Checkpoints

In a special epilogue episode the tables are turned as I sit down with Violet Berlin and she interviews me about the games that shaped my own life.We talk about blind runs of Alex Kidd, Tony Hawks Pro Skater as teenage therapy, why death wouldn't stand a chance against my Science Genius Girl, why I always skip the cutscenes, how far I was willing to go to get a Gamecube and why DDR is still one of the greatest games ever made.We also of course talk about Checkpoints, how my own experiences form the structure of the show, trends and tropes I've discovered from interviewing so many people, and of course the poetic reasons for it's conclusion.Thanks so much for listening!Declan xPATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

Consoles don’t really brag about bit ratings anymore. Growing up with games, the leaps between generations felt profound From 8 Bit to 16 Bit, to 32, to Nintendo 64! It was exciting. The last consoles to even mention it in their marketing were the Dreamcast and the Playstation 2. They were the 128 bit consoles. They were the end of an era.The same is true for Checkpoints. Episode 128 is the final episode.This isn't bad news. There will be a special Epilogue episode coming in a week or two where I’ll talk about the reason for the finishing the podcast in much more detail, suffice to say this isn't a sad ending. I'm just sticking the landing.Appropriately enough my final guest is the creator of the much loved and missed video game podcast A Life Well Wasted, Robert Ashley. Robert was one of the very first people I ever contacted about coming on the show, and I'm delighted that he decided to temporarily come out of video game podcast retirement to talk. As well as A Life Well Wasted, Robert is one half of the amazing I Come to Shanghai, a former video game journalist and of course a GFW radio alum.We talk about his formative video game experiences in Texan dive bars, how the internet ruined the mysteries and rumours of the arcade, how he invented new ways to play Super Mario Bros, his ultimately fruitless efforts to enjoy Final Fantasy, how an arcade called Einstein’s led to him dropping out of college, and why live events are often the best place to enjoy indie games.We also talk on his work as a journalist, the time he got into a brawl over Goldeneye, why he’d play Samba di Amigo with death, how Psychonauts still doesn’t get the credit it deserves and of course the history and future (!) of A Life Well Wasted.Thanks so much to everyone for listening and supporting the show. I have had the best time.Declan xPATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today Julian 'Jaz' Rignall. A formative character in my life in games during his role as the editor for magazines like Mean Machines and CVG, Julian is the first guest I've spoken to on checkpoints that I did drawings of as a child. As well as reminiscing about the UK magazine scene of the eighties and nineties, we talk about growing up in Aberystwyth and the arcade scene that forged his love of games, his time winning the 1983 computer game championship at Club Xenon in London, his move to America and his tumultuous time working for Virgin Interactive, his role in the nascent IGN, and how through it all his love of games has never faltered.We also hit on why Defender is still so good, he origins of JAZ as a moniker, the soothing charms of Hearthstone and Destiny, how games like Rescue on Fractulus made him realise games could be something truly extraordinary and why his twelve year old self likely wouldn't believe him if he explained a game like World of Warcraft existed."Pick any game you want. I'm good at all of 'em. I've got 97 of 'em. "PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Chris Bell, a game designer with a remarkable CV that includes thatgamecompany's Journey and the upcoming Sky, What Remains of Edith Finch, Way and 12 Minutes.As well as being an incredible designer Chris is also filled with stories. We talk growing up in Boston playing games in the Pala, that time he kicked a TV off the wall emulating the Power Rangers, joining a Jewish Fraternity in University (the token Catholic) and giving video game presentations to his fraternity brothers, his time as a professional Counter Strike player and the incredible saga of Leaping Lizzie rare spawns in Final Fantasy 11.We also hit on him being headhunted by EA, the Edith Finch pitch that led to him becoming the lead designer, how navigating a Japanese fish market gave him the inspiration for his first game, the joy of coming to a game with no prior knowledge, and the time he spent living at Will Wright’s house."I think he'd already made up his mind. That's what I want to remember about my brother. The day he made up his mind to fly... and he did. "PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

