Send us a text Merry Christmas! Our guest this week is Dan Hess, otherwise known as the composer of the Pilotwings 64 soundtrack! He talks about the development of said game and a few other titles he was involved with, as well as his personal favorite video game soundtrack (not really what you'd expect!), what it was like to deal with Nintendo, and why he eventually bowed out of the video game industry. Lots and LOTS of great insight here provided by Dan, who's a great talker and easily one of t...
Dec 25, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Send us a text On this episode of DF, Trav and Alex interview Josh Petrie of Undead Labs, the studio responsible for the State of Decay franchise that was recently acquired by Microsoft. He expands on what it's like working for a large development team and provides recommendations for how you can prepare yourself for the industry if game development is something you want to do. Trav and Alex take some emails at the top of the show about bad Christmas gifts, presidential cameos, and more. You don...
Dec 11, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Send us a text Alex and Trav invite a special guest onto the show and this time the guest gets to participate in the whole show. Michelle, aka PeteePuff, who hosts the brand new PolyPod Network show Petee's Power Hour joins in to answer all the emails and questions and discuss her history as the original DrunkFriend. Emails cover swimming, special beats, and wishful translations. Alex chats about what it's like sifting through mountains of "well ackshually" comments on a video about things he co...
Nov 27, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Send us a text This episode is a little more sly than cunning as Trav and Alex chat about action movie star Sylvester Stallone per the two games highlighted on this week's SNES Drunk YouTube channel (Cliffhanger and Demolition Man). The two answer some listener emails about video game stories worth a darn, drinking games, and whether or not Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball should be launched into the sun. For the next while, DrunkFriend will be a bi-weekly podcast! WHAREWILF!? Support the show ...
Nov 13, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Send us a text Join Trav and Alex as they hang out with Jenovi, a retro gaming YouTuber who is known for his astute research on 90's systems like the Sega 32X , the 3DO, and the Jaguar. Obscure baseball trivia is tossed around, Alex is no fan of remakes, Travis pretends to know how video game controllers, and Jenovi is in the middle of uprooting his family. He doesn't even get upset when Alex and Trav beg him to show off his auctioneering skills. If you like video games, Earnest Evans gets a men...
Oct 30, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Send us a text Folks just don't come as likeable and easy-going as the esteemed John Riggs! We hang out and chat a lot about his experiences at conventions (both as a panelist and as a fan), and what his YouTube tenure has been like so far in the near-6 years of his channel. We also talk about current gen consoles potentially losing their backward compatibility, LEGOs, the best NES games no one talks about (not to be confused with a term that rhymes with "gidden hems"), and a lot more! John is a...
Oct 23, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Send us a text In this episode, Trav and Alex get the pleasure of interviewing a different kind or runner. Tara recently completed all 24 races at the festival of 5k's, the Pemberton 24. That's right. She ran 24 5K races in one day. We ask her about that experience, how running as a hobby began for her, as well as what she eats and how she trains. The show is kicked off with what videos have been produced by the hosts lately and a pair of listener emails about our favorite games played in 2020 a...
Oct 16, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Send us a text Trav and Alex decide it's time to anger the listeners by listing off their Top 13 NES games and purposefully leave some off that will get your blood boiling. Do you like Contra? Do you like Mega Man? You better beware. Listener emails ask what Trav does for money and the hosts take turns answering how they would flip a classic game into a different genre altogether. It's a fun time, especially if you like the NES. Support the show Find links for all things network related here: ht...
Oct 02, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Send us a text Episode 28 welcomes Summoning Salt on, a YouTuber who documents speedrunning world record progressions and can beat up Mike Tyson in short order. We discuss how much effort goes into his videos, what is research regimen is, and we even dig for more details on the enigmatic Matt Turk. To kick off the show, Alex and Trav answer some emails about formative gaming experiences and licensed games, both good and bad. Would you fight 100 duck sized t-rexes? We wouldn't either. Support the...
Sep 25, 2020•59 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Send us a text On this episode, Trav and Alex are joined by Brian and Jim from the Drink A Beer & Play A Game YouTube Channel and Power Hour podcast. Together they discuss channel longevity, their least favorite and most favorite projects, and their differences in game opinions. How good is Typing of the Dead? Who is Heathcliff Slocumb? All this and more! Support the show Find links for all things network related here: https://linktr.ee/polymedianetwork Find Travis on BlueSky Find Alex on Bl...
