Vidjagame Apocalypse

Latest Episodes:

Full-Motion Audio - Vidjagame Apocalypse 335 Sep 27, 2019

Show notes

Whether you think of them as "full-motion video," "FMV," or "a regrettable trend in game design," cheesy interactive movies once seemed poised to take over the game industry - and with the help of MacWorld's Leif Johnson, we brave stilted dialogue (and our own audio issues) to revisit five fondly remembered FMV games from the distant '90s. Then we bite into Apple Arcade's games, get charmed by Link's Awakening, and look at the dead consoles you want to return as "classic" versions.

Far From Hyrule - Vidjagame Apocalypse #334 Sep 20, 2019

Show notes

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening makes its adorable comeback this week, so with the help of not one, but two towering guests - Chris Baker and Brett Elston - we dig into five of the best Zelda games that unfolded somewhere other than Hyrule. Then it's on to Borderlands 3, Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son, Dread Nautical, and the videogame music you made up your own lyrics for.

Party Like It's 9/9/99 - Vidjagame Apocalypse 333 Sep 13, 2019

Show notes

The Dreamcast, Sega's beloved but doomed final console, just turned 20 this week! To celebrate, Heidi Kemps of gaming.moe joins us for a look at five games that made the best use of the VMU, Dreamcast's memory card/second screen/handheld device. Then it's on to River City Girls, Gears 5, Apple Arcade news, and the long-lost platform exclusives that you think deserve a second chance.

Hippie Hooray - Vidjagame Apocalypse 332 Sep 06, 2019

Show notes

Everyone loves hippies! Right? Or at least enough to put a few of them in videogames. This week, PNB Podcast's TL Foster returns for a look at some of the ways games have depicted counterculture dropouts, after which we'll dig into Astral Chain, Blair Witch, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, and a slew of other new releases, along with a ton of Nintendo Direct news and the games you'd like to see in hand-animated 2D.

Animated by Disney - Vidjagame Apocalypse 331 Aug 30, 2019

Show notes

Being a Disney animator used to mean you were among the world's best creators of hand-drawn, 2D animation - an art form that's fallen out of favor in Hollywood. Luckily, there have been a few times that Disney alums have lent their considerable skills to making 2D games, and we'll dive into five of the best. After that, we snap back to modernity with Control, Knights and Bikes, the apparent resurrection of Telltale, and your favorite bad and weird translations from videogames past.

Lost in Translation - Vidjagame Apocalypse 330 Aug 23, 2019

Show notes

Localization can be a touchy subject these days, but there was a time when it often meant turning a game into something completely different for foreign audiences. This week, we grab Greg Moore to talk about five classic games that changed completely during the move from Japan to the West, after which we'll talk about Remnant: From The Ashes, Rad, Death Stranding's Gamescom showing, and your favorite movies that influenced the game industry.

The Movies That Shaped Gaming - Vidjagame Apocalypse 329 Aug 16, 2019

Show notes

This week, we grab Diana Goodman for a high-speed detour to explore five '70s and '80s movies that had a profound influence on the early years of gaming, helping shape the then-new medium's aesthetics and defining its direction for decades to come. Then we dig into No Man's Sky Beyond, rumors of SNES games on Switch, and the games you had to cheat to beat.

The Greatest Cheats Ever - Vidjagame Apocalypse 328 Aug 09, 2019

Show notes

Cheat codes may largely be a thing of the past, but this week, we'll look at five cheat codes that became important and iconic enough to earn a place in gaming history - and even to influence its course. Things then take two distinct political turns: first, we dig into piloting a presidential mech in Metal Wolf Chaos XD. Then, we talk about a different President trying to turn games into a political punching bag, after which we wrap things up by talking about your favorite developer workarounds to behind-the-scenes issues in videogames.

Border Sharks - Vidjagame Apocalypse 327 Aug 02, 2019

Show notes

We're at the tail end of another Shark Week, so let's capitalize on it by grabbing animal expert Cody Laveau, and taking a look at five games that use sharks to keep you from testing their waters. Then we'll bite into Wolfenstein: Youngblood, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and what the kids would be like if you shipped any two game characters.

The Offspring - Vidjagame Apocalypse 326 Jul 26, 2019

Show notes

When Mikel's away, the kids will play. Speaking of kids... This week, Matty and Chris are joined by TL Foster to talk all about games that let you play as the kids of some of your favorite videogame heroes. Then we talk Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, the new Nintendo Switch, the Gears 5 beta, and more!

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