Dev Game Club

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 co...

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 Rav...

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...

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, p...

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! Pod...

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 p...

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 :...

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 b...

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,...

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...

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...

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 Po...

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 o...

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. S...

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...

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 episo...

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...

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...

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...

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 Tw...

Welcome to our fourth episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We discuss the story of the Collector's Edition additional missions 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 : Missions 11-13 TTAJ : 1:06:00 (late this episode!) Podcast breakdown : 0:37    Segment 1: Fi...

Welcome to our third episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We discuss the story of the first expansion pack, address some criticism when it comes to these missions, and Brett digresses over technology from the day. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Battles 8-10 TTAG (Time to "Aw, geez"...

Welcome to our second episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We discuss the story in greater depth, as well as the various storytelling modes and how they cross over between each other. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Battles 4-7 Podcast breakdown : 0:31    Segment 1: Story and storyt...

Welcome to our first episode examining 1994's Star Wars classic TIE Fighter . We talk a lot about the Star Wars presentation, simulation depth and choices, and touch a bit on the story. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played : Battles 1-3 Podcast breakdown : 0:29      Segment 1, Felis Interruptus 20:35    Quick...

Welcome to Dev Game Club Bonus Content. We've both played a little bit of The Evil Within and here we lovingly render our verdict in stunning HD. Usually, Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary, but here in Bonus Content we just chat about something descended from one of our main games and talk about the directions it's gone. P...