Player One Podcast

Episode 290 (05/14/12) – Mein Krapft

Chris Johnston — Tue, 15 May 2012 04:09:21 +0000

This week! Minecraft XBLA, The Darkness II, Syndicate, Saturday Morning RPG (iOS), the Pixeljunk sale, PS3 woes, Zelda symphonies, mothers supporting gaming habits, Resident Evil and so much more packed into just 75 minutes. Give it a listen, won’t you?

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 4 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

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.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 05_14_12-Episode290.mp3

Running time: 1:15:00

WELCO METOT HENEX TLEVEL – Ground Zero Texas

Greg Sewart — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:49:54 +0000

Publisher: Sony Imagesoft
Developer: Digital Pictures
Release: 1993

Here we have another in the line of Digital Pictures’ multi-stream video series, where the player is tasked with jumping from one location to another in order to catch key plot points and essentially search for the game play.

The first round of Digital Pictures games on the Sega CD – Night Trap and Sewer Shark – were actually ports of games created in the mid-eighties for the prototype NEMO game system (a VHS-based video game console). Ground Zero Texas represents one of the “second generation” titles for Digital Pictures. This is a game that was actually built from the ground up for modern consoles. In fact, wikipedia states that the game’s $2m budget is based on the money generated through bundled sales of Sewer Shark.

Ground Zero Texas follows the story of a small Texas border-town that has become the staging point for an alien invasion. These aliens disguise themselves as townspeople they’ve snatched, making them extremely difficult to spot. The player is part of a military force tasked with stopping the invasion before it spreads from the town. If they are unsuccessful, the town and everyone in it will be nuked by the government.

Gripping stuff.

As the player you man four camera turrets at four different locations. Your job is to switch between each turret to find aliens and destroy them. This is done two ways – by taking part in standard shooting gallery bits where enemies pop up at random spots and take pot shots at you, and by finding and watching various story-bits that always end with at least one alien revealing itself and giving you a split second to shoot them.

On top of the danger to the general populace (some of whom will reappear later as aliens if you fail to save them originally) each of your turrets is also at risk. Take too many hits and you’ll lose a turret and thus be unable to complete that area’s goals.

While the video quality is still hampered by the Sega CD’s low colour palette and resolution, it’s definitely better than Digital Pictures’ first generation of titles. And the acting is definitely on the upswing here as well, though still pretty laughable.

There are some names attached to this game, too. Director Dwight H. Little’s resume includes Marked for Death, Murder at 1600, and various episodes of shows like 24, Nikita and Castle.

Edward Neumeier of RoboCop and Starship Troopers fame is credited with the story. And actors Steve Eastin and Scott Lawrence are both still active, mostly in television.

This is one of the more enjoyable games of its ilk (most definitely more so than Night Trap or Double Switch). I miss Digital Pictures.

Episode 289 (05/07/12) – Zombies Ate Our Neighbors

Chris Johnston — Tue, 08 May 2012 03:25:52 +0000

This week! We talk a lot about the first chapter of Telltale’s The Walking Dead (spoilers from 42:00 – 1:05:00), GT Academy 2012, Mortal Kombat (Vita), Dirt Showdown demo, Uncharted: Golden Abyss. Plus: COD:BLOPS 2, which one of us has seen the most Pokémon movies, new 3DS model expectations, best soundtracks of the 16-bit era, our favorite bands, the handheld experience vs. the console experience, and more!

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 4 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 05_07_12-Episode289.mp3

Running time: 1:14:00

Episode 288 (04/30/12) – Jersey Dragon’s Dogma Girl

Chris Johnston — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:49:27 +0000

This week! The gang brainstorms character inclusions for PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, chats AO-rated video games, discusses Nintendo’s digital download strategy, weighs Wii U purchases and NFC stuff, and deliberates on Vita’s lack of iOS hits. Plus our game talk this episode includes Dragon’s Dogma (demo), Kid Icarus: Uprising, The Walking Dead, Trials Evolution, A.R.E.S., Crow, Galaxy on Fire 2 HD, Alan Wake: The Writer and The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword. Additional ambient baby noises are provided free of charge.

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 4 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 04_30_12-Episode288.mp3

Running time: 1:22:00

Episode 287 (04/23/12) – The New Zealand Story

Chris Johnston — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:27:48 +0000

This week! CJ is back from New Zealand and tells us all about it. Plus: Dana joins us to talk Xenoblade Chronicles and Mass Effect 3 (spoilers from ~57:00 – 1:10:00), Pinball Arcade, Trials Evolution, the Humble Bundle, Nintendo’s various announcements and more!

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 4 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 04_23_12-Episode287.mp3

Running time: 1:33:08

Episode 286 (04/16/12) – Easy Baked

Greg Sewart — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 01:01:15 +0000

This week! Enemy of the Show C.Bake joins us for another fun-filled episode where we talk about Old Zealand, The Avengers, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, The Amazing Spider-Man, Pinball Arcade, Pinball FX 2, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Quarrel, Unit 13, Skullgirls, Colors 3D, Nintendo Week, Qore, Life of George and T.U.R.T.L.E. Power!

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 4 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: POP Ep.286: Easy Baked.mp3

Running time: 1:27:37

Generation 16 Episode 004 is live!

Greg Sewart — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:09:26 +0000

Welcome to Episode 004 of Generation 16 presented by the Player One Podcast. The Mega Drive celebrates its first birthday with its first movie-licensed game. That plus ladies with no shame, two heroes named Joe, and unauthorized appearances by comic book superheroes.

