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Old Gamer’s Almanac — Leisure
Old Gamer’s Almanac

The definitive ranking of all every video game, every week at a time. If you work in the gaming industry, please stop making games while we catch up.

Copyright: © Copyright 2021 All rights reserved.

Latest Episodes:

Descent (1995) May 09, 2023

Show notes

One of the challenges of this season is getting old PC games to run on modern hardware. It's interesting that as emulation has improved, it seems our ability to play some old PC games has fallen by the wayside. But today's game was a surprise. Not only does it run well on modern devices, but it is perhaps the best it has ever been on the most modern of devices, the Steam Deck. Let's talk about how this old game can possibly feel wholly new again!

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Grim Fandango (1998) [feat. Tim Schafer] [w/ Ezra Fox] May 02, 2023

Show notes

It's high time we returned to the wonderful world of LucasArts and classic PC adventure games. Grim Fandango marked both the ending of an era while also ushering in 3D graphics for the genre. But it's too hard for us to unpack the weight of this game without consulting some of the people who were there. First, friend of the show Ezra Fox is here to share his experience growing up with this game and spending a lot of time with his dad, David Fox, at LucasArts. And Ezra was kind enough to call in industry legend and Grim Fandango writer and director Tim Schafer to join us for a quick chat and a chance for the two of them to stroll down memory lane.

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Another World (1991) Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

This is one of the earliest games we'll be exploring in our 90's PC season, and yet Another World is perhaps the most timeless and important game we have to discuss. It is a game that in many ways feels like a modern indie gem made by one person, but instead it's an early 90's indie gem made by one person. It is also one of the most commonly cited inspirations for game designers, and yet it's a game that is still criminally under-talked about. So here we are, doing are part to talk about this behemoth of video game history.

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Like a Dragon: Ishin (2023) [w/ Sun Sanders] Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

It's time to hug your friends with your fists, swords, and guns. Hunter is taking another journey into the work of Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza), this time with OGA veteran Sun Sanders! This game is like a side quest inside the world of the side questiest games we know of. Does that mean it feels right at home, or is this a bit TOO far to the side?

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Command & Conquer (1995) Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Back into the 90s PC project and this week is our first dip into the RTS genre, that's the one we called the definitive PC gaming genre. We've had a number of strategy games we've wanted to play over the course of the show, and the first proper RTS on our list is Command & Conquer. In many ways, it was a major leap forward, but it is trapped in a genre that did a lot of evolving beyond it. Can we ever forgive it for being old?

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Crystalis (1990) Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

It's our first Off-Topic episode of our 90s PC Game season, as well as our first game from the Every Wheel of this season. Whitebush has generously suggested to us Crystalis for the NES, and I think they're on to something! This is an action RPG that feels like Zelda meets Dragon Quest with a delightful little story and a wonderful use of color and art. It's such a good NES game, Matt even liked it!

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Myst (1993) Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

90's game #2 is another week spent in 1993 with the much slower paced puzzle classic, Myst. This is one of the most well-known PC games of all time as it managed to break into a mostly untapped demographic for the time. And how convenient is it that that demographic was OLDER PEOPLE. This is the Old Gamer's Almanac, so sounds like this one's for the home team.

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Doom (1993) Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

We finally get to kick off this new season in earnest and we decided to start with a behemoth. Doom is one of if not the most important first person shooter ever made and it's legacy covers both level design and perfectly optimized system design. It almost seems like an insult to try and cover it in just a little over an hour, but we'll do our best!

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

1990’s PC Games Premiere (Season 2) Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

With one season fully under our belt (as well as a "season 0") it's time to begin our next project! The Old Farmers over at our Patreon decided on 90's PC Games months ago, but we haven't decided what exactly that entails until today! This is one of those episodes that's sort of like a company meeting that you get to listen to, but it's also more fun than that. We draft a handful of games and make deals to decide what 15 90's PC games we'll play, we pick 8 off-topic games, AND we spin The Every Wheel twice to include two games chosen by members of our Patreon! And it all starts now!

To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.

Bonus: Publisher Tournament [w/ Sun Sanders] Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

Thank you to the patrons of Old Gamers' Almanac! They helped us reach one of our Patreon goals and as a reward, everyone gets a bonus episode. This time, we've invited Sun Sanders on to help us with the clash of the video game publishers. The Old Farmers (patron) helped us select and seed the top 16 video game publishers and today we will go through a series of matchups to rank only one of them supreme.

In addition, once we have our Top 6 publishers, we'd like to invite all listeners to join in on our little competition. Each of us will select one champion for each of the 6 publishers and YOU will vote on who you think is right! We'll shut the poll off in a couple weeks so get your vote in soon by heading over to https://forms.gle/T6J2RGxxjZ6sZVySA

We had so much fun making this episode and if you enjoyed it too, please consider heading over to our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) to help us reach our next goal and unlock Matt and Hunter ranking every video game movie of all time.

Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey

Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

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