Doom 2016 Documentary

Danny O'Dwyer's, Patreon-funded, documentary series, NoClip, covers the development of single games with extensive interviews with the creators. His best work so far covered Rocket League, his most recent interview series covers the development the 2016 re-boot of Doom.

It is a game that surprised both myself and co-host Tom Towers, and one we will likely discuss in an upcoming show.

- Phil Fogg

AOL Keyword: GUP

We're back to discuss the current state of the indie game development scene, with final impressions of Virginia and That Dragon Cancer. Click Here.

Trigger alert to humans.

Pancakes.

Pancakes.

Collecting Bratz and Catz

For the first time in a long time I find myself justifying a purchase.

Rational thoughts, rational thoughts.

Rational thoughts, rational thoughts.

Last week I bought a Game Boy Advance SP, as seen above. I already have one of course, and it is certainly the dopest form factors for the GBA (though the micro has a better screen). This one came with 15 games that I do not already own, which was the main selling point.  Forget the fact that those 15 consist of two Catz games, two Bratz games and two SpongeBob games. It was a chance to get another GBA SP and 15 games I don't own, so my choice was rational (right?)

When President of the Candid Collectors' Union this purchase would not have been anything even worth commenting on, because back then one would buy a game if it was a game that had not yet been added to the collection, without question or judgement.  This is the first such purchase in years that has drawn me back to those times, and I am experiencing a blend of exultation and mild regret. Yes I have the games, but toward what end?

Many reviews for the Game Under Podcast audience I am assuming.

- Phil Fogg

Collectors' Curse

For some reason I have recently decided to always have a new game coming from Ebay at all times. This is like reasoning that one must always be drunk, except slightly less expensive (for the record I have not formally come to this second conclusion at the time of writing). Since I now must always be receiving new gifts, I was on Ebay last week and saw the Megaman Legacy Collection for the PS4, which includes Megaman 1 through 6. It was a reasonable price, and although I am officially the world's worst 2d Platformer I decided to get it.  Even though my PS4 is constantly ejecting discs. Again.

So I got it in the mail today, and I realised, "Wait a minute!, this feels familiar".  Racing to the library, (with a brief visit to the beer fridge), I perused my PS2 section and found Mega Man Anniversary Collection, which features Megaman games 1 through 8!  EIGHT! Plus two bonus games! That's, mathematically derived, four additional games over the game I just bought.

D-oh!

D-oh!

So the moral of this story, folks, is don't go collecting 3,000 video games.  The secondary take away is that I guess Mega Man at some point became Megaman. Thanks Obama.

They Do What Game Undoesn't*

When there are no new episodes of the Game Under podcast, what is there to listen to, really? The Endless Backlog podcast, sure, but what if you've listened to all their episodes? Then there's literally only two other options, Sup, Holmes and the Bithell Games podcast.

The former is a series of interviews conducted by Jonathan Holmes who, amid being born, getting fat, tired and bald, found the time to interview some of the luminaries of the indie gaming world, from Jonathon Blow to Zoe Quinn. But the best introduction to his work, I think, is his interview with Lorne Lanning. 

Lorne Lanning, co-founder of Oddworld, has no qualms about openly criticising his contemporaries, swearing and making reference to other mediums or—gasp!—the world at large, regardless of the context of the interview. This makes him the perfect subject for interviewing. Yet this completely normal—in the gaming world eccentric—way of speaking often brings out the worst in the interviewer, compelling them to interrupt him, change the subject, or attempt to appear as well-versed in the subject of which he speaks by making contrived references of their own to related articles they've read.

Jonathon Holmes simply lets the man speak or, when relevant, is willing to join in to keep the conversation going by using for reference his own personal experience and opinions—or his own interpretation of outside sources.

- Tom Towers

Phil Fogg here, and since I've been summoned from the grave to contribute something, I'd absolutely endorse the Bithell Games podcast.  Number one, they put up a show on a regular basis, which I've always believed is key to the success of any podcast, it certainly holds true for us.

Secondly, like our podcast, they always keep things concise and on-point resulting in a podcast that is a short, crisp presentation of well-constructed thoughts. Beyond that though, what Bithell Games Podcast provides that you cannot get anywhere else is an insight into how a small development house is run, with interviews with all types of people who are never usually given voice in games enthusiast publishing. Beyond that, Mr. Bithell, (and the other host), are charming enough fellows to listen to.

- Phil Fogg

*Specifically, produce new episodes. Which isn't actually true of Sup, Holmes. - ed

Cibele Review - Phil Fogg

I had a couple of different ways to go with this review, I went with the one that provided the greatest challenge to me, which was to set aside the baggage so I would not have to unpack it.

Due to an annoying checkpoint marker I had to play the last third of the game twice, which may have also given me a unique perspective on the experience, having seen not a dash of variation between the two playthroughs.  In any case, here it is.

The world designs are mostly Inspired by Georgia O'Keefe

The world designs are mostly Inspired by Georgia O'Keefe

Cibele

After reading a top-secret essay by my co-host Tom Towers on Cibele, I downloaded the game and played it for a short while.  I think my meta-meter broke.

Playing a game about playing a game.

Playing a game about playing a game.

Which by no means is a denigration. I mean, I am about four minutes into it and I've forgotten I am playing a game inside a game, and am just playing a game. Which is a lot more involving than the other game I started yesterday Ryse: Son of Rome.

Looks very promising, some more updates soon.

- Phil Fogg

Phil Fogg, Around the World in 128 Days

Well, it's been 128 days since our last podcast, and strangely that is exactly how long it took for me to get around the world in the game 80 Days, which is a touch-pad version of my namesake's voyage Around the World in Eighty Days.

Not be the first time.

Not be the first time.

It is surprising how little interest my name, Phil Fogg, has brought over my lifetime. Fortunately for me all of my schoolyard bullies were illiterate, and even since then my name is rarely recognized name as being shared by one of Jules Verne's most notable characters.

As for the game, which was awarded Time magazine's Game of the Year in 2014, (a selection that only served to confirm that the last time Time got anything more wrong was in 1938), I was left not feeling fully serviced.  But I'll save that for a review.

- Phil Fogg