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Join Brendan and Zach, together with a rotating special guest as they dive into in-depth conversations about video game culture and the games themselves. Each episode features a new ’cartridge’ to be interrogated as the duo seek to provide a unique Australian perspective to a range of topics.
Episodes
Saturday Feb 26, 2022
Saturday Feb 26, 2022
Thus far, the video game industry in 2022 has been marked by a number of acquisitions amongst the major gaming industry publishers and platform holders. From Microsoft acquiring Activision to Sony acquiring Bungie, it appears that the industry is increasingly consolidating before our eyes.
Joining Brendan and Zach to discuss this topic is Matt Sainsbury from Digitally Downloaded, who has been notably outspoken regarding the trajectory of the gaming industry which this current slate of acquisitions suggests it is heading towards.
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Matt - Patreon; Digitally Downloaded
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Thursday Feb 10, 2022
Throughout the history of Blowing Cartridges, Brendan and Zach have often conversed about assessing whether a game is good based on a number of criteria ranging from review scores to gameplay mechanics and narrative design. However, the question remains: how does one predict whether a game will be good?
Joining the duo for this episode to discuss this topic is Steve, the creator of Fantasy Critic, a browser 'fantasy football' like game where players compete by drafting games, with scores determined by the respective game's Opencritic average score.
Zach & Brendan's Fantasy Critic League
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or via email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
Friday Jan 28, 2022
Friday Jan 28, 2022
Upon release in 2020 on the Nintendo Switch, Paper Mario the Origami King received a mixed response from critics and fans. Whilst enjoyed by many, it quickly found itself in the middle of the storm that has been raging since Nintendo changed the Paper Mario formula after the much beloved Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door on Gamecube.
So buckle up, put on your favourite headphones and listen as the duo their views on this already overlooked Nintendo game.
Music used are the following tracks from the Paper Mario: The Origami King OST:
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Friday Jan 14, 2022
2021 was a year of returns in gaming, with a number of fan favourite franchises making their respective comebacks. However, there was an undercurrent of feeling that Coronavirus continued to exert a not so insignificant impact on the release schedule of games.
Thus Brendan and Zach dive into giving a recap of the realm of gaming in 2021, briefly discussing the major industry events that occurred and then tackling their personal favourite games of the year.
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
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Monday Dec 27, 2021
Special guest and friend of the show John Dewis once again joins Zach & Brendan to once again discuss video game music. This time, the focus is on the role that title music plays in crafting a gaming experience and how developers use music to entice players into their game and convey elements or themes that the game itself attempts to confront.
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
Music Played:
Title Screen - WarioWare: Get it Together! - Takeru Kanazaki, Yoshito Sekigawa, Shoh Murakami, Daichi Ishihara, Shingo Kataoka, Kanji Hirao & Genki Namura https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a2qECXt4PY
Unpacking Theme - Unpacking - Jeff Van Dyck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnqqO3aZC9s
Age of Empires IV Main Theme - Age of Empires IV - Tilman Sillescu, Alexander Röder, Henning Nugel, Armin Haas, Mikołaj Stroiński https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TVRRN2CMzk
Title Screen - Terraria - Scott Lloyd Shelly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFmnZ6VMd_4
Main Title - Wave Race 64 - Kazumi Totaka https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz9eYvuZOYg
Main Theme - Xenoblade Chronicles - Yoko Shimomura https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erKkWGfEW9U
Title - CrossCode - Deniz Akbulut https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmWJ3M25F_w
Main Theme - Moving Out - Danny Hey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR75-jDmVRQ
Moving Out and Grooving Out - IGN Article
Halo Theme - Marty O'Donnell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jXTBAGv9ZQ
Monday Dec 06, 2021
Monday Dec 06, 2021
Ever wondered what separates a "JRPG' from other "RPGs"? Why do we place what appears to be a geographic designator on a particular type of video games? What are the characteristics and elements that are fundamental to a JRPG?
Joining the usual duo of Brendan and Zach for this episode is Matt S of digitallydownloaded.net to assist in conducting a deep dive into the genre. Matt offers a wealth of experience, and we definitely recommend his reviews of many contemporary JRPGs, which can be found on his website. The trio discuss their experiences with the genre, some of their favourite games and why they believe it is a genre worthy of attention.
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Matt - Digitally Downloaded
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Monday Nov 22, 2021
Metroid is a series that is close to the heart of a multitude of Nintendo fans, many of whom have been eagerly awaiting a follow up to 2002's Metroid Fusion. Metroid Dread, unexpectedly unannounced earlier in 2021 instantly sent excitement through the Nintendo enthusiast community.
Now that Dread has released and has been played by millions of players, the question remains, does it live up to both the Metroid franchise and the genre that the series (partially) lends its name to: Metroidvania. Brendan and Zach, joined by friend of the show and Metroidvania enthusiast Josh to unpack a number of questions relating to a game that has sparked much conversation in 2021.
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Josh - I hear Morse code might work
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Mercdroid Dread' by Josh
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Wednesday Nov 03, 2021
Over the last decade, boardgaming has made a resurgence in the popular imagination. From social phenomenon Cards against Humanity to the advent and wild success of crowdfunding, it feels that boardgames have never been more popular or widespread. Indeed, many video gamers have increasingly become boardgame enthusiasts, with conventions such as PAX revealing the overlap that exists within the respective userbases.
This episode, joined by friend of the show QC, Brendan and Zach detail their experience with boardgames, why they believe it has taken off as a medium, and with the assistance of QC's infinite knowledge of all things boardgaming, recommend a number of different games that are perfect for the tabletop/boardgame neophyte to dip their toes in with.
Games recommended in the latter part of the episode:
-Ticket to Ride
-Coup
-Twilight Struggle
-Sabatour
-Codenames
-Just One
-Mysterium
-Dixit
-Telestrations
-Times Up
-The Fuzzies
-Azul
-Lanterns
-King of Tokyo
-Burgle Bros
-Between Two Cities
-Arboretum
-Unfair
-Funfair
-Sushi Go
-Cacao
-Barenpark
GUF Studio's Kickstarter - Floating Floors (Floating Floors by Guf Studios - Stella, Karl, & Mark — Kickstarter)
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
QC - @priority_q
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Just over 20 years ago, the Gamecube launched in Japan, marking an auspicious event in the lives of the two hosts of Blowing Cartridges. The Nintendo Gamecube was the childhood console for both Zach and Brendan, representing many formative moments in both their respective gaming journeys.
Joining them on this episode is Gookanheimer, a dear friend of the show from the Aussie-Nintendo/Another-Castle days. The trio dive into their experiences with the Gamecube, the wacky attachments (such as microphones and bongos, their top three games for the console as well as what they believe the console represents today, 20 years after it hit the gaming landscape.
Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com
Brendan - @Tamazoid
Zach - @Eggerino
Gookanheimer - Unknown
Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia
Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Monday Oct 04, 2021
One of the impacts of the last 20 months of rolling lockdowns has been the growth of particular games. From Fall Guys, to Animal Crossing and Among Us, various games have gone viral and managed to captivate audiences outside of the traditional gaming demographic.
In this context, Zach and Brendan approach their latest cartridge that offerings an interesting proposition - is there a video game for everyone? Can you introduce your non-gaming friends and family to your favourite hobby or is it a fools errand? Tune in to hear the duo's thoughts.
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