Sep 18, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Send us a text This week on DrunkFriend, we have another recurring guest, only this time he gets his own episode -- Caleb J. Ross joins us to talk about all kinds of books about video games, both fiction and non-fiction, as well as his own work and his own writing process, including some hidden gems in the literature world that he would recommend our listeners read! We discuss Blake J. Harris' "Console Wars," Jeff Ryan's "Super Mario," Tristan Donovan's "Replay," among many others. We also talk ...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Send us a text This week on DrunkFriend, we take a detour from gaming and talk to New Zealand artist Leila Ataya! She creates drawing and painting tutorials on Youtube, and we talk to her about her teaching background, the differences in teaching styles around the world, her inspirations and influences, and the "happy accident" that is her Youtube channel! Trav and Alex also talk about video promotion on social media, our "deserted island" games, and the intensely strange story in Skate or Die 2...
Sep 04, 2020•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Send us a text On this episode, Jason Heine (Heine House Entertainment), the pioneer of retro gaming podcasts, stops by to chat about All-Gen Gamers, racing games, and of course... Missouri. Trav and Alex take a break from videos this week but do answer some emails about their favorite boss battles and what a Seinfeld video game would look like. There's even a mean email. Listener questions ask if indie-inspired retro games are over saturating the market and what old movie or TV show would make ...
Aug 28, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Send us a text Trav and Alex take a break from guests this week for a relaxed episode where they catch up on the videos they released this week on their respective YouTube channels and try to recall a delicious sandwich from a 90's action thriller. An email asks for recommended kids games and another listener wanted to know what game sounds induced the most panic. Alex shares some of the meanest comments he's received on his channel and for fun, the hosts rank some of the second-tier developers ...
Aug 21, 2020•47 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text On this episode of of DrunkFriend, Trav and Alex are joined by David of Mariachi Entertainment System. We get all the inside scoops on the band's roster, talk about how it all comes together, and discuss some of the most memorable moments for MES. The hosts kick off the show with a recap of Alex's experience at the Uplink LiRetro virtual convention this past weekend. Find out what happened after Alex posted his Waterworld review that mentioned the game's soundtrack composer. Can y...
Aug 14, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text In this episode, Alex and Trav are once again joined by a guest but first they recap last week's show, then talk about Alex's up and coming virtual convention at Long Island Retro before reading a few fun emails. They're then joined by a streamer who does a little more than just complete no-death runs of Battletoads live on-air, he also paints video game landscapes and plays retro gaming music. Learn how TheRenesance got started, what his artistic inspirations are, and what the de...
Aug 07, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text This week Trav (NESfriend) and Alex (SNESdrunk) roll guest-less and catch up on all sorts of things. Alex is running now? One of Trav's subscribers can see the future? Listeners asks about favorite sports movies, recording equipment, and what the future has in store for the YouTube channels of each. A big portion of the episode focuses on the modern day hype around games and why people always seem to ruin it with their negativity. Support the show Find links for all things network...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text Dan from the YouTube channel Console Wars joins DrunkFriend once again! Only this time, we're talking some more 90s music, including lots of concert stories, and that fear of seeing a band that may or may not be past their prime. We also answer some emails, like about how terrible the arcade game Revolution X is, and why we like the music that we do! Console Wars can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/user/levelonerules Support the show Find links for all things network relate...
Jul 24, 2020•1 hr 32 min
Send us a text In this episode, Travis (NESfriend) and Alex (SNESdrunk) chat about Alex's recent brief hiatus from YouTube as well as their appearance on the Classic Games Podcast! Emailers bring questions about favorite retro Ninjas and WhiteHat94 drops in to chat about NES speedrunning. He will be performing for Summer Games Done Quick in August and shares how he prepares, why he chooses the games he runs, and what it's like being among the most prolific speedrunners on Nintendo's most classic...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text DrunkFriend goes overseas, as we welcome GameBoyle to the podcast! We talk all things Game Boy - everything from shoot-em-ups, to English-friendly games that never left Japan, to Shantae! We also cover recording footage, editing disasters, games that aren't worth the trouble, and answer a couple listener questions like how viewer/listener feedback can range from constructive and good natured, to dismissive and incoherent. Join us, won't you? Cheers! Visit GameBoyle here: https://w...
