Remember to take the podcast out for Jimmy. You know how he gets. Welcome to our first proper episode of the Halloween season! Today, we’re going to be taking a look at Harvester, a ‘90s point and click adventure game that touts itself as the most vile and shocking you’ll ever play. While this may not be entirely true, Harvester does not pull its punches when it comes to being weird and transgressive, and confronts its players with scene after scene of nonsensical characters and irreverent dialo...
Oct 09, 2018•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 70
People tried to glimpse the future in the strangest ways. They locked themselves in dark rooms, not partaking in podcasts. Thank you for joining us as we begin our extra spooky Halloween month this year! Today we’re going to be talking about Year Walk, a Simogo developed horror-adventure game based on a Swedish folk tradition in which people would perform a ritual in an effort to see into the future. The way the act of Year Walking was adapted to this game, originally released only for iOS, main...
Oct 03, 2018•32 min•Ep. 4
Happy NOCLIP Day, everybody! Hopefully you’re celebrating over a delicious NOCLIP Day dinner, and are enjoying your traditional NOCLIP Day Eve gifts you got from your family and friends. That’s right, this means that NOCLIP is now three years old and today we’re here to present you with our annual bloopers episode. It’s like if you had a child that turned three and is now walking and so you upload a cruel home movie compilation of all the times they fell over or ran into things while learning to...
Oct 03, 2018•36 min
Sacred geometry was our pride, our downfall, but forever will our podcasts stand in this valley. Welcome back to another episode of NOCLIP Pocket, where today we’re going to be discussing mobile gaming darling Monument Valley. The impossible objects and puzzling landscapes of M.C. Escher do seem to lend themselves to, well, a puzzle game, but the necessary visual complication can sometimes detract from the actual puzzle solving. However, this rarely hinders your enjoyment and the game is consist...
Sep 22, 2018•31 min•Ep. 3
A strange podcast dribbles down from the point and onto my visor. The entity waits for the order to plunge it deep into my brain. Welcome to another episode of NOCLIP! This week we’re going to look at Hello Games’ vast universe generating game No Man’s Sky. While the initial release of this game was fraught with controversy (a subject we can’t avoid addressing), the game has received consistent and constant updates to transform itself into what it is today, currently going under the moniker of N...
Sep 15, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 69
I picked up the podcast, it's weight felt comforting in my pocket, Welcome back to another episode of our Pocket series where we're going to be talking about the game that is impossibly difficult to Google, Home. Home is a narrative-focused adventure game whose main draw is the fact that it's ending and your interpretation of the entire game can change depending on your actions. This concept is furthered by a dreary atmosphere and isolating sound design which casts a dark tone over the entire ex...
Sep 05, 2018•46 min•Ep. 2
If my "podcast" almost did you in, the mountain might be a bit too much for you, Welcome back to the NOCLIP Podcast! Today, we're going to be talking about indie platformer Celeste. Celeste falls under the category of precision platformers, with an ever escalating difficulty curve that continues to get harder even after the game proper ends. This difficulty is then set against the personal challenges the main character is tasked with overcoming in the narrative, making for a beautiful melding of...
Aug 25, 2018•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 68
The first level in NOCLIP Zone, Welcome to the inaugural episode of NOCLIP Pocket! Today, we're going to spend some time with Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, a Mario platformer originally released on the Game Boy. While the game itself brings what was, even in 1992, standard Mario platforming gameplay to a handheld console, the game's music and visual design make it stand out from others in what was the most ubiquitous genre at the time. We're going to talk about platforming difficulty in a ...
Aug 14, 2018•33 min•Ep. 1
You've met with a terrible podcast, haven't you? Welcome back to the podcast, where today we're going to be talking about the follow-up to Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask. Majora is one of the precious few direct sequels in the Zelda series and yet it feels completely different to the games that came both before and after its release. With a much stronger focus on tone than the series had ever seen, a focus that would presumably go on to inspire the design of the Wind Waker and Twilight Princess,...
Jul 28, 2018•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 67
Room temperature? Please. A podcast should be ICE COLD. Welcome back to the podcast this week, where we're getting boots on the ground in what is arguably the most popular video game franchise of all time. The fourth CoD is the entry that really elevated the series within popular culture, and for good reason. This game took a step away from the setting and tone of previous games as well as most games within its subgenre of shooters to deliver something that was—dare I say it about a Call of Duty...
