Gameplay

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Boomshakalaka! Mar 31, 2021

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NBA Jam is a memorable arcade game for many reasons, but the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of its fans is the game’s announcer, for iconic lines like “HE’S ON FIRE!”, and “BOOMSHAKALAKA!”. In this episode, we meet Tim Kitzrow, the voice behind the catchphrase, and how NBA Jam shaped his career as a voice actor for video games.

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Get a custom voicemail or birthday greeting from Tim Kitzrow at whosaidwhatnow.com.

Get the album: Boom Shakalaka by BoomBaptist

NBA Jam Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

In 1993, Midway released the game-changing arcade basketball title, NBA Jam. At the height of Michael Jordan mania and the NBA’s rise to global popularity, Jam was a defining sports game of the era. In this episode, lead designer Mark Turmell, along with author Reyan Ali and other Midway names, take you back to the arcade to learn how the $1 billion basketball hit swept the world.

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Get the book: NBA Jam, by Reyan Ali

Get the album: Boom Shakalaka by BoomBaptist

Culture, Remixed Feb 17, 2021

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Video games are not just for entertainment. They can also be a powerful tool for education, especially when combined with immersive technologies like virtual reality. Experiential learning is at the core of many indigenous cultures, including Torres Strait Islanders, which led Rhett Loban to create a one-of-a-kind VR game that captures his peoples traditions and customs in a whole new way.

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Watch the TSVR trailer

Guardian article: I turned my Torres Strait Islander culture into a video game

Remaking Metroid Feb 03, 2021

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Milton Guasti had spent 10 years of his life recreating Metroid II, until Nintendo claimed copyright infringement, merely a day after its release. There was always a chance that the lawyers would come knocking, but what Milton didn’t expect was for his hobby project to become the game that an entire community was counting on.

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Articles:

Better Than Black and White: One Man’s Decade-Long Quest to Remake 'Metroid II'

How a Metroid Fan Turned a Threatening Legal Letter into a Job Making Games

Music:

Download the AM2R Soundtrack

Full Immersion VR Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

Virtual Reality has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. And while the tech is still developing, it has great potential to solve real world problems. By combining the Unity game engine and haptic technology, one tech startup is using VR to create fully immersive training simulations. This episode comes from the podcast Moonshot, from Lawson Media.

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Autcraft Jan 06, 2021

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Minecraft is one of the highest selling games of all time, and the blocky, 8-bit sandbox is especially popular with kids, due to the freedom its gameplay offers. But for children with Autism, that freedom is often challenged when playing online, where bullies and trolls are a barrier in their experience. This was a problem that Stuart Duncan set out to solve, creating a dedicated Minecraft server for Autistic kids and their families.

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The Sound of Hades Dec 23, 2020

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Hades is the fourth title from Supergiant Games, and one the best games of 2020. A rogue-like dungeon crawler, inspired by Greek mythology, you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades, as you attempt to escape the Underworld, fighting your way through waves of enemies. The game posed a unique challenge for Audio Director Darren Korb when he came to compose the music. This episode, we explore the soundscape of Hades and how the music and sound design was carefully crafted to provide a thrilling experience, even after hundreds of hours of play time.

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Ring Fit Adventure Dec 09, 2020

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For as long as video games have been criticised for their sedentary nature, developers have sought to get players off the couch, encouraging physical movement through fitness style games. From the Power Pad to Wii Fit, Nintendo have been a leader in 'exergaming', but these experiences often feel more like gimmicks than serious workouts. In 2019, the introduction of Ring Fit Adventure looked to change that.

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Addiction Nov 25, 2020

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For most of us, games are a fun hobby. But for some people, they can be genuinely problematic. Cam Adair struggled with gaming addiction for ten years, until he hit rock bottom. Now he's working to ensure compassion and support is available for others like him, in a community where addiction is often overlooked or misunderstood.

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If this story brought up any issues for you, help is available:

Australia:

• Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au

• Call Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au

United States:

• Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org

• Message the Crisis Text Line on 741741 or visit crisistextline.org

Canada:

• Call the Canada Suicide Prevention Service on 18334564566 or visit crisisservicescanada.ca

• Call the Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868 or visit kidshelpphone.ca

United Kingdom:

• Call Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

• Text Shout on 85258 or visit giveusashout.org

For additional countries, visit suicidestop.com

Red Ring of Death Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

When the Xbox 360 was launched in December 2005, Microsoft had accomplished a significant objective that would give it the edge in the console war - beating Sony's PS3 to market by almost a year. But a few months later, a huge problem began to surface - a major hardware defect that threatened to destroy the entire Xbox brand.

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