Ashton, Gabe, Nicole, and Sam discuss the pros and cons of physical versus digital gaming.

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We are now well underway in the new year of 2025. This year will see the launch of several highly anticipated video games including Doom: The Dark Ages, Grand Theft Auto VI, and Outer Worlds 2. But while such titles will arrive later on, how about we, in the meantime, go back 20 years to a very different time in video games history?

Written and narrated by Francis Parco, edited by Stuart Parke.

Into The Emberlands reviewed on PC by Jeremy Lowe, narration by Ben Newton and video edited by Francis Parco.

"Into the Emberlands has finally been released. The game, released on January 20, boasts a unique art style and intriguing gameplay. But does it hold up? Is it worth checking out? We’ll help you decide here by telling you what the game does well, and where the game is lacking."

Astro Bot's soundtrack of more than 80 songs provides no shortage of catchy tunes to bop your head to as you travel across the galaxy to rescue Astro's lost bot crew. In this video we'll be taking a look at the 5 best level songs from Astro Bot.

Video written, narrated and edited by Francis Parco.

Welcome to #TheSmashJumpPodcast. Today, Ashton, Gabe, Nicole, and Francis talk about whether or not remakes and remasters are ruining gaming or if they help the industry.

Welcome to the first annual The Smash Jump Awards! Here, we celebrate the best games offered this year and celebrate the future of gaming.

Hosted | Gabriel Stanford-Reisinger
X | https://x.com/gabe_reisinger

Video Producer | Francis Parco
X | https://x.com/FPParco
YT: @VersatileElement

Effects: Stuart Parke
YT | @SPellswordProductions