In our younger days, we couldn’t have all the games we wanted. We had to play what we were given (or could afford), and we often played those games to death. Now? It’s incredibly easy for anyone young or old to buy more games at bargain-basement prices than they could ever hope to play in a lifetime. How much is too much? Vinnk and SeanOrange talk about their trip to Chicago Comic Con 2011, taking photos with Felicia Day, what we expect to see at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show, and more!

[Listen to the episode after the jump…!]

When did video games start using “lives”? More importantly, when and why did they stop? With this changing, what does it mean to die in a game? Vinnk and SeanOrange examine the games that pioneered this mechanism, and take a look at when and why it started changing. Was it with games like Myst, or did adventure-style games always buck this trend? Has the fall of arcade gaming lead games to be easier, and therefore no longer need “lives”?

(Listen to the episode after the jump)

[Listen to the episode after the jump…!]

Nintendo’s steep price cut of the 3DS may have taken some news outlets by surprise last week, but we called it way back during E3. When Sony introduced the PSVita at the same price point as Nintendo’s new handheld that was already struggling in sales, we knew a price cut could not be far behind. It looks like Nintendo agreed! SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss the 3DS Ambassador program, the wisdom of deciding not to release the GBA Virtual Console games to the general public, and whether or not these 20 free games will entice us (or anyone) to buy the system at $250 before the price cut goes into effect next Friday, August 12th.

(Listen to the episode after the jump)

[Listen to the episode after the jump…!]

It’s one thing to try to translate a video game plot and characters into a movie, but movies that are about the culture of video gaming, the people who play them, and what it’s like to be stuck in one are an altogether different animal. Many such movies were released in the 1980s, coincidentally around the same time as the video game crash that threatened to destroy this nascent industry forever. Vinnk and SeanOrange reminisce about Scott Pilgrim, TRON, The Wizard, The Last Starfigher, Cloak and Dagger, and War Games: when we saw them, what kind of impact they had, and if we’ll ever see their like again. And, look — most of them had better reviews than movies adapted from actual video games!

Direct Link: Famicom Dojo Podcast 11: Movies About Video Games

Check out trailers for all the films we talked about, and their RottenTomatoes.com scores at our show notes:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/11

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It’s hard for the average gamer to play absolutely EVERYTHING, even everything that’s good. But is that any excuse? Should gamers be shamed for failure to expose themselves to certain kinds of games? In our first Video Game Confessional, Vinnk and SeanOrange talk about the game franchises we should have played, but didn’t. And for good measure, we also discuss a few games we love to death, but have no business liking.

Direct Link: Famicom Dojo Podcast 10: Never Played Pokemon

Listen to Pokemon Days of Summer and read the complete show notes only at:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/10

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Region locking is nothing new. It hasn’t taken many different forms, but wasn’t always deliberate either. Many handhelds were exempt from this scheme for the longest time (including the Game Boy and DS series), but with time all things change. SeanOrange and Vinnk discuss the very state of affairs that necessitates the existence of organizations like Operation Rainfall, how they came to be, and where they might go from here.

Direct Link: Famicom Dojo Podcast 09: A History of Console Region Locking

Get a complete rundown of console region lockouts in the show notes:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/9

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Xenoblade, Pandora’s Tower, and The Last Story have been released in Japan and Europe, but the US has been passed over. That’s where Operation Rainfall comes in: to urge Nintendo of America to release these games that have already been localized for the major languages spoken in North America. At a time when the Wii is suffering a drought of games — let alone good ones — don’t we deserve better?

Direct Link: Famicom Dojo Podcast 08: Operation Rainfall

Find links to support Operation Rainfall in the show notes:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/8

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Can a movie based on a video game ever be any good? If their Rotten Tomatoes scores are to be believed, these films are never critical darlings. Some find fans in niche places, but many are just… you know… BAD. Vinnk and SeanOrange plumb their memories of video game movies to find out if either of them belong to the “so-SO-bad-but-I-still-love-it-even-though-geez-it-sucks” club!

Direct Link: Famicom Dojo Podcast 07: Video Game Movies

Check out the show notes to see the trailers for these films, JewWario’s Mario Monologues, and more thoughts at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/7

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