Player One Podcast

This week! On this eve of the release of Metroid Other M we talk mostly about Super Metroid. But mixed in there there’s also Ufouria: The Saga, Shank, Mafia II and more!

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, voicemail line and more! Plus, you’ll be able to access bonus audio and video content (soon, once we figure out what that is). Click here to download.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. You can leave us a voicemail by calling 713-893-8069 or you can send a comment via MP3 to our email address, playeronepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

This week’s links:
Super Metroid Ending Run
Press Your Luck documentary
Ufouria The Saga

Running time: 1:38:13

Direct download: 08_30_10-Episode201.mp3

Chris Johnston Episodes, Game Club episode, mafia ii, podcast, shank, Super Metroid, ufouria the saga

Publisher: Core Design
Developer: Core Design
Released: 1994

Was there a more prolific Sega CD developer than Core Design? Probably not. Hot on the heels of my Battlecorps bit comes BC Racers. I could rattle on and on about all the names attached to this game that would eventually go on to create the Tomb Raider franchise, or how Core was really pushing the 3D envelope on the Sega CD, or how they ultimately disappeared from the video game landscape…but that was all covered in the previous WELO METOT HENEX TLEVEL entry. Go read it. It was awesome.

BC Racers is the third game in Core’s Chuck Rock series. Back in the 16-bit era, everyone seemed to think that, to be successful, you needed some sort of mascot. Chuck Rock was Core’s answer to that requirement – an overweight caveman that starred in a couple of fairly mediocre sidescrolling platformers.

Considering Mario was the reason everyone felt the need to create their own mascots, it’s no surprise that Core followed Nintendo’s lead right to the point that their caveman ended up starring in a kart racer, as well.

But this isn’t really a Mario Kart clone in the strictest sense. BC Racers feels like Mario Kart without the weapons, merged with the combat style of Road Rash, and without even half the charm of either game.

So in a way, BC Racers maintained about the same level of quality we’d come to expect from the Chuck Rock series. The game isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not really exceptional in any way.

And talk about backing the wrong horse – BC Racers appeared on the Sega CD, 32X, and 3DO. Good choices!

One tiny bit of interesting info I found while doing my research on BC Racers (considering I blew the Lara Croft wad on Battlecorps) is that one of the concept guys on this game eventually went on to be one of the programmers on Robotech: The Macross Saga for the GBA. OK…so that’s not overly interesting, but it does give me a very miniscule link to this game – the first game I ever worked on as a developer being a Robotech title and all.

Greg Sewart BC Racers, Chuck Rock, Core Design, Sega CD

This week! It’s our 200th episode extravaganza, which means a slightly longer runtime than usual plus lots of tangential conversations. We talk about some of the game tapes we played this week which includes Ys Seven, Madden 11, NHL 11, Monster Dash, Monday Night Combat, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Dragon Quest IX, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light and oh so much more. Thanks to all our listeners for their amazing support over the past 200 shows, we wouldn’t be able to do this without you! Special thanks to mik @ The Fanboys Lunchcast for this week’s intro.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, voicemail line and more! Plus, you’ll be able to access bonus audio and video content (soon, once we figure out what that is). Click here to download.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. You can leave us a voicemail by calling 713-893-8069 or you can send a comment via MP3 to our email address, playeronepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

This week’s links:
DeadMalls.com
Jarosh’s Wario DIY levels
“Baby” by Valpo Usta
“Always” by Kulor
“Working for the Weekend” by Dos

Running time: 2:23:49

Direct download: 08_23_10-Episode200.mp3

Chris Johnston Episodes, Video Games 200, episode, podcast

The last Metroid is in captivity.
The galaxy is at peace…

Holy cow! We’re finally doing another Game Club!

In celebration of our 200th episode of the Player One Podcast and the upcoming release of Metroid: Other M for Wii, we are taking a look back at one of the most acclaimed titles for the Super NES, Super Metroid.

Despite all of the praise that Super Metroid has gotten over the years, the game is over 15 years old now. Does it still hold up after all this time?^* Let’s find out by playing it together! Bust out your old cartridge or pick up the game for 800 Nintendo Points from the Wii’s Virtual Console.