Jul 09, 2018•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 66
Podcast! Welcome to another episode of the NOCLIP podcast! Today, we're going to be talking about WarioWare, the schizophrenic Nintendo title that asks you to complete its challenges in mere seconds. The game's sense of humor combined with the insanity inherent in its concept makes this a charming surface level experience with enough room for improvement to get some fairly serious mileage out of it. We talk about designing games that are meant to be understood in an incredibly short time frame, ...
Jun 17, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 65
Baseball! Soccer! Mobile games! They're all nothing compared to the NOCLIP Podcast! You may be wondering why you're here. Why you woke up in a locker and are being cajoled by bears who look like they took fashion advice from Harvey Dent. It's because you are the Ultimate Podcast Listener, and you're listening to the NOCLIP Podcast! We're taking a look at Spike Chunsoft's eclectic adventure game/visual novel/dating simulator this week, breaking down what works and puzzling over all the elements t...
May 28, 2018•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 64
What do you mean "what the hell is the NOCLIP Podcast"? You mean...you don't know?! Welcome to the podcast, and the first episode of Mystery May, where today we're going to be talking about 999, an escape room/graphic novel adventure game that goes heavy on its convoluted plot in its attempts to engage the player. While we think the puzzles are well designed, there is a helping of disagreement over whether the game accomplishes what it sets out to do with its plot and characters. We're going to ...
May 12, 2018•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 63
I found a nice podcast, Meowster! Welcome back to NOCLIP, where this time we're looking at Capcom's item crafting, Felyne training, stat pondering, social dancing, and yes, monster fighting action RPG: Monster Hunter: World. Monster Hunter is a long standing, but largely niche, series and this entry is the first in seven years to be released outside of the handheld market. This seems like a decision that largely paid off, as Capcom is in the monster hunting business, and brother, business is a-b...
Apr 28, 2018•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 62
Wealth, glory, enlightenment... that podcast seems to promise all things! Welcome back to the podcast (and apologies for how long of a break we've had)! Today, we're going to be talking about Hollow Knight, an action-heavy Metroidvania that's an overwhelmingly impressive feat coming from a small indie team. Every corner of the world Hollow Knight contains is teeming with life, or at least undeath, and this sense of discovery drives engagement all the way through the game. We'll discuss all the i...
Apr 14, 2018•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 61
NOCLIP Podcast, find it in your grocer's freezer! From deep in the bowls of the Internet, we're going to be talking about Super Mario Cereal today. When this promotional cereal released, it was met with continental amusement, seemingly because of the inherent ridiculousness of it. But, rather than be spoon-fed opinions on it, we decided to pour up and try it for ourselves. Join us to find out if our favorite Nintendo hero has made the switch from plumbin' to bakin' or if his breakfast effort is ...
Mar 31, 2018•22 min•Ep. 999
I awoke to find myself listening to a strange podcast... Welcome back to NOCLIP, where this week we're going to be talking about The Last Guardian. The third game in what could be considered a spiritual trilogy of games including Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian similarly features a bleak atmosphere and an unassuming protagonist. The hook this time around comes in the form of a massive beast and the connection that you create with it over the course of the game. While the game i...
Mar 17, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 60
You're about to listen to a podcast with the color and viscosity of maple syrup, except instead of maple it's flavored with the inside of the mouths of people who chew cigars instead of smoking them and have never brushed their teeth. Welcome back! Today we're taking a look at West of Loathing, an RPG set in the wild west from the makers of Kingdom of Loathing. Despite being an RPG, the real draw of this game is in its writing, and funnier writing is not often seen in this industry. As quaint as...
Mar 04, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 59
You will podcast with me in Ragnarok! Welcome back to the podcast where we're going to be talking about Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. Ninja Theory made this game with what was a shoestring budget for its goals and ambitions, and what results is hopefully a proof-of-concept game to show that this type of development can still be viable despite the risks. Choosing to focus the game around the concept of mental illness and Norse mythology gives the game a well of rich narrative and thematic content...
Feb 17, 2018•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 58
Analysis: A large amount of entertaining audio data incoming. Recommendation: Listen to the NOCLIP Podcast. Thanks for joining us again this week while we talk about NieR: Automata! This game is a sequel to a Square Enix Action RPG from last generation that Platinum Games has put their own spin on, eschewing some of the more traditional RPG elements for the hack and slash gameplay that Platinum is known for. While the combat itself is kept fresh by repeatedly changing from character to character...