Today I'm joined by Gabby DaRienzo and we have an incredibly lively and upbeat chat about death and video games. Gabby is the co-founder of Laundry Bear games. creator of the wonderful Mortician's Tale, and also the host of the Play Dead podcast where she speaks with fellow developers about death in video games. We each chat quite openly about our own experiences of loss and the intoxicating cocktail of emotions that can throw up, including the loss of her mum during the development of the Mortician’s Tale and how that impacted the game, and also how games have a unique way of letting us explore loss and grief and death in powerful and unusual ways. We also hit on nightmare fuel Windows 95 game Night Lite, why Majora's Mask made her want to make video games, how she became a ghost in the Sims 2 (and how it's actually the best Sims game), how fun the management sim of actual management can be, Left 4 Dead marathons in university, what makes a great achievement, and how she was so good at Crossy Road the developers thought she was a bot. "You all say that. But I grant no reprieves." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Johnnemann Nordhagen - the creator of the incredible Where the Water Tastes Like Wine - and he has some wonderful stories to share.We talk spelling games in Colarado on an Apple IIe, learning to program in DOS, losing years in Discworld MUDs, how soothing Burnout Paradise can be and the genius of Kentucky Route Zero.We also hit on the highs and lows of making games in the 21st century, the bold step of leaving QA to found Fullbright and make Gone Home with Steve Gaynor & Karla Zimonja, the even bolder step to forge a path on his own, how he got Sting to be in his video game and that time he played Serious Sam with some Russians on the Trans Siberian Express."Where am I? I'm in Boise, Idaho. No, no, no, wait a minute, I'm in Anchorage, Alaska. No, no, wait, I'm in Casper, Wyoming. I'm in the lobby of a Howard Johnson's and I'm wearing a pink carnation."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Ian Bogost, an award winning game designer and author of several books including Persuasive Games and Play Anything. He's also a contributing editor to the Atlantic magazine, the professor of Interactive Computing at Georgia Tech and an incredibly engaging and articulate podcast guest. We talk about how geek culture has become canonised, the importance of external influences in the early history of video games, how aspects of the grimy arcade experience of the 80s are being replicated online today, how the mediums of the 20th century have suffocated the potential for games ability to communicate ideas, that time he made a video game for a presidential candidate. and why slippers are a universal interest. "Play isn’t doing what we want, but doing what we can with the materials we find along the way."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guests today are Ben Myres and Cukia ‘Sugar' Kimani, co-founders of South African based game studio Nyamakop, creators of the inventive 'Clay Doh' platformer Semblance. They are also excellent, inspiring company with an infectious passion for video games.We talk about their diverse paths to game development, from childhood where Ben assumed videogames had been around forever and was taught gamemaker in primary school (!) and Sugar's knock off Dreamcast bought from a roadside stall in Nairobi, and playing co-op Doom in school (one person aiming, one person moving)We hit on how Age of Empires and Prince of Persia Sands of Time blew their respective minds. Why Ben played the intro of Final Fantasy X over and over again, why GTA was the only game Sugar needed and ultimately to how they came to form Nyamakop in a rom-com worthy meet cute.There is a clear pride they both take in the burgeoning African video game scene, and they talk about how that came to be, how one of the companies founding principles is YOLO, how they keep themselves inspired when the work becomes a struggle, and how they won’t stop until they get that gold hot tub. This episode is a good time"Diplomatic immunity!"PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is one of my favourite streamers of one of my favourite games, Dane McCappin AKA Dane Hearthstone. I first noticed Dane when his incredibly inventive and creative Hearthstone decks became a regular on highlight reels like Trolden. and I've become a big fan of his videos. His laconic and relaxed style of streaming has gained him a dedicated fanbase, not the least of which is Blizzard who recently invited him to LA to cast for the Hearthstone Wild Open 2018. We talk about the unique life of a professional streamer and how it never really meant to happen, we hit on the latest Hearthstone expansion and deck building, his early love for Sega and his heartbreak at the demise of the Dreamcast.We also hit on his early taste of professional gaming as a Guild Wars player, why Quake is his chicken soup game (that rail gun feels so good) how grueling streaming was while he worked a full time job, and why bad British broadband was the main reason he first decided to stream Hearthstone. "I think you should wash it, yeah. Then shave it off, nail it to a frisbee, and fling it over a rainbow."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Iranian video game developer Mahdi Bahrami. Annoyingly young, Mahdi already has an incredible game under his belt with the release of Engare in 2017. A unique puzzle game inspired by Islamic art which also comes with a creation mode that reminds me of soothing afternoons of my youth spent making endless patterns with a spirograph.We talk about the video game scene in Iran, how his puzzle game enthusiast mother is still a tough critic, his dad teaching him to program, moving to Holland to study game design and programming, how vastly different his cultural touchstones are to most people who work in games (he's never seen Star Wars and is fine with that), the ridiculous number of hoops he had to jump through to get to GDC, how bittersweet his first taste of video game success was, the huge popularity of FIFA in Iran, and the universal language of video games."To be international, you have to first be local."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Dr Mark Johnson. Mark is a man of many talents, he's currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Political Science at the University of Alberta where he mainly focuses on the intersection of money and games, particularly in relation to eSports and pro streamers. He's also the co-host of Roguelike Radio, creator of the game Ultima Ratio Regum, a former bullet hell world champion and a former professional poker player.As that breif intro suggests, Mark is not someone who does things by halves, and we delve deep into all of his various interests and areas of expertise, from the similarities between poker and rogue likes, why Command & Conquer changed everything, why speed running never appealed to him despite his clear skills, why professional streaming is more of a job than you think it is, and the big loss that led him to leave poker behind."Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in your first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

I'm very excited to welcome Richard Garriott to the show. Sometimes known as Lord British, Richard is a video game trailblazer. As the creator of Ultima he helped forge a new genre in games, and with Ultima Online invented a whole new one. His latest, Shroud of the Avatar, was released just a few weeks ago and continues this storied tradition. As one of the only second generation astronauts in the world, he's also travelled into space.We talk about luck and timing, how his interests and passions coalesced with the rise of technology, and how he has been able to ride the crest of that wave. We talk about magic tricks and his collection of automatons. We hit on how he plays more games now than he ever has, the importance of Command & Conquer, how he had to learn to program before he could learn to play, how important the crest of a hill is in a video game world. We also talk about his life long journey to travel into space, what it felt like to finally achieve it, and whether or not a game can ever recreate that sensation."Don't tell me what I can't do."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig StevensonGames discussed: Hunt the Wumpus, Pong, Ultima, Escape, Dungeons & Dragons, Myst, Warcraft, Command & Conquer, Medal of Honor, Monument Valley, World of Warcraft, The Creeps, King's Quest, Wing Commander,

Last month I recorded a special episode of Checkpoints live from the All Your Base festival in Nottingham. One of my guests was Paul Kilduff-Taylor who I ended up hanging about with a bunch over the weekend and we had a lovely time so I asked him back for a full episode. Wholesome af.Paul is one of the co-founders of mode7 games - creators of Frozen Synapse and the upcoming Forzen Synapse 2 - and while music is his specialty, he has a hand in all aspects of design. In a wonderfully meandering chat we hit on some timely networking tips in the run up to GDC, how mash ups are the internet's first musical genre, sword fighting games for the Novint Falcon, the satisfaction of games that linger in your brain when you're not playing them, how much of a gamer his mum was growing up, the excellent music of Nintendo World Cup, why Half Life 2 maybe isn't as good as you think it is and Noel, the mysterious employee at a Canadian Electronics Boutique. "March the 12th be with you."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig StevensonGames discussed: Contraption, Chuckie Egg, Tetris, Nintendo World Cup, Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage 2, Into the Breach, Monster Hunter World, Day of the Tentacle, Prison Architect, Tap Titans, Rocket League, Wing Commander Privateer, Hitman Blood Money, Hotline Miami, X-Com, Half Life 2, SWAT,

