10 Games You Need to Know with Ryan 🎮

LISTEN HERE

Ten Games You Need to Know: Bonus Episode

😎 Ryan has been keeping busy this summer break, enjoying his absolute favorite activity… GAMING! Now, he’s back in the studio for a super secret bonus episode where he dives into the top 10 games he’s been playing 🎮

1. 🏎️ Mario Kart World

2. 👑 Blue Prince

3. 🧸 Ruffy and the Riverside

4. ⚽️ Rematch AND 🏈 Madden ‘26

5. 🧙 Hogwarts Legacy

6. ✨ Zelda Breath of the Wild

7. 🥷 Ninja Gaiden Ragebound

8. 🐉 Deltarune

9. 🦄 Split Fiction

10. 🍌 Donky Kong Bonanza

Get Connected

🫶 Help fund The Ten News by donating today!

✔️ Subscribe to our Ten News-letter!

📱 Follow the show on Instagram: @thetennews

📧 Email us at hello@thetennews.com if you have any questions or want to submit audio!

🖱️ Visit thetennews.com for additional resources, our online store, the Ten'ers Club, and more!

Transcript:

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Okay…this is weird…HELLO?! Hmmmm–

<SFX dials number>

KAP: Hey Ry, what’s up? 

RYAN: Where are you? And where is everyone?

KAP: Ummm, I’m at the beach and I’m pretty sure everyone is on vacation. Are you in the office?

RYAN: Yeah, because it’s August 14th and we’re supposed to be back–

KAP: We’re back on August, TWENTY EIGHTH. 

RYAN: That is definitely my bad. Thank you, have a great time at the beach! 

KAP: Byyeeee!

<SFX hang up>

RYAN: Okay, well, I’m here in the studio, ALONE. So I might as well do something. 

RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Friday, August 15th. And this is a Ten News… super secret special bonus episode. All. By. My. Self. LETS GOOOOO!

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Alright Ten’ers, I hope you’ve been having a tremendous summer, filled with water fights, barbecues, bicycle adventures, ice cream sundaes and boba tea and all the good stuff. Obviously, I hope you didn’t have any bad vibes, tummy aches or butterflies land in your ear… like some of us did.

RYAN: In case you’re wondering, I’ve been having a great time having these past couple months on break, from the show. And I have played more video games than I’ve ever played in one single Summer. And I still have a few weeks left!    

RYAN: So today, I’m going to tell you the Ten Games I’ve been playing this summer, and what I think of them. These are Ten Games You Need to Know. Plus some bonus games… 

RYAN: First off, OBVIOUSLY I’ve been playing Mario Kart World on my Switch 2. <SFX MKW Theme>  It was the big launch title and it absolutely did not disappoint. The skill ceiling is really high, so anyone can pick up and play, but there are some INSANE tricks and shortcuts that I’ve already seen people do. Mario Kart is best played with friends, so I’ve gotten to play with some Ten’ers like Jax, Max, Audrey, Juno and Will. And it got heated. 

<SFX Mario Kart shell sound hitting> <SFX Man scream?>

RYAN: Number 2: Next up is a game called Blue Prince, where you inherit a mysterious, ever shifting mansion from your great uncle. <SFX Blue Prince music and sounds> And to fully inherit the estate, you must find the hidden 46th room. Blue Prince is a rogue like puzzle game, so every time you play, you start fresh and the mansion changes. It’s not scary or anything, but it’s got a cool story and it’s really fun to explore the mansion and solve all of the puzzles. Blue Prince is on XBox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. 

RYAN: Number 3 is Ruffy and the Riverside which is an indie, old school 3D platformer that is HAND DRAWN.<SFX Ruffy theme> It looks really, really cool. You play as Ruffy the bear, and when an alien cube named Groll shows up and steals powerful magic marbles, you gotta get those marbles back and save the Riverside. Ruffy’s powers include copying and pasting, so you can copy an environment or texture, like water or sand, and paste them onto other things to solve puzzles. It’s very original and it has 1990s vibes, so I dig it. Ruffy and the Riverside is available on PC, Switch 1 and 2, XBox, and Playstation 5.

