For over 30 years, people have been in pursuit of the perfect run in Super Mario Bros. That is, completing the game in the fastest time possible, also known as a speedrun. Now in 2021, the current world record holder may have reached the human limit, coming within milliseconds of the fastest time achievable by a computer. By analysing what’s technically possible, speedrunners are able to find the exploits, refine their approach and practice relentlessly, to push the absolute limits. This is the science and art of the speedrun.

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Speedrun Science by Eric Koziel

Competitive gaming tournaments have been around about as long as video games themselves. With the rise of professional esports in the 2000s, it was only a matter of time before esports made its way into universities. Now, colleges across the United States are embracing games and competition, offering their own programs. An esports scholarship might even help you get into a college that you may not have been accepted into otherwise. But esports still faces many challenges, particularly at the collegiate level. 

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It’s a lovely morning in the village, and you are a horrible goose. That’s the premise of the indie hit Untitled Goose Game, a comedy/stealth/puzzle hybrid, developed by House House, and released in 2019. You play as a mischievous goose, and your task is to cause as much havoc as possible, annoying the villagers of a quiet English town. In this episode, composer Dan Golding, and sound designer Em Halberstadt break down how the game’s dynamic music and sound effects influence its unique humour and charm. 

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Listen to the Untitled Goose Game Original Soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music.

For 20 years, Steve Downes has portrayed Master Chief, appearing in each mainline game of the Halo series to date. In this episode, Steve shares the story of his time voicing John-117, from Combat Evolved to Halo Infinite. Downes details his process to get into character, drawing on the Halo backstory, and tapping into Master Chief’s emotions. 

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Music plays an important role in many games, and even in the early days, the best composers were able to create incredibly expressive music, despite technical limitations. Dragon Quest composer, Koichi Sugiyama is known as the pioneer of orchestral music for RPGs, and in 1987 he staged the very first video game music concert in the world. But it took another 16 years for these kinds of orchestral performances to be held outside of Japan. In this episode, how Thomas Böcker brought Spielekonzerte - Symphonic Game Music Concerts - to Germany, and the world. 

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Learn more about Thomas Böcker's work at gameconcerts.com and merregnon.com.

Listen to Final Symphony on Apple Music or Spotify.

Listen to Symphonic Fantasies on Apple Music or Spotify.

How do you turn a Nintendo Game Boy into a musical instrument? 8-bit music is one of the most defining characteristics of gaming’s golden age of the 1970s and 80s. The sound chips in early arcade machines and home consoles had their limitations, but they gave the music a unique aesthetic that is still associated with games today. A love of retro games has led many developers to adopt 8-bit music (and graphics) as a way to honour the past, and create new experiences in this classic style. But 8-bit music, also known as chiptune, is much more than nostalgia. It’s become a whole new music genre of its own. This story comes from the podcast Sum of All Parts. 

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For all the negative coverage and misrepresentation that video games receive, the reality is very different. For most of us, games are a hugely positive influence on our lives, particularly for our mental health and wellbeing. This episode, we dispel the myths around the psychology of games, and we hear from two people who use games as a coping strategy to manage anxiety and depression.

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If this episode brought up any issues for you, help is available. Visit checkpointorg.com for global mental health services.

Do you ever have moments when you’re playing a game that is so visually stunning, you feel compelled to capture it? You might take a quick screenshot, or use a built-in camera mode, and post an image to social media. With modern consoles having dedicated share buttons, it’s easier than ever to snap our favourite gaming moments. But there’s actually a whole community of virtual photographers who are capturing in-game photos, with purpose and real creativity. 

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Megan Reims on Instagram

GamerGram

Leo Sang VRP

In 2016, Pokémon GO was a global phenomenon. Millions of players around the world lived out their fantasies of being a Pokémon Trainer, venturing into the real world to find and collect their favourite Pokémon. The game was a huge financial success, but it was also a groundbreaking moment for games, as many players engaged with augmented reality for the first time. This episode, we look at the evolution of AR games, where they might be headed, and hear from an indie developer using the technology to create mature, story-driven experiences through AR mobile games.

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True Crime Games: True Crime Mysteries

A whole generation of games are at risk of being lost forever. Physical media like floppy disks and optical discs have a limited lifespan, and their time is running out. The growing trend of digital games too, many of which don’t exist in any physical format, are also under threat of disappearing. While we can’t save everything, there is still hope. A global community of game historians and preservationists are working to save games history, one disk at a time.

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