Happy Gaming

Guest James Davie, writer for XboxTavern.com, and friend from the Easy Allies forums joins me to talk about the last year of the PS4 and Xbox One, our favorite games from the last year, and what we're excited to play come the new current gen of consoles.

This episode we're tackling a heavier topic that will not be easy to talk about, but also how one of my favorite games ever has helped me through difficult and tumultuous times. We'll go into heavier topics about my own anxiety and depression, but will also try and talk positively about how things can work out for the better, and how games can be a help to those who struggle with hard times. Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hep Cats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Awesome Call Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Off to Osaka Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Long Stroll Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Shades of Spring Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Opportunity Walks Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ www.bensound.com Music used by artist Dee Yan-Key, modified by myself not for resale or for profit. freemusicarchive.org/music/Dee_Yan-Key/Jazzz

It's been a while, so we have a lot to talk about this episode! As it turns out I have a fascination and a vested interest in the characters I spend time with in the games I play. This time we go into the complicated franchise of Kingdom Hearts, the fascinating puzzler that is Gorogoa, some old school platforming fun, and much more. It's a marathon that is just about two hours, so buckle up, we're talking some games! Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hep Cats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Awesome Call Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Off to Osaka Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Long Stroll Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Shades of Spring Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Opportunity Walks Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ www.bensound.com Music used by artist Dee Yan-Key, modified by myself not for resale or for profit. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Dee_Yan-Key/Jazzz

Games have certainly evolved past the simpler days of players one and two, but does that mean that we can't connect in the same way? In this episode we go through a brief history of consoles, and different types of game play as I try to become comfortable with and accept the fun that everyone has from different generations of video games.

I've been playing games for Halloween just in time to have an episode after Thanksgiving. After some technical misfortune I'm finally here to talk about some of the spooky games I played for last month's Fall period. It's been a while, so let's get down with some spooky games and some cozy times.

Sequels are something that are usually taken with caution, or are held at a glance. Circumstances in this episode brought me to think about sequels in general and how they deserve more respect. So in this episode, we're talking about one of my favorite RPGs, Ni No Kuni, one of my favorite animation studios, and the sequel to that game that is destined to be a sequel, in every sense of the word. Let's put all the differences aside, and love some sequels for what they are. Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hep Cats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Awesome Call Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Off to Osaka Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Long Stroll Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Shades of Spring Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Opportunity Walks Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://www.bensound.com

There are a lot of ways games can be frustrating, but with the right encouragement, you feel like you are able to take on the challenges put in front of you. Celeste is a very special game from a small studio that reminds us how it feels to be encouraged. In this episode we'll talk about Celeste, as well as its creator MattMakesGames and where the team started at.

We're taking a trip down memory lane, as we look at the cultural impact that the seemingly small property known as Pokemon has has on the masses of the world. Going all the way back to the origins of the franchise, and how those origins effected the youth of the day, as well as me personally. ELobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Hep Cats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Awesome Call Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Off to Osaka Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Long Stroll Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Shades of Spring Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Opportunity Walks Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Bossa Antigua Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Backbay Lounge Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ George Street Shuffle Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ http://www.bensound.com

This time around we're discussing how different perspectives of game character design can give us a different kind of or level of immersion to becoming that character. We go through things like first person versus third person games, as well as silent protagonists. There's something out there that connects with everyone!

This time I'm sort of under the weather, but there's been a lot of gaming happening to talk about! We go back into Dark Souls to give it a bit more respect, and talk about other games too, from Grandia to Mega Man Legends. So hunker down, this one is a long one! Soundtracks belong to and are copywrite of their composers and respective companies. I do not own them and am not profiting on them or their use. Soundtrack songs composed and owned by: Motoi Sakuraba - Dark Souls - developed by From Software and Bandai Namco Noriyuki Iwadare - Grandia - developed by Game Arts David Wise - Donkey Kong Country 2 - developed by Rare and Nintendo Tobias Lilja - Little Nightmares - Developed by Tarsier Studios Akiyuki Morimoto - Resident Evil VII - Developed by Capcom Yuzo Koshiro - Actraiser - Developed by Enix and Quintet Ludvig Forsell - Metal Gear Solid 5 - Developed by Hideo Kojima Koji Kondo - Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past - Developed by Nintendo Jake Kaufman - Shovel Knight - Developed by Yaht Club Chris Remo - Firewatch - Developed by Campo Santo Shoji Meguro - Persona 4 Golden - Developed by Atlus Bill Elm - Red Dead Redemption - Developed by Rockstar Cajssa Larson - Aer: Memories of Old - Developed by Forgotten Key Makoto Tamozawa - Mega Man Legends - Developed by Capcom Allister Brimble - Driver - Developed by Reflections Interactive Masahiro Andoh - Gran Turismo - Developed by Polys Entertainment Mick Gordon - Wolfenstein: The New Order - Developed by MachineGames Naoto Kubo - Super Mario Odyssey - Developed by Nintendo Manaka Kantaoka - Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Developed by Nintendo

Metal Gear Solid is a franchise with a long, storied past who has had the same person behind each entry. In this episode we appreciate Metal Gear, Hideo Kojima and talk about the story that brought us to the Playstation 1 classic game, as well as the story of the creator himself. Lobby Time Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Shades of Spring Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

We all have a tendency to look at the things we love from the past with a little bit of added bias. In this episode, I'm talking about remaking old content, and arguing for the quality on both sides new and old. Everything deserves to have our respect and understanding, and to be appreciated on its own values, no matter where we are coming from.

Music is so important. This time we're talking about all sorts of video game music and how it's used in different ways for different purposes. We talk about building characters and worlds, and also feeling emotion, as well as the history of the medium and how it impacts the public perception. The tracks are used are for educational examples only, under the fair use act. They are owned by those who wrote them.

This time, we're taking a step back from analyzing and just talking about what has been going on on the backburner in the meantime. In this episode we're going through some of the games I've been playing that don't get their own episode but are still worth talking about. We'll talk about Night in the Woods, Persona 5 and more.

Shadow of the Colossus is a game that frequently is talked about when considering whether video games can be considered art. Let's take a look at what makes Shadow of the Colossus so special, and why it still has such a special magic to this day that other other like-games have imitated and taken inspiration from. It's a fairy tale, and a legend and a wonderful experience.

Catherine is a unique and unconventional gem that doesn't get a lot of love. In this episode of Happy Gaming we'll discuss the intricacies of Atlus' puzzle choose-your-own adventure, and why it is so impactful.

In the second episode of Happy Gaming, we are talking about some memorable games that I played through in the year 2016 that left a positive impression on me as I make changes to the podcast layout. We also discuss what will be upcoming in future episodes, from different topics to what's coming up next.

In episode one of Happy Gaming, we will focus on Earthbound and what makes it such an endearing and enduring cult gem. The episode will delve into the history of Earthbound's development, to some of the unique qualities it possesses.