Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are kicking off a new series on 1991's Super Mario World , a SNES pack-in title. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Yoshi's Island Podcast breakdown: 0:40 SMW Discussion 48:36 Break 49:18 Feedback Issues covered: Tanooki suits, the ubiquity of Mario, the console versions of the game, Tim's history with 2D platforming, recognizable characters, overworld presentation, con...
Jul 26, 2017•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 72
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we have been discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . This week we do a little bonus work and turn to its sequel, Half-Life 2 , released at the end of 2004. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to Water Hazard Podcast breakdown: 0:36 HL2 Discussion 40:05 Break 40:35 Feedback Issues covered: the airboat: digital input/analogue output, E3 demo, face technology, ...
Jul 19, 2017•1 hr 23 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . This week we welcome Dario Casali, a level designer who worked on Half-Life and is still with the company all these years later. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:39 Interview with Dario Casali 1:04:41 Break 1:05:03 Feedback segment Issues covered: current status of Tacoma, games in 1993, connecting with a se...
Jul 12, 2017•1 hr 50 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . This week we welcome Marc Laidlaw, long-time Valve employee and writer of Half-Life . Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Interview with Marc Laidlaw 1:04:50 Break 1:05:16 Feedback/Questions Issues covered: getting started at Valve, looking at story in first person games, unshipped game at Valve, getting Qua...
Jul 05, 2017•1 hr 40 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . We talk about the much-maligned final levels and understand where they came from and then turn to a few pillars. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to the end! Podcast breakdown: 0:35 End of the game 51:40 Break 52:10 Takeaways and Feedback Issues covered: weather and climate change, teleportation and level con...
Jun 28, 2017•1 hr 20 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . We especially focus on level design but touch also on weapon design and a bit of reuse of weapon progression. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up through Lambda Core Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Discussion segment 1:05:03 Break 1:05:28 Feedback Issues covered: the Russians, level design variety, designer control over...
Jun 21, 2017•1 hr 19 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . We talk about what works in both the design of the military you fight and about enemy design in the game generally. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Apprehension (up to Residue Processing) Podcast breakdown: 0:35 Soldier AI and Enemy Design 53:12 Break 53:39 Feedback Issues covered: a bit of the history of game ...
Jun 14, 2017•1 hr 22 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing Valve Software's 1998 classic Half-Life . We talk about what a year 1998 was, and a good deal about the restrained opening to the game and its provenance. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to "We've Got Hostiles" Podcast breakdown: 0:34 Segment 1: History and Half-Life beginning 1:00:57 Break 1:01:30 Segment 2: Feedback, Next Time Issues covered: 1998...
Jun 07, 2017•1 hr 27 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Black Isle classic Planescape: Torment . We talk about the end of the game and some of its pillars. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finishing the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:37 Segment 1: End of the game 1:00:58 Break 1:01:23 Segment 2: Quick pillars, next time Issues covered: trapped Trias, the Pillar of Skulls, how XP is dispersed, splitting betw...
May 24, 2017•1 hr 24 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Black Isle classic Planescape: Torment . We talk about broad story beats, themes of identity and mazes, and the role of side quests, among other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Until you return to Sigil Podcast breakdown: 0:39 PST Discussion 1:03:18 Break 1:03:51 Feedback and giveaway Issues covered: character customization, a little chat ...
May 17, 2017•1 hr 44 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Black Isle classic Planescape: Torment . We talk about the usefulness of tropes (which this game mostly overturns), keeping your bearings when so much is available to you, and the uses of story and narrative to prop up underwhelming mechanics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Ravel's Maze Podcast breakdown: 0:39 Segment 1 57:45 Break 58:17 ...
May 10, 2017•1 hr 27 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Black Isle classic Planescape: Torment . We talk about how the overwhelming nature of the beginning acts might have come about (again), Brett hits a game-breaking bug, and needles are sought in haystacks. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Ravel's Maze Podcast breakdown: 0:43 Segment 1: PST (2:21 Aw Jeez) 1:08:00 Break 1:08:28 Segment 2: Feed...
May 03, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are discussing 1999 Infinity Engine classic Planescape: Torment . We talk a bit about franchise fatigue, turning tropes on their heads, turning back historical design choices, and discuss some of what we saw as we played. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up through the Undercity Podcast breakdown: 0:37 Segment 1: PST Talk 49:53 Break 50:26 Segment 2: Feedback, next ti...
Apr 26, 2017•1 hr 19 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, which this week begins a new series exploring 1999 Infinity Engine classic Planescape: Torment . We situate it in time both against other games and the D&D license but also especially as the pinnacle of Interplay's Infinity Engine games, and then dive into the first section of play. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the Mortuary Podcast breakdown: 0:41 Segment 1: Hi...
Apr 19, 2017•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to the fourth and final episode in our series exploring SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . We discuss the end of the game, finding nooks and crannies, various difficulties, and then quickly cover our takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the end of the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:35 Segment 1: Finishing Zelda 46:48 Break 47:22 Segment 2: Takeaways, Feedback 1:10...
