We're all busy, traveling, or directly in the path of a category 4 hurricane this week - but the show must go on, so please bear with our lack of a Top 5 as we jump straight into UFO 50, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, the State of Play and Sonic Central announcements, and the words you learned from vidjagames.

Question of the Week: What unexpected genre or setting do you want to see your favorite game characters in? (Example: Zelda IN SPAAAAACE!)

Break song is Konya Wa Hurricane (There's A Hurricane Tonight) by Kinuko Ohmori. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

Astro Bot's trajectory from minor character in a tech demo to the face of the best-reviewed platformer on PS5 inspired this week's Top 5, about platformer mascots who went from secondary characters to headlining their own games. After that, we'll get into Funko Fusion, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown's Mask of Darkness DLC, The Plucky Squire,announcements from the EA investor event, and your favorite memories of the Dreamcast.

Question of the Week: What's a word you learned from a videogame? (Can be a word you just didn't know before, or a gaming term that you learned by playing a specific game.)

Break song is I'm Your GPU by Kenneth C M Young. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

We just passed the 25th anniversary of the Dreamcast's 9/9/99 US launch, and are marking the occasion with a look at five of the strangest and best controllers and accessories for Sega's ill-fated console. Then we'll dive straight into Astro Bot, PS5 Pro, Warhammer 40k Space Marine II, Yars Rising, the Minecraft movie trailer, and your favorite games that got so-so reviews. 

Question of the Week: What's your favorite Dreamcast game, or favorite memory of the Dreamcast?

Break song is My Sweet Passion (Chris Vrenna & Mark Blasques Remix) by Fumie Kumatani, Chris Vrenna, and Mark Blasques. Vidjagame Apocalypse theme by Matthew Joseph Payne.

All three hosts of Welcome to the Thing - TL Foster, Emmett Watkins, and Jarrett Green - join us this week for a special crossover episode and take charge of our Top 5 to focus on "value versions" of popular big-deal games. We'll also get into Tactical Breach Wizards, Bakeru, Squirrel with a Gun, Concord's rapid demise, the best Zeldas being declared non-canon, and your favorite Star Wars NPCs.