168: The Price of Gaming

Sean sent Vinnk a blu-ray copy of The Last of Us for Christmas with the expectation he'd rather watch the show than play the game. However, our livestream audience had very strong opinions about the best order to experience this amazing story. Should Vinnk play the game even though it's a lot longer, and survival/horror isn't really his thing? Or does the HBO series which dives down deep into its characters and is quite a bit lighter on zombies and the shoot shoot bang bang a better path? Selfishly, Sean wants to know if the HBO series hits as hard without playing the game, and he still believes it's possible to enjoy the game afterward. Vinnk is afraid if he has to play the game before watching the show that he'll never do either. What's the best way forward? In Future Retro, Vinnk got Another Code... twice! And In Pile of Shame, Sean finally fixes his 3DS, and we discuss the amazing Zelda II remake for PC! "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

E3 was interrupted by a global pandemic, and then cancelled in 2023 after none of the big console publishers were scheduled to appear. Before that it was Space World, and before that CES. Now with the internet publishers can create their own virtual showcases any time and as many times per year as they want without the cost overhead of sending personnel and materials to trade shows where only a fraction of the audience can attend, making them de facto press junkets. On the last public day of Tokyo Game Show 2023, Sean and Vinnk look back at their own sparse attendance at these shows, and try to figure out what exactly the world is missing if these cornerstones of gaming experience disappear for good. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

It's no secret that we're big fans of Homestar Runner here at Famicom Dojo, so when Vinnk had the chance to see a live wrestling match in Fukuoka he donned his finest Strong Bad shirt, and instantly made friends with American wrestlers Rip Byson and Perry Von Vicious after they spotted his totally awesome attire. It turns out Perry is a bit of a retro game fan to boot; it must be fate! Vinnk, Sean, and Perry explore the differences between wrestling games and fighters, revel in the revival of the side-scrolling beat-'em-up, and Perry's favorite retro game is a Rare surprise. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

The Wii U and 3DS eShops shut down in early 2023, taking with them thousands of games that aren't available physically or on other platforms. TV streaming is suffering an even worse fate of entire TV shows being cancelled and removed from their services, including canning unaired (but completed) seasons to save money with tax write-offs. Vinnk and Sean discuss how the digital apocalypse has spread to all media, but how services like Nintendo Switch Online can offer a faint glimmer of hope. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

It's 1999 again on Nintendo Switch, with the release of an update to a cult classic: Samba de Amigo: Party Central. Will the Switch's motion controls be the antidote to both the imprecision of the Wii version, as well as the inevitable decay of the original Sega Dreamcast's wired controllers? Will anyone in their 40s even know any of the songs on the list? Sean and Vinnk preview what will hopefully be the best version since Samba 2000. Vinnk shares his pile of shame, and Sean plays a Legend of Zelda sequel that's much older than Tears of the Kingdom "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

We've talked before about movies based on video games, and video games based on movies (sometimes themselves based on video games; looking at you, Street Fighter: The Movie The Game!), but have we talked about TV shows inspired by video games? Vinnk and Sean react to the Mario movie trailer, talk about the video game cartoons of their childhood, and how the genre has grown to include more mature and live action fare in the modern era -- including shows that have been announced but haven't even been released yet! But also certainly shows that have, and what is lost (or potentially gained) in translation. In Pile of Shame, Vinnk figures he should finally get in on this Minecraft thing all the kids are playing, and Sean describes his experience with the interactive movie game "I Saw Black Clouds" in Future Retro. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

Five console generations ago, Nintendo gathered up its cast of Mario characters (and Mario-adjacent franchises), put them into 2D sprites on kart racers, and propelled them around a track rendered in the Super Nintendo's Mode 7. A phenomenon was born. Sean and Vinnk look back on three decades, and eight installments of the Mario Kart franchise, and wonder if Mario Kart 8 is too popular to ever be supplanted. In Future Retro, Vinnk shares his thoughts on Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and Sean plays a Star War with Knights of the Old Republic on a Limited Run Games kart for Nintendo Switch. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

When is the golden age of video games? Are we living through it now? Is it yet to come? (Those are basically the only options.) Vinnk and Sean discuss their opinions with each other and the No Brand Con audience as we try to pin down the answer. Plus, Vinnk opines about Sam & Max Save the World, and Sean talks about what got him to finally buy a ColecoVision. "One More Continue" and "RPG" theme songs by the Imari Tones: http://imaritones.net. Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.

In our accidental crossover episode with our new podcast Two Boobs Watch the Tube, we talk about video games, but quickly sidebar into movies and television.Vinnk and SeanOrange pixel art by Louis Lloyd-Judson: https://louistrations.co.uk. This podcast is brought to you by the Nerd & Tie Podcast Network. Listen to other great shows at http://nerdandtie.com.