Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are in our second discussion of Super Castlevania IV . We discuss the ways the game mixes up its mechanics in the late game as well as its music and a few other topics before we turn to your feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished....? the game? Issues covered: monsters and bosses, Universal monsters movies, the difficulty of these final levels, imagining ...
Jul 10, 2019•1 hr 32 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where we are in our second discussion of Super Castlevania IV . We talk about the difficulty of the game and "fairness," Mode 7 shenanigans, and how the game quickly teaches things and moves on. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: To/through Stage VIII Issues covered: the Myst-like rabbit-hole, leaning into the affordances of the SNES Classic, difficulty of Stage IV, the question...
Jul 03, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we turn to 1991's Super Castlevania IV , due to the series having its anniversary this year. We talk about quite a lot of stuff, including its arcade nature but also its nods to the home market, its tone and setting ,how it teaches stuff, an a host of other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first two stages Podcast breakdown: 0:42 Castlevania Discuss...
Jun 19, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we aren't quite ready to say good-bye to MYST and devote a bonus episode to the 2016 Cyan game Obduction . Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A couple of hours for Tim, the whole game for Brett Issues covered: being down the rabbit-hole for Brett, talking about the opening of Riven , losing the framing of the placed cameras, a game where you can't die, the MYST f...
Jun 12, 2019•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we're so lucky to get to talk with Robyn Miller, co-designer of MYST and its artist, composer, and writer as well. We think you'll agree, it's a fascinating discussion. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Interview! 1:06:14 Break 1:06:43 Additional discussion Issues covered: getting into game development, bringing other interests and skills to bear, drawing...
Jun 05, 2019•1 hr 17 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we finish our discussion of 1993's MYST . We talk about avatar-based puzzle games, story elements, and some other bits and bobs before turning to our takeaways from the game and answering listener feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:45 Final sections discussion 58:27 Break 59:00 Takeaways and feedback Issues covere...
May 29, 2019•1 hr 51 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue discussing 1993's MYST . We talk about representing a physical space, the problems of camera and limited modes of interaction, and a host of other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Two more ages! (Both: Channelwood; Tim: Stoneship; Brett: Spaceship) Issues covered: turning a lot of valves, making and motivating a physical space, losing a sens...
May 22, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series looking at 1993's MYST . We talk about the strains of adventure games at the time, HyperCard, the emergence of the CD-ROM platform, and a bit about the game itself. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: One Age (Mechanical, as it turned out) Issues covered: what we're playing it on and why, the game landscape in 1993, using MYST to justify CD-R...
May 15, 2019•1 hr 21 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we take a bonus trip to discuss a more modern game in Devil May Cry 5 . We especially note how much they capture the feeling of the original game, despite modernizing some aspects. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first few hours Issues covered: cramming everything Devil May Cry into Devil May Cry 5 , iterating on a formula and delivering the same feel, pul...
May 08, 2019•1 hr 5 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our discussion of 2001's Devil May Cry , discussing the ending of the story (for the benefit of one co-host) and some mechanical elements about the structure before turning to our takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the game! (In theory) Podcast breakdown: 0:45 Segment 1: End of game discussion 42:55 Break 43:10 Segment 2: Takeaways...
May 01, 2019•1 hr 27 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion of 2001's Devil May Cry , discussing underwater controls, the camera, combos in combat, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Missions 11-17 Issues covered: the two scariest words in video games, the underwater sections, forcing emotional stress through cumbersome controls, putting the player out of her element, pulling y...
Apr 24, 2019•1 hr 6 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion of 2001's Devil May Cry , discussing enemy introductions, the mission structure, grinding to find your difficulty level, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Missions 5-10 Podcast breakdown: 0:32 Devil May Cry part one 34:32 Unintentional break 34:56 Devil May Cry part two and feedback Issues covered: enemy introductions...
Apr 17, 2019•1 hr 26 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 2001's Devil May Cry , an action beat-'em-up from Capcom. We situate the game in its time and talk about its evolution from the Resident Evil series with its action. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First four missions Issues covered: gaming in 2001, the origins of the title as Resident Evil 4 and making it into a new franchise, leaning...
Apr 10, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we look in this bonus episode at Diablo III to discuss the game's impact and systems, while also touching on a Kingdom Hearts update and getting into a ton of listener feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: Kingdom Hearts 2 side/end game stuff, the inventive choices you have to make to do side stuff in JRPGs, figuring out constraints and min/maxing against t...
Apr 03, 2019•1 hr 51 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we extend our time with 1996's Diablo with an interview with Condor/Blizzard North co-founder and Diablo lead programmer and designer David Brevik. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:39 Interview 1:21:19 Break 1:21:51 Wrap-up Issues covered: falling in love with games as a young person, learning how to program, finding out you could make a living making games...
Mar 27, 2019•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we finish our main discussion of Blizzard Entertainment's 1996 classic Diablo . We cover level design in a procedural world, how the tone of the game darkens further in this final segment and then turn to our takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Killed Diablo! Issues covered: quoting oft-repeated lines, last two levels as a more authored experience, stra...