Feb 03, 2018•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 57
I hear a podcast, and you can't outrun those. Thank you for joining us for another episode of NOCLIP today (and apologies for the delays!). We're back to talk about Mirror's Edge, a first person platformer that came to define the genre for the majority of average game players for years. Mirror's Edge emphasizes your character's movement as you free run through buildings and on rooftops, but rarely gives you a chance to catch your breath. We discuss whether this breakneck pace is a benefit or det...
Jan 21, 2018•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 56
Happy New Year, everyone! With another year over and a busy holiday season winding down, we have basically entirely forgotten to play any video games or record a podcast. So while we make up for that oversight, we discuss what surprises 2017 brought to the industry and some of our own observations about the things we care about. We talk about Twitch, the Switch and EA's bid to get rich. Thanks for being patient with us this week, and check us out next week for our episode on Mirror's Edge!
Jan 07, 2018•1 hr 42 min
I caught a podcast! Must have been a perfect rod cast ! Welcome back to the podcast, where this week we're going to be talking about Nintendo's life simulation series Animal Crossing. We sat down with the most recent iteration of the series this week, but much of what is said applies to all the games, as while they change between entries, the basic gameplay remains the same and strives to achieve the same thing: a cute, relaxing experience. Because of this, fans of the series tend to have a stro...
Dec 23, 2017•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 55
Are you part of that podcast subculture? Have you died and gone to podcast heaven? No, it's much worse than that, because we're going to be talking about The Cat Lady. The Cat Lady is a Horror Adventure game that examines themes of real life and depression through a surrealist lens that never ceases to be interesting and emotional. The design of this game uses and eschews convention in equal measure and the end result is an Adventure game that feels unique, while still reminding you of why this ...
Dec 10, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 54
Mama always said, "go podcast outside," One trip around the kingdoms later, and we're back with another NOCLIP Podcast. This time we're going to be talking about Super Mario Odyssey, the latest 3D platformer in the most iconic video game series of all time. Odyssey shows a desire to return to the design principles that made Mario 64 one of the most talked about and influential games of its generation, and while there was some progress to that end, Odyssey feels like a different beast entirely, b...
Nov 25, 2017•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 53
A chitinous, chattering podcast began to appear, Thanks for checking us out again this week! This time around, we're finally tackling a typing game, and we picked a hell of a one to start on. Epistory is a typing game at its heart that layers on a gorgeous paper craft art style as well as a plot that strikes at an emotional core. These elements help the game stand out and would be unique even if the game's quality didn't live up to expectations. Spoilers: it does. We're going to discuss keyboard...
Nov 11, 2017•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 52
The Podcast must be protected, the Black Water must not overflow. Welcome to the podcast this week, and as Halloween is right around the corner we're going to be talking about a ghostly Wii U title, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water. The fifth game in a long running Japanese horror franchise, the Wii U release seemed to be in danger of not being localized for other regions. Fortunately, there was enough demand to bring the game stateside, even if only in a digital version. Fatal Frame V maintai...
Oct 28, 2017•1 hr 14 min
'Til next time... Don't get bypassed, stay with the NOCLIP Podcast! Welcome to the fiftieth episode of NOCLIP. For the occasion, we're taking a deep dive back to our very first episode and talking about the sequel to that game, Splatoon 2. Nintendo has taken their squid-based competitive shooter property and updated it for a new audience on the much more popular Switch console. Despite many people claiming that the sequel isn't much more than an update, we take stock of the differences and the s...
Oct 14, 2017•1 hr 40 min
It's that time of year again. Time to say thanks to all of you, sincerely, for listening to this show. We've been going for two years now, and we're still loving making every single episode. We're still trying to improve, and we're still trying not to commit to tape the kind of thing you're about to listen to nigh on a half hour of right now. Thanks for letting us indulge this week, and we've got a couple of great October episodes planned coming up: Splatoon 2 for our fiftieth episode and our Ha...
Oct 03, 2017•27 min
He is the reason we're alive, he's the reason we podcast, Welcome back to another episode of NOCLIP this week. We're going to be talking about Ori and the Blind Forest, Moon Studio's Metroidvania that takes the platforming that's expected of the genre and ramps it up to be the main focus. The platforming challenge combines with stellar presentation to create a game that is lauded by many, so we take a closer look at the way the pieces fit together. We discuss movement through a Metroidvania's le...
Sep 30, 2017•1 hr 31 min
