Codex Rex

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Codex Rex: The Video Game History Podcast is a podcast where two friends sit down and tell each other stories about video game history and culture.

Codex Rex


    • Feb 5, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 41m AVG DURATION
    • 29 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Codex Rex

    Episode 28: Katamari Damacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2024 153:51


    Tyler tells Dachz the story of Keita Takahashi, and how he created the cult classic Katamari Damacy. Then, the two discuss Takahashi’s career and his unique style of creating games. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g38WaV45gYBmooXl_ViJ3nyRtmZZNCgHSDpN8PurKQI/edit?usp=sharing

    Interview – Louis Castle

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 93:58


    Dachz and Tyler interview Louis Castle about his role in co-founding Westwood Studios and his contributions to the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy games.

    castle command conquer westwood studios
    Episode 27 – The Founding Fathers of Wargaming

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2023 141:28


    Dachz tells the stories of several people who helped to invent modern wargaming. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRrEh9XB1CyFc8HQ0LCXUVtLSm5np8S0tg9h2cHa3Ytd57od6QzatXMS7-xEbMZNh28E9GJF5KpM6an/pub

    Episode 26: Pokémon

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2023 152:49


    In the second part of this story, Tyler explains how Game Freak created Pokémon, and how the game series became a multi-billion dollar franchise. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1shJgb3WW5DkHkNG6bNbAO0WsEYcJU-JTaEDEOr3mm0A/

    Episode 25: Game Freak

    Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 110:50


    In part one if this story, Tyler tells the tale of Game Freak, a Japanese indie gaming company that would create a cultural phenomenon. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1shJgb3WW5DkHkNG6bNbAO0WsEYcJU-JTaEDEOr3mm0A/

    Episode 24: Adventure and Easter Eggs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2022 103:51


    Tyler tells a story of how cave exploration, D&D, and the early internet, led to the first adventure games. Then, he discusses how the mistreatment of programmers at Atari led to the popular idea of hiding ‘easter eggs’ in video games. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AvbdikRVKNrfb49L8wAiySx71A3W30yG1cJS7F0Wz9M/

    Episode 23: Tetris

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2022 69:18


    Dachz tells the story of Tetris and the legal battles that ensued over the game’s publishing rights. Sources can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2TM9rqJmEH7DnlI_Jf9SlP4seklSwMnYBKwIYcv5qk/

    Episode 22: Nintendo 64

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2022 145:38


    Tyler tells the story of the Nintendo 64, and how Nintendo tried to reclaim the 90s console market with innovation and brand power.Sources for this episode can be found here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uANn126Osf3HlOpT1oDlCfX-ZJ8Z0dXj6–IWrliiiI/

    Episode 21: Tamagotchi

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2022 101:46


    Tyler tells a story about the Tamagotchi and the virtual pet craze of the late 1990s. Sources for this episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k-ORUKS02fnsUQa1JhbdhPhWzLLZ_qW6ChktmzJo43Y/edit?usp=sharing

    Episode 20: PlayStation

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2021 98:31


    Tyler discusses the history of the PlayStation and how Sony become a powerful force in the console market. Sources for the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TTqnvwTaynMetg4kTqQtxlZaeYvI6MFuWFdLYWckXsQ/

    Episode 19: Tennis for Two

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2021 67:30


    Dachz tells a story about the life of physicist William Higinbotham and the creation of the first video game, Tennis for Two.

    Episode 18: Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2021 99:36


    Dachz tells a story about DMA Design, and the events that led to them publishing two popular game series: Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Sources for the episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mAi7mtDnZGMGy2onXzOhh38NOHShC09uBTj5lp8qyo/

    Episode 17: Sega Saturn

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2021 100:21


    Tyler tells a story about the Sega Saturn and the events that led to Sega’s decline in the console market. Sources for the episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1voFekloooJbxgq3BBLFpxM7FQktu3LyIe9_9-qsF7BI/

    Episode 16: Flow in Video Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2021 102:41


    Dachz and Tyler discuss the psychological concept of “Flow” and how it relates to gaming, as well as why we seek out video games as entertainment.

    Episode 15: 3DO Interactive Multiplayer

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2021 106:04


    Tyler tells a story about the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, an innovative 90s console that suffered a series of missteps, but set many of the standards of modern gaming. Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4lnvoYpFC5U02WgHzl7aaiIFUT7n3QAj2T9aG-t2BI/

    Episode 14: Electronic Arts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2021 103:01


    Tyler tells a story about gaming industry legend Trip Hawkins and the founding of video game company Electronic Arts.Sources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4lnvoYpFC5U02WgHzl7aaiIFUT7n3QAj2T9aG-t2BI/

    Episode 13: Magnavox Odyssey

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2021 65:48


    Dachz tells a story about Ralph Baer, and the creation of the first video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey.

    history conversations video games gaming magnavox odyssey ralph baer
    Episode 12: Gothic

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 76:48


    Dachz tells a story about the 2001 game Gothic and the German studio Piranha Bytes. Tyler gets excited by the discussion of an advergame called “Swamp Chicken.”

    Episode 11: Atari Jaguar

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2021 104:42


    In the first of a new series about the 5th generation of consoles, Tyler tells Dachz the story of the Jaguar, Atari’s last-ditch effort to compete in the console market. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XuGBy2k9QaUlVMNzSLTeEqHJaae3NcEjSFJCSExSdKQ

    Episode 10: SCUMM

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2021 85:39


    Dachz tells a story about Ron Gilbert and the creation of the SCUMM Engine, which was used to create several cult classic Lucas Arts games, like Maniac Mansion and The Secret of Monkey Island.

    Episode 9: Satellaview

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2021 82:25


    Tyler tells Dachz a story about the obscure Super Famicom add-on, the Satellaview, which allowed users in Japan to download games from satellite transmissions. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1We8R9gDFlzU_7M3p2yUZqfox1ZORFbC80r5NkgfJT4g/

    Episode 8: The PDP-1 and Spacewar!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2020 56:12


    Dachz tells Tyler a story about the PDP-1 computer and the creation of one of the first video games, “Spacewar!”.

    Episode 7: Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2020 121:24


    Tyler and Dachz discuss Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons and the birth of farming game genre. Episode sources can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bxk45D2d5HR9qALVwKwaC5mgFXJ113BBP4UqUiKsmdA/

    Episode 6: Mana

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2020 70:14


    Dachz tells Tyler the historical origins of the term “Mana” and how it became a video game mechanic.

    Episode 5: Guitar Hero and Rock Band

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2020 151:05


    Tyler and Dachz discuss the cultural phenomenon that was Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and the ensuing over-saturation of the rhythm game market. Source list can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yc3Z89HMyneLVAn-mIyimWBT0rihh84U/

    Episode 4: Populous

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2020 99:16


    Dachz tells Tyler a story about the 1989 game Populous, a “god game” that spawned a genre.

    Episode 3: Portal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2020 86:25


    Dachz tells a story about the creation of Portal and how the creators became a part of Valve. Tyler has microphone issues.

    Episode 2: Crash Bandicoot

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2020 104:15


    In this episode, Tyler and Dachz discuss the formation of Naughty Dog and the creation of Crash Bandicoot.

    Episode 1: Sonic the Hedgehog

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2020 76:16


    In the first episode of the podcast, Tyler and Dachz discuss the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog and the console wars of the early 1990s.

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