Blowing Cartridges

Sega in Australia: A Journey with Sincespacies

Join the Blowing Cartridges Podcast for an episode featuring Brian Costelloe, aka Sincespacies, as he takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the world of Sega gaming in Australia. From his time working at the iconic Sega Hotline to sharing anecdotes about classic Sega titles and hardware, Brian offers firsthand insights into the unique experiences and challenges faced by Australian gamers during the Sega era. This episode provides a glimpse into the continuing legacy of Sega in Australia, making it a must-listen for retro gaming enthusiasts and Sega fans alike.

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Brian Costelloe - @Sincespacies

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Defying Gravity: Inside the Development of 'Which Way Up' with Nick Cellini

In this episode of the Blowing Cartridges Podcast, we were thrilled to be joined by Nick Cellini, to talk all about his Australian indie studio Turtle Flip Studio and their upcoming game 'Which Way Up.' Join us as we discuss all things related to indie game development in Australia. Nick details his journey in the games industry, shares his design approach and philosophy as well as the challenges he has faced in the development journey of Which Way Up, which is set to release in Q1 2025.

 

Try the demo or Wishlist Which Way Up on Steam today! https://t.co/5xZED37jUc

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Nick Cellini - @nfcellini @WhichWayUpGame

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Decoding Cosplay with Ria & Mes

In this episode of Blowing Cartridges, hosts Zach and Brendan, complete neophytes when it comes to all things cosplay, invite Ria and Mes, two experienced cosplayers, to explore the world of cosplay, which has increasingly become a vital part of not only gaming culture, but broader entertainment culture, establishing itself as the outward face of the majority of pop culture and gaming conventions.

 

The discussion spans various aspects of cosplaying, including how they started in the hobby, competitive scene, favorite memories, and upcoming projects. Mes and Ria offer valuable insights into not only the challenges of crafting costumes bringing characters to life, but also the broader aspects of what makes cosplaying appealing to those fully immersed in the hobby, as well as some tips for those who may be looking to get started cosplaying. 

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter/X @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Ria - @Gaming_Goddess_

Mes - @Fluto_Cosplay

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Looking Back to Look Forward: A Retrospective on Gaming in 2023

In our first recorded episode of 2024, we were excited to be joined by another first-time guest, Buddy Watson, a veteran of Australian video game podcasts, to discuss the year in gaming that was 2023. Addressing issues and topics such as record-level layoffs, film adaptations of video games, the increasing digitalisation of gaming media and our favourite games of the year, we finish with some wild predictions of what some of the highlights/lowlights of gaming in 2024 will be.

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Buddy Watson - @BuddyWatson12

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Select your Fighters: VGM Composer Draft

This year we are mixing it up! We are back again for our annual VGM special, but this time with a twist. Zach has devised a new format where each of the three participants were tasked with drafted four composers in a snake draft, each assembling a dream team of composers. 

 

So sit back and listen as the trio discuss a wide range of composers from the last 30+ years of video game composition. Additionally, let us know who you think assembled the 'best' slate of composers! 

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

John - @AuraPaladin 

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

 

Composers Drafted:

Brendan: 

Koji Kondo: - Yoshi's Island Final Boss - Yoshi's Island (1995)

Jeremy Soule - Dragonborn - Skyrim (2011)

Austin Wintory - End Credits - Stray Gods: The Role Playing Musical (2023)

Motoi Sakuraba - The Valedictory Elegy - Guitar Version - Baten Kaiten Kaitos Origins (2006)

 

Zach:

David Wise - Current Capers: Aquatic Ambience - Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (2014)

Yoko Shimomura - Fight Against Monsters - Super Mario RPG (2023)

Toby Fox - Final Boss Battle Music - Pokemon Scarlet & Violet (2022)

Masakazu Sugimori - Ghost Trick (Arranged) - Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (2023)

 

John:

Nobuo Uematsu - Rebel Army - Final Fantasy 2 (1988)

Lena Raine - Harmony - Harmony the Fall of Reverie (2023)

Jun'ya Ōta (ZUN) - The Deviants' Unobstructed Light: Kingdom of Nothingness - Touhou 19 UDoALG (2023)

Tee Lopes - Lagoon City Zone - Sonic Superstars (2023)

 

 

 

Reflections on the Australian Video Game Journalism Landscape

Joined by special guest Ben from Qualbert.com, this episode Zach and Brendan dive into a discussion regarding the past, present and future of the video game journalism landscape in Australia. How different is the media we consume (and how we consume) compared to when this trio were growing up in the late 90s/early 2000s? How do these experiences shape the media we consume and produce? 

 

Ben shares his insight and experience of building an enthusiast, volunteer-run gaming news and review website, together with transitioning into the gaming industry as a career. 

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Ben- @Qualbert

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Why We Podcast: A Celebration of 50 Episodes of Blowing Cartridges

First launching in mid-2020 during the height of the pandemic, Blowing Cartridges has hit its 50th episode! We would like to thank all our listeners for supporting our journey, tuning in to each episode and suggesting to your friends to listen to our podcast!

 

To celebrate, Brendan and Zach decided to invite friends of the show and semi-regular guests Drew from the House of Mario and Josh from Nintenvania to discuss their podcast journey, their overall experience in running Blowing Cartridges and some tentative musings on what the future may bring as Blowing Cartridges continues into 2024 and beyond!

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Josh - @Nintenvania

Drew - @iDrewby

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Developing Games in the mid 2000s Australia: A Gamedev Retrospective

Game development in contemporary Australia is a vibrant and ever-growing industry, led by a strong and innovative indie developer scene. Yet the sector has a long and turbulent history of periodic rapid growth and subsequent decline.

 

Taking a step back to the mid-to-late 2000s, on this episode Andrew Hung joined Zach and Brendan to discuss his journey as a game developer that saw him credited on 8 games between 2005-2009. Working for Transmission Games and then subsequently EA Melbourne Studios (Visceral Games Australia), Andrew reflects on his experiences of entering game development, the transition between hardware generations, generalities regarding the development process itself and his eventual exit from the industry in the aftermath of the GFC, contributing to one of the podcast's most compelling episodes yet.   

 

So strap in and hear all about Australian-developed sports games, WWII flight combat simulators, and even a brief comment on the cancelled Dead Space 2 Wii port. 

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Andrew - Andrew Hung - MobyGames

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

Swords, Dungeons, Dragons and Spaceships: Diving into Western/Computer RPGs

Roleplaying games (RPGs) have a rich history as a genre in video games, with some of the earliest and most influential video games being RPGs. Directly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, games such as Ultima and Wizardry, to more modern games like Baldurs Gate 3, Skyrim, the Witcher Starfield and the ever-present World of Warcraft dominate much of the discourse surrounding video games. 

 

While previously, Zach and Brendan have discussed 'JRPGs', which is arguable a genre in its own right, in this episode Brendan, Zach and their guest Mario (not the guy with a red hat and blue overalls) dive into an in-depth discussion exploring what some term 'Western' or 'Computer' RPGs, discssing their respective experiences and some of their favourite games as well as the current landscape and what direction they believe western/computer RPGs are heading in. 

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Mario - @Termstar (Discord and Steam)

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

2013-2023: A PAX Australia Retrospective

Since its inception in 2013, Pax Australia has become an established pillar of the Australian video game landscape. Every year, tens of thousands flock to Melbourne to celebrate all things gaming and gaming culture, from the latest blockbuster video games, to the offerings of the ever-growing Australian Indie scene, to cosplay, industry and enthusiast panels, boardgames and more.

 

But what does PAX mean to us, and why do we continue to attend every single year (when able to do so?). Joining Zach and Brendan to reminisce about our respective experiences at PAX Aus is friend of the show Loc, who, like Zach, has attended every PAX since 2013. The trio dived deep into every single PAX Australia, discussing the various highlights and memorable moments of a decade of PAX Australia.

 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia