Checkpoints

My guest on today's episode is Brendan Keogh, a Brisbane-based critic, journalist, and academic. He's written a book about Spec Ops - The Line, tons of amazing articles for places like Edge, Polygon, The New Statesman, Ars Technica and as of this year has started making some games for fun.

Brendan Keogh wrote a thesis about Grand Theft Auto 4 and a book about Spec Ops - The Line so you know the type of episode this is going to be. There are two fine beards either end of a Skype call and they will be stroked. Also bonus cameo from Brendan's dog.

PLUS - how he wore out a controller playing Geometry Wars 2, why he loves the weight of GTA 4, the evergreen pleasures of Doom, why Binary Domain is an overloooked classic, why Alien Isolation works so well and, in a term I'm definitely going to steal, why Far Cry 2 is his chicken soup game.

"Let's go to bowling!"

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Grand Theft Auto 4, Spec Ops The Line, Catacombs of Solaris, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alien Isolation, Call of Duty, Minecraft, Far Cry 2, Zelda BOTW, Nuclear Throne, Tiny Tower, Geometry Wars 2, Final Fantasy 7, Just Cause 2, Flightmare, Time Crisis, Doom, Kong, Striker

My guest on today's episode is Rod Humble. Rod has an incredible CV - CEO of Linden Labs, head of the EA Play label responsible for the Sims, game artist in residence at the San Francisco MOMA and current Jam City GM - but at heart he is a guy who loves and is fascinated by playing, making, and talking about games.

Here are some highlights of a particularly packed episode: We talk about being moved by scale, an early love of the precise lines of Atom Invaders and the wonder of the seaside arcade, how his early love of design was encouraged by code pages in magazines, and how an early teacher once told him you have two paths ahead of you, computers or crime.

There's also the profound impact of Elite, why Tetris resonates so much with so many, Will Wright stories, how he originally turned his nose up when he was given the Sims to look after, but quickly realised how wrong he was, and how his whole life has been a golden age for videogames.

"We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents."

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Atom Invaders, Star Wars, Missile Command, The Marriage, The Humans, Elite, Tetris, Brutal Paws of Fury, Everquest, The Sims, Cults and Daggers, School Daze, Bounty Bob, Hearthstone, Second Life, Blocks World

My guest on today's episode is Anthony Gallegos - currently working as a game designer on Marvel Heroes, Anthony previously spent years working in the enthusiast press for sites like 1up and IGN, and has been everyone's favourite on a whole host of podcasts including GFW Radio, The Gamespy Debriefings, The Comedy Button and of course Rebel FM.

We talk growing up on a naval base, the ubiquity of the NES in America, how multiplayer games were the bedrock of his early gaming life, his zoology aspirations, his time in Scotland, how a looming deadline helps beat imposter syndrome and how meeting Arthur Gies while they both worked at a Tower Records changed the course of his life.

We also talk about a whole bunch of games - the never ending allure of PUBG, mainlining Everquest in college, why Gone Home was such an inspiration when he started working in design and why a little jank in a game can make all the difference.

"Mind what you have learned. Save you it can."

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Super Mario Bros, Fester's Quest, Rust, PUBG, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Gone Home, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Bushido Blade, Mortal Kombat, The Terminator, Counter Strike, Oblivion, The Walking Dead, Gone Home, Company of Heroes, Jack Box Party Pack, Tribes, God of War 2

My guest today is Daniel Cook, chief creative officer at SpryFox, creators of Triple Town, Alphabear, Road Not Taken and many more. Previous to Spryfox Daniel worked at the brand new Epic Mega Games (later simply Epic games) before spending a few years at Microsoft. He has also maintained his incredible design blog Lostgarden for over a decade.

We talk about how much he loved the Amiga, Bitmap Brothers in particular, growing up in rural Maine, his work in the demo scene in the mid nineties, his deep love of deluxe paint and how he got his start in games thanks to an unsolicited portfolio sent by his friend.

He also shares some incredible insight into the business of making games, how much he loved MUDs, the frustration he felt at Microsoft and why flash portals convinced him to get back into game design.

"We're not going to open a newspaper one day and read about you being eaten by a bear, are we?"

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Triple Town, Steambirds, Zaxxon, Donkey Kong, Faerie Tale Adventure, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, StarGlider 2, Tyrion, Quake, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Tetris, Counter Strike, Star Fox Adventures, Thimbleweed Park, Peggle, 1 vs 100, Realm of the Mad God, Hidden Kingdom, Journey

My guest today is Ed Key, game designer, creator of the incredible Proteus and founder of Twisted Tree games.

We talk Kendall Mint Cake, why the Spectrum game Oh Mummy! had such a profound impact on his younger self, why Stellaris ticks so many boxes, how his dad would gamify their family walks, why Brian Eno and Ultima 7 are forever linked in his brain, and how Proteus almost came with a fold out cloth map.

"Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors."