One of my favourite parts of doing this show is discovering the ways people played games in countries all around the world, In this special episode of the show I speak with a listener and linguistics lecturer Andrej Bjelaković about growing up with games in Belgrade, Serbia. Part of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia has had a tumultuos half century. During Milosevic's reign in the 1990s, the country was sanctioned by the UN meaning imports like video games would not be allowed through by any legal means.The ways in which games did find their way into the country, and how people like Andrej were first exposed to them and grew to love them is a unique and fascinating story and one that I had never heard before.We talk about Sega Clubs, a nationwide solution to the problem of having no access to games, pop up PC stores ran by grandparents from their flats, discovering a love of English through blackmarket imports of PC Zone and PC Gamer, playing games while your city is bombed, and how the first legitimate video game he was able to buy was World of Warcraft in 2005.Andrej is a passionate and engaging guide through all of this and so much more. A unique and fascinating take on the games that shaped many of our lives. A genuine treat, and something I’m thruked to share."We've got a wave in the air, radar love."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by

My guest today is Zach Barth, founder of Zachtronics and creator of some of the best video games ever made, including Spacechem, Infinifactory and their latest, Opus Magnum.We talk about the surprising amount of instinct and chance that goes into designing a Zachtronics game, his love of play sets and miniatures but oddly his hatred of board games, the influence of the TV series How it's Made?, why Solitaire is such a great chicken soup game, the unique struggles of making educational software and how his love of video games has slowly withered while his love of making them has flourished.“Bertha, lovely Bertha. You're such a lovely machine!”PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWGames discussed: Duke Nuken, Team Fortress 2, Heroes of the Storm, Construction Simulator, Megaman Battle Arena 3, Opus Magnum, SpaceChem, infiniminer, infinifactoryTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is James Ryan who - as part of his PhD at US Santa Cruz - has been working on some of the coolest and most exciting projects I’ve seen in years, and this chat made me incredibly excited about the future of games and could potentially change the future of writing. This is largely due to his Talk of the Town framework, which simulates 500 years of history in a small American town, and is the engine behind the award winning theatre piece / text adventure / procedural story telling of Bad News and the beautiful and poetic Juke Joint. For his final project he is using this framework to automate radio drama. Amongst several other exciting projects, one of my favourites is GameSpace, an explorable universe of tens of thousands of videogames grouped by genre. (I explored for an hour and only saw a handful of games I recognised). What a treat.As well as possibly my favourite rage quit story of the show so far, we talk about the inner monologue of a Goomba, the profound impression that Link to the Past continues to have on him (and how apt that title is), why he could only be doing what he’s doing at UC Santa Cruz, how he discovered a whole other universe in Madden 2000, the slapstick violence of GTA3, how learning to code completely changed his life, and why Façade is like the first Velvet Underground album.“From downtown!”PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWGames discussed: Pitfall, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past, NFL Blitz, Madden 2000, NBA JAM TE, Façade, Grand Theft Auto 3, The Sims, Sim City, Dwarf Fortress, Tecmo Super Bowl, Football Manager, Little Computer People, DriverTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Sarah Elmahleh. Sarah is an actor and voice over artist and has worked on a whole bunch of videogames including Gone Home, For Honor, Call of Duty, Pyre, Galak-Z and Final Fantasy 15. She was also the lead in the recent - and excellent - BBC Radio play Game Over written by Emily Short. (This is only available until the 29th of January so click the link and listen now!)We talk about how games were a forbidden fruit for a chunk of her childhood, and how getting a PC changed everything. Her deep love for the Curse of Monkey Island and the subsequent radio play adaptation she made in college, how the Tango is a great example of emergent game play, the healing power of getting snowed in with Dragon Age: Inquisition, why The Mortician's Tale resonated with her so much, and how she got into games when she didn't know anyone in games (pro tip: meet Rich Lemarchand)."I don't think my father would approve of me dating the undead, and you're probably too nice a zombie-pirate for me anyway. Let's just be friends instead. "PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWGames discussed: Everquest, The Sims, KOTOR, Curse of Monkey Island, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, Gone Home, Final Fantasy 8, Super Hexagon, The Last of Us, Uncharted, Super Meat Boy, Dragon Age: Inquisition, A Mortician's Tale, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine, Night in the WoodsTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's episode is Devine Lu Linvega. How to begin describing Devine. In videogame terms he has created some wonderful games like Hivesaires, Donsol or the Proteus remix Purgateus. He currently lives with his girlfriend on a sail boat, where they run their floating studio 100rabbits. This interview was conducted while they docked in New Zealand. He is also a musician and a photographer and a visual artist and a developer and he created a new language.In an incredibly broad and meandering chat we hit on how his parents desire for him to never have a computer back fired spectacularly, how he quickly learned to play games at arms length through tool assisted runs of Diablo, his intense love of role playing within Eve Online, his compulsion to play through games like Quake, X-Com and Civilsation 5 endlessly, how much fun an interactive gravestone would be, why everyone should make things and how sometimes how you approach a game can say a lot about how you approach life."If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you're connected with everything.."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWFor more details about All Your Bass festival and the live Checkpoints episode, visit the NVAGames discussed: Ultima Online, Diablo, Quake 3, Eve Online, Civ 5, Nuclear Throne, Rainbow 6, Riven, Myst, What Remains of Edith Finch, Tokyo Extreme Racer, Mount Your Friends, X-Com, Age of EmpiresTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's episode is Jim Rossignol. Jim spent many years working at PC Gamer, founded Rock, Paper, Shotgun and has since set up his own video game studio, Big Robot, and made the games Sir, You Are Being Hunted and The Signal from Tölva. We talk his early memories of Amstrad CPC and Amiga gaming, why philosophy is important, how S.T.A.L.K.E.R represents the open world we were promised, the genesis and risks of Rock, Paper, Shotgun, whether or not he misses video game journalism, and why he's the best at Speedball 2. "This is my Boom Stick." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW For more details about All Your Bass festival and the live Checkpoints episode, visit the NVA Games discussed: Chuckie Egg, Elite, Speedball 2, Lemmings, Stunt Car Racer, Quake, Goldeneye, Hidden & Dangerous, Eve Online, S.T.A.L.K.E.R, Mad Max, Prey, Dishonoured, Teleglitch, Sunless Sea, The Long Dark, Diaries of a Space Port Janitor Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Lisy Kane. Lisy is a speaker, curator and videogame producer currently at League of Geeks. She's also the co founder of Girl Geek Academy and the only Austrailian on this year's Forbes 30 Under 30. We talk Commander Keen on paternal laptops, playing Driver by the rules, a fierce love of demo discs, finding friends in Age of Empires, why my quick fire questions remind her of a high school band and how deals get done in DOTA 2. "It was the last hero left and I never played it before." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Mass Effect, Gone Home, Commander Keen, Dr. Mario, Super Mario Land, Catz, Age of Empires 2, Battle Toads, DOTA, Stardew Valley, Destiny 2, Jack Box Party Pack, Thumper, Rock Band, Home Alone, Driver Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Erica Lahaie, a designer, illustrator and concept artist based out of Montreal. I'm a particular fan of the incredible work on Shrouded Isle but all of her art is amazing. Also she has the best URLs. We go deep on our mutual love of the Tony Hawks Pro Skater series, talk about the mythical PS2 modem and her SOCOM 2 adventures, how she got her first break posting in the Giant Bomb forums and why we both think that rhythm action is probably the best video game genre. "Gleam the cube buddy, yeah!" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Zillion, Crash Team Racing, Tony Hawks Pro Skater Series, SOCOM 2, Amplitude, Rez, Modern Warfare 2, Need for Speed Underground, World of Warcraft, DOTA2, Bloodborne, Mass Effect, Gone Home, Parasite Eve Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by

