Ep.189 - Advance Wars (Nintendo Game Boy Advance)

The game's Bond... James Bond! Chris and Ashley get their licence to podcast this week in James Bond 007 on the Game Boy, an action RPG that tries to distil the thrills, spills and kills of N64 titan GoldenEye onto a small pixelated black and white screen. Find out how successful developer Saffire were in achieving this by listening!   Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

It's time for us to tinker with time as we play Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, a 2003 action-adventure-platformer hybrid. It's a game both Chris and Ashley have very good memories of playing and have high hopes that it stands the test of time. Along the way, you'll find out how this game links to the Assassin's Creed series and Beyond Good and Evil, hear Ashley's awful eBay story and learn about Aristotelian unities. What a ride! Note: this was recorded way back in time (August 2023) when this year's brilliant POP game, The Lost Crown, hadn't even been announced, hence no mention of it. Nor had the currently-upcoming Rogue Prince of Persia. There's probably a clever analogy about time here but we'll let you fill in the blanks with that. Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

It's time for us to conjure up Psychic World, this game where you play as a girl with ESP skills metaphorically coming out of her ears who is tasked with literally defeating hordes of monsters that have literally escaped from a scientific research facility. There is talk about the game (an early 90s Game Gear 2D action-platformer-schmup hybrid), as is tradition, but Chris and Ashley also reminisce about the mid-90s paranormal activity resurgence for more time than is probably healthy. If that's your bag, listen in. If you want to find out about Psychic World, listen in too!  Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

Ashley introduces Chris to Rise of the Robots this week, this game where you play as a fighting robot. And probably rise or something. It is famous for having fancy graphics, billed as having groundbreaking AI and for using music by Brian May (yep, him off of The Queens and badgers). It is also famous for being a high-profile failure. Hit play and find out why! Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

With the game's special edition re-release this week, we get stuck into 1997's Tomba! (or Tombi! for European players), this PlayStation game where you play as a feral pink-haired cave boy who does missions in a side-scrolling platformer/ RPG/ Metroidvania/ action/ adventure hybrid with an unhealthy pig obsession. Is it a silk purse or a sow's ear, though? Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

Time for a third bite of the cherry this week as we try Tomb Raider again! After playing and disliking the PlayStation original and its sequel over the last year or so, Ashley is convinced that the 2013 reboot is where it's at. With its availability on Game Pass, we give it a go. Is this the one that'll turn the tide and get us into the continuing adventures of Lara Croft? Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

It's everybody's favourite red sunglasses-toting circular mascot - Cool Spot! This week, we play 1993's 'advergame' in which you control the titular little guy around a platforming odyssey. He has since faded into obscurity. Should the game do similar? Find out by listening! Not only that but you'll also find out Ashley's top tip for making a refreshing tea-based soft drink, the unlikely genesis of that 90s Disney cartoon 'Pepper Ann' and a diversion into American composer Tommy Tallarico. All in just over half an hour. What a ride! Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

It's a multiple of 10 this week so, in time-honoured tradition, we try a game that neither of us has played before. This time, we take on Thief II: The Metal Age, this game where you stealth your way through a series of missions in and around a steampunk-medieval city. Releasing on the PC in 2000, the game is incredibly well-regarded and still has legions of fans over twenty years later. Listen in to find out if we become converts to the game! Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

Tiny but mighty, the Game Boy Advance was home to some absolute bangers, and this week's game Advance Wars is no exception. Offering a fully featured tactics experience on the diminutive console, this one punches way above its weight. Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/

We're taking a spin through the world of Braid this week, this game where you play as a nice guy called Tim who's trying to rescue a princess. Or is he? The game is billed as a commentary on games design itself. Or is it? And the main mechanic is that you can rewind time to retry puzzles. Or do you? Yes, you do. It's a game well-loved by many for its obtuse nature so listen in to see how we fare with it. Link mentioned in this episode: Game Maker's Toolkit - How Jonathan Blow Designs a Puzzle This link may also be of interest! GameDeveloper.com - Braid Deconstructed Come join us on all the usual socials - follow, like, share, subscribe, rate, review and all that, if you please: Twitter YouTube Instagram Facebook Music for this episode is by Stevia Sphere from the album Cell Division. You can find that and many more great tunes on their Bandcamp here: https://steviasphere.bandcamp.com/