New Dad Gaming

We are officially entering our 11th year, making New Dad Gaming the longest-running fatherhood gaming podcast on the internet! To celebrate, we’re skipping the usual intro poem and taking a deep dive into the current "State of Dad Gaming."

How do your gaming habits change when your kids shift from watching you play Mario Party to setting up their own Steam LAN parties? We discuss avoiding FOMO, relying on the Steam Deck and retro handhelds to squeeze in 20-minute sessions, and the battle of trying to stay awake past 9:30 PM to play AAA titles on a big screen. Finally, we set a public goal: The Expedition 33 Challenge.

Thank you to all the gaming dads who have shared this journey with us for over a decade. Here is to the next 10 years!

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

The internet is on fire over the official pricing for the new Steam Machine, and we have thoughts. Is the $1,500+ price tag a symptom of the hardware apocalypse, or a massive misstep by Valve? We break down the specs, compare the costs to building a PC, and predict where the console market is headed.

Plus, Jeff attempts to validate his "gamer" status by playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the very first time (and discovers it's actually terrifying), while Trevor returns to Fortnite on mobile with a bizarre third-party controller—and secures a Victory Royale.

Subscribe to the Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website: https://newdadgaming.com/

Nintendo just did the unthinkable: a full remake of Ocarina of Time - the game so many call "perfect" - and it's coming exclusively to the Switch 2. Trevor and Jeff unpack the announcement, the Final Fantasy VII "permission slip" theory behind it, and whether one game is really enough to make a busy dad drop $800 on a new console.

Plus: the strange new milestone of your kid going EASY on you (a "victory through loss" at FIFA), a charming $5 indie hide-and-seek game called Mecca Chameleon that's perfect for gaming with your kids, and why Zelda: Link's Awakening somehow hits harder on a retro handheld than on the Switch remake.

This week's episode opens with a poem - "Paper Flowers" by Jessica Jocelyn - on the fear, and the magic, of having kids.

New Dad Gaming is the longest-running podcast for dads who love games and fatherhood. Hosted by Trevor Alexander and Jeff Smalley since 2015. Just because you became a dad doesn't mean it's game over.


⏱️  Chapters

00:00 - Welcome + Poem: "Paper Flowers" by Jessica Jocelyn

01:18 - Listener mail & where's Summer of Beer? (greetings from Colombia)

02:46 - Nintendo remakes Ocarina of Time for Switch 2

10:51 - The $800 Ocarina machine: is it worth buying a Switch 2?

16:31 - When your kid goes easy on you: "victory through loss" at FIFA

21:56 - New game pick: Mecca Chameleon, the $5 paint-and-seek indie

28:31 - Retro pick: why Zelda: Link's Awakening hits harder on a handheld

34:17 - Wrap-up & sign-off

  

📧 Got a story, question, or beer pick? Reach us at newdadgaming.com

🎧 New episode every week - subscribe wherever you listen:


Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

Others on Our Website:
https://newdadgaming.com/


Topics: Ocarina of Time remake, Nintendo Switch 2, Zelda Link's Awakening, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Mecca Chameleon, indie games, retro gaming, gaming with kids, FIFA, gaming dads, fatherhood, parenting, limited game time.

Clear the dust off if you have an iPod,
Final Fantasy could sometimes use an extra clothing mod.

Who knew that a Steam Deck was an asset to invest,
And streaming games turns into the great friendship test.

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Just because you became a dad, doesn't mean it's game over.

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Connect with New Dad Gaming:

🎧 Subscribe to New Dad Gaming on your favorite podcast app:

📝 Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-dad-gaming/id1107330772

🎧 Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/434cj9ksKBnX6aY2aBZ6Uw

🎧 Other Platforms:
https://newdadgaming.com/

Welcome to New Dad Gaming, where the adult beverages are poured, the kids are (mostly) asleep, and we’re figuring out our gaming lives! This week, Trevor and Jeff read an amazing email from a fellow "Rad Dad" and Less Than Jake fan, proving that passing down your musical taste to your kids is a beautiful—and sometimes surreal—experience.

Then, things get a little savage. Have you ever absolutely destroyed your kid in a game of Monopoly Deal or Mario Party just because you needed to mow the lawn or enforce bedtime? We confess our darkest dad-gaming sins and discuss what happens when the kids start bringing the smack talk.

We also tackle a tough realization: the family living room console might be gathering dust. Are iPads, laptops, and mobile games officially replacing the Switch and PlayStation for the next generation? Finally, Jeff explains how he's surviving Final Fantasy XIV as a busy parent. Spoiler: The free trial and NPC party systems are absolute game-changers for gaming dads who might need to step away at a moment's notice.

In this episode, we cover:

Rad Dad Chronicles: A heartwarming listener story from Deadp 7 about concerts, kids, and pop-punk validation.

Bedtime Sabotage: The ruthless tactics we use in Monopoly Deal and Mario Party to speed up curfew.

The Console Exodus: Why teens and younger kids are abandoning traditional consoles for laptops, phones, and mobile apps.

FFXIV for Dads: How to play a massive MMO like a stress-free, single-player game using the free trial and NPC companions.

Bonus: A quick chat on using AI to build interactive homework tests for the kids.

Connect with Us: Have you ever turned up the heat on your kids in a game? Are your family consoles gathering dust? We'd love to hear your story! Reach out and share your experiences with the gaming dad community.

Website: newdadgaming.com

Socials: @NewDadGaming