Jul 10, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Send us a text Thanks for stopping by again for another DrunkFriend podcast episode! This week, it's 90s music, and we actually manage to stay in the 90s for the most part! Trav and Alex cover a ton of ground here, talking about everything from hair metal to Soundgarden, from Smashing Pumpkins to Tool. We even throw in a little country music talk in there too, as well as some concerts we've been to. Alex also tells the story of how he pissed off the band Tool('s lawyers) by making a fake Tool so...
Jul 03, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text Hey folks! Here's episode 15 of DrunkFriend, this week featuring Mega Drive Profile! We talk about his favorite games like Alien Soldier, Adventures of Batman and Robin, Gunstar Heroes and Treasure developed games in general, creating original music, and creating content for games you enjoy versus games you don't enjoy. We also answer some listener questions, like what SNES game deserves a Link's Awakening style remake, and what games best utilize the SNES controller layout! But r...
Jun 26, 2020•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text This episode features TopSpot123, a YouTuber whose channel shares many neat tips and tricks on managing, curating, and presenting your video game collection. You'll hear about the rigors of putting together a thorough tutorial video and you might be surprised by how long that can take. We kick the show off still reminiscing about college football by reading a handful of listener emails on the topic. Alex can't speak Portuguese and his audio in this episode is whack because Kulor t...
Jun 19, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text Hey folks! Join Trav and Alex as they wax nostalgic about 90s (and 00s) college sports, as well as college sports video games like Bill Walsh College Football, College Slam and the (weirdly expensive?) NCAA Football 2014. We talk Virginia Tech, Minnesota, New Mexico and all sorts of weirdly specific stuff in regards to sports fan experiences, as well as answer some listener emails regarding "classic" games we don't like, and bad games that we love. Enjoy! Support the show Find lin...
Jun 12, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text Hello! By sheer coincidence, the DrunkFriend podcast managed to snag their 2nd velvet-voiced guest in a row! This time around, it's SuperDerek, as he talks about his recording setup, the evolution of his channel, and of course, role playing games. Lots of talk about EarthBound and old Quintet games here. We also talk about a Secret Santa Christmas collaboration Drunk and Derek did all the way back in 2014, as well as answer listener emails asking which game you wish you could play...
Jun 05, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Getting back to normal, Trav and Alex join forces from the very beginning of this one. Ya know? Like old times. Alex reads a lovely email from a listener and Pearl provides her insight in response. Thanks to a listener, Trav has broken the Twin Eagle mis-translation mystery wide-open! The guest for this episode is Hungry Goriya, a YouTuber and Twitch streamer growing fast in popularity! They discuss how it all began for HG, how she's always able to keep her cool, and if she really...
May 29, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text On this episode, Alex starts out by himself, completely clueless as usual, before Kulor warps in from nowhere! We talk for 30 minutes about chiptunes and how he got started making music, before he mysteriously warps out again... Alex is so freaked out and disoriented that his longtime girlfriend Pearl stops by to calm him down and talk some Final Fantasy VII Remake (as well as Extra Innings for SNES...?) But as soon as she leaves, Alex is back to ranting to himself before Trav sto...
May 24, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text On this episode, it's just Trav as Alex proves to us he's not a robot, or at the very least, not a time lord. On this episode Trav gets serious for about five minutes to talk about overcoming the things that keep us from being creative and asks his guest the same. The first guest is Caleb J. Ross, an author and YouTuber, who is co-hosting an all new podcast coming to the Polykill network on May 26th (Tales of the Lesser Medium). The second guest is someone very valuable to the Car...
May 15, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text Another DrunkFriend podcast! But where's Travis? He has some actual important stuff to attend to this week, and Alex quickly realizes that this podcast business is not as easy as it sounds. As he begins to panic, he is bailed out by longtime podcaster Rob of the Classic Gaming Podcast! The two talk about how his podcast started and all the long running jokes that have developed over the years, the Final Fantasy series, being embarrassed at our early work, video game remakes, guita...
May 08, 2020•1 hr 31 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Send us a text On this week's DrunkFriend, Travis and Alex sit down with Aaron from the YouTube channel Friday Night Arcade, who tells some great stories about how he ended up learning audio production, what his YouTube experience has been like so far, and pairing video game footage with 80s TV theme songs! We answer some listener emails and questions, as well as talk about the ESPN Docu-series "The Last Dance." We get into some 90s NBA talk as Alex speaks of the highs and lows of basketball car...
May 01, 2020•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 7
