So Many Bits

After year off E3 has returned, and after a few months off Brandon Shockney and Di Billick join Bill to talk about what was shown! They cover the major conferences and offer up a few of the games they're most looking forward to in 2021 and beyond!

It's a game about mechs fighting aliens... right? Technically yes, but there's way more to the story of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and Bill, Joe Canalin, and Luis Badillo break it down for you! Favorite characters, favorite twists, and our best effort at explaining what actually happened!

Wrapping up 2020, Bill gets together with Brandon Shockney to discuss their favorite games from the past year! They also, perhaps unwisely, take a glimpse at Spaceballs: The Animated Series during Screenwatching!

The PlayStation 5 and X-Box Series X are all up in our business now, so Bill has chatted with Brandon Shockney and Justine Krueger to get their early impressions!

Shelby Mongan is on this week's episode to break down the mysterious new online phenomenon Blaseball for Bill! We also chat about Among Us, Super Mario 35, Hades, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order!

The classic days of racing games live on! This week have some of team VHR - Rob KTA, Colonel, Aidan, and Ian - to discuss super scaling, drifting, and just going like, really fast.  Meanwhile, Cliff Murphy and I discuss the surprisingly in-depth gaming discussion from network sitcom The Goldbergs!Screenwatching - The Goldbergs (4:47)Interview - Team VHR (39:47)

More games have been played and Cliff Murphy and I are here to discuss them! We chat Hades, Among Us, Until Dawn, the Pokemon TCG, and MTG Arena!

Back to chatting games we've been playing this week with guest Brandon Shockney! We cover Resident Evil 3 (2020), Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D, Super Mario Galaxy, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore Edition, Starcraft II, and Risk of Rain 2!

Cook, Serve, Delicious! is ready for its 3rd (?!) entry to hit 1.0, and Bill is joined by Vertigo Gaming's Ryan Matejka to discuss! We chart Ryan's progression from fan of series creator David Galindo to veteran writer, new characters debuting, and the series lore even diehard players may not have noticed!Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney has lots to say about the venerable cartoon Muppet Babies in this week's Screenwatching!Screenwatching - Muppet Babies (2:29)Interview - Ryan Matejka (27:33)

Dani, Kevin, and Lisa from Veritable Joy Studios are this week's guests to discuss ValiDate! While I remain distressingly in the dark on what Homestuck is, I do learn a lot about writing rich stories for a diverse cast, where sometimes it can be just as much fun writing about people breaking up as coming together!Meanwhile, Di Billick gives expert NES analysis from a couple scenes of the long-running show Family Guy in Screenwatching!Screenwatching - Family Guy (3:21)Interview -Dani, Kevin, and Lisa (22:14)

Got us some games to be discussing! We lead off with an extensive breakdown of the FF XVI reveal, then talk about Paper Mario: The Origami King, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes, and more!

For the first time, Bill is reporting on a 100% online event! Pixel Pop Festival is a diverse showcase for indie titles and discussing the game industry, and this week features interviews with many of this year's speakers!1. Michelle (Homing - 2:27 2. Mars Ashton (Flux) - 11:223. Xelavier Nelson (An Airport for Aliens Run Entirely By Dogs) - 21:124. Sarah Speiers (Mindfulness in the Worplace) - 31:255. Derrick Fields (Onsen Master) - 39:576. Wrapup with Carol Mertz and Mary McKelly - 47:15

Back with a new episode next Monday!

Back again to discuss games we've been playing with Shelby! We talk Song of Bloom, Fall Guys, We Love Katamari, Space Channel 5, and Starcraft II!

Even decades later, the legacy of the NES draws developers to making new games for it. In this week's interview Bill talks with one such person Donny Phillips regarding the game Project Blue, the varying eras of retro gaming, and the feeling of creating a physical cartridge!Meanwhile, Shelby Mongan is on again to discuss more retro gaming fun on Screenwatching with Craig of the Creek!Screenwatching - Craig of the Creek (2:35)Interview - Donny Phillips (31:57)

Cliff is here again to talk about the games he and Bill have been playing! They cover Raft, The Outer Wilds, Satisfactory, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Kuukiyomi: Consider It, and Death Come True!