My guest today is Clint 'halfcoordinated' Lexa. Clint is a beloved and incredible speed runner and a common highlight of GamesDoneQuick. Despite being born with a condition known as hemiparesis which limits the use of one side of his body, Clint has become a beloved and incredible speedrunner, with his one handed runs of intense action games like Vanquish and Nier being among the highlights of GamesDoneQuick these past few years. His experience in overcoming accessibility issues has also led to him becoming an advocate for better accessibility in games. He is also just the best guy. We talk about how god modes in games meant he was never put off, how he got hooked on the frenzied brilliance of Gunstar Heroes, playing competitive Smash Bros, the thrill of mastering a video game, how he develops his speed run strategies, whether or not you write a script for a marathon, his Matrix like understanding of the AI in Castle Crashers, and why he'll never speed run Mario Odyssey. "I'm not going to say anyone can do anything, but i will say your limits are way further out than you think they are." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Gunstar Heroes, Super Mario, Super Smash Brothers, RAGE, Duke Nukem, Commander Keen, Jackal, Ninja Gaiden, Castle Crashers, Super Mario Odyssey, Mad World, Momodora 4, Vanquish, Robotic Alchemic Drive, Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is Jennifer Scheurle, the game design lead at Opaque Space currently working in collaboration with NASA on the VR game Earthlight. The team recently won studio of the year and game of the year at the Austrailian Game Developer Awards. We talk about how cool it is to work with NASA, her childhood playing games in Germany and why PCs rule, how a particularly harrowing experience with a bear in the original Tomb Raider turned her off games for years, how she might need an intervention to save her from Love Nicky why she moved to Austrailia to make games, and her deep love for Shadow of the Colossus. "You think you're scared now? Wait till your parents get the bill for breaking Daedalus." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Tomb Raider, The Clue, 7 Days to Die, Counter Strike, Shovel Knight, The Secret of Monkey Island, Love Nicky, World of Warcraft, To the Moon, The Beginners Guide, Shadow of the Colosuss, Portal Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is that rarest of unicorns, a video game designer who moonlights as a drag queen. Richard Franke first got into games through his comic book art, and after spending many years working on a variety of titles - most notably the Burnout series - he left to found Magic Notion and create Kitty Powers Matchmaker, whose titular character is based on Richard's own drag queen persona. We talk about his older brother passing on video game wisdom, his fear of 3D Monster Maze, recreating arcade games on the play ground, how he inadvertently created an Animal Crossing community, the design iteration that goes into making the perfect Burnout crash, and the wonderful sight of the designer of a game appearing on a youtube stream of their game as the main character of the game they created. “We all came into this world naked. The rest is all drag.” PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Kitty Powers Matchmaker, Pong, Donkey Kong, 3D Monster Maze, Worms, Jet Set Willy, Burnout, Animal Crossing, Zelda, Final Fantasy 11, World of Warcraft, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, Witcher 3, Mario Kart, MUDs, The Sims, Splatoon, Fallout 3, Dungeons and Dragons Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is the velvet owl Will Porter - Former PC Zone editor, freelancer, and the writer of Project Zomboid, Alien Isolation and No Man's Sky.We talk about how the PC Zone vs. PC Gamer rivalry is no joke, whether growing up on a farm puts you off farming sims for life, how it felt to be a Betamax kid in a VHS world, and how working in the bowels of Canary Wharf made him feel like he was living in Half Life.We also hit on Drop 7 addiction, the challenges of working on a game like No Man's Sky, the exotic allure of Flashback, how much we miss middle tier games and the carnal thrills of games like Max Payne, Duke Nukem and Bulletstorm."Damn, those alien bastards are gonna pay for shooting up my ride."PATREON - patreon.com/checkpointsiTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEWGames discussed: Zool, Imogen, Repton, Championship Manager, Half Life, Doom, Duke Nukem, Bulletstorm, Flashback, Drop 7, Elite, Carmageddon, the Fallout series, Deus Ex, Powerstone, Ready to Rumble, Abzu, Goldeneye, Far Cry, Uncharted 4, SWAT 4, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Timeshift, Psy Ops, Stanglehold, Alien Isolation, No Man's SkyTheme song by Samuel BakerArt work by Craig Stevenson