Apr 13, 2017•1 hr 21 min
Welcome to the third episode in our series exploring SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . We discuss what storytelling there is, several of the bosses we fought, the analog nature of combat and also the difficulty curve before turning to some player questions. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up through the Ice Palace Podcast breakdown: 0:33 Segment 1: LttP discussion 25:50 "Aw, jeez"...
Apr 05, 2017•1 hr 15 min
Welcome to the second episode in our series exploring SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . We talk a lot about how it's difficult even to analyze a game that casts such a long shadow and open worlds as a genre. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Agahnim battle Podcast breakdown: 0:30 Segment 1: LttP Discussion 52:05 Break 52:25 Segment 2: Feedback Issues covered: hardware featur...
Mar 29, 2017•1 hr 19 min
Welcome to the first episode in our series exploring SNES classic The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past . We situate the game in time and talk about its long shadow in game development before tucking into the game proper. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the end of the Eastern Palace Podcast breakdown: 0:30 Segment 1: LoZ 49:38 Break 50:09 Eastern Palace & Feedback Issues covered: Zelda '...
Mar 22, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to the final episode in our series exploring PS1 and PC 3rd person action-adventure game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver . We delve into the last bits of the game including pluses and minuses surrounding its environmental navigation and puzzles, its voice acting, and then turn to our takeaways and pillars. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finishing the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:36 Soul Reaver disc...
Mar 15, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to the third episode in our series exploring PS1 and PC 3rd person action-adventure game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver . We pick apart the jumping madness that is the Drowned Cathedral, talk animation priority and interruption, and hit up some development thinking to boot. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Rahab Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Soul Reaver discussion 55:48 Break 56:25 Feedback and ...
Mar 08, 2017•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to the second episode in our series exploring PS1 and PC 3rd person action-adventure game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver . We delve into character design and how it is supported by character art and animation and pick a bone with lack of environmental direction. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to Zephon TTAG: 49:28 Podcast breakdown: 0:42 Segment 1: Soul Reaver discussion 56:32 Break 57:00 Seg...
Mar 01, 2017•1 hr 18 min
Welcome to the first episode in our series exploring PS1 and PC 3rd person action-adventure game Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver . We situate the game in time a bit and then turn to its storytelling style, its early game, and its primary mechanics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up until the first boss Podcast breakdown: 0:37 Segment 1: Intro to Soul Reaver 55:45 Break 56:07 Segment 2: Feedback and next ...
Feb 22, 2017•1 hr 12 min
Welcome to the final episode in our series examining the first two works of Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus and turning to the present with some bonus content surrounding The Last Guardian . We talk about the games' pillars and our personal takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A bit of The Last Guardian Podcast breakdown: 0:34 Segment: Pillars/Takeaways/ The Last Guardian Issues cove...
Feb 15, 2017•1 hr 2 min
Welcome to the third episode in our series examining the first two works of Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus . We discuss Colossus's mysterious world, talk about Agro, the camera, delve into the story, and also recap the eight Colossi that make up the second half of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Final 8 Colossi in Shadow of the Colossus Podcast breakdown: 0:41 Segment 1: SotC di...
Feb 08, 2017•1 hr 31 min
Welcome to the third episode in our series examining the first two works of Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus . We discuss Colossus 's form, intro, animation, and a number of design elements, including brief recaps of the first eight Colossus battles. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first 8 Colossi Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Discussion Issues covered: brief history, high-level structure (bo...
Feb 01, 2017•1 hr 20 min
Welcome to the second episode in our series examining the first two works of Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus . We discuss bits of Ico 's narrative, the holistic and economic aspects of the design, the build-up of tension and mutual support between the characters, the combat, and a host of other issues. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Second half of Ico ! Podcast breakdown: 0:33 Ico Issues ...
Jan 25, 2017•1 hr 23 min
Welcome to the first episode in our series examining the first two works of Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus . We situate it in time a bit, and then turn to the opening few rooms and the design, technical, and narrative departures already visible. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the windmill TTAJ: ??! Podcast breakdown: 0:38 Segment 1: Ico 59:33 Break 1 59:58 Segment 2: Themes for n...
Jan 18, 2017•1 hr 24 min
Welcome to a special interview episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We welcome Larry Holland and discuss the overall arc of his career building games for LucasArts and specifically TIE Fighter . Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. TTAJ: Podcast breakdown: 0:31 Interview with Larry Holland 1:05:53 Break 1:06:21 Outro/Next time Issues covered: early career, educational background and focus in anthropolog...
Jan 11, 2017•1 hr 20 min
Welcome to a bonus episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We welcome two guests, Reed Knight and Darren Johnson, who worked in QA on the original titles and co-led the QA team on the Collector's Edition. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. TTAJ: 14:24 Podcast breakdown: 0:29 Interview segment 1:10:00 Break 1:10:22 Outro, Next time Issues covered: Tim introduces QA as a discipline, Reed self-introduction,...
Jan 04, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to our YEAR END SPECIAL. We look back on our interview segments and our favorite game takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. TTAJ: 53:15 Next time: We have one and possibly two TIE Fighter interviews lined up, but then we are going to turn to 2002's Ico and 2005's Shadow of the Colossus . Look for us on Twitter for how far to play. @brett_douville, @timlongojr, and @devgameclub DevGameClub@gmail.com...
Dec 28, 2016•1 hr 3 min
