Nate, Sebastian, David, and Ryan all gather to discuss DEUS EX, Ion Storm's millennial game of conspiracies, nanomachines, and near-future cyberpunk wackiness. We discuss the wealth of different approaches the game makes possible, the difference between conspiracy theories of today and twenty years ago, and slicing dudes in half with a nanotech sword. Sebastian makes a ribald joke about Harry Belafonte, David tries to atone for his cruelty toward Sims with a non-lethal playthrough, and Ryan is in the harbor, killing many men.
Nate, Sebastian, David, and Kari all gather to discuss THE SIMS, Maxis's game of cozy domesticity, consumer capitalism, and interior design. We discuss fancy toilets, aspirations of buying stuff, and whether or not the game works as satire. Sebastian squeezes in a terrible pun, Nate's Sim fails out of a life of crime, and we regale you with tales of unimaginable cruelty to digital entities. Come for the discussion of semi-autonomous virtual people, stay to hear the haunting saga of "Cyrus II."
SHOW NOTES:
Simon Parkin New Yorker article about that E3 demo:
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-kiss-that-changed-video-games
The Sims 3 “Woohoo”ing without covers:
Nate, Jordan, and Ryan all gather to discuss SHENMUE, Sega's late-1999 martial arts revenge epic -- or the first chapter of it, anyway. We discuss embodiment, detailed virtual worlds, and forklifts. Jordan doubts Ryo's detective skills, Ryan gushes over kittens, and Nate marvels at what a weird, ambitious, flawed game this is. Ryan gets addicted to capsule toys.
Nate, Kari, Sebastian, and Jordan all gather to discuss HARVEST MOON: BACK TO NATURE, Marvelous and Natsume's 1999 game about agriculture and small town life. We talk routine, pastoral fantasy, and missed opportunities. Kari suggests that sometimes it's fine for game series not to change very much across iterations, Nate reveals a moment in which he brought shame to his father's house, and Sebastian sings the tragic ballad of Cliff. Jordan names his horse Bertram.
Nate, Sebastian, and Ryan all gather to discuss CHRONO CROSS, Square's 1999 JRPG about parallel worlds. We discuss the ways in which it dramatically contrasts itself with its predecessor, its environmentalist themes, and how it's a big, beautiful mess of a game. Nate salivates over deicide, Sebastian agonizes over a bevy of ridiculous optional characters, and Ryan turns "Terminator" into a verb.
Nate, Sebastian and David gather to discuss TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER, Neversoft's 1999 skateboarding opus. We discuss the rise of extreme sports, the sickest skate tricks we've ever pulled, and what a cool guy Tony Hawk seems to be. Sebastian tries to name a skateboard trick, Nate admits he's never seen "Jackass," and David admits to a youth spent skanking.
Nate, Sebastian, and Ryan gather to discuss SYSTEM SHOCK 2, Looking Glass Studios and Irrational Games' tale of hackers and hybrids in darkest space. We discuss the coalescence of the "immersive sim" genre, whether "spiritual successors" can borrow too heavily from their predecessors, and the merits of hive minds versus scornful AIs. Nate reveals he has just seen ALIEN for the first time ("It's good!"), Ryan reveals the song that's on every one of his running playlists, and Sebastian finally learns how to pronounce "Diplodocus."
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and Ryan all gather to discuss SUPER SMASH BROS., Nintendo's 1999 mascot fighter which showed what happened when classic franchise stars stopped being polite... and started getting real. We discuss the glory of chaos on the battlefield, the joy of watching Link take a sword to Pikachu, and how a game with such simple controls was able to authentically capture such a wide variety of source materials. Nate gushes over the series' fascination with the eclectic corners of Nintendo history, Jordan remembers his childhood dog Kirby, and Sebastian deems Sonic the Hedgehog "the Theon Greyjoy of videogames."