RYAN: Number 4: I’ve been playing Rematch, which is an arcade style soccer game, or football, if you’re anywhere but America. <SFX Rematch theme> When I say arcade style, it’s either 3v3, 4v4 or 5v5, and matches all last 6 minutes. It’s fast and loose type of soccer game and there are NO fouls, offsides or handballs. There’s also no corner or goal kicks and there’s no progression or skillpoints to earn. So it’s a totally level playing field. I will say, when I played online players, it got pretty sweaty. But when I played with my friends, I had a blast. Rematch is available on PS5, XBox and PC. Also gotta give a side shout out to Madden ‘26, I got an advanced copy and have juuuust started playing it. <SFX NFL intro> It’s the first time Madden has been on a Nintendo system since Madden 13, and it does run well on the Switch 2! But I will say, I’ve been playing it mainly on my Playstation 5. And since I haven’t played Madden in a long time, I’ve been stuck in the Skills Trainer mode, it’s like a suped up tutorial and it’s actually pretty awesome. I’m looking forward to playing more!

RYAN: Number 5: Hogwarts Legacy. This game came out in 2023, but I got the Switch 2 Edition and dude, if you like the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, you’ll think this game is unbelievably cool. You get to create your own character, get sorted into a house and then swept right into the original story. You basically get to be a student at Hogwarts and do all of the things you’d expect to do, learning a ton of cool spells, flying and racing on broomsticks and teaming up with a teacher to solve a great mystery. I don’t want to give any spoilers away because the story was AWESOME. Hogwarts Legacy is available on Switch 1 and 2, XBox, and on Playstation 4+5. But if you have Playstation Plus, Extra or Premium…it’s available for free! Okay, I need to take a quick break and catch my breath. Let’s go to Kap so she can say grownup things. Psst, hey grown-ups, can I borrow you for a minute. I’m calling in from the beach with an ask for you wonderful parents, guardians, caretakers, all around awesome adults. We have kicked off our fundraising for the Ten News to make sure we can commit to a full season of shows and we can’t do that without your help.You’ll find the link to our fundraising site in the show description. We have a bunch of different ways to support the show and all gifts are appreciated! Thank you for being part of the Ten News family. Now speaking of family….Owen, did you put on any sunblock?

<SFX Warp Pipe>

INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO

RYAN: Aaaaand we’re back. Number 6: I know, this is a game that is older than some of you Ten’ers, but I’ve been playing Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. <SFX BOTW theme> The Switch 2 Edition has a much higher frame rate, so the game looks better than ever and runs smoother than butter on hot pancakes. And if you are allowed to download the Switch 2 app for a device, there’s something called Zelda Notes. Which is a companion app and gives you additional story through Zelda voice memories and even navigation tracker to help you find everything possible, so you can 100% the game. Breath of the Wild Switch 2 Edition is only available on Switch 2. 

RYAN: Number 7: If you didn’t know, I think ninjas are the coolest people ever, and since I’m NOT allowed to carry a sword or throwing stars, I’ve been playing a lot of Ninja games. First off, I got Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, which is based on the Ninja Gaiden series, and brings it all back to it’s original roots. Other Ninja Gaiden games were 3D, but Ragebound brought it back to it’s 2D side scrolling beggings. It’s simple, yet hard and fun, I’m digging it. But unfortunately I bought the Switch version, which has 30FPS, but the Xbox, Playstation and PC versions run at 60FPS. I’m hoping there’s a Switch 2 update, but I haven’t heard anything yet. There’s also a really cool demo out for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, which is actually based on an old arcade and sega franchise that also started in 1987. The new Shinobi feels a bit like a metroidvania, meaning you’ll have a lot of exploring to do. The graphics have a really good art style and it all flows very well. And it’s a free demo, so check it out on PC, Xbox, Playstation 4 or 5 and Switch 1 or 2. And the last ninja game that I’m VERY excited for is called Atomic Owl, but that’s not out for consoles yet, it’s only on PC. I will update when I’ve got it on consoles, which is supposed to happen later this year. 

