Watch Out for Fireballs!

Latest Episodes:

243 Preview: Mirror's Edge Jul 18, 2019

Show notes

Gary and Kole discuss the generalities of Mirror's Edge in this premium episode preview. Join us on Patreon for the whole shebang!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

242: Psychonauts Jul 11, 2019

Show notes

No game makes you WANT to like it as much as Psychonauts. Raz is a great character, the counselors at his psychic summer camp are top notch, and the aesthetic is excellent. The problems begin with the play, since the game only shows a passing interest in being an enjoyable 3D platformer. So Doublefine's premiere effort is endlessly charming, but also a pretty big disappointment. Listen in to hear us be even more conflicted.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

241: A Hat in Time Jul 04, 2019

Show notes

We begin our 3D Platformer Month with a modern loveletter to 90s platformers like Banjo Kazooie and Super Mario 64. Hat Kid runs afoul of the Mafia, and she must collect her hourglasses (which are spaceship fuel) from a planet full of colorful jerks.

The game runs high on charm, but it also runs right into our fundamental problems with this genre. So we try to put on our "3D Platformer Appreciator" hats and see what's good here and what falls short.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Dispatch: Cinematic Games Jun 27, 2019

Show notes

This is a big dispatch episode, where we spend a good deal of time on your questions before talking about why games shouldn't try to be movies. We then turn our attention to your responses to June's games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

240: The Golden Age of Tetris Jun 20, 2019

Show notes

We round out puzzle month with the ultimate "puzzle" game, so elemental that you can't imagine it not existing. Alexy Pajitnov and a crew of colleagues in the USSR birthed the game, and it followed a long and complicated trail to becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

This episode relates that story, talks about how Tetris has changed over the years, and looks at some recent excellent Tetris games.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

239: The 7th Guest / The 11th Hour Jun 13, 2019

Show notes

The early 90s were a very strange time for PC games, almost solely because of the introduction of the CD-ROM drive. This new techology revealed two paths for the industry, both of which would be pretty short-lived: The Myst path of baroque, isolated puzzle voids, and the 7th Guest path of FMV movies with puzzles slightly attached.

The stories of Henry Stauf's infernal mansion are almost too out there to be believed, and we definitely don't recommend that you play these games to completion, but we invite you to hear all about both the 7th Guest and its sequel, the 11th Hour, here on the show.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Save the Date: Duckfest 2019 Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Get ready for a day of Duckfeed. On August 31, 2019, we will gather at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland Oregon for live performances of many Duckfeed shows, and a few local podcast friends. Listen to the announcement for more.

More details are forthcoming, including ticket details.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

238: Into the Breach Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

We begin Puzzle Month with one of the best indie releases of 2018. While it's nominally a turn based strategy game, Into the Breach provides near-perfect information, making it more of a series of chess puzzles than a traditional X-Com-alike. And the story of the game's development confirms that this was the designer's intention.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

Dispatch: Romance May 30, 2019

Show notes

We read your responses to May's games, and we talk about how AAA games get romance wrong.

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!

237 Preview: Hitman 2016 (Preview) May 23, 2019

Show notes

Hitman 2016 is a tremendous game. It's shockingly generous in scope, rewarding curiosity and ingenuity. Agent 47 heads to exotic locales to kill exotically, and we're here for it.

This episode is a preview of the full premium episode. To hear the entire thing, join us on Patreon!

Support Watch Out for Fireballs!