SHOW NOTES:
1999 Sakurai interview in “Nice Games” magazine, translated by Shmuplations:
http://shmuplations.com/smashbros/
The "Happy Together" TV spot:
Nate, Sebastian, Ryan, and returning guest Brock sit down to discuss SILENT HILL, Konami's psychological horror adventure from 1999. We discuss how the game takes the Resident Evil mold in a different direction, how the game shamelessly steals from (and still does justice to) its inspirations, and how sometimes being on the wrong side of the Uncanny Valley can be so, so right. Sebastian praises the game's dreamlike atmosphere, Brock wonders what anyone could ever see in Silent Hill as a resort town, and Nate feels he was denied critical, need-to-know information.
Nate, Sebastian, and Jordan gather to discuss CRAZY TAXI, SEGA's 1999 arcade game about driving a cab in a manner some would consider "wild." We talk about the gig economy, city layouts in videogames, and we discuss at length the various oddball titles of SEGA's wonderful, all-too-briefly-present final console. BONUS: Another guest appearance from four-year-old William, who is our resident expert on driving games.
Nate, Sebastian, David, and Kari gather to discuss SUIKODEN II, the best JRPG you've never played. We talk stories of war, stories that start from humble beginnings but grow epic in scope, and flying squirrels. Sebastian gushes about iron chef competitions, Kari can't bring herself to fight with a friend, and David snatches a physical copy of the game right out from under Sebastian's nose. This is an episode with THREE different spoiler curtains of varying intensity.
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and Kari gather to discuss THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, Nintendo's revolutionary open-world game from 1998. We discuss how worlds are constructed, how "Z-targeting" forever influenced how games handle combat in 3D, and why Navi the fairy unfairly gets a bad rap. (Mostly.) Sebastian compares Ocarina to "a cat turned loose in a gymnasium," Kari tells a story of how she got to play it before her big brother did, and Nate explains his deep and abiding love for The Grid.
Nate, Sebastian, and Jordan gather to discuss HALF-LIFE, Valve's 1998 shooter that pioneered telling a story through scripted sequences and created a new paradigm for narrative in the medium. Also you break open crates with a crowbar! We discuss tram rides, big science rooms, and digital storefronts for computer games.
Nate, Sebastian, and Kari gather to discuss GRIM FANDANGO, LucasArts' seminal adventure game from 1998, often cited as the "last great adventure game." We talk about skeletons, film noir, and how disparate styles can come together to create a cohesive whole. Kari praises the sincerity and heart of Double Fine Games, Sebastian describes an infuriating glitch, and Nate professes his undying love for Glottis. Also discussed: spoilers, Telltale Games, Hideo Kojima (again).
SHOW NOTES:
Jon Irwin - “Long Live Grim Fandango”
https://longreads.com/2015/01/29/long-live-grim-fandango/
Double Fine Productions: Making of Grim Fandango Remastered
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and David convene to discuss DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION, Konami's novel arcade dancing game from 1998. We discuss making a fool of yourself in public, working up a sweat in arcades, and Ohio's best amusement park. This episode is basically just a cavalcade of terrible jokes and stories about what we did in our basements in high school.
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and Ryan gather to discuss METAL GEAR SOLID, Konami's stealth action game from 1998. We discuss the "uncanny valley of cinema," the Selfish Gene Theory, and the origin of the setpiece-heavy structure that would come to inform so many AAA games for the next twenty years. Nate spends $60 on an extremely frivolous expense, Jordan discusses his teenage dream of creating a hoverboard, and Sebastian finds something he hates more than Star Wars -- the insidious misogyny of Hideo Kojima.
Nate, Sebastian, and Jordan sit down to discuss Polyphony Digital's 1998 racing sim GRAN TURISMO, which struck a perfect balance between arcade action and the verisimilitude of simulation, changing racing games forever. We discuss racing games as showcases for graphics technology, the pursuit of the "real," and car elevators. Sebastian debates what we mean when we say "good graphics;" Nate tries hard to make useful comparisons between Gran Turismo, Pokemon, and Diablo; and Jordan has a hard time remembering the name of Microsoft's Flight Simulator, "Microsoft Flight Simulator." Special guest appearance by William, age 3, who loves cars.