Hello! So good to be back. My guest on today's episode is the amazing Mike Cook Mike is an AI researcher, the founder of #procjam (this year's even has just started so you should check it out.) and the creator of ANGELINA an AI system that makes video games. As you can imagine, this is a mind blowing and fascinating talk. It honestly completely reshaped the way I think about and understand AI. There's also a ton of great video game stories like the surprise LAN party he had for his 10th birthday, how Command & Conquer cracked open his mind, his mum keeping the secrets of Monkey Island to herself, his 1000s of hours with DOTA 2 and how the AI he created to create games reflects the games he creates himself. "He's smart, nice, liked by all. Why is he targeted for destruction?" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Zool, Comman & Conquer: Red Alert, DOTA, N++, Final Fantasy 8, Broken Sword, Spelunky, Metal Gear Solid, Desert Golfing, PUBG, Fortnite, Black and White, Rogue Process, Invisible Inc. Secret of Monkey Island, Facade. Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's episode is the Jolie Menzel. Jolie is a game designer and developer who started her career at Telltale games and currently works at Ubisoft as the Narrative Desiger for the upcoming South Park - The Fractured But Whole. We talk arcade games on the Jersey Shore, the pride and shame in Dance Dance Revolution, how her science teacher taught evolution via Pokemon, her love of the Sonic Fandom, and how she maybe got a little too into Minecraft. We also hit on her time in Japan, a side quest into Fashion, why Dave Mirra BMX holds such fond memories, her teenage foray into sprite comics, working on South Park, and how she rage quit out of her very first date. "You can just hang around outside in the sun all day, tossing a ball around, or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters!" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Ms. Pac Man, Pokemon Stadium, Smash Bros, Galaga, Sonic Adventure, Marvel vs Capcom, Final Fantasy V, Dance Dance Revolution, Kirby, Secret of Mana, Animal Crossing, Katamari Damacy, Minecraft, Niddhogg, Fables, Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's episode is the features editor of Eurogamer, co-host of the Eurogamer podcast and one of my favourite writers, Christian Donlan. As anyone familiar with Christian or the Eurogamer podcast will expect, this episode goes off on a lot of tangents, but we always end up back at videogames - some highlights include how Uncharted might just be a magic trick, how great writing can give you that same Aha! moment the best games can, and how failing at Spelunky helped him cope with his MS diagnosis. In a packed show we also hit on the hilarity of Spy vs. Spy, the genius of the original Ghostbusters game, the profound impact of Animal Crossing, how important video game magazines were, his friend Stu who brought him back to games, the potential of AI crafted experiences, and how you should never play Cluedo with him and his sister. "Nice day for the race." "What race is that?" "The human race. Kids growing up, so on. Hope for the future." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Impossible Mission, Spy vs. Spy, Ghostbusters, Titanfall 2, Spelunky, Animal Crossing, PNO3, Tomb Raider, Civilization, Pikmin 3, Jet Set Radio Future, Uncharted, Blitz, Wonder Boy 3, Bonanza Bros, Ghost House, Advance Wars, Burnout 3, Clash Royale, Drop 7, The Saboteur, Fidel Dungeon Rescue, Spelunky, Nex Machina Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's episode is Arthur Gies. Arthur is a veteran video game journalist, former reviews editor for Polygon and long time host of Rebel FM. We talk about his recent decision to leave Polygon and go back to grad school to study fine art before digging back through his video game milestones including: early memories of Atari 2600, video game sense memories, the power of sequels, how SEGA broke his heart, how Halo made him fall in love with games again, the impact of Bioshock, the thrill of meeting your heroes, the highs and lows of DOTA 2, and why Falllout is his favourite place to escape to. "We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us. " PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: ET, Q*Bert, Super Mario Bros 2, Goonies 2, Castlevania 2, Megaman 3, Halo, Nights into Dreams, Soul Caliber, God of War 3, Fighting Vipers, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Virtua Fighter, Bioshock, Fallout, Mass Effect, Geometry Wars, Pacman CE DX, Nidhogg 2, DOTA 2, Psychonauts. Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by

Checkpoints 100! Massive thanks to everyone that listens to and subscribes to the show, and of course to all of my previous guests, without whom the show literally wouldn't exist. A milestone show requires a milestone guest, so today I'm joined by the creator of several iconic games including Full Throttle, Grim Fandango and Psychonauts and the founder and CEO of Double Fine, Tim Schafer. We hit on a bunch of topics as we meander through Tim's life in games including computer clubs, summer camps, building kit PCs with his dad, how pirating a game almost cost him his job at Lucasarts, playing Pictionary with Death, the highs and lows of running your own studio and how Animal Crossing made him want to lead a better life. "Whenever I smell asphalt, I think of Maureen." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Herzog Zwei, Adventure, Animal Crossing, Grim Fandango, Full Throttle, Psychonauts, Super Mario 64, Street Fighter 2, Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild, Katamari Damacy, Portal, Civilisation, Loot Rascals, Little Nightmares, Pictionary, Zork, Space Ace, Tetris Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest on today's show is Teddy Dief. As well as having an incredibly enjoyable name to say out loud, Teddy is also a writer, game designer, Squarebowl founder and the creative director of Square Enix Montreal. We talk about high stakes Duck Hunt battles, being all in on Nintendo, getting an early introduction to game design via Nintendo Power VHS tapes, whether or not fitness is a game and, much to my personal delight, his time as a member of the acapella group The Clef Hangers. We also hit on the scratch and sniff cards of Earthbound, how he learned responsibility from the Sony Playstation, the impact of Final Fantasy 7, how Battlestar Galactica made him want to make games, the development of Hyper Light Drifter and why he cherishes the magic of Squarebowl. "There's a world where I can go and tell my secrets to." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Super Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers, Donkey Kong Country, Earthbound, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy 7, 8, 12, 13 and 15, Xenogears, Hyper Light Drifter, Rock Band, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Star Wars Galaxies, Quadrilateral Cowboy, Time Splitters 2, Everything, Night in the Woods, Virgina, Nier: Automata, Catherine, Edith Finch Theme song by Samuel Baker Art work by Craig Stevenson

My guest today is a writer, designer, creator of Lady Killer in a Bind and the namesake of Love Conquers All Games, Christine Love. In a wild and divergent talk we hit on how 18th Century twitter would be angry about how novels weren't real writing, the connection between Link's Awakening and Twin Peaks, why Pokemon feels like folk lore, and the thrill of meeting strangers on the internet. We also talk about the impact of Ace Attorney, her coaching sessions in Street Fighter 3rd Strike, playing Final Fantasy 6 to get over a break up, a showdown in a Japanese arcade and why she's thrilled that games have embraced romance. "Well, my story, surely, would furnish out a surprising kind of novel, if it were to be well told." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Ace Attorney, Planetarium, Link's Awakening, Pokemon, Street Fighter 2, Splatoon, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Farenheit, Counter Strike, World of Warcraft, City of Heroes, Disgaea, Final Fantasy 6, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect

My guests on today's show are the creators of the amazing FTL and the upcoming Into the Breach, Justin Ma & Matt Davis AKA Subset Games. We talk about how they both moved to China to get their first job in games, working at 2K in Shanghai, and how they got to know each other as desk mates and eventually, inspired by weekly board game sessions, decided to try and make a game together. That chance meeting led to one of my favourite games of the past ten years, FTL. This episode is packed. We talk about both of their early video game loves like Full Throttle and X-Wing, what it was like for Justin growing up with a dad who worked at Activision, how Matthew rediscovered boardgaming in college which ultimately, set him on a path to China and back again. We also talk a lot about their creative relationship, the upcoming Into the Breach, and a whole bunch about the development of FTL including the boardgame influences, the impact of the kickstarter and how they wanted to make players feel like Jean Luc Picard. "Engage." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: X-Wing, Mech Warrior, Mortal Kombat, Legend of Zelda, Mario 64, Rez, Full Throttle, Fallout, Planescape, X-Com, System Shock 2, Spelunky, Papers Please, Portal, Prey, PUBG, Advance Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Game of Thrones

My guest on today's episode is Ben Andac. Ben does a whole bunch of stuff: writer, producer, designer, business developer. He's recently gone freelance after spending many years working at larger companies like Sega and Sony, problem solving, fostering new talent and ensuring the games being released on the platform are as good as they can possibly be. We talk about his early love of the Master System, how his early experience of games was an attempt to wean him off reading, his competitive Virtua Fighter skills and how Rez convinced him to quit his job and get into games. Also; the thrill of discovering new designers and how to foster relationships, how movies are interactive, his founding role in a games media giant and how a love of Joe Danger led to No Man's Sky. "Fear is the mind killer." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Alex Kidd, Phantasy Star, Wonder Boy 3, Shinobi, Virtua Racing, Sega Rally, Aladdin, Flash Back, Street Fighter 2, Virtua Fighter, Dance Dance Revolution, Rez, Ico, The Last Guardian, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, World of Warcraft, Pro Evolution Soccer, Journey, Gone Home, Night in the Woods, Crush, Joe Danger, No Man's Sky

My guest on today's episode is Walt Williams. Walt is the writer of Spec Ops - The Line and the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront 2. He'll also be releasing a book next month called Significant Zero which is a behind the scenes look at modern AAA development which, if you're a fan of this show, you're very likely to enjoy. We talk about his early love of Adventure on the 2600, video game branded breakfast cereal, the impact of Final Fantasy 6, why Red Dead Redemption is maybe the best game, and how much he loves video games with endings. We also talk about how he almost became a preacher, why Batman is really just an enabler for the Riddler, why video game nostalgia can be so much more powerful than other mediums and how he almost didn't take the gig writing Star Wars Battlefront 2 until a tweet from John Boyega pushed him over the edge. "What happened here was out of my control..." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Adventure, Super Mario Bros, Zelda, Marble Madness, Final Fantasy 6, Jak and Daxter, World of Warcraft, Arkham Asylum, Spec Ops the Line, Gone Home, Civilisation, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Guitar Hero, Dark Souls, Night in the Woods, Portal 2, Red Dead Redemption, The Last of Us

My guest on today's episode is Brendan Keogh, a Brisbane-based critic, journalist, and academic. He's written a book about Spec Ops - The Line, tons of amazing articles for places like Edge, Polygon, The New Statesman, Ars Technica and as of this year has started making some games for fun. Brendan Keogh wrote a thesis about Grand Theft Auto 4 and a book about Spec Ops - The Line so you know the type of episode this is going to be. There are two fine beards either end of a Skype call and they will be stroked. Also bonus cameo from Brendan's dog. PLUS - how he wore out a controller playing Geometry Wars 2, why he loves the weight of GTA 4, the evergreen pleasures of Doom, why Binary Domain is an overloooked classic, why Alien Isolation works so well and, in a term I'm definitely going to steal, why Far Cry 2 is his chicken soup game. "Let's go to bowling!" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Grand Theft Auto 4, Spec Ops The Line, Catacombs of Solaris, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alien Isolation, Call of Duty, Minecraft, Far Cry 2, Zelda BOTW, Nuclear Throne, Tiny Tower, Geometry Wars 2, Final Fantasy 7, Just Cause 2, Flightmare, Time Crisis, Doom, Kong, Striker

My guest on today's episode is Rod Humble. Rod has an incredible CV - CEO of Linden Labs, head of the EA Play label responsible for the Sims, game artist in residence at the San Francisco MOMA and current Jam City GM - but at heart he is a guy who loves and is fascinated by playing, making, and talking about games. Here are some highlights of a particularly packed episode: We talk about being moved by scale, an early love of the precise lines of Atom Invaders and the wonder of the seaside arcade, how his early love of design was encouraged by code pages in magazines, and how an early teacher once told him you have two paths ahead of you, computers or crime. There's also the profound impact of Elite, why Tetris resonates so much with so many, Will Wright stories, how he originally turned his nose up when he was given the Sims to look after, but quickly realised how wrong he was, and how his whole life has been a golden age for videogames. "We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Atom Invaders, Star Wars, Missile Command, The Marriage, The Humans, Elite, Tetris, Brutal Paws of Fury, Everquest, The Sims, Cults and Daggers, School Daze, Bounty Bob, Hearthstone, Second Life, Blocks World