From the mind of Channel 101 alum and Sinfeld Chronicles creator Austin Stock, we have a game about New York from someone who has never visited! Bill and Austin talk baked hard drives, working for Nickelodeon, and the unexpected directions development has taken.Meanwhile, Cliff Murphy and I take a look at a 2007 episode of the Simpsons, which unexpectedly took place 13 years ago!Screenwatching - The Simpsons (4:05)Interview - Austin Stock (37:38)

This week Brandon has been playing the latest hits with Ghost of Tsushima and Paper Mario: The Origami King, plus checking out the classic Warioware Inc.! Meanwhile Bill has picked out some older titles in Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight and Tales from the Borderlands, plus the "old new" game Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2!

After completing the futuristic racer Desert Child, Oscar Brittain has mulliganed into Kardboard Kings, a trading card store management simulator! Bill calls on his Magic: the Gathering experience to ask the hard questions about this extremely unique game scenario.Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney is a friend to me in reviewing the opening scene of Toy Story 2 for Screenwatching!Screenwatching - Toy Story 2 (1:53)Interview - Oscar Brittain (23:16)

Di is back to talk about the games we've been playing! Final Fantasy XV (there's a new book!), The Haunted Island a Frog Detective game, Later Alligator, Her Story, and Roundabout!

With Panzer Paladin's official launch tomorrow, I checked back in with Tribute Games to talk with game / level designer Fred Gemus! We discuss the game's sophisticated weapon system, how to pace an action game, and his 3 (3!) complete system libraries he's collected.Meanwhile, Bill might have been mistaken about how much video games appear in this episode, but that doesn't stop him and Di Billick from checking out Neon Genesis Evangelion for Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Neon Genesis Evangelion (2:48)Interview: Fred Gemus (16:34)

Time for a check-in on what games Bill and Shelby have been playing lately! You'll hear about the Isle of Armor expansion to Pokemon Sword / Shield, Waltz of the Wizard, Vice Project Doom, Wild Arms, Steamworld Heist, and Rock Band 4!

Sometimes a game is a cartridge. Sometimes a game is a disc. Sometimes a game is a paper shredder, or five people with buttons on their chest. For the latter two, I've spoken with Alistair Aitcheson about his work on The Book Ritual, his multiple live theater shows that integrate video games, and more!Meanwhlie, Shelby Mongan returns to chat the mid-00's tween Nickelodeon show iCarly!Screenwatching: iCarly (2:05)Interview: Alistair Aitcheson (39:55)

The recent release of the Turbo-Grafx 16 Mini has rekindled Bill and Cliff's nostalgia for their childhood gaming system! They talk through their early gaming memories, some games to try out (even if they're not in English!), and some games to avoid. Johnny Turbo would be proud!

Starting back in 2012, the Indie MEGABOOTH has given a diverse group of indie game devs a platform to show off their work until recently going on hiatus. This week Bill talks with the founder Kelly Wallick about the early days of the booth, curating hundreds of applicants, and the challenges of setting up shop all around the world!Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney is back on to talk about the classic Batman: The Animated Series for Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Batman: The Animated Series (1:47)Interview: Kelly Wallick (31:43)Bill's Magic Minute (1:07:13)

We're back to talk about more games we've been playing! Brandon Shockney and Bill discuss Persona 5 Royal, Splatoon 2, Monster Prom, Rocket League, Skribbl.io, and Final Fantasy VI!