SHOW NOTES:
KAZ: Pushing the Virtual Divide
Nate, Sebastian, and Ryan are once more joined by guest Brock Wilbur, this time to discuss FALLOUT, Interplay's 1997 "post-nuclear role-playing game" that birthed a major franchise and heralded a resurgence of the traditional computer RPG. We talk about conveyance, open-ended gameplay, tactical possibility spaces, and tone. Nate calls GURPS "the Esperanto of role-playing systems." Brock explains how a very comfortable hoodie has led to some very uncomfortable conversations. Sebastian compares Fallout's plot unfavorably with The Great Gatsby. Ryan ponders naming his firstborn "Cavalier Oblique Projection."
SHOW NOTES:
Fallout's voice cast is tremendous!
https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Voice_actors
GDC Classic Game Postmortem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2OxO-4YLRk
Nate, Ryan, Jordan, and David gather to discuss Rare's groundbreaking shooter from 1997 -- GOLDENEYE 007. We discuss arcane FPS control schemes, the emergence of "deathmatch" on consoles, and abysmal escort missions. Is James Bond's most successful videogame outing "the Mario Kart of FPSs," or is it merely "Imperfect Dark?" BONUS: The guys say nice things about Pierce Brosnan, who did an admirable job with some truly abysmal material in the late '90s. Jordan refuses to say the name of a Bond girl aloud.
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and David gather to discuss one of their favorite games of all time: FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, the strategy RPG masterpiece from Square. Come for the discussion of player expressivity and labyrinthine political machinations, stay to learn about Nate's cadet Judithe and the ridiculous nickname Sebastian gave Worker 8.
Nate is in earnest about his offer to be your guide through Final Fantasy Tactics if you're intimidated by its complexity. @ him on Twitter: @NEwertKrocker
Nate, Sebastian, Jordan, and Ryan gather to discuss CASTLEVANIA: SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT, one of the all-time great 2D exploration games. We discuss vampiric powers, eldritch castles, and our relationships with our dads. Sebastian plays the contrarian, Nate gushes over Michiru Yamane's music, and Ryan just wants someone to sire him.
Nate, Sebastian, Ryan, and Jordan gather to discuss BUSHIDO BLADE, Light Weight's 1997 samurai fighting game in which a single strike of the katana can be deadly. We consider how pace can change the feel of a fighting game, discuss our favorite samurai movies, and consider how many swords a guy can own before becoming a "Sword Guy." Sebastian discusses a narrative format he wishes more games would embrace, and Nate makes a plea for everyone to petition SEGA to localize Yakuza Ishin.
Nate, Sebastian, and David convene to discuss FINAL FANTASY VII, a blockbuster RPG that took the gaming world by storm and introduced America to spiky-haired, sword-wielding, amnesiac protagonists. Come for the discussion of the game's cinematic techniques and environmentalist themes, stay to hear the plot point David refers to as "the JFK assassination of '90s videogames." Nate has an awkward movie trailer voice, Sebastian admires the game's ending, and David imagines Marlon Brando as Sephiroth.
SHOW NOTES:
Polygon’s “Final Fantasy 7: An Oral History”
Nate, Sebastian, and Jordan sit down to discuss PARAPPA THE RAPPER, NanaOn-Sha's cartoony rap game from 1997 -- the grandfather of rhythm-action games! Listen to us discuss the game's unique art style, dope rhymes, and technical accomplishments. Come for the discussion of videogames-as-pop-art, stay to hear our solutions to the problem of toxic masculinity. Also, Sebastian makes a Popeye reference.
SHOW NOTES:
The "Robot Chicken" sketches we reference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HcJ7XBww28
Nate, Sebastian, Ryan, and David sit down to talk about DIABLO, Blizzard Entertainment's action RPG that procedurally generates its dungeon and aims to entrench you in a cycle of sweet, sweet loot drops. We discuss "roguelikes," PC gaming in the late '90s, and whether Hell is actually Ryan's basement.
SHOW NOTES:
GDC Post-Mortem on Diablo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VscdPA6sUkc
The original pitch document for the game:
http://www.graybeardgames.com/download/diablo_pitch.pdf
The game’s manual: