Video Game Generations

Reviews in this episode are for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PS4), Super Mario Odyssey (Switch), South Park: The Fractured but Whole (PS4), Don't Knock Twice (Switch), Dead Synchronicity: Tomorrow Comes Today (Switch) and Thimbleweed Park (Switch). I've also added eight more Steam codes to the game give-away page. Listen for the password. If you can't use them or don't want them, share with a friend. The new plan is to give listeners one week to redeem the games you want, and then I'll share the link on Twitter, which will work until the password changes on the next episode. 00:00:00 - Game Audio Clip (from South Park) 00:00:47 - Welcome to the Podcast (Intro) 00:06:27 - Hellblade - Senua's Sacrifice (Review) 00:12:44 - Super Mario Odyssey (Review) 00:24:30 - South Park - The Fractured but Whole (Review) 00:33:20 - Don't Knock Twice (Review) 00:37:40 - Dead Synchronicity - Tomorrow Comes Today (Review) 00:43:53 - Thimbleweed Park (Review) 00:52:05 - Closing Remarks (Wrap-Up) 00:53:52 - Game Music Clips (from

It's a change of pace this time. Rather than an all-reviews episode, Bill joins me to talk about our favorite games of 2017 (and prior years). We read some listener email, which prompts several tangents and discussions about Nintendo Labo, 8-bit Castlevania games, the future of Playstation VR, and more. We recap our 2017 predictions to see how well we guessed the world of gaming at the beginning of last year. We also have a few new predictions for 2018. With no end to the games on the horizon, we talk about quite a few upcoming releases, with rankings on how likely it is they'll release this year. Oh, and if you're a PC gamer, you're in luck. Sixteen games have been added to the codes give-away page. They're free to the first listener able to solve a little scavenger hunt made up of clues in the episode. Listening late? Play along anyway, because the Steam codes usually last days, weeks, even months before being redeemed. It never hurts to check. 00:00:04 - Welcome to the Podcast (Intro) 00:05:40 - Intro and

The first three reviews this episode are for point-and-click adventure games. I review The Uninvited, a classic NES adventure game now available as part of the 8-Bit Adventure Anthology (PS4). After that, another from the same collection, Shadowgate (PS4). Then I review Subject 13 (PS4), Wolfenstein: The New Colossus (PS4), and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Switch). In the intro, several more game codes on Steam have been added to the codes give-away page, and I talk a little about plans for our 2017 year-end wrap-up episode, where Bill will return to co-host. If want to participate, email us your best-of list, predictions for 2018, or just whatever seems appropriate for a year-end wrap-up. 00:00:00 - Game Audio Clip (from Wolfenstein 2) 00:00:46 - Welcome to the Podcast (Intro) 00:05:24 - 8-Bit Adventure: The Uninvited (Review) 00:15:20 - 8-Bit Adventure: Shadowgate (Review) 00:21:30 - Subject 13 (Review) 00:32:22 - Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Review) 00:41:08 - Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle (Revi

After more than two months, I'm back with the latest "reviews" episode of Video Game Generations. This week, I review Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, and Assassin's Creed Origins. I had also planned to review several of the entries in this year's Interactive Fiction Competition, but only got around to three of them, which are also included. For the first time, I'm also including segment timestamps in these show notes. I may go back and add timestamps retroactively for the last four episodes also, if I get the time. I hope this helps any listener wanting to skip a review, or skip to a specific review. 00:00:00 - Game Audio Clip (from AC Origins) 00:00:31 - Welcome to the Podcast (Intro) 00:04:12 - Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (Review) 00:17:14 - Danganronpa V3 - Killing Harmony (Review) 00:30:04 - Interactive Fiction Competition 2017 (Intro) 00:34:26 - IFComp 2017 - Just Get the Treasure (Review) 00:38:09 - IFComp 2017 - Eat Me (Review) 00:42:39 - IFComp 2017 - Hexteria

This time on VGG Reviews (which is really what I should call the podcast, for now), I talk about Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas (3DS), Agents of Mayhem (PS4), Bulb Boy (Switch), Last Day of June (PS4), Danganronpa v3: Killing Harmony (demo on PS4), and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4). But first, some preliminary house-keeping includes an update on what's keeping Addie busy (to be clear, Addie isn't here -- it's just me letting you know what she's up to these days), and several new Steam game codes added to the codes give-away page. The ending music is a catchy, silly tune from Agents of Mayhem, which is also the source of the series of puns at the start of the episode. Have feedback? Write to us at podcast@vggpodcast.com Find links and show notes at http://www.vggpodcast.com

There was plenty of game review content this time, so no top-10 list or special feature (sorry). Reviews include Lithium: Inmate 39, Yooka-Laylee, Spec Ops: The Line, and Hitman: Season 1. Before that, I give out the new password for the game codes page, where four new games have been added (three on Steam, one for Vita). The ending music for this episode is the main theme from Yooka-Laylee. Have feedback? Write to us at podcast@vggpodcast.com Find links and show notes at http://www.vggpodcast.com

This episode, I review The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch), Shadwen (PS4), and Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls (PS4). A review of Tokyo Jungle (PS3) submitted by Jason G. is also included. After the reviews, I list the top ten features missing from the Nintendo Switch, and the ten games releasing later this year that I'm most looking forward to playing. The ending music this week is the title theme for Danganronpa AE:UDG. Enjoy! Have feedback? Write to us at podcast@vggpodcast.com Find links and show notes at http://www.vggpodcast.com

We're back! Well, I'm back. This is the first review-only solo episode after the end of our regular format last time. It's no longer weekly, but I plan to release an episode as often as I can. Until Heath is ready to co-host and we can return to a weekly schedule, the next few weeks or months or years will be like this. I hope you like game reviews! This week, I review Prey (PS4), Syberia II (PS3), and The Surge (PS4). That's most of the show. First, though, this week's feature is a top ten list of the most exciting announcements (for me) from this year's E3. Listen afterwards for this week's code give-away password. Up for grabs are Steam codes for Good Robot, Manual Samuel, and Dreamscapes: The Sandman - Premium Edition. Have feedback? Write to us at podcast@vggpodcast.com Find links and show notes at http://www.vggpodcast.com

This milestone marks not only our one hundred and fiftieth episode, but also the last episode for Addie. When the podcast continues (probably in the next month or two), the format is changing to an all-review pre-recorded show with just me. That will probably continue for a while, with occasional Mini-Gamers segments with Heath or other special episodes possibly co-hosted by Bill. Then, when the time is right, the show will return to a weekly schedule, with Heath as the permanent co-host. Anyway, that's the plan. It might take months or even years before he's ready, or it may end altogether before that. It's impossible to express how grateful we both are for everybody who listened to and enjoyed our podcast over these past three (almost) years. Whether you were a recent listener, a lapsed listener from early on, or there from the beginning to the end, we never would have kept going without you as an audience. It means the world to us both that you helped make this possible for so long. This week's show starts

After a real-world month and 121 in-game hours, I finished Persona 5. My epic spoiler-free pre-recorded review is here at last. Before that, though, Addie's back for our penultimate episode. I talk a little about plans for the future, to keep the podcast going in some form even though it's reached an end for her. I'm sure we'll talk more about that next week, too. After talking briefly about this week's new releases, we read listener email. This includes a couple great questions about weapon durability in games, and frustrating game mechanics in general. We also get brief impressions of The Fall, The Last Tinker, and Fruit of Grisaia from Nikhil. Several Steam codes from prior weeks may still be available, and six new ones have been added this week. They are for Outlast, Mushroom Men: Truffle Trouble, Atonement: Scourge of Time, Atonement 2: Ruptured by Despair, Sword of the Stars: The Pit - Gold Edition and Bardbarian. The ending music this week is an assortment of several clips from Persona 5. Have feedback

