Blowing Cartridges

2021: A Video Game Retrospective

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

Just like the Movies: Title Theme Video Game Music

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

Sydney Youth Orchestra Halo Arrangement

Secret Final Track

Why JRPGs Stand Apart - A Genre Discussion

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

Metroid Dread: Exceeding Two Decades of Expectations?

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

Original 3D Gaming: Boardgaming

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

20 Years of the Purple Cube: A Gamecube Retrospective

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

Gateway Games: Is there a video game for everyone?

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

Nostalgia: Why We Keep Going Back For More?

Have a favourite game that you'll constantly go back to when you're feeling a bit down? Is there a particular gaming franchise that compels you to camp outside your local EB Games to secure a copy of its latest release? Zach and Brendan attempt to unpack the impact that nostalgia exerts on gaming, the manner in which it is both successfully and unsuccessfully utilised by publishers and developers and how it can directly impact our thoughts and opinions on a particular game.

 

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

Watching Instead of Playing: Streaming, Vtubing and the appeal of content creation

Content creation forms an important pillar of modern video game culture. Booming over the past 10-15 years, it has never been easier to stream your own gameplay or upload your own videos to youtube. But why do an increasing amount of gamers embark upon such a journey?

 

Joining Brendan and Zach this episode is streamer Anzu and Vtuber Shino to discuss the challenges around streaming, why people both watch and make streaming content and the role streaming plays in marketing particular games and growing the influence of eSports.

 

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

 

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Anzu - @anzuakigaming (Check out https://www.twitch.tv/anzuaki) 

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia

The Rumour Machine: Why are Rumours in Gaming so Captivating?

From "My uncle works at Nintendo" to the existence of the Dreamcast 2, video game rumours have captured the imagination of enthusiasts and fans alike. With the recent announcement of the Switch OLED, that dashed many dreams that people held surround the "Switch Pro" and rampant speculation over what Hideo Kojima is up to next, this is a topic that has never been more relevant. Zach and Brendan, joined by first-time special guest Dash, dissect this rumour-fueled cartridge and outline their respective beliefs regarding the role of rumours in the gaming media. 

 

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

Brendan - @Tamazoid

Zach - @Eggerino

Dan "Dash" Rizzo - @Dashgamer (Check out www.dashgamer.com) 

 

Intro music - '8 Bit Ditty' by FoolBoyMedia

Outro - 'Video Game Land' by FoolBoyMedia