Video Game Generations

With Addie away on vacation this week, we recorded most of this episode Saturday afternoon. There wasn't much news at the time, but we do cover this month's free Playstation Plus games and the new games releasing this week. Email includes an answer to our recent QotW about games that surprised you, plus a final decision (maybe?) on the "honorable mentions" debate.

Addie started playing two games, so her "what we're playing" contribution is opening thoughts on Double Fine's Headlander (PS4) and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS). I have a brief bit to say about Mighty No. 9 (PS4), and a pre-recorded segment that includes an update on my ongoing year-long play-through of Suikoden II (PS1 on PSTV) and a review of Resident Evil 5 (PS4).

Instead of a new top ten list, Addie takes my video game console quiz. Play along and find out how well you know the makers and decades of launch for twenty consoles of prior generations. Our Question of the Week, devised by Addie, is to let us know your favorite Double Fine game. That's very specific, I know, but it was a spur of the moment choice.

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Early in this week's episode, we try something new. Recently, Addie has been a little too quiet at the start, so I decided to get her involved with a mini-quiz, where she must think of games that feature a certain detail or subject of my choosing. This may be a returning segment, since it seemed to help this week.

Before we read this week's email, news includes next month's free Xbox Games With Gold and the new games releasing this week. My pre-recorded segments are about my initial impressions of Resident Evil 5 (PS4), plus reviews of three games I finished -- Christopher Brookmyre's Bedlam (PS4), Broken Sword 5 Episode 2 (Vita), and Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (Vita/PSTV). Addie's Mobile Game of the Week is Little Alchemy (iOS).

A new top ten list this week is about games from this console generation that seem very underrated. As for last week's QotW about games that surprised you, we're carrying that forward another week, since our next episode will be recorded three days earlier than usual. It'll release next Wednesday, though, as usual. If there's a game you didn't expect to like, but your tried it and liked it after all, write in and let us know.

This week's ending music comes from Bedlam, one of the games reviewed in this episode. It's only a small sample of the awesome music in this unique first-person shooter.

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After news and new releases, this week's listener email provides us with several topics. These include Pokemon Go, Firewatch, an ongoing discussion about top ten lists, more great short games to finish in one or two sittings, the NES Classic Edition, underrated games, and responses to last week's QOTW about handheld vs. mobile gaming.

After my brief opening thoughts on Christopher Brookmyre's Bedlam (PS4) -- the game, not the book -- and a brief update on where I am in Zero Time Dilemma (Vita), I have a pre-recorded review of The Technomancer (PS4). I think it's destined to be another underrated gem. Addie's Mobile Game of the Week is Circle (iOS), from Ketch App.

Following that, Addie talks a bit about her ongoing efforts to collect all the ties in Octodad: Dadliest Catch (PS4). This leads into her list of the top five plot holes in Octodad. Once we wrap that up, Heath returns with Mini-Gamers Episode 12 where he talks more about Octodad, Yasai Ninja (PS4), and Kirby: Planet Robobot (3DS). He also insists on doing a "guess the game character" quiz, proving he's a much better guesser than I am, apparently.

Our Question of the Week for listeners is about games that surprised you. This doesn't have to be just underrated games you enjoyed. Maybe it's a well-liked game that didn't seem as if it'd be your kind of thing, yet you played it anyway and ended up really enjoying it. If you have such a story to share, write in and let us know!

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This week's lone email gives me a chance to talk about the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series again. Also, Addie isn't sure whether Avatar is a kid with magical wind powers, or tall blue aliens. We get that sorted out, though.

First up in game chat is my pre-recorded segment, which includes opening thoughts on Mega Man Legends (PS1), The Technomancer (PS4), Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma (Vita), and spoiler-free thoughts in a sort-of review of Playdead's Inside (Xbox One). Addie's Mobile Game of the Week is Pokemon Go (iOS), of course, because it's everybody's Mobile Game of the Week it seems. The two of us spend some time talking about that, with Addie explaining how it works.

