80-Bit Podsmash

Penguin & Termite continue in the series where we take a deep dive in discussing specific video game consoles. This week, it's all about the Microsoft Xbox 360, the parent to modern consoles. We discuss the hardware, accessories, history, impact, and a definitive list of games for the console. The 360 brings with it - the official start to the HD era, and the beginning of the current, ubiquitous, online infrastructure.

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite are parents, with children old enough to start getting into video games. We explore the topic of Parental Controls! How do we approach the internet with safety in mind in a totally new and evolving landscape? What did we have growing up that's different from today? What do each of the major platforms offer in terms of protection and safety?

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

In video game software engineering, gravity is something game designers have intentionally added that's taken for granted. Penguin & Termite discuss how gravity programming has impacted the way we experience video games. How do you feel about fall damage? Well, that's one of limitless ways to implement gravity, we discuss...

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Spring is in the air! Penguin & Termite are fed up with fishing in video games. We air our grievances while discussing the origins of fishing, try to explain why it's there, as well as the various ways video games utilize it. Fishing can be anything from a side, mini-game to completely integrated in the game.

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Video games continue to get better, richer, more meaningful, and impactful as Penguin & Termite push through Wikipedia's Best Video Games of All Time list. We walk through the years 2002 through 2004 of this curated list, while offering our perspective of the games themselves and the state of the industry at the time!

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite celebrate Valentine's Day by taking a deep dive into romance systems in video games. Where did they start? How have they evolved? How relatable are they in our lives? All this and more...

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80bitpodsmash IG: https://www.instagram.com/80bitpodsmash/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/80bitpodsmash Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ve3bIiKDcxEIdo-QInzlg Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

With the latest buggy debacle that was the Cyberpunk 2077 release, Penguin & Termite are inspired to talk about video game testing and Quality Assurance (QA). What does this process look like? What are the relationships between testers, development studios, and publishers? How has testing changed over the years? All this and more...

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80bitpodsmash IG: https://www.instagram.com/80bitpodsmash/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/80bitpodsmash Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ve3bIiKDcxEIdo-QInzlg Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Maybe the final entry in our Genre Deep Dive series of episodes; Penguin & Termite discuss puzzle games! It's more than just Tetris and Myst. We discuss how this genre has affected video games we love today, the history of the genre and of course, we discuss our favorite puzzle games!

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/80bitpodsmash Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80bitpodsmash IG: https://www.instagram.com/80bitpodsmash/ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/80bitpodsmash Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8ve3bIiKDcxEIdo-QInzlg Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Have you noticed the mingling of Hollywood and the video game industry? Penguin & Termite have! We discuss the occurrences of and various ways that celebrities have made their way into video games. What, if there even is, value does this bring to the video games which their involved with?

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/

Penguin & Termite tackle a discussion around criticizing video games. This is beyond reviewing, thinking about the reaction video games get from the fans vs actual critics. What makes a good critique? How is criticism an important part of any artistic ecosystem?

We discuss...

Discord: https://discord.gg/t5hEgKt

Music: Ozzed - Super Secret Tune http://ozzed.net http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/