RYAN: Nuuuuuuuumber 8 is… Deltarune which is a side sequel to the legendary RPG, Undertale. <SFX Deltarun music…?> Deltarune takes inspiration from Earthbound and other Super Nintendo RPGs, it’s basically an elevated old school RPG with really great writing. Toby Fox is a master game creator and Deltarune Chapters 1-4 are no exception. Fun fact, if you re-arrange the letters in Undertale, you get Deltarune. As of now, Deltarune chapters 1&2 are available for FREE on PC, Mac, Playstation and Switch. And if you like that, you can purchase chapters 3 and 4 to continue the journey!

RYAN: And for Number 9 it’s…Split Fiction from Hazelight, the studio that made the award winning game, It Takes Two. <SFX Split Fiction Theme> Split Fiction is a co-op game where a science fiction writer and a fantasy writer are invited to test out a simulation machine where they experience their own stories. The two accidentally collide and so the pair keep jumping between a futuristic, high speed cyber world and fantastical fantasy world with wizards and magical creatures. It is really fun to play with a friend or family member! I think it’s a game of the year contender, and you can play Split Fiction on Switch 2, PC, Xbox and PS5.

RYAN: And at number 10 is the game I played the most this Summer… what do you think it is? (BEAT) Alright I’ll tell you, it’s DONKEY KONG BANANZA. <SFX DK Bananza Theme> Back when I got a sneak preview of the Switch 2, I said that this was my most anticipated game… and it was worth the wait. It’s from the same team that made Super Mario Odyssey and is just incredibly fun to play. You play as Donkey Kong, paired up with a young singer named Pauline and you travel deeper and deeper underground to catch and stop the mining company, Voidco, who is a group that stole the Banandium Gems to fuel their ship. Along the way you get Bananzas which are different animal infused powers that make Donkey Kong way OP, so you can get super strong, crazy fast and a whole bunch of other powers. My favorite part of the game is that there’s no right or wrong way to play it. For instance, a Ten’er named Jax likes to speed run the game, while I like to take my time and just smash everything and find all of the bananas. I also think this is a game of the year contender and it is officially my favorite video game of the Summer. <SFX OH BANANA>  Donkey Kong Bananza is only available on Switch 2.

RYAN: And that is…that. Owen’s on summer break, so there’s no trivia today…and Pam is on a beach somewhere so, I guess it’s time for Ten News Snaps! Right after this quick note for the grownups. 

<AD BREAK>

RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!

RYAN: A Ten’er named Grace said, “I love the show.” Thank you, your Grace. A Ten’er named Archie said, “I love this podcast! I listen to it every day and I love the Ten News Snaps! Definitely 5 stars!” Well I hope you liked that Ten News Snap Archie! And a Ten’er named Hot Sauce said, “Great podcast and I love this podcast because it is informative but not boring. I also like how they describe the topic more than other podcasts.” We do our absolute best and I’m so glad you don’t think we’re boring. EZ Bear20, AGPI, Tacoseal and Winter C 11 all seemed to have left reviews that contain a lot of…butterflies. I don’t like it, I don’t want it, why would you do that on my Summer break! Bleeeah

RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!

RYAN: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.

RYAN: The Ten News creative team is ummmm, not here. No one is here. So I’m only gonna shout out our editor for doing what he does best! BRIAN NOT RYAN DOUGLAS. Or… ADAM THE GREAT BAMBINO BERNARD!

RYAN: Our Production Director is Jeremiah “On Fyaah” Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald “Albright Albright Albright” and show creator Tracy Takes the Leeds Kaplan. 

RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News bonus episode.