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Oh Mummy! Proteus, Ultima 7, Chaos Engine, Stellaris, Civilisation II, FTL, Kentucky Route Zero, Forest of Sleep, Batallion Wars, Counter Strike, Mount and Blade, Joust, Tekken 3, Pikmin, Captain Blood, Sensible Soccer

My guest today is Jon McKellan, one of the founders of NoCode studios, creators of Stories Untold and Super Arc Light. Previous to setting up his own studio, Jon spent many years in a band, before getting working in AAA game development on games like Alien Isolation and the now infamous APB.

We talk about his work at these studios, including being there when Realtime Worlds folded, and the human as well as financial impact this can have. We also hit on the job of a lifetime working on the Alien franchise, and why he ended up leaving a job at Rockstar Games to form his own studio.

We talk about early loves on the Amiga and Atari 2600, why Dead Rising doesn't get the credit it deserves, the demands of being a mayor in Star Wars Galaxies, the muscle memory of Wipeout, why all open world games should let you turn off the collectibles and the heart breaking truth behind Super Mario Kart path finding.

" I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality."

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Super Arc Light, Alien Isolation, Dead Rising, Half Life 2, Doom, Wipeout, Inside, Horizon Zero Dawn, Star Wars Galaxies, Stories Untold, Alien Isolation, APB, Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario Kart, Bloodborne, Crackdown, Trials HD, Bioshock

My guest today is Brandon Sheffield, founder of Nercrosoft games, former editor of Game Developer Magazine & Gamasutra, ad creator of Insertcredit.com and No Girlfriend Comics.

We talk about why all of Brandon's early videogame memories are blurry or in the third person, his deep level of discovery and delving into the forgotten history of games, university rivalries with the Maryland Puyo Puyo champion, his incredibly esoteric CV, and how the discovery of a video game in a store in Torrance, California changed his life.

"Sorta, yeah. But no idealized shit. No phony bullshit. The real thing, y'know? Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff. "

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Fantasy Zone, Beam Rider, Advanced D&D, The Smurfs, Gunstar Heroes, Freak Out, Puyo Puyo, Land Maker, Asuka 120% Burning Fist, Shadow Hearts, Star Cruiser, Princess Pyjama, Clash Royale, Nier, Ribbit King, Valkyria Chronicles, Gears of War, Jeanne d'Arc, Bullet Witch, SOS, Pup Breeder, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom,

This is a show about videogames, The people who play them and the people who make them. Each week, a guest on the show talks about the games that have shaped their life in one way or another. Games that have inspired them, games that forged connections with others and games that have soothed wounds. Checkpoints!

My guest today is Mathew Kumar, a video game designer, a writer, a zine creator and a podcast host. This is a very game heavy episode and Mathew's lifelong enthusiasm and passion for video games is incredibly infectious.

We also hit on growing up playing games in Scotland, the forgotten treasures of the home computer scene, why he always wanted to be a videogame journalist, why he always has a Saturn ready to play, and the physical wonder of the joystick on a Neo Geo Pocket Colour,

"What I do is I just try to take my hat and I turn it around, and it's like a switch that goes on."

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: Asuka 120% Burning Fist Limited, Star Wars Arcade, SNK vs. Capcom, Bikini Zombie Slayers, Deadly Premonition, Garouden Breakblow: Fist or Twist, Netrunner, Bangai-O, Loot Rascals, Video Ball, Spy Party, Uncharted 4, N++, Animal Crossing New Leaf, NHL 94, Goldeneye, Roland on the Ropes, Civilisation, Castlevania 2, Bill & Ted's Excellent Game Boy Adventure: A Bogus Journey!, Tiny Toon Adventures, Polybius

My guest today is Violet Berlin, a writer, educator, producer and presenter, perhaps best known to listeners as the presenter of the video game TV series Bad Influence.

We talk calculator games, Space Museums, Game & Watch, the hidden adventure within Zelda, a deep love for Castlevania, how Eternal Darkness tricked her a little too hard and bonding with her children through video games.

We also talk about how she never owned a TV until she worked on TV, her unlikely route to becoming a TV presenter, working for the biggest museum project in the world, the thrill of meeting curators, gunge recipes, being passionate about your interests and how she ended up as a playable character in Micro Machines 2.

BONUS GUEST! In a particularly bumper episode I also speak to Dr. Jennifer Hazel about her non profit company Checkpoint (good name!) which acts at the intersection of mental health and video games. We have a fascinating chat about the clinical use of video games in treating mental health issues, and about their Kickstarter campaign to create a web series about these issues. If you're curious and you'd like to support it, there are still a few days left to back it - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/checkpoint/the-checkpoint-series

"Remember to set your video recorders for the datablast!"

PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints

iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW

Games discussed: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild, Eternal Darkness, Papers Please, Castlevania 2, Sam and Max, The Lawnmower Man, Mega Man, Space Invaders, Micro Machines 2, Stories Untold, Amplitude, Space Channel 5