We’ll be discussing Super Metroid on episode 201 of the Player One Podcast, so get playing and share your comments and/or memories. You can post them in the comments section of this blog post, in the official thread on our forums, drop us an email, or leave a voicemail (713-893-8069).

* Don’t be a fool. Of course it holds up! Still, maybe you have…odd…taste in games and you’re not a fan of Super Metroid. In that case, we really wanna hear from you.

Phil Theobald Episodes, Game Club, Video Games Metroid III, nintendo, Samus, SNES, Super Metroid, Super NES

This week! Games! We talk about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, Bioshock Infinite, Pixeljunk Racers 2nd Lap, The Incident, Shining Force iPhone, Monday Night Combat, and oh so much more in this, the one hundred and ninety-ninth episode of the Player One Podcast. Oh, and we announce the next Game Club game too.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, voicemail line and more! Plus, you’ll be able to access bonus audio and video content (soon, once we figure out what that is). Click here to download.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. You can leave us a voicemail by calling 713-893-8069 or you can send a comment via MP3 to our email address, playeronepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

This week’s links:
Monday Night Combat Developer Diary #2

Running time: 1:25:25

Direct download: 08_16_10-Episode199.mp3

Chris Johnston Episodes episode, podcast

This week! It’s four guys, a girl and a Dragon Quest – Dana joins the ‘cast to talk about Dragon Quest IX. We also talk about Castlevania Harmony of Despair, Summer of Arcade, Hydro Thunder Hurricane, Zombrex Dead Rising Sun, Madden 11, and much, much more.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, voicemail line and more! Plus, you’ll be able to access bonus audio and video content (soon, once we figure out what that is). Click here to download.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. You can leave us a voicemail by calling 713-893-8069 or you can send a comment via MP3 to our email address, playeronepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

This week’s links:
Player One blog post: 11 Things that would make Xbox Live Better

Running time: 1:23:59

Direct download: 08_09_10-Episode198.mp3

Chris Johnston Episodes episode, podcast

I don’t think I’m alone in becoming increasingly frustrated with Xbox Live. I pay my 50 bucks (or rather, I watch the deals and buy discounted memberships off Amazon), but I don’t feel I’m getting enough out of it. I find myself actually gaming online less and less. In fact, having Netflix Instant Streaming has become one of the key reasons I’ve kept my Gold account. My frustration boils down to these:

1) I really don’t like to play with strangers because in general it’s not a great experience.

2) Sometimes my gaming taste and the tastes of people on my immediate friends list just don’t jive, so while I have 100 friends maybe only a small handful are playing the same game I am (Hydro Thunder Hurricane).

3) Unless I look at everyone on my friends list’s recent activity or are on when they’re on, I can’t easily see what everyone’s playing or what games we might share. I have to hunt that information, it’s not being fed to me.  It’s akin to Facebook being nothing more than a list of your friends and the only way you could find out what was going on with them was by clicking on their profiles or being online at the same time as they were. There’s just a feeling of minimal actual social interaction on XBL.

4) After the first week of a big game’s release, it’s tough to coordinate a time to play with friends. It’s just luck of the draw whether they’ll be on when you’re on so you can throw them an invite.

So I started thinking about features or things that could be added to the service that might change that for me. The list starts after the jump!

Read more…

Chris Johnston Video Games xbox live

This week! The whole crew’s back together again to talk games and stuff. Including: Hydro Thunder Hurricane, LIMBO, Helsing’s Fire, plus Kinect pricing, PlayStation Plus, Destination Arcade and lots more.

Own an iPhone/iPod touch? We’ve got an app for that–the Player One Podcast player app is available now. Play shows new and old, read show notes, access the show Twitter, website, email, voicemail line and more! Plus, you’ll be able to access bonus audio and video content (soon, once we figure out what that is). Click here to download.

Follow us on twitter at twitter.com/p1podcast.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. You can leave us a voicemail by calling 713-893-8069 or you can send a comment via MP3 to our email address, playeronepodcast@gmail.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Running time: 1:24:47

Direct download: 08_02_10-Episode197.mp3

Chris Johnston Episodes destination arcade, episode, helsing's fire, hydro thunder, kinect, Limbo, playstation plus, podcast