This week, we interview composer, writer, director, and programmer Andrew Allanson of Ackk Studios, who is developing YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG. Despite the name, even if you're not a big RPG guy, I think this episode has a lot of interesting discussion on game design in general! We talk about the purpose of music in games, looking outside the industry to create within it, and how to fight millions of bees. Next week, look forward to Blood Feast (1963) with Justin Whang!   Show Notes:

• YIIK: A Post-Modern RPG Official Website 
• Mark Brown on Shovel Knight and Nailing Nostalgia 
• Hidetaka Miyazaki on regaining health in Bloodborne 
• Satoshi Tajiri on bug catching 
• Shigeru Miyamoto on arches 
• Tales of Game's Presents Chef Boyardee's Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden, Chapter 1 of the Hoopz Barkley SaGa 
• Andrew on post-modernism 
• Trails of Cold Steel camerawork 

 

We've made it to the finale of the obscure, never-translated, weird-even-by-JRPG-standards game I decided to launch a podcast with. Despite that tongue-in-cheek description, I wouldn't have it any other way! Live a Live was incredibly worth playing, for me. This episode covers the actual, for-realsies, final final spoilers in the game, and Matsu is gracious enough to lead me through them. We also tease an upcoming bonus episode featuring none other than Matsu himself, analyzing the music in another game I've talked about: Earthbound. Speaking of Earthbound, look forward to an interview with the composer, writer, and co-creator of YIIK: A Postmodern RPG, Andrew of AckkStudios! We talk a lot about what the purpose of music within a game is, what a good philosophy is when designing a game that will draw clear comparison to megaton releases, and who would win in a fight. I think it's one of the best episodes of the show, thus far! Show Notes: 

• Matsu on Soundcloud
• Frog Fractions 
• Frog Fractions' creator on preserving a sense of mystery in a modern era of game development

This week, Matsu is back with part two out of three of our Live A Live discussion! We run through the latter half of each chapter, without regard for spoilers. If you missed part 1, it's actually the very first episode of the podcast, and well worth listening to!

We'll be back next week to bed and give our final thoughts on it in full.

Show Notes:

• Matsu on Soundcloud
• Legends of Localization
• Big Jim

We're back with the second part of Earthbound with ojjjuj. We go from Moonside to Dungeon Man, so we start and finish on high notes, in my opinion! As an FYI, the end of this Earthbound series will come a bit later, as I'm going to record it with soban. And look forward to a lot of content from fan-favorite guest Matsu in the very near future!   Show Notes:

• ojjjuj on Twitch 
• Twin Peaks Red Room (Simpsonified) 
• Smash Bros. terms 

In this episode, ojjjuj and I talk about Earthbound AT LENGTH. It's a mid-90s SNES JRPG (seems like I've typed something similar before) that can't be described without using the word 'unique'. The episode is accidentally a two-parter, but we'll need a third to finish the game off someday! Whoops!

We talk about where it fails as a game and what problems are overblown, the incredible, anachronistic music, the unique setting and NPCs, and more.

This episode covers from the beginning of the game to the middle of Fourside, and the second episode will cover the remainder of Fourside through Summers & Scaraba.

Show Notes:

• What a beautiful Duwang
• Miles Gloriosus (particularly around 1 minute in)

In this episode, I talk to Silent Eric (@Silent0Eric) about Battle Connection, a card game by Level 99 Games that translates mechanics unique to the fighting game video game genre into a format that allows people without the reflexes and practiced precision of esports pros to experience the high level mind games that make fighting games so engaging. We take some diversions to talk about other card games in brief, as well, particularly Exceed and David Sirlin's Yomi, which are card games in the same genre, but with somewhat different goals.

Next week, I'll be talking about Earthbound! If you have questions or comments about that game, feel free to send them to me on Twitter (@antoidsyo)!

Show Notes:

• BattleCon Website
• David Sirlin on balance and knowing your opponent
• Divekick on Steam
• Jotaro vs. D'arby

In this episode, Ivan comes on to tell me why he loves Hotline Miami. We talk about the music more than someone as inexperienced with music as I should, and also about specific cool moments in the game and its surprisingly thorough pacing/level design. Come join us!   Show Notes:

• Hotline Miami on Steam
• M|O|O|N AMA

In this episode, we talk about HuniePop and HunieCam Studio with Srirancha (@deleteuraccont) of Porg Chatter fame  and Ryan Koons (@HuniePotDev), the developer of HuniePop! And by "we", I of course mean that they talk about it, while I pretend to know what I'm doing.

In this episode, I kind of talk over/ignore some stuff Ryan and Srirancha say, partly because I'm a jerk, but also partly because our connection was terrible and they were constantly cutting in and out. I blame my WiFi!

Regardless, they were great sports about it, and I hope to have either of them on again, sometime.

 

Show Notes:

• HuniePop on Steam
• HunieCam Studio on Steam
• Australian Hentai
• Incels.me
• Srirancha's Twitter
• Ryan's YouTube

In this episode, Matsu and I discuss Live A Live, one of Squaresoft's many forgotten highly experimental games from the mid-1990s. 

I hope to have Matsu back on sooner, rather than later, to discuss this game without holding back spoilers, as there's a whole lot to talk about, but if you can't wait, you should check the game out for yourself!

 

Show Notes:

• The fan translation patch (by Aeon Genesis)
• The Ultros fight from Final Fantasy VI, in glorious 240p
• Playing card shorthand for player motivation
• Top selling Japanese 3DS Virtual Console games