Mar 20, 2019•1 hr 21 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue discussing Blizzard Entertainment's 1996 classic Diablo . We talk a bit about macro pacing issues and how other systems tie into that, changes in enemies as you go deeper, and some tight spot anecdotes. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the Caves Issues covered: going after the Lord of Terror with the Horadrim, cutscenes tying together two ga...
Mar 13, 2019•1 hr 23 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue discussing Blizzard Entertainment's 1996 classic Diablo . We look at tone, discuss art direction, dive a bit into procedural loot and how it has reverberated through games since, with other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through the Catacombs Issues covered: dark and brooding tone, gothic melodrama, using the palette to your advantage, hav...
Mar 06, 2019•1 hr 12 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new game: Blizzard Entertainment's 1996 classic, Diablo . We situate the game in time and in the RPG landscape of the 90s before diving into the first quarter of the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Levels 1-4 Issues covered: Brett's Ph.D. falls to Diablo , playing in the various pits of LucasArts, games slipping across the industry due to Diab...
Feb 27, 2019•1 hr 11 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion of Kingdom Hearts . We talk about the end of the game, a few topics we'd never got around to, and of course, our takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the game! Podcast breakdown: 0:47 KH Discussion 56:50 Break 57:20 Takeaways and Feedback Issues covered: the separation between the sky and the land, Brett playing again ...
Feb 20, 2019•1 hr 27 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion of Kingdom Hearts . We talk about some memorable moments, some about character design, a bit about AI... a whole hodge-podge. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to the Hollow Bastion Issues covered: Brett playing simultaneously on PS4, televisions, being stuck on the boss, grinding and action combat, navigating in 3D, slow leveling, ...
Feb 06, 2019•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion of Kingdom Hearts . Tim sings a bit, Brett raps a bit, and we talk about what makes this game work or not work, as well as delving into the combat. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Monstro! Podcast breakdown: 0:42 Tim sings + Kingdom Hearts 44:03 Break 44:33 Feedback + Brett Raps Issues covered: birthday, the giant Kingdom Hea...
Jan 30, 2019•1 hr 29 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we start a new series about Kingdom Hearts , the 2002 Disney / Square crossover game that culminates in Kingdom Hearts III this week. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Through Wonderland! Podcast breakdown: 0:38 Kingdom Hearts 42:01 Break 42:30 Feedback & Singing Review Issues covered: series lore in non-console games, E3 2001, licensing starting to wane, pa...
Jan 23, 2019•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we extend our time with Pokémon by turning to recent Nintendo release Pokémon Let's Go and tons of Pokémon-related feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First bit of Pokemon Let's Go Podcast breakdown: 0:41 Let's Go 37:02 Break 37:23 Feedback Issues covered: Blue showing up, playing with the Pokémon Ball controller and it making noises, playing handheld vs...
Jan 16, 2019•1 hr 28 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we finish our series on 1996 Game Boy classic Pokémon Red/Blue . We talk about the tension of the final battles and then of course chat about our lessons and takeaways from the game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finishing the Game! Podcast breakdown: 1:15 Pokémon discussion 50:04 Break 50:35 Takeaways and Feedback Issues covered: renaming your rival and Pro...
Jan 09, 2019•1 hr 18 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we return to our series on 1996 Game Boy classic Pokémon Red/Blue . We talk about how widely our strategy is varying both in terms of team make-up and approach as well as marvelling over how well the game supports both, and Brett geeks out over how the hardware of the Game Boy (and in particular the Memory Bank Controller) influenced the design of its games. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providin...
Jan 02, 2019•1 hr 23 min
Show notes are simple this year -- we talk over the games and interviews of the year and reminisce. Happy Holidays to all, and to all a Happy New Year. We'll see you in 2019 with our continuing series on Pokémon Red & Blue. -Brett and Tim
Dec 29, 2018•1 hr 19 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 1996 Game Boy classic Pokémon Red/Blue . We talk quite a bit about the early game, the way it solves age-old RPG problems with random encounters, and of course, our current mix of Pokemon before turning to feedback. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up through Saffron City (in theory) Podcast breakdown: 0:45 Pokemon 55:48 Break 56:14 Fee...
Dec 19, 2018•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 1996 Game Boy classic Pokémon Red/Blue . We situate the game in time and spend a fair amount of time discussing the Game Boy itself as a handheld system, before turning to the game itself. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to Pewter City's Gym Leader, Brock Podcast breakdown: 0:40 Pokémon discussion 55:02 Break 55:35 Feedback & Re...
Dec 12, 2018•1 hr 32 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our discussion about Grand Theft Auto III . We close out the game by picking a couple favorite moments, talk about some of the difficulty at the end, and of course, do our takeaways before turning to feedback, of which there was much. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the game! (If you're Brett, anyway) Podcast breakdown: 0:39 GTA III discus...
Dec 05, 2018•1 hr 51 min
