Video Game Generations

In an early topic of discussion this week, we talk about the just-announced price and release window for PlayStation VR (PSVR). We also go over this week's new game releases, followed by listener email. This includes thoughts on upcoming Fallout 4 DLC and Day of the Tentacle Remastered, and a bit more about Ether One and Gauntlet: Slayer Edition. Our question of the week for listeners is about your thoughts on remasters and re-releases of older games. Are you interested in playing games from fifteen or more years ago, if they're remastered and re-released? This has become pretty popular lately, with many more old games scheduled to make a comeback in the weeks and months ahead. Is this a good thing? Are there too many of them? Is it just a cash grab? Let us know by email ([email protected]), and we'll read your comments on the show.

Mini-Gamers returns this week, with episode 9. Seven-year-old Heath chats with me about many of the games he played since last time. After that, Addie shows off iOS app IGun Pro HD with its realistic sound and light action. In my pre-recorded review segment, I cover Far Cry Primal (PS4) from start to finish.

Neither of us prepared a quiz this week. There was some confusion on that point, but a round of video game "Where Am I?" fills the void.

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We're back to our usual format with the usual segments this week. After news and new releases (where Addie once again misinforms listeners by making up her own game plots based on the game titles), we read listener email. We weren't creative enough to have a new top 10 list or a new Question of the Week, but you can always write in to answer any prior week's question.

I talk briefly about Gauntlet: Slayer Edition (PS4), which I played some with Heath (Addie's younger brother). Addie talks a little about Twisty Hollow (iOS), which she's enjoying on iPhone. In my pre-recorded segment, I still don't have much to say about Far Cry Primal (PS4), because I haven't played much more since last week. However, I talk at length about Saturday Morning RPG (Vita, PS4, PSTV), which I played and finished.

To wrap up, Addie presents me with a new quiz of her own design. This time, she picks one game (Broken Age) and asks me a series of trivia questions about the game and its development.

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Knowing that I would be out of town for work this week, I came up with a plan to avoid skipping an episode. We recorded part of it a week ago. This includes a news segment where we talk about the free PlayStation Plus games for March 2016, and new game releases for this week. Partway through that, Addie decided to make it fun for herself by telling me what she thought each new release was about, based on each game's title.

Since this was done right after last week's episode, there was no new listener email. We did play video game "What Am I?" after that, plus our first-ever video game "Where Am I?" As for the question of the week, since we had only just released the prior episode when we recorded this, we stuck with the same one. Tell us about your most interesting video game-themed dreams!

In the middle, I added two additional solo segments, which were recorded later. First, I give my brief opening thoughts about Far Cry Primal (PS4), and then a wrap-up on Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Vita). In the second segment, I talk about ten games that everybody but me seems to love. These are games that were very well-received, but just didn't resonate the same way for me.

In place of the self-made MIDI instrumentals that usually end each episode, this week's closing song is a catchy tune from one of the room escape sections in Virtue's Last Reward.

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In news this week, we go over the free Xbox Games with Gold for next month, which were just announced. We also list and briefly describe quite a few new game releases for this week. In listener email, we read several answers to prior questions. In one, we're asked out thoughts on the pricing of digital versus physical games, and whether or not it really makes sense to pay full price for a game you may not even play for weeks or months, until after it's on sale or permanently discounted. Our question of the week for listeners is also inspired by this week's email. Tell us about your most interesting video game related dream. Have you ever stayed up way too late playing, and it invaded your dreams? Write in and let us know!

Addie and I talk about the strange competitive multiplayer game Starwhal (PS4), and stunt bike game Happy Wheels (iOS). In my pre-recorded segment, I have wrap-ups for Unravel (PS4), Three Fourths Home (PS4), and The Witness (PS4) -- yes, another wrap-up for it. I also give opening thoughts on Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward (Vita/PSTV).

This week's quiz is another video game "What Am I?" Listen as I descend into madness, attempting to guess the game item Addie has in mind. Not really, but it was certainly exhausting.

We may not have an episode next week, since I will be out of town during the normal recording time. However, we have a plan to record some of it early (the intro, new releases for next week, and probably a quiz), with me filling in a few other things via pre-recorded segments (including the Playstation Plus games for March, which should be announced by then). I may also add an additional solo segment or two -- some kind of feature or "top 10" list -- to make up the gap. It might result in a patchwork episode, but we'll see.

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It's video game overload this week, with my pre-recorded reviews of Firewatch (PS4), Gemini: Heroes Reborn (PS4), and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PS4). I also have a wrap-up on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and its Claptastic Voyage expansion (PS4) and intro thoughts on two games I only played briefly -- Blue Estate: The Game (PS4) and Three Fourths Home (PS4). Oh, and also a wrap-up on Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (DS).

But that's not all. Addie and I talk at length about Unravel (PS4), a cute but deceptively challenging new puzzle platformer we've both been playing. Later, Addie helps me list off my top ten favorite games featuring time travel as a story element and/or gameplay mechanic. We also play one round of video game "What Am I?" with Addie asking me the questions.

