‘Metroid Prime 4,’ ‘Marvel Cosmic Invasion,’ and ‘Five Nights at Freddy's 2’ Reactions | Button Mash
After stepping inside Samus’s visor for the first time in years, Ben and Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio compare notes on the much-anticipated ‘Metroid Prime 4: Beyond,’ a great game grafted onto parts of other, less-good games. In their spoiler-lite chat, they puzzle over the game’s discordant elements, praise its strengths, and analyze how it fits into the franchise’s lineage before assessing the Switch 2's launch-window lineup now that Nintendo has released its last title of 2025. Then Jessica Clemons joins Ben to discuss their impressions of a new beat-'em-up brawler, ‘Marvel Cosmic Invasion,’ and a new video game movie that’s been beaten up by critics, ‘Five Nights at Freddy's 2.’
Intro (0:00)‘Metroid Prime 4’ Overview (3:00)'Marvel Cosmic Invasion' Review (1:06:34)Reactions to ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’ (1:39:49)Outro (1:56:47)
Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Giovanni Colantonio and Jess ClemonsProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna RamgopowellÂ
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Wakandans at Thanksgiving? It’s Time for a Midnight Mailbag! | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back and they’re asking the Midnight Riders for their most burning questions about the nerd-verse! From Yoda to Jomi-cookie-gate, they’re here to give you all the answers.
(0:00) Intro
(9:04) Midnight Mailbag
(1:39:09) Outro
Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman
Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Devon Baroldi
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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'Zootopia 2' and Disney Sequels | Mint Edition
Spoilers ahead! Jomi, Steve, and Jess dive into the long-awaited 'Zootopia 2,' sharing their full review and exploring how the sequel expands the world of the original. They discuss the franchise’s cultural impact and what Disney got right (and wrong) this time around and look ahead to a potential 'Zootopia 3,' discussing where Judy, Nick, and the rest of the city could go next. Finally, they zoom out for a broader conversation on Disney sequels, the hurdles they’ve faced, why some manage to shine, and why others fall short.
Intro (0:00)'Zootopia 2' review (4:43)Disney sequels: hits, misses, and challenges (27:57)Outro (52:44)
Hosts: Jomi Adeniran and Steve AhlmanGuest: Jessica ClemonsProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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White Girl Movies Draft | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back, and they’re drafting white girl movies! From Meg Ryan to Lindsay Lohan, they draft in five categories: Fantasy/Action, Romantic Comedy, Musical, Drama, and Wild Card.
(0:00) Intro
(9:29) White Girl Movies Draft
(1:27:05) Outro
Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman
Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Devon Baroldi, and Devon Renaldo
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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Ringer-Verse Recommends: November 2025 (Featuring 'It: Welcome to Derry')
We all pod down here. You'll pod, too. Recommends returns for a Thanksgiving feast! First, Ben brings on Zach Dionne to talk about 'It: Welcome to Derry,' Hollywood's obsession with Stephen King (including several new adaptations in 2025), the dos and don'ts of adapting King, the historical highs and lows, and the future of King's work on-screen. After that, other Ringer-Verse hosts and friends salute unsung releases to complete another expanded installment of the monthly roundup of fandom favorites from TV, anime, movies, video games, books, comics, and beyond that were released recently but not yet covered in-depth on a full-length episode.
(00:00) Intro
(02:38) 'It: Welcome to Derry' with Zach Dionne
(19:17) Bigger Stephen King discussion
(49:22) Van's recommendation
(50:20) Steve's recommendation
(51:30) Daniel's recommendation
(53:58) Chuck's recommendation
(54:30) Matt's recommendation
(59:48) Jomi's recommendation
(61:16) Listener recommendation
Host: Ben Lindbergh
Guests: Zach Dionne, Jomi Adeniran, Steve Ahlman, Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Matt James, and Daniel Chin
Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman
Social: Jomi Adeniran
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The Ringer-Verse is your go-to nexus podcast feed for all things nerd culture and fandom, featuring:
'The Midnight Boys': Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman react to the latest in fandom and share their instant reactions to the newest nerd culture releases, all while bringing the banter every week.
'Mint Edition': Steve, Jomi, and Jessica Clemons gather every other week to share their unique takes on the movies and shows that are animating the fandom.
'Button Mash': Ben Lindbergh and Jessica discuss the latest in the world of video games, from headline-making new releases, to industry trends, to game swaps and nostalgic re-plays.
'Splash Page': Jessica breaks down the latest Easter eggs and theories from all of your favorite content. Not sure if that was a Mephisto reference in the latest 'Loki' episode? Wondering what exactly that post-credits scene means? Eager to know how a new trailer sets up your most anticipated release of the season? Jessica will answer all of those questions and more in her video podcasts.
Follow the new House of R feed for deep dives from Mal and Jo!
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