This week Bill welcomes Bennett Tyler of Bomb Shelter games to talk about his team's upcoming game Depths of Sanity. They talk about innovating within the Metroidvania genre, how to set a game 8,000 feet underwater, and the bond he and his teammates share through online gaming.  Meanwhile, Cliff Murphy stops by to explore the obscure animated sitcom Mission Hill for this week's Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Mission Hill (2:27)Interview: Bennett Tyler (33:25)Bill's Magic Minute (1:12:35)

Just a quick update, So Many Bits will return1

Stopping by with more games we've been playing! Cliff Murphy and I talk about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Ratchet and Clank (2016), Call of Duty Modern Warfare Warzone, and Resident Evil 3.

If it really is the "final" fantasy, is there really need for a remake? Di Billick, Eric Garneau, and Bill have decided the answer is "yes", and they've gone and talked about everything they love about this recent release. We're talking about everything to do with both the original and the new hotness, so spoilers abound!

No, I didn't leave off a letter. This week Di and I will be talking one game only: Final Fantasy VII Remake. Check out our NON-SPOILER discussion of the game and what we like / don't like about it, and keep an eye out for a SPOILER discussion coming next week!

We Should Talk is perhaps the most sophisticated and granular look at dialogue in gaming out there, and this week Bill, Carol Mertz, and Jordan Jones-Brewster, discuss the game, their work on the Pixel Pop Festival, and their go-to duet karaoke song!Meanwhile, Di Billick is back and allows Bill to shoehorn one of his favorite shows into Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Cowboy Bebop (1:12)Interview: Carol Mertz + Jordan Jones Brewster (30:22)Bill's Magic Minute (1:02:04)

Shelby returns to the podcast to talk about the games we've been playing! We cover Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Human Fall Flat, Beat Saber, Ringfit Adventure DLC, Murder By Numbers, Persona 3 / 5 Dancing by ___light, and Super Mario RPG!

Reconnecting the isolated fruits of a a village (or an orchard?), Garden Story's charm is embodied in Rose City Game's Community Manager Jenny Windom. In this week's interview we discuss the Portland indie gaming scene, working from home, and the inimitable Broccowilli Broccolewis.Meanwhile, Shelby Mongan returns to bang the gavel in Screenwatching to discuss Law and Order: SVU! (Content warning for description of sexually oriented crimes.)Screenwatching: Law and Order SVU (5:09)Interview: Jenny Windom (50:05)

Brandon returns this week to talk about his time with Fire Emblem: Three Houses and Afterparty, while Bill talks Bury Me, My Love and Return of the Obra Dinn. Plus they've both been playing the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo and Man of Medan and are comparing notes!

Flying power disc action returns! The Neo Geo cult classic will finally receive a well-deserved sequel soon, and DotEmu Game Designer Jordi Ascensio is on this week to discuss the game's history, new additions, and improving on what he considers a perfect game!Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney is back on to discuss the brand new Apple TV show Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet on Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Mythic Quest Raven's Banquet (1:57)Interview: Jordi Ascencio (23:08)

Due to a technical hiccup we're skipping a week of So Many Bits, but I wanted to offer some real quick tips for gaming on the cheap, so give a quick listen. Be back next Monday for a new interview!

Back with Part 2 of my trip to PAX: demos, Magic, GDQ, and more interviews!David and Sophie of Fishing Cactus (Nanotale) - 4:07Rita Lebedeva of Hypetrain Digital (Tunche) - 10:35Michael Hermann of Retrosoft Studios (Retromania Wrestling) - 15:28Mark Laframboise of Lightning Rod Games (A Fold Apart) - 23:31Emi Spicer of Casa Rara Studio (Mini Maker Good Enough!) - 28:26Frederic Gemus of Tribute Games (Panzer Paladin) - 41:18Andrew Shouldice (Tunic) - 48:05

