Unlockables: The Story of Video Games

The final confrontation with Xehanort and Organization XII is at hand, and our journey with the base game of Kingdom Hearts 3 comes to a close. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about people's stories and memories around the games that th...

On this episode of Unlockables, its time to LIVE AND LEARN. After foolishly beginning the Year of Shadow at the end of the story, I decided to right the wrongs by going back to the game where Shadow debuted; Sonic Adventure 2! Matt aka Stormageddon from "Fun" and Games Podcast and the Reignite Podcast stopped by the show to help me escape from the city. Check out all of Matt's projects! Follow the...

After finishing our adventures in the Disney Worlds, we begin racing towards the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 3. The fate of Aqua and Ven hang in the balance as the long awaited confrontation with Master Xehanort finally begins. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables...

In the late 90s, the industry and gamers were looking forward to the future, and the future was 3D. But in the wake of the avalanche of 3D games there were some titles that got overlooked at the time. The Suikoden series on PS1 was good, but it just wasn't what people were looking for at the time. In recent years it's reputation has grown as not only one of the great RPGs of its time, but one of t...

Our adventures in the Diseny Worlds continue in part 3 of Kingdom Hearts 3! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about people's stories and memories around the games that they play, as well as the story of the games themselves! The show cons...

The one true gaming prophet Kade Call stops by the Unlockables to talk about his experience creating his viral emulation videos, as well as a general discussion on content creation and emulation. Check out Gaming Memories! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a...

Welcome back to part two of Kingdom Hearts 3. Today our adventures in the Disney worlds begin as Sora sets out to find the Power of Waking in order to save those who have been hurt by Xehanort. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about peop...

To celebrate the announcement that 2024 would be the Year of Shadow, Keith stops by the show to help me analyze and break down the infamous 2005 video game Shadow the Hedgehog. Check out Main Quest! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about...

At long last, our Guiding Keys Journey brings us to the game that was the catalyst for this journey in the first place. Kingdom Hearts 3. You know the drill by now. A brief introduction featuring general information, first thoughts, gameplay and development history is followed by a dive into the story. The shadow of Xehanort looms large. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on...

The annual State of the Industry episode is here! Kelvin and Rob from the Gaming Duo stop by to talk about the Big 3, leaks, trailers, layoffs, and everything in-between with a postitive spin! Check out the Gaming Duo! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a vide...

A light spoiler review of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about people's stories and memories around the games that they play, as well as the story of the games themselves! The show consists of solo...

Before we can move on to Kingdom Hearts 3, there is some foundational lore that we need to understand that is presented in the first part of the Kingdom Hearts mobile game, ultimately known as Kingdom Hearts Union X. This episode will cover the history of this game including its multiple transformations and movie adaptation known as X Back Cover. We also are introduced to the most mysterious and p...

I played Ocarina of Time for the first time in 2024. This game and Zelda had long eluded me, but I decided it was finally time to sit down and play it, once and for all. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about people's stories and memorie...

Like a lot of people, I was recently drawn into the galactic conflict featured in Helldivers 2 to spread freedom and managed democracy. In this episode I give my initial thoughts on my time with Helldivers 2 as well as some thoughts on the nature of live service games themselves. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! C...

Before moving on to Kingdom Hearts 3, a tech demo included in the HD2.8 collection allows us to spend a few hours with Master Aqua in the Realm of Darkness as she wanders endlessly without hope. Find out how her continuing story ties in to the end of the first game in the series, Kingdom Hearts 1 and sets the stage for Kingdom Hearts 3! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on...

With the imminent threat of Master Xehanort's return looming, Yen Sid summons Sora and Riku to undergo the Mark of Mastery Exam. Their objective; enter the Realm of Sleep to unlock Seven Sleeping Keyholes to restore seven sleeping worlds to the realm of light and acquire the Power of Waking. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTub...

As the year comes to a close, there was a lot to celebrate in terms of the Unlockables. In this episode I record some of my thoughts on the show in 2023, my changing attitudes towards creating in the space of video game discourse, and the future of the show once my first son is born. Thank you all for another incredible year! Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram!...

Kingdom Hearts Coded started as a mobile phone game in Japan before being remade for the Nintendo DS in the form of Kingdom hearts Re:Coded. Will the mysteries of Jiminy's blank journal finally be revealed? And what will Re:Coded tell us about the coming titles in the series? Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check...

With Birth by Sleep completed, this episode is dedicated to tying up loose ends and setting the stage for the future games. We go over the Blank Points secret ending, Xehanort's secret reports, and one final scene that takes place after the credits roll that tie the whole series together. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube C...

With Terra's and Ventus's stories now told, Aqua remains as the sole piece of the puzzle that we must fit into place to understand the origins of the Kingdom Hearts series. Having passed her Mark of Mastery exam and become a Keyblade master, Aqua is burdended with the task of discovering the mysteries of Master Xehanort, Vanitas, the Unversed, all while trying to hold her most important friendship...

With Terra's fate unknown, we turn now to the story of Ventus for more answers. Who is the mysterious Vanitas? What is the true nature of the X-blade and what is Xehanort's ultimate plan? Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game podcast about people's s...

We've learned a lot through the first four Kingdom Hearts games, but everything you know is about to changed with Birth by Sleep. In part one we'll focus on the first of the game's three protagonists, Terra, whose struggles with darkness and his own flaws set the stage for spectacular tragedy. We'll also finally be introduced to the overarching antagonist of the Dark Seeker Saga, Master Xehanort,...

We spend so much time talking about the games themselves, but as the industry has grown the practice of making them has become unsustainable. Long development cycles with crunch that chew people up and spit them out have become the norm, while most studios seem like they are one underperforming game away from failure. I share some of my thoughts on the human cost of making video games. Follow the...

From Game of the Year and critical acclaim in 2016 to the most negatively reviewed game on Steam in 2023. Overwatch's journey as a game is a fascinating story, inextricably linked with the turmoil at Activision Blizzard and industry trends overall. I talk a bit about my extensive time with Overwatch 1 and identify a few key points where I think it all started to go wrong. Follow the Unlockables on...

With a remake of Super Mario RPG due out in a few short months, I decided to revist the orginial for the first time in over 15 years to see what made Mario's swan song on the Super Nintendo something special. Follow the Unlockables on Bluesky! Follow the Unlockables on Instagram! Subscribe to the Unlockables YouTube Channel! Check out the Unlockables on Patreon! The Unlockables is a video game pod...