It's the end of an era, but maybe the start of something new. This version of the Video Game Generations Podcast will come to an end in two weeks, with episode 150. Addie is old enough now that her priorities have changed, and Heath isn't quite old enough to take it seriously, contribute in a meaningful way, or even just sit still for an hour. The future is uncertain, but I hope to keep the podcast alive in some form. I may do occassional episodes that are entirely made up of my pre-recorded reviews for multiple games, or maybe we'll do a bonus special episode once in a while. The goal, though, is to put the current format on pause for some period of time, until Heath is old enough to make it work. Of course, that assumes he'll still want to, when that time comes. He's here this week, and probably next, but Addie should be back for episode 150. If you have email or voice mail (using our SpeakPipe link or by sending your own .MP3 file) for our "final" episode, be sure to get it to us by May 22nd, prior to our

May the Fourth be with you! It sure wasn't with us, in our first attempt to record on the usual night. I thought it would be a good idea to try dual co-hosts with Addie being unavailable, so Tuesday night, both Heath and Hadleigh sat with me in what I can only describe as a fiasco to end all fiascos. Stay tuned after the ending music for a few select bits from that first attempt. The rest of those painful twelve minutes will most likely remain unreleased, since there was a good amount of yelling, complaining, and silliness in general. In our second attempt, Heath and I stick to the plan. Without a well-intentioned sibling for him to argue with and complain about, it went better. I talk a little about last week's emails to follow up on a couple things, and then we do the Steam code give-away for Child Phobia: Nightcoming Fears and Her Story. After news, new releases, and the free Xbox and Playstation game line-ups for May, we talk about what we're playing. I skipped Persona 5 this week, even though I put a lot

Something weird happened with the audio for this week's podcast. I use a Polycom speaker phone currently (maybe now's a good time to get a real mic), and something was wrong with it this time. Maybe the handset wasn't on right, or there was an issue due to prior use that caused some distortion and feedback or something. The problem wasn't evident until listening back and editing, so the entire episode is like that. Luckily, the noise removal feature in Audacity helped quite a bit, making the audio a little more robotic and hollow but taking care of most of the distortion and background static. You may still notice it, especially if listening with headphones, but all things considered, it could have been a lot worse. Plenty of new game releases make up this week's news segment. After that, we read several really great emails from listeners. Topics include Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight, a Double Fine display at the game exhibition in Hamburg, the Nintendo SNES-Mini rumor, the portability of digital downloads

Heath fills in for Addie once again in this week's episode. The neighbor's lawn mower fills in as an annoying bit of bad luck. We don't have a sound-proof recording studio or anything, unfortunately, so I apologize in advance for the droning buzz that can be heard through most of the show. At least my pre-recorded segment, with a spoiler-free review of Mass Effect: Andromeda (PS4), isn't affected by that. In this episode, I rant about YouTube's cryptic "inappropriate content" complaint about one of our recent episodes, which resulted in its removal from YouTube. Even after disputing it, an uninformative and unhelpful cookie-cutter response was the only result. Since our content doesn't actually voilate their content policy, and no specifics were given, it's impossible to continue uploading to YouTube because I have no idea what the issue was. As a result, we're no longer on YouTube. My first thought was the ending music in that episode (from Blaster Master Zero), but I generally only include stuff that others

Game code give-aways have been streamlined (even though you wouldn't know it from my lengthy explanation in this episode). Instead of solving clues and filling in the blanks, just listen for the password each week, and enter it in the box near the bottom of our main page (www.vggpodcast.com). This week, we're giving away one copy of Christopher Brookmyre's Bedlam and a copy of Lichdom: Battlemage, both on Steam. Plus, last week's codes are still available, as far as we know. Addie doesn't have much to say about the Xbox Scorpio announcement, but I share my thoughts during our news segment. After that, she helps me with this week's list of new game releases. In email, I talk more about the Mass Effect: Andromeda faces/animation controversy (a topic that comes up again later in my pre-recorded segment), math, and Pawel's thoughts on Psychonauts and Blackwood Crossing. Also in my pre-recorded segment, I give first impressions of Thief Town (PS4) and Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime (PS4), plus a brief update on m

