Episodes
-
010: Thomassons, Part 3: Timers and Jumping
First we discuss timers in videogames. From their arcade origins to more modern takes of having time as a resource. Next is jumping. Why so many games have it, and why it's so effective. And finally we wrap up with some miscellaneous gaming thomassons. Pixel art, MOBAs, and more.
-
009: Thomassons, Part 2: Score and Difficulty
Part two of our series on thomassons, the vestiges of the arcade. In this episode we discuss score, combos, difficulty, and loss. Games mentioned include Mario, Space Invaders, Defender, Pac-Man, Assassin's Creed, Prince of Persia, and Super Meat Boy.
-
008: Thomassons, the Vestiges of the Arcade, Part 1: Game Length and Lives
The term Thomasson comes from Japan and describes a feature of architecture that no longer serves any purpose: a staircase to nowhere, a gate without a fence, a pole supporting nothing. These things arise as cities and buildings evolve naturally over time. The same concept can be applied to...
-
007: Titanfall of Duty, Part 2
These episodes cover the entire Call of Duty franchise, plus Titanfall. Part 2 covers Call of Duty 5-10 as well as Titanfall. If you're only interested in the Titanfall section, it starts at 31:20.
-
006: Titanfall of Duty, Part 1
These episodes cover the entire Call of Duty franchise, plus Titanfall. This got surprisingly out of hand. I try to keep my episodes short and on track, but I guess when my goal is to cover everything I could think of about eleven games it's gonna take a while. Part 1 covers Call of Duty 1-4, as...
-
005: What We Can Learn From Twitch Plays
Sorry about the noise! Somewhat fittingly, this is the fan noise from the computer I'm hosting Twitch Plays Zelda from. We start with the first novel use of Twitch, Salty Bet. This is followed by an analysis of why Twitch Plays Pokemon works so well, mostly by contrasting it with all the hoops I...
-
004: Game Preservation
If you want to play the games of today fifty years from now, will you be able to? I try and answer this question as broadly as possible, discussing topics including hardware, emulation, what developers are doing about, and what we can do about it. Relevant links: Mark Cerny's PS4 talk, including…
more -
003: Project M and Evo Moment 37
First I discuss what makes fighting games good, through an analysis of Evo Moment 37. The remainder of the episode is about the Super Smash Bros. Series, why I'm so excited about Project M, and why you should be too. Evo Moment 37
-
002: 2013 Was Terrible
For a variety of reasons, I found my favorite games of 2013 all made me feel bad. First I discuss storytelling in gaming more broadly, why it's so hard to do well, and some examples of how it has been done well in the past. I then discuss the games of this year. Spoiler alert! I spoil Braid, Call...
-
001: Don't Reward Me for Making Your Game Look Bad
Sometimes every element of a game works together to form a greater whole. Sometimes they clash, dragging the game down to less than the sum of its parts. Here I explore both the good and the bad, with a focus on the level of detail given to a game's environment. Games discussed: Retro/Grade, Gone...
About this show
A different kind of gaming podcast. Each episode takes a look into an aspect of game design, history, or culture and explores it in detail. The format and contents may vary, but it will always be thoughtful.
Hosted by
Zach Gerlock
Categories