My guest on today's episode is Anthony Gallegos - currently working as a game designer on Marvel Heroes, Anthony previously spent years working in the enthusiast press for sites like 1up and IGN, and has been everyone's favourite on a whole host of podcasts including GFW Radio, The Gamespy Debriefings, The Comedy Button and of course Rebel FM. We talk growing up on a naval base, the ubiquity of the NES in America, how multiplayer games were the bedrock of his early gaming life, his zoology aspirations, his time in Scotland, how a looming deadline helps beat imposter syndrome and how meeting Arthur Gies while they both worked at a Tower Records changed the course of his life. We also talk about a whole bunch of games - the never ending allure of PUBG, mainlining Everquest in college, why Gone Home was such an inspiration when he started working in design and why a little jank in a game can make all the difference. "Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Super Mario Bros, Fester's Quest, Rust, PUBG, Everquest, World of Warcraft, Gone Home, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Bushido Blade, Mortal Kombat, The Terminator, Counter Strike, Oblivion, The Walking Dead, Gone Home, Company of Heroes, Jack Box Party Pack, Tribes, God of War 2

My guest today is Daniel Cook, chief creative officer at SpryFox, creators of Triple Town, Alphabear, Road Not Taken and many more. Previous to Spryfox Daniel worked at the brand new Epic Mega Games (later simply Epic games) before spending a few years at Microsoft. He has also maintained his incredible design blog Lostgarden for over a decade. We talk about how much he loved the Amiga, Bitmap Brothers in particular, growing up in rural Maine, his work in the demo scene in the mid nineties, his deep love of deluxe paint and how he got his start in games thanks to an unsolicited portfolio sent by his friend. He also shares some incredible insight into the business of making games, how much he loved MUDs, the frustration he felt at Microsoft and why flash portals convinced him to get back into game design. "We're not going to open a newspaper one day and read about you being eaten by a bear, are we?" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Triple Town, Steambirds, Zaxxon, Donkey Kong, Faerie Tale Adventure, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, StarGlider 2, Tyrion, Quake, Animal Crossing, Pikmin, Tetris, Counter Strike, Star Fox Adventures, Thimbleweed Park, Peggle, 1 vs 100, Realm of the Mad God, Hidden Kingdom, Journey

My guest today is Ed Key, game designer, creator of the incredible Proteus and founder of Twisted Tree games. We talk Kendall Mint Cake, why the Spectrum game Oh Mummy! had such a profound impact on his younger self, why Stellaris ticks so many boxes, how his dad would gamify their family walks, why Brian Eno and Ultima 7 are forever linked in his brain, and how Proteus almost came with a fold out cloth map. "Stay on the road. Keep clear of the moors." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Oh Mummy! Proteus, Ultima 7, Chaos Engine, Stellaris, Civilisation II, FTL, Kentucky Route Zero, Forest of Sleep, Batallion Wars, Counter Strike, Mount and Blade, Joust, Tekken 3, Pikmin, Captain Blood, Sensible Soccer

My guest today is Jon McKellan, one of the founders of NoCode studios, creators of Stories Untold and Super Arc Light. Previous to setting up his own studio, Jon spent many years in a band, before getting working in AAA game development on games like Alien Isolation and the now infamous APB. We talk about his work at these studios, including being there when Realtime Worlds folded, and the human as well as financial impact this can have. We also hit on the job of a lifetime working on the Alien franchise, and why he ended up leaving a job at Rockstar Games to form his own studio. We talk about early loves on the Amiga and Atari 2600, why Dead Rising doesn't get the credit it deserves, the demands of being a mayor in Star Wars Galaxies, the muscle memory of Wipeout, why all open world games should let you turn off the collectibles and the heart breaking truth behind Super Mario Kart path finding. " I admire its purity. A survivor... unclouded by conscience, remorse, or delusions of morality." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Super Arc Light, Alien Isolation, Dead Rising, Half Life 2, Doom, Wipeout, Inside, Horizon Zero Dawn, Star Wars Galaxies, Stories Untold, Alien Isolation, APB, Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario Kart, Bloodborne, Crackdown, Trials HD, Bioshock

My guest today is Brandon Sheffield, founder of Nercrosoft games, former editor of Game Developer Magazine & Gamasutra, ad creator of Insertcredit.com and No Girlfriend Comics. We talk about why all of Brandon's early videogame memories are blurry or in the third person, his deep level of discovery and delving into the forgotten history of games, university rivalries with the Maryland Puyo Puyo champion, his incredibly esoteric CV, and how the discovery of a video game in a store in Torrance, California changed his life. "Sorta, yeah. But no idealized shit. No phony bullshit. The real thing, y'know? Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff. " PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Fantasy Zone, Beam Rider, Advanced D&D, The Smurfs, Gunstar Heroes, Freak Out, Puyo Puyo, Land Maker, Asuka 120% Burning Fist, Shadow Hearts, Star Cruiser, Princess Pyjama, Clash Royale, Nier, Ribbit King, Valkyria Chronicles, Gears of War, Jeanne d'Arc, Bullet Witch, SOS, Pup Breeder, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom,

My guest today is Brie Code, speaker, writer, AI programmer, and the CEO and creative director of Tru Luv Media, a video game studio making games with people who don't like games.

My guest today is Mathew Kumar, a video game designer, a writer, a zine creator and a podcast host. This is a very game heavy episode and Mathew's lifelong enthusiasm and passion for video games is incredibly infectious. We also hit on growing up playing games in Scotland, the forgotten treasures of the home computer scene, why he always wanted to be a videogame journalist, why he always has a Saturn ready to play, and the physical wonder of the joystick on a Neo Geo Pocket Colour, "What I do is I just try to take my hat and I turn it around, and it's like a switch that goes on." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Asuka 120% Burning Fist Limited, Star Wars Arcade, SNK vs. Capcom, Bikini Zombie Slayers, Deadly Premonition, Garouden Breakblow: Fist or Twist, Netrunner, Bangai-O, Loot Rascals, Video Ball, Spy Party, Uncharted 4, N++, Animal Crossing New Leaf, NHL 94, Goldeneye, Roland on the Ropes, Civilisation, Castlevania 2, Bill & Ted's Excellent Game Boy Adventure: A Bogus Journey!, Tiny Toon Adventures, Polybius

