Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1999's Homeworld , the innovative RTS from Relic Entertainment. We talk about interacting with the game and its presentation, and discuss some of the ways in which it creates and eliminates friction in that genre. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to M8 Issues covered: a separate manual for the lore, the mysterious science fiction/fa...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 27 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we start a new series on 1999's Homeworld , from Relic Entertainment. We set the game in its time and then turn a little bit to the opening moments and the tutorial. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First couple of levels + tutorial Issues covered: a layered intro, our history with RTSes, the music hitting, transitioning to a console player, console RTSes, a ne...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we recap 2023 through our interviews. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: good interviews with non-designers, lots of gems, Statue Park, keeping 60 and visor modes, limiting scripting, building spaces and Lincoln logging gameplay, talking to a marketing person, putting the name in the symbol for a new logo, challenging norms, challenging rinse and repeat and genera...
Jan 03, 2024•36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Trespasser . We look through the glass darkly at the mistakes and how they illustrate some things, 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! Issues covered: the funhouse mirror, writing the weird things on the whiteboards, voice acting, a game lost to time, the inner monologue, some good set u...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 29 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Trespasser: The Lost World . We talk more about the physics of the game, the problems of video game proprioception, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: To level 4 (Brett), to level 6 (Tim) Issues covered: abracadabra, discussing fixed point vs floating point, obvious and easy-to-fix bug or patch problem, backface culling...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 1998's Dreamworks Interactive title, Trespasser . We set it in its time (a year with many great games... and also Trespasser ) and then discuss a bit of the games foibles and noble attempts. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First level or two Issues covered: an intro that works on many levels, repeating lines, games from this great year...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Alan Wake . We talk a little bit about what's going on in the DLC and Tim talks us through American Nightmare , before we turn to takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The Signal and The Writer American Nightmare Issues covered: what's going on with Zane, was the DLC originally part of the game, the better use of the light mechan...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Alan Wake . We dive into the ocean that is the story and talk about the game's themes and how they layer, among other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the main game! Issues covered: not thinking through the tanning bed, the underwritten FBI agent, the effectiveness of the woods, changing pace with the town, The Well-Li...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Alan Wake, which we're playing via a remaster. We talk especially about the combat, amongst other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to Ch 3 or 4 Issues covered: Night Springs episode, word salad, feeling the need to have it wrapped up, PNW locations, not quite hitting right, representing the setting, Remedy touchpoints, prima...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin our annual spooky series in a little place called Bright Falls, with Remedy's 2010 horror adventure Alan Wake . We place the game in its time a bit (not that long ago) and talk about how that first episode presents itself. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Episode 1 Issues covered: reviewing our spooky season, feeling like a 2010 game, the Alan Wake DLC...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we add an interview to our series on Batman: Arkham Asylum . Karl Stewart, Director of Marketing for Eidos at the time joins us to talk about the importance of the role and how it contributes to a product's success. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:54 Interview 1:03:18 Break 1:03:51 Outro Issues covered: a full year, the early history of Karl, drawing anato...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Batman: Arkham Asylum , the breakout hit for Rocksteady. We talk about the final villains of the game 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: Finished the game! Issues covered: quotes, getting back to the Scarecrow, a digression to other games in the series and how they treat the Joker relationship, Batman v Su...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 21 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Batman: Arkham Asylum . We talk about the progression system in the game, the various forms of reward, how well things are integrated, and Tim gets to relive the death of the Waynes. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Near to end (Brett), thru 2nd Scarecrow (Tim) Issues covered: the death taunts, Edward Nigma vs the Riddler, relatively f...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Rocksteady's breakout hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum . We freeflow our way through a bunch of combat, put on the visor, and even hit a couple of the villains (and I'm not talking about our emails). Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: More of the game (Brett to Poison Ivy, Tim to first Scarecrow) Issues covered: Tim's many times dressing up as...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 2009's Rocksteady breakout, Batman: Arkham Asylum . We set the game in its time, as well as introducing its principals, and talk a bit about one man's fandom. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Roughly up to first Scarecrow encounter Issues covered: introducing the center of the madness, returning to these two, mythology and archetype, th...
