What do bananas, Reno, The Jerky Boys, and alternate universe weather reports have in common?

They're all subjects of deep inquiry in a strange and wonderful podcast about playing Final Fantasy.

But No One Can Know About This is more than just a podcast about playing video games.

Is there a better banana?

No One Can Know About This (NOCKAT) is not a review podcast or a let's play. It is, as its hosts often say, a journey. A journey that chronicles the awe, wonder, and confusion, joy and frustration, anger and triumph of playing video games.

NOCKAT is the ultimate video game podcast, taking as its subject matter the ultimate video game series, at least if you trust the eponymous declaration of Final Fantasy.

Hosts Jeff and Ryan take the storytelling aspects of their show very seriously, both in terms of their discussion of the games' plots and in how they structure each episode. At times, Jeff and Ryan's real-world experiences of video game worlds mirror the events of the games themselves or the arcs of the characters. NOCKAT is about discovering, or rediscovering these revered classic games, trying to make sense of why even the earliest entries in the series continue to resonate with gamers.

The story Jeff and Ryan are living through is familiar to many of us; it's the path RPG nerds have trekked all their lives, getting to know beloved characts and the bizarre, often nonsensical paths carved out for them by the game designers. Jeff and Ryan have taken gameplay that many of us experienced over many years and condensed it into hours-long sessions, and then have drawn these experiences out again by releasing them in weekly installments.

Unlike other review podcasts where the hosts consume media privately and then discuss their thoughts on mic, Jeff and Ryan record every step of the gaming process, from purchase, to snack breaks, to actual gameplay. This alone would be enough to lend this podcast its signature charm of simulating the nostalgic gaming experiences of sharing new discoveries with a friend or relative - I'm often taken back to the many hours my little brother and I have spent playing RPGs and discussing our thoughts about them.