A Gamer Looks At 40
An exploration of the history of video games told through the stories of the every day people who lived it. Join me along with a rotating cast of friends, family, gaming journalists, and industry types as we share personal recollections from the last thirty years of gaming, one story at a time.
Episodes
Final Fantasy 6 is a tale of two stories. In this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, we look at the first half of this epic tale, The World of Balance. Starting as a traditional rebellion vs the Empire story, the tale quickly morphs into a character study worthy of books, poems and film. Join a cast of friends and I as we explore the world before the fall.
STARRING (all handles from Twitter)
...
From the second the title faded from my 19 inch Zenith CRT and the opening montage began, I was an insta-fan of Fina Fantasy 3/6. Nothing could have prepared me for the epic adventure that awaited me. An experience rich with high drama, interesting characters, engrossing gameplay and a story for the ages, FF3/6 remains one of my Top 5 games of all time.
Anyone who's played this world class RPG h...
Before I spend the next month and a half speaking all sorts of sugar about Final Fantasy 6, I figured I'd fill in the time with a quick pod update and AMA session. Silly questions get answered seriously, life mistakes are shared, and somehow I end up blathering about Cheez-Its.
Questions Provided By:
My Discord
Mike Albertin of Games My Mom Found
Phillip
Cipherxzero
The...
When I asked Justin Hamm of The Stage Select Podcast which game he would like to do for Tales From the Bargain Bin, he immediately responded, "NBA All Star Challenge on the SNES". Almost too quickly.
Turns out, Justin was trying to exorcise some 16-bit demons 'cause this is - whew - this is a game. Join Justin and I as we play "Guess the Team", bemoan the dunk button and spen...
While North American gamers dined on Mystic Quest, our pals in the East were chowing down on Final Fantasy 5. Full of customization, intrigue and a killer soundtrack, this game was often considered unattainable aside from emulation and a handful of re-releases. Is this game worthy of celebration or did Square do us Western fans a huge favor? Find out in this week's episode!
STARRING (all handles...
While Final Fantasy was already a Japanese phenomenon, things here in the states were slower to gather steam. FF4 did well in stores, but nowhere near the numbers overseas. So, what to do with Final Fantasy 5? Release this complex, job heavy dungeon crawler to a market not ready for it or maybe soften the blow. Just a bit.
That lighter game became Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, a stripped down version ...
As we put a bow on our virtual round table regarding Final Fantasy 4, there's still so much to discuss. In this, the third and final installment on FF4, we take a shotgun approach to the stories by sharing - well - all the things we didn't on the previous episodes. We talk themes, story, logos, sound effects, and one particularly nasty wall in this omnibus episode.
STARRING (all handles fr...
Last week, we started the FF4 fire by documenting our initial impressions. On this week's episode, we go deeper into the big (and small) moments that left an impact along with the characters that made this SNES launch title a game to remember.
STARRING (all handles from Twitter)
Barry Carenza of Premium Edition Games (@HawkHellfire)
Greg Sewart of the Player One Podcast and Genera...
In the winter of 1991, Final Fantasy 2 stormed onto North American shores as an SNES launch title and was met with middling enthusiasm. US gamers were too busy stomping Goombas and driving hovercrafts to worry about turn based combat and wandering in circles.
But for those who took the plunge, they discovered not only a love for the series but a new genre to adore. Join myself and a host of fans as...
Wrestling and videogames. The two combined conjures up images of late night sleepovers hopped up on Jolt Cola, Pixie Sticks and sweaty man-beasts. But for two brothers in Northern New Jersey, our first blush with digitized pugilism was M.US.C.L.E. on the NES. Join Bobby and I as we explore old wrestling games, Fallout, obscure manga, and diminutive plastic collect-em-all figurines from the late 80's. <...
When Mario's Claymation visage first landed in my mailbox in the summer of 1988, I was a Nintendo fan. After tearing into that inaugural issue of Nintendo Power, I was a devotee. On this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, I chat with the architect of this incredible periodical, Gail Tilden.
During our conversation, we discuss her beginnings in the industry, the creation / curation of the magazine,...
You think you know a guy. Podcast with him for almost 5 years, talk about Marvel movies, guest on almost 100 of his show's episodes. And then, in a time of need, when asked to suggest a game for a last minute Tales From the Bargain Bin, he foists this piece of junk upon me.
That man is Mike Albertin of Games My Mom Found, the game is the Rocketeer for the SNES and if you know this strange shoot...
While we were stomping Goombas and hunting ducks, Japanese gamers were embarking on epic NES adventures. When the missing Final Fantasy 2 and 3 were finally released to the West, fans were excited. Finally, we could try those missing 8-bit epics without downloading sketchy emulators and learning Japanese.
While the reality never lived up to the hype, the NES sequels earned the respect of the communi...
On Part 1 of our two part exploration of the original Final Fantasy, we talked intros and first impressions. For Part 2, we start by talking about the game's many inspirations and the amazing moments that blew our 10 year old minds. A mixed bag of topics that somehow ties into the overall theme of this series: Final Fantasy 1 is a classic for a reason, warts and all. Oh, and we talk about Warmech. Lots a...
When Final Fantasy hit North American shores in 1990, it sparked an RPG revolution in the West. Gamers like myself and many of my friends fell in love with the interesting mechanics, player expression, and overarching story.
These days, Final Fantasy 1 feels like a relic of an era gone by. As a cultural artifact, it's significant but whether it's worth playing, even on the spiffy new re-mas...
Outside of The Legenda of Zelda, no videogame franchise is more closely tied to music than Final Fantasy. From emotional resonance to supporting gameplay to auditory storytelling, the themes of Final Fantasy are the stuff of legends. So much so, we've been listening to live orchestral versions of these pieces for decades.
Enter Distant Worlds, a long running orchestra series that brings the mus...
LJN The name alone brings shockwaves of terror to retro gamers everywhere. But what was it like back in the day? Join podcaster Michael Colby and I as we discuss three titles: The Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, and Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six.
And be sure to check out Michael's show Jack Billings Presents: Haunted Apartment Complex - https://open.spotify.com/show/1hi3mFv6Cezcf0WsmsTsxl?s...
Last week, we looked at the various nuts and bolts of the Final Fantasy franchise to see what it structurally needed to be a member of the family. On this week's episode, we explore personal stories, connections made, and communities built over this landmark series of games.
STARRING (all handles from Twitter)
Aiden Moher (@adribbleofink)
Carson Clark (@DesireeKorrupt)
Josh of S...
From its humble beginnings as a "last gasp" for a fledgling game designer to the billion dollar monolith it is today, Final Fantasy's rise from niche to mainstream mirrors videogames as a whole. On this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, we launch our multi-month deep dive into the world of this storied franchise, meet some of its super fans and try to answer the unanswerable: what makes Final Fan...
When A Gamer Looks at 40 first launched in May of 2021, my intention was for it be a year long project. To date, I've been at it for over two and half. So, it's time for a break! On this episode, I announce a three month hiatus from producing new episodes for the show. Give this quickie a listen to learn why the break, what to expect during the pause in new work, and what to look forward to when AGL...
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