Sep 13, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Eye of the Beholder . We talk more about D&D adaptation, spend some time with a sequel, and get to our takeaways before emptying the mailbag. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: which levels count in the sequel, killing lots of beholders, whether you could have killed Xanathar in the original, striation of hit point values, scaling for sen...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 53 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Eye of the Beholder . We killed Xanathar! We saved Waterdeep! And we talked about simulation vs game vs narrative and various other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Finished the game! Issues covered: potential NPCs, getting misled by the star, hating the missing buttons, good reveals on secret doors, unmotivated puzzles, brute ...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1991's Eye of the Beholder . We talk quite a bit about adaptation and the things that are not entirely.... fun... about D&D. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to level 10 or 11 Issues covered: Discord Game Club, finding the dwarves, the injured dwarf, information as a reward, inconsistent locks, messages you can only read if you have...
Aug 23, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1991's Eye of the Beholder . We talk about using what you've got, contrast it with non grid-based games like Underworld, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Thru level 4 (Tim), level 2 (Brett) Issues covered: Discord Game Club, getting deeper in the levels, paranoia about missing items or XP, being lost in the spinner ma...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 7 min
The first episode of Discord Game Club - The community appreciation cast for DevGameClub. In this episode, Artimage and Mark introduce themselves, touch on their gaming background, as well as how they got into the cast, before diving into some community provided content for discussion. Additional media: Kotaku Article mentioning DevGameClub: https://kotaku.com/an-insightful-look-at-why-old-final-fantasy-games-were-1777807188 Razbuten - The Problem With Mini-Maps: https://youtu.be/nmzYRT7LBQs Ego...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 10 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we begin a new series on 1991's Eye of the Beholder , from Westwood Studios and published by Strategic Simulations Inc. We set the game in its time before exploring its primary mechanics and the feel of being in this world. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: First level or two Issues covered: knowing who the evil is, tactical top down Gold Box, the opening cutsce...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we add another bonus to our series on Metroid Prime with an interview with Jack Mathews, a technical lead on the title. We cover a lot of ground in this one, folks, which is appropriate for a Metroid game. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 1:10 Interview 1:03:17 Break 1:03:53 Outro Issues covered: scanning for IP addresses, supporting QuakeWorld, bored by anyt...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we add a bonus to our series on Metroid Prime by looking into Metroid Fusion , before turning to the mail bag. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Almost all of it Issues covered: the space jump boots, connectivity with the GBA, Metroid nostalgia, a hardcore game, GBA architecture, moving goalposts, kinship between Metroid and Legend of Zelda, snacking on Dread, a...
Jul 12, 2023•1 hr 36 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on Metroid Prime . We discuss the visor modes, the pleasing arc of the end game, and other topics before we turn 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! Issues covered: the face of the Metroid Prime core, reflecting the art of Samus in the environment or creatures, seventeen films in five and a half days, vis...
Jul 05, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 2002's Metroid Prime . We talk a bit about some favorite moments, the suit design, the visors, a bit of a grab bag of topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: wondering which creatures were in which games, wondering if the music is your canonical music, crab hands with chords, a non-ergonomic system, using the dog-ears, kibbitzing about...
Jun 21, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we take a short break from our series on Metroid Prime to catch up on the mail bag. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Issues covered: GoldenEye, Republic Commando influences, tracking data in games, informing your decisions, figuring out what to do with your data, Arecibo radio telescope, feeling like we're in the game, a favorite multiplayer mode, socially playing GoldenEye, ch...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 25 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on Metroid Prime . We discuss the particular alchemy of combining Metroid 's formula with the shooter format in a Nintendo vein, with comparisons to other shooter lineages and discuss what it means for level design, among other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Up to Thardus (in theory) Issues covered: getting a power-up and not th...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we start a new series on Metroid Prime , which we are playing via the Nintendo Switch remaster. We set the game in its time, talk a little bit about Retro, and then wall jump into the action of the tutorial area. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Until you arrive on Tallon IV Issues covered: Tim's purging, Western developers making FPSes for Japanese publishers,...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 16 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we complete our series on GoldenEye 007 by diving a bit into the multiplayer and discussing our overall takeaways. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: Multiplayer (for about an hour) Issues covered: getting the good old Rare stories, writing music for the Nintendo 64, finding the Donkey Kong pitch, how remarkably easy it was to play it multiplayer, privacy concern...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 9 min
Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we insert a bonus interview into the middle of our series on GoldenEye 007 . We speak with Grant Kirkhope, one of two composers on the title. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Podcast breakdown: 0:58 Interview 1:03:57 Break 1:04:32 Outro Issues covered: starting at Rare in '95, composing in hex, the imposing approach to programming, fitting in 1 Mb, making a clarinet from one no...
May 10, 2023•1 hr 13 min
