Archive for the ‘Season 6 (2017)’ Category
Podcast: The History of JRPGs Coming to the West
This week Fred is again solo, but fear not because he will have his faithful companion Jam back for the next episode. This week he’s discussing the origins of the Japanese Role Playing Game or JRPG and the genre’s eventual journey to the West. From humble roots in the early 80s to the powerhouse genres of the 90s, it’s a wild and crazy road.
Podcast: The Legend of Fred the Frog (Blaster Master)
Fred files solo to discuss the Blaster Master franchise. In a drastically different tale depending on whether you play in the East or the West, Sunsoft’s genre-blending series that constantly tries to capture the magic of the original offers more than you may expect.
Podcast: The History of CD-ROM Consoles, Part 2
This week Fred sits down with Ali of 42 Level One to discuss the more popular 32-bit generation of CD-ROM consoles. What started as a disaster with the 3DO Interactive Player gave way to the big releases of the Sega Saturn and the Sony Playstation. While the Saturn may seem dead in the water for the West, it was a strong presence in the East. Finally everything wraps up with the beloved console that lacked sales: the Sega Dreamcast.
Podcast: U Didn’t Play Next
The Wii U was Nintendo’s follow-up to the widely successful Wii, but amidst an overall lack of interest to gamers it was met with mostly resistance. The slogan “How U Will Play Next” was far from accurate and thanks to a lack of consumer understading of what the console on top of the scruitiny leveled against the library it was never much of a success. Still, Fred has fond memories and he takes you through the journey of the Wii U from announcement to today.
Podcast: Twin Renegades (Double Dragon Franchise)
This week Fred is joined by guest Travis (@TheHibkiTMD) to discuss the Double Dragon franchise. An interesting series spawned from the arcade as a spin-off franchise of the Kunio-Kun series, followed by a slew of ports, and an alternative style and series on the NES.
Podcast: The History of CD-ROM Consoles (Part 1)
This week Fred is flying solo as he discusses the origins of optical-based video games, the CD and Laserdisc format, and the consoles that shaped the early CD-ROM generation. In part 1 the focus is Turbografx-CD, Philips CD-i, Sega CD, the LaserActive, and a brief discussion on the 3DO.
Podcast: P.N.03 Game Club
It’s finally time to discuss the Gamecube title Fred didn’t even know existed. The first of the “Capcom Five” titles, what starts off looking like a traditional third-person action shooter ends up being a bit lighter on content and much heavier on replayability. With Jam on haitus, Fred is joined by special guest Strip Mahjong and they delve deep into the development, gameplay, and campaign.
Podcast: Sonic the Hedgehog, Re-Hash
This is an update on a topic from the past. This week Fred and Jam are re-hashing the original episode Blast Processing: The Story of Sonic (Part 1) and discussing Sonic the Hedgehog. As a change of pace, they discuss the iconography of the blue hedgehog and how he evolved over time. Be sure to listen to the end of the show for a very special message from Jamalais.
Podcast: 2017 on the 5s and 10s
In what has become an annual tradition, Jam and Fred delve into the past in 5 and 10 year intervals. In 2017 that means any decade in gaming history that ends in either a “7” or a “2”. There’s a great deal to be had and the time flies far too fast, but we guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t already know.
Gaming History 101 