Phil Bond on the subject of f2p gaming: “When you make a game where paying any money whatsoever feels like cheating, that has to be a mistake — right?” Or, as Vinnk puts it, you can pay to play more, or pay to play less. Sometimes both in the same game. Just don’t say that Nintendo should follow this model, or… we’ll say something not nice, or something. Vinnk and Sean trade stories of their particular Free-2-Play addictions (Puzzles and Dragons, and Candy Crush, respectively), and their guilt over never paying any money for these games, leaving it to “whales” to support the entire system. And Vinnk may have inadvertently made his daughter into a gold farmer.

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/84

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While certain “Hardcore” gamers will forever debate whether or not tablet gaming is ‘legitimate’, games like The Room are deep enough for core gamers to appreciate while at the same time providing unique gaming experiences that have mechanics only possible in mobile gaming. The object of the room is to use clues and intuition to unlock a series of devices. You’ll tilt, scroll, and drag objects across the screen of your tablet as you unlock the mysteries of the strange devices you encounter. The game is short in length, although a sequel features even deeper gameplay, and sheds even more light on the secrets of the device.

Spearheading the revival of adventure games, Broken Age Act 1 was released last week on Steam for the Kickstarter backers (and press reviewers). A decision to black out reviews until later in January was reversed only a couple of days after the game came out. Broken Age is just that good. Even though we haven’t finished it (as of recording this episode), we wholeheartedly agree that it will become an instant classic. Sean and Vinnk talk about what killed the adventure game for our generation, revel in its revival thanks to companies like TellTale and Doublefine, and crowdsourcing for an explosion of indie games on websites like Kickstarter. We can’t agree on just what an adventure game is, exactly, but that’s part of the fun, right?

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/83

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Created by Indie developers Endless Fluff games, Valdis Story is the type of game that would have been a best seller if it had been released on the Playstation, or even the Super Nintendo. Valdis Story’s graphics and sound are a work of art, the story is intriguing, and the Castlevania: Symphony of The Night style gameplay isn’t bad either. Valdis Story began in 2007 as a free game on the developer’s website. The game was given a kickstarter for a full scale release, and the kickstarter was successful, with the game even being greenlighted for Steam this past October. In fact, you might have picked it up for cheap during one of those Steam sales.
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Never mind that it can’t get online. (Most of the online services were discontinued over the summer of 2013.) Never mind that there’s no SD card slot. (Who needs one when you can’t get online?) Never mind that there’s no component out. (It’s only 480p anyway.) Never mind that there are no GameCube components. (The last revision of the Wii removed them anyway.) This one comes with a Wii MotionPlus remote. And it’s red.

It can be difficult choosing a top game for 2013 when you’ve only played a fraction of the ones released during the year, but we’re sure gonna try! Vinnk and Sean talk about their respective top game of 2013, and try to convince the other why it’s so much more awesome than all the others. Plus, more Future Retro, and Pile of Shame! Including some titles that could have been GOTY contenders… if we had only played them.

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/82

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With the latest Nintendo Direct, a very interesting title was released Wii U eShop. Nintendo has gone all ROM hacker on us, and created a challenge game based on a dozen titles from the NES launch lineup. More than that, these challenges directly focus on the secrets within games, and show you how to beat more difficult stages or bosses. Sean and Vinnk share their impressions of NES Remix, whether they’re too awesome at video games to really like such a title, and worry just a tiny bit that Nintendo is (rightfully) horning in on Famicom Dojo’s retro-educational turf. You should download and play too… assuming the eShop is online long enough to download it. (Curse you, Pokey-Mans!)

Leave your own voicemail at 608-492-1923, or just share your thoughts in the show notes at FamicomDojo.TV:
http://famicomdojo.tv/podcast/81

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Developed by Hanako Games, Long Live the Queen is a visual novel that can become very addictive. Don’t let its cutesy nature fool you. The game is extremely dark, and deals with heavy political intrigue. You play as the Elodie, princess of the kingdom of Nova. Your mother, the queen has recently been assassinated, and you have to survive for 40 weeks until your coronation. However, it won’t be easy. Enemies, both inside and outside the kingdom, conspire against you, and you can meet your end in a number of ways. By taking classes you increase your stats in various areas, and increasing them in the right area can mean the difference between life and death. Although the game is short, you’ll get swept up in the game as you constantly backtrack and experiment on the best way to keep Elodie alive.