In a feature this week, I present my list of favorite games that can be finished in one or two sittings, prompted by last week's question from a listener. It's a long list, so it doesn't fall under the "top-10" umbrella, but hopefully it'll provide a few good suggestions for different kinds of games on different platforms, if you're looking for something short but substantial.

Our Question of the Week to listeners is a little open-ended. What are your thoughts on mobile gaming (phones, tablets) versus handheld gaming (Vita, 3DS)? Is handheld gaming on the way out as mobile gaming rises, or can both continue to survive? Do you play on Vita, PSP, Gameboy, DS/3DS, or do you stick to your iPhone and Andriod when on the go? Let us know your thoughts, so we can continue the discussion.

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Listener email is a big focus of this week's episode, with questions about shorter vs. longer games and speedrunning games. Also included are comments about my habit of including honorable mentions in my Top 10 lists, watching stuff on YouTube, Sony's E3 press conference, System Shock on Kickstarter, a listener's favorite open world games following on my lists from last week, the trouble with Darksiders, challenging puzzles in The Talos Principle, and more. Our Question of the Week also comes from email. Write in to let us know if you've ever just gotten bored playing an otherwise good game. Maybe some hundred-hour epic grabbed you at first, but you lost interest entirely, before finishing?

Game talk is mostly my pre-recorded review of last year's open world Mad Max (PS4). Addie's latest Mobile Game of the Week is Mahjong Adventure (iOS). Neither of us played much else since the last episode.

In honor of Mad Max, though, this week's Top 14 (including the honorable mentions in the list, per Pawel's suggestion) is all about Max. Listen to find out my Top 14 all-time Max's. Maxes? Plural of Max. Whatever. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds. And of course, the episode starts as always with a little off-topic warm-up, followed by news -- this week's new game releases, and the PlayStation Plus line-up for July.

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We're light on news this week, but there are plenty of new game releases for Addie to describe incorrectly. With so many coming out this week, though, she opted to skip a few and just defer to me instead. Xbox Games With Gold for July have been announced, so we list those too. In email, Bill writes in after a long absence to talk about our one hundredth episode, and to provide his list of all-time top-ten favorite games — a standing invitation for all listeners. Without a new Question of the Week this episode, we're sticking to last week's question. Top-tens are fun, so email us to suggest a category or topic for a future top-ten list!

Speaking of that, my featured top-ten this week is not one, not two, but three lists of my top ten favorite open worlds in games. These are (1) the top ten open world and semi-open world games set in a real-world location, (2) the top ten semi-open world games in a fictional setting, and (3) the top ten open world games in a fictional setting. That's a pre-recorded segment late in the show.

Addie's Mobile Game of the Week is Disney Crossy Road (iOS). It was a busy weekend for her, so that's all she played, other than more Clash of Clans (iOS). In my pre-recorded segment, I include brief updates on a few games I'm playing, plus a review of Playstation classic Echo Night (PS1 on Vita). I also discovered that the Vita allows for complete per-game controller remapping. Playstation TV has more limited remapping options, but on Vita I was able to map Echo Night controls to work just like modern dual-stick first-person games.

The ending music this week includes a few short tracks from Echo Night.

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This week's feature is a new top-10 list of favorite female protagonists in video games. There's also a bit of discussion about future top-10 list ideas. Our Question of the Week for listeners is to suggest topics that would make interesting top-10 lists.

Before that, in my pre-recorded segments, I review Mirror's Edge: Catalyst (PS4) and Submerged (PS4). Also included are my opening thoughts on Mad Max (PS4), Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed (Vita), Echo Night (PS1), and State of Decay: Year One Survival Edition (Xbox One). Addie's Mobile Game of the Week was a surprise to me. It's Clash of Clans (iOS), which has really captured her interest lately. She also briefly talks about Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii) and My Sims Party (Wii).