This week's new Question of the Week for listeners, suggested by Addie herself, is this. What are the coolest, best, most interesting easter eggs you've found in a game? It seems like we've talked about easter eggs before, but I don't remember it ever being a QotW, so that's what we want to know. Write in with your answers, and we'll read them on the show. Also, write in if you have a question to suggest, or just to say hi. This week was devoid of listener feedback entirely.

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This week, we wrap up the discussion on The Witness (PS4). Addie played quite a bit of the game too, but she may move on to other new releases (like Unravel) before getting back to it. She also finished Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot Mystery (Vita), which is a game she enjoyed enough to set her eyes on obtaining its many trophies. We'll see how that goes.

In my pre-recorded segment, after brief updates on 999 (DS) and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS4), I talk about Everybody's Gone to the Rapture (PS4) in what's intended as a spoiler-free review. It's not exactly a game, but it's not exactly not a game. Whatever it is, I liked it quite bit. Before all this, though, we start with news (mostly this week's new game releases) and listener feedback (in which we discuss podcast subscriber statistics and our thoughts on how long we might keep doing the show).

Our question of the week, suggested via Twitter by TyeDyeSheepFilms, is this: How much over $60 (or the standard price for a video game in your country) would you pay for a game you really really wanted? Then, to end the episode this week, we trade off quizzing each other in a couple rounds of video game "what am I?" — a new twist on a recent favorite.

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After a rant about my disappointing experience trying to order extra copies of Saturday Morning RPG, we bring you the news. Or, at least, we bring you info about the free games in this month's PlayStation Plus and XBox Games With Gold line-ups, followed by new games that release this week. Two answers to last week's QotW about exercising as a gamer make up our listener feedback segment.

In my pre-recorded segment, I have an update on Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS4) after finishing the main game and starting the Claptastic Voyage DLC. Then it's a spoiler-free review (or, at least, most of a review, since I haven't quite finished the game) of new Thekla Inc. game The Witness (PS4). Addie didn't have anything to talk about for our "What We're Playing" segment this week.

Without a quiz prepared, we play video game character "Who Am I?" not once but twice. I'm starting to think Addie is trolling me, although it's probably not intentional. She really enjoys it when I'm confused. It's almost like a comedy routine, set to the tune of her out-of-control laughter.

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News and email start this week's episode, as usual. This includes one answer to last week's QotW, which was about costumes and outfits in video games. This week's question involves fitness and exercise, as a gamer. What do you do to stay active and healthy, so that gaming doesn't completely take over?

My pre-recorded segment includes updates for Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors aka 999 (DS) and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS4). I feel like I'm close to finishing the latter, so next week's show may include a final wrap-up. After this, we talk about the competitive multiplayer "turf war" in Splatoon (WiiU), with Addie listing her five tips for the game. We wrap up with some chat about Dance Central Spotlight, centered around how likely it is that the same dozen or so songs over and over will eventually drive me batty.

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In news and email this week, we talk about new game releases, Amazon's new 20% discount on all video game pre-orders for Prime members, the design philosophy behind arcade classics, gaming interests after your family grows, and even more anticipated games of 2016. After that, we talk a little about infinite runners (aka endless runners), since Addie has been playing Geometry Dash and Geometry Dash Meltdown on iPhone. My contributions are Gravity Guy (it's too hard) and an iOS runner based on Mirror's Edge (it's cool).

Then we talk about Dance Central Spotlight (Xbox One), which I recently started "playing" just to start getting in shape as a stepping stone to maybe an eventual, more organized exercise and weight loss plan. I may talk about the gameplay on a future episode, but this week it was just about exercising in general, and not being a lazy gamer.

In my pre-recorded segment, which is really just a part of our What We're Playing segment, but which I'm thinking of giving a name at some point (like maybe "Mike's Gaming Audio Blog," but I digress), I have brief updates for games I've recently played, including final thoughts on Tales From the Borderlands (PS4). Then, I have initial thoughts to talk about for two more -- 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors (Nintendo DS) and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS4).

This week's Question of the Week for listeners is about clothes. What video game character or group of characters in a game had the best, or most unique, or perhaps most useful outfits? Addie gives a great answer with Costume Quest, but write in and let us know what you would pick.

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After our usual off-topic bit, where Addie tries to convince me to get a Loot Crate subscription just for her, we talk about news and rumors regarding a few spring 2016 video game release dates. Oculus Rift has also been dated and priced, so we discuss that briefly too. Without any listener email this week, we then move quickly into our What We're Playing segment.

In my pre-recorded segment, I have a wrap-up on Rise of the Tomb Raider (Xbox One) and opening spoiler-free thoughts on Tales from the Borderlands (PS4). Then it's back to Addie for her first-ever Retro Games With Addie segment. She starts with classic arcade game Centipede, which she played briefly on the Atari Anthology (PS2).

The rest of the episode is Vita and PSTV focused, with our top ten list of reasons to own a Playstation TV, followed by a quiz for Addie that's all about Vita game subtitles. With no email this week and no answers to last week's QotW, we ask again: do you have any 2016 gaming resolutions? Write in to let us know. Oh, and as usual, there's a short bit after this week's ending music, snipped from the main show, in which Addie confuses me once again.

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