So they're finally here, interviewing for youBill says the words, and the guests do tooPut your hands together, if you want to clapAs we take you through this PAX recap!Part 1Part 1's herePart 2Part 2 next MondayErik Johnson of Vertigo Gaming (Cook, Serve, Delicious! 3?!) - 2:30Hugo Vaz of Behold Studios (Out of Space) - 11:14Andrew Brophy (Knuckle Sandwich) - 16:03Jaycee Salinas of Ask An Enemy Studios (A Duel Hand Disaster: Tracker) - 24:07Bennett Tyler of Bomb Shelter Games (Depths of Sanity) - 30:41Jorge Garcia of Mecha Studios (Neon City Riders) - 35:01Francesca Carletto-Leon of Contigo Games (StarCrossed) - 43:10Taylor Miller of Team D-13 (Monolith) - 51:03

A few new games to play this week: Di is grinding on slimes in Dragon Quest XI, while Bill explores group dynamics and mysteries with Zanki Zero: Last Beginning and The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan!

In the same vein as installation art, Seemingly Pointless - the team of James and Joe Cox - work on installation games that are experienced at festivals nationwide. Bill talks with them about their current project eCheese Zone, the unique challenges their work faces, and more!Plus, Di Billick returns so we can watch James Bond play a deadly video game in Never Say Never Again!Screenwatching: Never Say Never Again (2:15)Interview: James and Joe Cox (25:41)

Another check-in on the games being played, this week with Bliff and Cill, I mean Bill and Cliff! We're chatting Disco Elysium, the new character in Slay the Spire, and Fire Emblem: Three Houses.

The scope of retro has fully expanded to include the Game Boy Color, and Ashley's new action puzzler Petal Crash is a novel puzzler set in that style! Her fundraising included the addition of 3 characters to the game; hear her explain that process plus much more!Plus, Cliff Murphy and I revisit the lovely series Steven Universe during Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Steven Universe (4:37)Interview: Ashley (27:15)

The ancient world of Fodlan is full of mysteries; sometimes, one 80 hour playthrough of Fire Emblem: Three Houses isn't enough! Luckily, Bill is joined by Cliff Murphy and Alex Richmond to get into their favorite moments plus answer a few burning questions, like how does Byleth find room for 9 lunches in a day?

Shelby is welcomed back to the show that never ends! We talked about Pokemon Sword / Shield, Baba is You, Control, and Metro Exodus!

Frequent podcast guest Ian Beckman returns for an extended interview this week! Bill has chatted with Ian previously about his team Big Sir Games and their work on Cosmo's Quick Stop, but here they get into the games previous iterations, the challenges of marketing, and more!Meanwhile, frequent podcast Shelby Mongan subjects her and Bill to the craptacular wonders of Bibleman for this week's Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Bibleman (4:03)Interview: Ian Beckman (54:41)

A new week and some new games what we've been playing! Di and I discuss Dragon Quest XI, Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and more!

Instant messages and social media: Kyle Seeley's Emily is Away series is a whole different kind of "online gaming". He joins Bill to talk about maintaining the historical accuracy of Facebook, working as a solo developer, and other games that use online communication to tell their story!Meanwhile, Bill and Di Billick get a crash course in early-00's teenage sitcoms when they take on Drake and Josh for Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Drake and Josh (2:06)Interview: Kyle Seeley (24:12)Bill's Magic Minute (44:30)

Toss a coin to Brandon Shockney as he joins Bill this week to talk about their favorite games from 2019! Plus a special Screenwatching segment looking at the hot new Netflix series The Witcher!

Some games we've been playing! Happy Holidays! Games played: Borderlands 3, One Night Stand, Gato Roboto, Ringfit Adventure

The maturation of the video game industry includes the growth of game design education; this week, Bill is joined by Columbia College Chicago's David Antognoli to discuss it! We look at David's industry experience, his transition into the education field, and how he teaches such a rapidly developing field.  Did you know there was a Beetlejuice TV show? Did you know it had 100 episodes? Shelby Mongan is on this week to educate Bill on this early-90's marvel for Screenwatching!Screenwatching: Beetlejuice (1:20)Interview: David Antognoli (38:38)Bill's Magic Minute (1:11:30)