Indie and Retro

Indie and Retro

By MumblesArtsLeisureVideo GamesVisual Arts
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Indie and Retro episodes

  • Episode 15: Hideo Kojima

    Hideo Kojima is one of the last video game auteurs. In a world where AAA games are increasingly made by hundreds of people, “A Hideo Kojima Production” means you’re getting a singular vision. That vision can be a little wacky and convoluted, but it’s a vision honed by years upon years of movie watching and hard work. Join us as we follow the journey of this man from humble beginnings to where he is now, at the top of the mountain with a stack of boxes strapped to his back.

    1 hr 23 min
  • Episode 14: Portal

    First released as the smallest part of The Orange Box in 2007, Portal and its sequel went on to become two of the most important games of all time. How did two little games made by a bunch of college students go on to change the gaming landscape as we know it? Join your lovely hosts Nick and Mumbles as we take you on an adventure from… a lot longer ago than any of us want to admit. Portal Month is here!

    1 hr 14 min
  • Episode 13: Donkey Kong Part 2

    After the first few Donkey Kong games made literally boatloads of money, the titular ape didn’t always get the respect he deserved. Sure, there were bright spots (Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong ‘94, Diddy Kong Racing), but there were also entire series you’ve probably barely even heard of, let alone played. The license was passed around from one developer to the next, and we haven’t had a new game in the series for years. Still, he’s instantly recognizable and an important part of Nintendo’s - and video gaming’s - history. Hear us talk about all the Donkey Kong games that were developed after the arcade original, as well as a handful of indie games that wouldn’t exist without DK’s historical influence, in part two of the Donkey Kong podcast!

    1 hr 16 min
  • Episode 12: Donkey Kong Part 1
    Donkey Kong made SO MUCH MONEY that Nintendo survived the Great Video Game Crash. This gorilla is a pop culture phenomenon, and its sound effects are still used as de facto “game sounds” when modern TV shows or movies need to show that something is a video game. It had a lot of firsts, too: first jump button, first in-game story cutscenes, and the first appearance of Mario. It’s also HARD, and the learning curve is steep. That, plus the 2007 documentary King of Kong, has kept the quest for the Donkey Kong world record high score hotly contested and much sought after. Hear us talk about the competitive scene and the history of the arcade original in Donkey Kong: The Podcast: Part 1!
    45 min
  • Episode 11: Animal Crossing

    Animal Crossing! What a nice game for all to enjoy. We have some memories to share, some indie games and some OPINIONS about the mobile game. Below are some words from Nick and the links to many things I talked about!

    And now, some words from Nick:

     Animal Crossing is a life simulation game where you get the life you deserve instead of the one you have. Hang out, eat fruit, play video games inside your video games, plant trees, chop down trees, shop, fish, dig up fossils… it’s an ideal world. Sure, sometimes the dark cloud of consumerism clouds your vision a bit, but not forever, and never in a way where we have to decide between eating food or buying gas this week. Many of us grew up with Animal Crossing and saw a world we could have if only we tried hard enough, if we sold enough fruit to the shop, if we paid our bills eventually.  Life, sadly, has other plans for all of us. But that doesn’t mean we can’t visit once in a while and let the cool sea breeze wash over our souls, leaving a scent that lingers long after we go back to our offices and obligations. 

    Links: 

    Creature Street 

    Spiritfarer 

    Among Trees 

    Inside the final hours of Star Wars: Galaxies 

    RIP IN PEACE WII SHOP 

    1 hr 9 min
  • Episode 10: Swordquest

    Delve into the mysterious Swordquest contest! Learn about alternate reality games that utilize indies to share secrets across the web~

    56 min
  • Episode 8: Microphone Games

    We wanted to do something less intense than a Harvest Moon episode, so we decided to talk about a small niche of games that use mics. And, not for multiplayer! Unsurprisingly, this gimmick wasn't something heavily used in retro games and is not that common in new indie ones, either. Still, I think they're pretty interesting to look at!

    Here's links to the two games I talked about:

    Lurking 

    One Hand Clapping 

     

    And, here's a word from Nick:

    We’ve been shackled by the controller for too long – raise up your voice against the corded oppressors! And come with your glorious hosts on a journey through games that use the microphone to control the on-screen action. From the earliest Japan-only Famicom games up through the Dreamcast era, developers had to think a little outside the box and – in every case besides the Famicom, which included a microphone built into the second controller – had to justify to publishers the cost of including extra hardware and a larger box for their game that would fit the mic. Some were huge hits, but pretty much all of those were rhythm games. We found the weirder ones, from a samurai pinball game to a… game where you teach a female humanoid robot to speak and/or love? Also Seaman and Hey You, Pikachu! Come listen to us speak into a microphone. If this was a game, maybe we’d win!
    46 min

About Indie and Retro

From the publisher's feed

Get a taste of new and old with the bi-weekly Indie and Retro podcast! We look at the current gaming world through the lens of indie and retro video games.