This week's free Steam codes are for Just a Cleric, Just Bones, and Monster RPG 2. As always, if you're the first listener to fill in the blanks using show-related clues, you can redeem one or two or even all three of these on Steam. Sometimes the codes don't get redeemed for days or weeks, so it's always worth checking them out, just in case. This week's news is a recap of April's free PlayStation Plus games, and the games releasing this week for various platforms. In email, listeners share opinions about several games, including Limbo, The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, Guacamelee, TellTale's Batman, Night in the Woods, and L.A. Noir. Blaster Master Zero (Switch) gets a review in my pre-recorded segment. After that, Addie talks a little about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch) and I Love Hue (iOS), which is her Mobile Game of the Week. Without adequate time to prepare, we have no top ten list or quiz this week. But we do have some Blaster Master Zero music. The show ends with the title

Even though it's still March, I think Addie considers this our April 1st episode. Rather than spoil anything, I'll just leave it at that. After news and new releases, an email from Pawel gives us a chance to talk briefly about Addie's role as co-host. Nothing is decided, and she's here for now, but the time may come when it's just me and Heath, as Addie's priorities change with school, friends, and various other activities and interests. The same email also gives me a chance to disagree with him about Horizon: Zero Dawn. I have a brief update on Blaster Master Zero (Switch) and opening thoughts on Mass Effect: Andromeda (PS4). In my pre-recorded segment, I review Nier: Automata (PS4). After that, Addie has a short game review of her own. Then, in a new quiz, I challenge her to name the exclusive gaming platform (Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo) associated with each of sixteen iconic game characters. Bonus points are awarded if she can name a game featuring that character. Listeners can play along too. Steam game

Addie's back, but it's our shortest episode ever due to limited prep time and Addie getting a bit sick. I have no pre-recorded review segment this week, but I talk a little more about Blaster Master Zero (Switch) and my opening thoughts on NieR: Automata (PS4). Addie's gaming time was spent mainly on the 3DS with Stretchmo and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, but she also played a bit of Castle Crashers (Xbox 360) with Heath and Hadleigh. In email, we talk about the ways we relate the similarities in games, losing cohesive storytelling in open world games, and the possibility of Horizon or Zelda copycats after the recent success of those games. That's after news and new releases. Two Steam game codes are given away early in the show. These are Poker Night at the Inventory and Poker Night 2. If you're the first listener to solve the simple clues to fill in the blanks, you can redeem these PC games on Steam. Last week's Steam codes may still be available too, since I haven't received word yet that they'

Heath returns again to guest-host in Addie's place, due to yet another scheduling conflict. We're trying to get things back on track, though. Next week, the plan is to return to our normal Tuesday night recording, with Addie back on the show. Somehow, the show runs longer with Heath. Keeping him focused on the subject at hand has been a challange. This week, we talk about the upcoming PLAY Collective games on PS4, this week's new releases, more on the Nintendo Switch and upgrading your memory card, listener feedback about Horizon: Zero Dawn, and thoughts on recent events involving the co-host of a much more popular podcast. In my pre-recorded segment, I give opening impressions of Blaster Master Zero (Switch) and a review of Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4) -- without spoilers, of course. Heath talks briefly about everything he's playing, including Super Bomberman R (Switch), Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 (PS4), Tearaway Unfolded (PS4), Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch), and Snipper Clips (Switch). In this we

In a surprise twist, Addie had a second scheduling conflict on our alternate recording night, so younger brother Heath fills in as a guest host. It looks like next week will also be one day late, before we're back to our normal schedule of releasing on Wednesday, but at least Addie should be back to her regular hosting duties then. With Heath here, though, we talk about the Nintendo Switch late in the show. We share our thoughts and early impressions of the new handheld/home hybrid console. Heath talks a little about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and I try to steer him clear of anything that might be a spoiler. Before that, my pre-recorded segment is a few opening thoughts on Horizon: Zero Dawn (PS4). I'm saving a more in-depth review of the game until I finish it, hopefully by next week. For this week's new game releases, Heath tries to guess what each game is about. There's some confusion, though, because at one point he thinks he's supposed to predict what it is without even hearing the title. A