Games this episode include:
- Rambo III
- Zoom!
- Forgotten Worlds
- Mystic Defender
- The Revenge of Shinobi

Episode 285 (04/06/12) – Max Rebo, Sy Snootles, and Some Bastard

Chris Johnston — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:08:30 +0000

This week! It’s a show of many tangents and stories, which you either will or will not appreciate based on your age and your willingness for this podcast to go into non-gaming territory. But, there is some game talk mixed in there too. On this episode we discuss Rock Band Blitz, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Motorstorm RC Carnival DLC, Fibble, Shift 2 Unleashed, and The Pinball Arcade. It’s a special Friday pre-PAX, pre-Easter, Good Friday episode that you can enjoy with the whole family. Except for when we talk about the tentacle animes.

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 3 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 04_06_12-Episode285.mp3

Running time: 1:35:00

Episode 284 (04/02/12) – No Foolin’

Chris Johnston — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 04:20:23 +0000

This week! Hot Shots Golf World Invitational, South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge, Closure, Persona 3 Portable, Sine Mora, Madcoaster, Draw Something (and the controversy around it from this week), Warriors Orochi 3 and so much more. You’ll only be able to experience it by listening to it.

Check out Greg’s new web series Generation 16 (Episode 3 now available) – click here. And take a trip over to Phil’s YouTube Channel to see some awesome retro game vids.

Got an Android device? You can now download our app on the Android Marketplace. Find out all about it here.

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to visit our new web site at www.playeronepodcast.com. Don’t forget to join our forums if you haven’t already!

Direct download: 04_02_12-Episode284.mp3

Running time: 1:12:00

WELCO METOT HENEX TLEVEL – Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit

Greg Sewart — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:01:09 +0000

Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega
Release: 1994

Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit is the best racing game you’ve never played. This is the game that made me realize I’d been wanting so much more in my console racers. It was the closest thing we got to an F1 sim on any console that predated the PlayStation. In fact, I’d say it even outdid Bizarre Creations’ excellent PS1 F1 games in some ways.

In Beyond the Limit players were able to insert themselves into the 1993 Grand Prix season, first by earning the right to sign with any number of teams, and then by competing in all 16 rounds of the Championship. This included the option to take part in every practice session, every qualifying session, and of course, each race (provided you could qualify).

This was nothing new for F1 games on a home console. But it was the sheer attention to detail that impressed in Beyond the Limit. The game featured all 16 tracks, all 13 F1 teams, and all but one driver who was active during the 1993 season. In fact, as your season wore on you’d notice some drivers being replaced by new names in a way that mirrored the real 1993 season. For example, Michael Andretti’s dismal season for McLaren would eventually see him replaced by future superstar Mika Hakkinen.

Beyond the Limit featured setup options galore, too. You could adjust downforce, steering sensitivity, and even things like brake balance and tire compounds. Sure, nowadays this stuff is totally standard, but back in 1994 you just didn’t see this level of freedom in a console racer.

The game also featured dynamic weather out on the track. I’m not totally positive, but I believe the weather changes actually reflected what was seen in the actual 1993 season. Either way, it added a whole new level of strategy to some races – as the sky began to darken you had to decide whether to dive in for rain tires and hope the skies would open up, or simply risk staying on slicks and pray those raindrops wouldn’t last very long.

By today’s standards, the actual gameplay is a bit hard to enjoy. The framerate is pretty low and the digital steering controls are a beast to come to grips with. But it should be said that this game definitely put the Sega CD through its paces, using the system’s scaling and rotation abilities to present tracks with plenty of “3D” objects and something more than a gray ribbon of road to drive on – these tracks felt like they existed in 3D space.

Outside of all the setup options and authenticity, F1: Beyond the Limit was an F1 nut’s dream in another way. This game really celebrated the sport, cars, and drivers of the series. It’s overflowing with beautiful still shots of the action as well as loads of video footage of the cars and personalities in the paddock. Plus it features another game mode that went on to become fairly commonplace in some other series: namely Atari and EA’s respective NASCAR games.

1993 Mode featured a series of challenges based on actual events from that season. For example, in the 1993 Canadian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher got a poor start and dropped four positions. The game puts you in the Austrian’s driving shoes as he has to chase down and pass Gerhart Berger to retake seventh place, passing three other cars in just three laps.

I was pretty much in love with this game from the moment I turned it on. Though I was disappointed to see that the single, missing driver on the roster was none-other than the great Ayrton Senna – my personal favourite and the one driver most associated with Sega thanks to his likeness and name being plastered all over the previous Super Monaco GP II. I always thought it was a bit spooky that he was the only driver missing from this game, which was released just prior to his tragic death at Imola during the 1994 season.

I also think I’m fond of Beyond the Limit because it marked a shift in what a console racing game could aspire to. And it happened during a pivotal season in the series itself. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna both won their final races in 1993. Prost would retire to make way for Senna at Williams, the car he would die in three races into the subsequent season. 1993 was also the breakout season for Michael Schumacher, who became a mainstay on the podium that year before going on to win his first of a record-setting 7 championships (not to mention 91 Grand Prix victories) in 1994. The Benetton he drove was one of the first “shark nose” F1 cars that are so common today. I could go on and on.

When I talk about the Sega CD being one of the greatest consoles in history, this is one of the games that makes it so. I’ve been looking for Formula One: Beyond the Limit’s true successor for 18 years now, and have yet to find a racer that feels as complete and exciting as it did.