I guess these notes are backwards, but before all that, it's news, new releases, and email. We're also happy to report that all three game prize bundles from episode 100 have been received by the winners. We're thinking of doing more give-aways in the future, but on a smaller scale. Nothing definite has been decided or planned, so nothing to announce just yet.

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News from E3 press conferences makes this another oversized episode. In two pre-recorded segements, I recap each of the five big publisher conferences. Later, it's a top 10 list of the most exciting game reveals and demos from E3. But we aren't done yet. Next week, we'll have more news in an E3 wrap-up, including your emails about what you liked most or what disappointed you about E3 this year. That's our Question of the Week.

In email this week, we hear from a new listener for the first time, there's a bit of happy-dancing from the winner of our Xbox game bundle give-away, another top 10 favorite games list, E3 reactions, one listener is playing DS games 999 and the Phoenix Wright series, and we get opposing views about whether or not The Witcher 3 is an unquestionably better game than Fallout 4. We also take a Vita game name quiz late in the show, which also comes to us via email.

Addie did very little gaming since last week, but I have a shorter-than-usual pre-recorded segment about what I'm playing. This includes a wrap-up on Republique (PS4), opening thoughts on Mirror's Edge: Catalyst (PS4), and brief mentions of other games I started, including Klonoa: Door to Phantomile (PS1) and Broken Sword 5 Episode 2 (Vita).

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This week, we choose the winners in our big game bundle give-away! We'd announce the names of the lucky listeners here, but Addie decided it should be a surprise. You'll have to listen to get the results. Boxes will ship out today, to the winners.

It's a normal episode for the most part. We have tons of email this week, plus news and new releases for Addie to speculate on plots. It turns out, most of the new releases this week feature robots of some sort, according to Addie. Some actually do! In our two feature segments, we talk about our hopes for E3 (which is just a few days away), and our top 10 games of all time. This includes answers from several listeners as well, although it turns out it's difficult to choose just ten, or choose just one in a series, or even to put them in a specific order.

Addie talks briefly about what she's playing: Mario Kart 7 (3DS), Plants vs. Zombies (Nook), Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare (Xbox One), and Mr. Jump (iOS). In my pre-recorded segment, I talk about Fallout 4: Automatron (PS4), Crimson Shroud (3DS), Republique (PS4), plus a review of Adam's Venture: Origins (PS4).

The after-music ending bit this week is pretty long. Let's just call it... an interesting bit of time travel. Now, we're almost ready to take our vacation, ride some roller coasters, and zip down some water slides, so until next week, enjoy!

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Only a few days remain for entering our upcoming game bundle give-away. Next week is our 100th episode, so part of our discussion this week is a small bit of planning for that. We also talk about summer plans and vacations in our opening off-topic segment.

After news, the free PlayStation Plus games list for June, and Addie guessing the plots of this week's new game releases, we have a few listener emails. This includes Fallout 4 and Witcher 3 talk, an answer to last week's QotW about kids playing or seeing M-rated games, and a suggestion that Addie's Antics are a good thing! Late in the episode, I give honorable mentions to a bunch of great games that didn't quite make my all-time top-10 list. The actual top-10 is planned as a feature for next week.

My pre-recorded segment is mostly a review of the new Doom (aka Doom 2016 or Doom 4 - PS4). Then it's Addie's turn. Her Mobile Game of the Week is Two Dots (iOS). She also talks about games played with her step-brother Nathan -- Dark Souls 3 (Xbox One) and Halo: The Master Chief Collection multiplayer (Xbox One). I guess this ties back into last week's QotW, but it sounds like she didn't get too far in either one. She also played Roblox Wheel of Fortune (PC?), but that sounds self-explanatory.

We have two Questions of the Week for our 100th episode. First, do you have any hopes for E3 this year? The big video game convention is fast approaching, and we're going to talk next week about what we'd like to see announced or covered. Also, what are your all-time favorite games ever? Do any from my "not quite the top 10" list this week make the cut for you? Write in and let us know!

Have feedback? Write to us at
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Find links and show notes at
http://www.vggpodcast.com