My guest today is Violet Berlin, a writer, educator, producer and presenter, perhaps best known to listeners as the presenter of the video game TV series Bad Influence. We talk calculator games, Space Museums, Game & Watch, the hidden adventure within Zelda, a deep love for Castlevania, how Eternal Darkness tricked her a little too hard and bonding with her children through video games. We also talk about how she never owned a TV until she worked on TV, her unlikely route to becoming a TV presenter, working for the biggest museum project in the world, the thrill of meeting curators, gunge recipes, being passionate about your interests and how she ended up as a playable character in Micro Machines 2. BONUS GUEST! In a particularly bumper episode I also speak to Dr. Jennifer Hazel about her non profit company Checkpoint (good name!) which acts at the intersection of mental health and video games. We have a fascinating chat about the clinical use of video games in treating mental health issues, and about their Kickstarter campaign to create a web series about these issues. If you're curious and you'd like to support it, there are still a few days left to back it - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/checkpoint/the-checkpoint-series "Remember to set your video recorders for the datablast!" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild, Eternal Darkness, Papers Please, Castlevania 2, Sam and Max, The Lawnmower Man, Mega Man, Space Invaders, Micro Machines 2, Stories Untold, Amplitude, Space Channel 5

My guest today is Omar Cornut, founder of Lizardcube and creator of the recent, and excellent, remake of Wonder Boy : The Dragon's Trap. We talk growing up in Paris and Egypt, the SEGA Computer 3000 (!), how he traded up from a home made Inidiana Jones board game to a Game & Watch, his founding of a video game course while still a student, and why Psycho Fox is burned into his brain. We also hit on Omar's role in the emulation scene of the late nineties when he created MEKA, one of the best Master System emulators, his time at Media Molecule, the complicated IP history of Wonder Boy, and how his quest to seek out every secret in The Dragon's Trap led to the founding of a company and the creation of a game. "What was that? An exhibition? I said emotional content, not anger. Now try again!" PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Wonder Boy 3, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Alex Kidd in Shinobi World, River Raid, Aztec Adventure, Ice Climber, Tetris, Evil Twin, Psycho Fox, Soul Bubbles, Kid Chameleon, Super Hexagon, GNOG, Super Mario Kart.

My guest today is Dominique Ferland AKA Dom2D an illustrator and game designer who most recently designed the excellent Finthook for Tribute Games. We talk about the lack of games in small town Quebec, the incredible music of Pictionary on the NES, early graph paper game designs and the inspirations behind Flinthook. We also talk through his strange journey to game design via advertising, how Spelunky took over his life, the joy of playing games with a guide and how Proteus taught him to stop worrying and love video games. "Death is the only adventure I have left, Smee." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Pictionary, Flinthook, Fez, Proteus, Spelunky, Guitar Hero, Slender Man, Gladiator School, Resident Evil 7, Dune, Towerfall, Jaipur, Worms, Bionic Commando, Wario Ware, The Legend of Zelda

My guest today is Margaret Roberston, former editor of Edge magazine, now game director at PlayDots and industry liaison for the New York Game Centre. We talk about forgotten classics of the Atari ST & Amiga era like Captive and Midwinter, the absurdist joy of Ranarama, the Playstation homebrew scene and how she fought through the pain for the love of Guitar Hero. We also reminisce about the genuine magic of early internet forums, how she got the job on Edge in the bar after the interview, why Final Fantasy 12 is conclusively the best and how designing brilliant games can be the way to someone's heart. "My, Earth really is full of things! ." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Ranarama, Harrier Attack, Captive, Midwinter, Super Mario Kart, WipeOut, PN03, Katamari Damacy, Manhunt, Guitar Hero, Final Fantasy 12, Half Life 2, Amped 3, Uplink, World of Warcraft, Drop 7, Horizon Zero Dawn, Home Free, Kileak the Blood,

My guest today is Hannah Nicklin an award winning game designer, writer, academic, theatre maker, bike rider and talk giver. As the myriad of adjectives suggest, she's a brilliant guest. We talk about weird Comic Relief tie in game Sleepwalker, how Tony Hawk Pro Skater introduced her to punk rock, why controller literacy is such a forgotten problem, that time she bought 100 CDs and a Gamecube on a camping trip and how theatre is a game so old we've forgotten it's a game. We also hit on street games, her work at Hide & Seek, zines about grandpas, her passion for cycling, how Kentucky Route Zero is one of the greatest games ever made and why Jazz really makes her laugh. "Hey man, Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Sleepwalker, The Lion King, Deus Ex Machina, Loot Rascals, Kentucky Route Zero, Proteus, Cribbage with Grandpas, A Good Snowman is Hard to Build, Mario Kart, Burly Men at Sea, Portal, Tony Hawks Pro Skater, Discworld Noir, Command and Conquer Red Alert

My guest today is the studio director and co founder of Media Molecule, Siobhan Reddy. We talk about the founding of the studio, the development of Little Big Planet and their upcoming title Dreams. We also meander through Siobhan's video game history, from her early love of the Game & Watch, how Resident Evil really shifted her understanding of games and awakened a life long love of horror games, why Bioware games are like a warm blanket, how working on punk fanzines influenced her career and how you never really learn how to make games, you just learn how to make that one. "In my dreams I can walk. My legs are strong. In my dreams I am the Wizard Master." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Game & Watch, Soma, Resident Evil, Flame and the Flood, SSX, Burnout, Little Big Planet, Dreams, Dragon Age, Dead Space, Monkey Island, Hitman, DIscworld Noir, D & D,

My guest today is Harrison G. Pink, a world designer who currently works on Mafia 3 at Hangar 13 and has previously worked on the Walking Dead and Tales from the Borderlands at Telltale. We talk about growing up in Bermuda, solving Kings Quest puzzles while playing in the sea, how shareware trading and PC helped him through boarding school, how Myst changed his life and why The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker seemed like a game made just for him. We also hit on the storytelling potential of games, how endless hours of Unreal helped him hone his early game design chops, how Megaman made him bite his controller and why Bastion is perfect. "What do they call it when everything intersects?" "The Bermuda Triangle." PATREON - patreon.com/checkpoints iTunes HERE - SUBSCRIBE / RATE / REVIEW Games discussed: Mafia 3, The Walking Dead, Dark Castle, Myst, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Math Blaster, Doom, King's Quest, Command & Conquer, Zork, Starcraft, Unreal, Smash Brothers, Geometry Wars, Megaman 2, Bastion, Giants: Citizen Kabuto, Another World