"Fun" and Games Podcast

Francesca Carletto-Leon, Game designer, educator, and community manager, joins Matt & Geoff to discuss the development of Contigo's StarCrossed, melding narrative with gameplay, and the impact of games big and small. You can find this episode's guest on twitter here Learn more about Code Coven here

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, Tik Toker and battle royale combatant, Nate Brandt. The game they are talking about today is Fortnite by Epic Games and People Can Fly! You can find this episode's host on twitter or listen to them on The Video Game Robot Show!

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, producer and adventurous investigator, Abu Zafar. The game he is talking about today is Night in the Woods by Infinite Fall! You can find this episode's host on twitter or listen to his podcasts on the Lore Party Podcast Network!

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is streamer and Kremling ass kicker, Xeno The game he is talking about today is Donkey Kong Country by RARE! You can find this episode's host on twitter or see him stream on Twitch!

Katey, one of the Community Managers at Harmonix, joins Matt & Geoff to discuss the many ways the music and gaming community can intersect and a shared love of both rhythm games, and Kingdom Hearts. You can find Katey on Twitter here!

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, writer, actor and Spartan, Case Aiken! The game he is talking about today is Halo: Combat Evolved by Bungie! You can find this episode's host on twitter or on any of his podcasts on CertainPOV.com.

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, movie critic, and defender of earth realm, Hans Martin Jr! The game he is talking about today is Mortal Kombat II by the now defunct Midway Games and created by Ed Boon & John Tobias. You can find this episode's host on twitter or on his podcast The Real Movie Critic Vs. The Cine-Guy!

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, musician, and painting adventurer, Bret Eagleston! The game he is talking about today is The Unfinished Swan by Giant Sparrow! You can find this episode's host on twitter or his podcast Let's Retwatch!

Manny Perez, one of the fantastic Community Managers at Bethesda, joins Matt & Geoff to discuss his history with gaming, the joys and challenges of fostering communities in the industry, and the managing of memes.

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is podcaster, writer, crafter and sky pirate, MJ Bradley-Lestrange. The game she is chatting about today is Sega's (more specifically Overworks') Skies of Arcadia. You can find this episode's host on twitter or all of her podcasts at CertainPOV.com.

Side Quests is back and this episode's host is one half of the "Fun" and Games duo, actor, voice over artist, and luchador Geoff Moonen. The game he is chatting about today is DrinkBox Studios' Guacamelee! 2. You can find this episode's host on twitter or on his website!

Welcome to the premiere and pilot episode of "Fun" and Games' new short form series Side Quests! In this new series a different host will deep dive on a game they love and why they love it on each episode. This episode's host is one half of the "Fun" and Games duo, podcaster extraordinaire, and interim director, Matt aka Stormageddon. The game he is chatting about today is Remedy Games' Control You can find this episode's host on twitter or check out the majority of his podcasts here!

So many classic games start with a "Name Entry" screen. Whether it's just the file name, the main character, the whole party or beyond; Seeing the names we choose weaved into the game is part of the fun. Matt & Geoff discuss what place custom names have in games today and some of their favorites from the past.

Matt and Geoff are both big fans of the Netflix Castlevania series. In this episode they discuss why it works as a video game adaptation, what they enjoy about it, and what they hope for its future. Spoiler warnings for the first three seasons.

In the latter half of the 20th century, no matter the medium, if you wanted to set your fiction in a distinctly "Future" time, setting it in the 21st century did the trick. But now, we're twenty years into this so-called future and we're past when a lot of our favorite games are set. Matt & Geoff see what they got right, if anything.

It's probably been at least twenty years since video games were seen only as violent and gory. But it's amazing how many different games, genres and experiences can be had and shared without any violent or aggressive action. Matt and Geoff discuss why they work and some of their favorites

James Johnston, director and designer of the upcoming "Pixel Puzzle Makeout League" (PC/Switch), joins Matt & Geoff to discuss the game, the process, being an indie developer, and his history with gaming. Find out more about PPML at picross.love

Video games can tell a wide variety of narratives and immerse us in deep experiences. Let's not ruin this with a lot of talk, all right? Matt and Geoff discuss the silent protagonist; and how they allow us to connect with a game's world without saying a word.

Not every great game is built from scratch. Mods on an existing game can create a whole new property, or even game experience. Matt & Geoff discuss some notable mods that became their own thing, and the benefits of publicly accessible game engines and dev tools.

What separates a fan creator from a professional? Probably profit. Matt and Geoff discuss some of the fan creators that have gone on to various professional careers in games.

Welcome to 2020! Well, it's been three weeks and an episode since the year started, but Matt and Geoff are here to share their gaming resolutions for the year.

Special Guest Host: Case Aiken! Geoff & Case discuss their experiences at this year's MagFest in National Harbor, MD.

With both 2019 and the 2010s coming to a close, Matt and Geoff look back on a few trends in gaming they noticed over the last decade. They also try to narrow down their choices for Game of the Year and Game of the Decade.

Video Games would be much shorter if there wasn't so much... stuff to do. Side quests can provide a diversion in tone, a deeper understanding of a game's world, an upgrade to the main play experience and so much more. Matt and Geoff share their thoughts on side quests and some of their favorite diversions from the main storyline.

Happy Holiday Shopping Season! Matt & Geoff share some of what they're thankful for in the medium of gaming. Whether little items, big experiences, great memories or just what they love about the community, there's a lot. Neither were able to mention every last thing, but Thank YOU for listening. First part of the episode is our quick Pokémon Sword review. Found 3:46 - 19:29

Pokémon was first released in February 1996. Since then, It has become a series, a franchise, and a trans-media phenomenon. With the release of Pokémon Sword and Shield today (as of episode release) Matt & Geoff discuss the main series' staying power and some of their favorites from over twenty years of catching and battling.

A big part of immersion in video games that can often be taken for granted is the controls. Not just a matter of the physical buttons and joysticks (or lack thereof) but the immediacy and feedback we receive when we use them. As we look to future innovations in player/controller relations, Matt & Geoff talk about some of their favorite control tweaks; some ubiquitous, some obscure.

Chances are, at some point, you've had to watch someone else play video games. Usually because you're waiting for your turn. However, thanks to streaming platforms, there's so many ways to voluntarily watch a game being played. Why do we choose to enjoy playing vicariously? Matt & Geoff share their thoughts and favorite watching experiences.

What starts as a discussion about "Untitled Goose Game" and shorter game experiences becomes a larger conversation. One about the joys in simple aspects of interacting with gameplay or narrative that can be combined to make the complete experience. Whether it's the exhilaration in jumping, or the payoff of honking at just the right moment.

Our first ever live episode recording! Matt & Geoff discuss the community aspect of video game collections. Whether it's keeping up with throwback consoles and compilations, procuring and preserving original hardware, or keeping everything digital only; A key part of preserving gaming history is gamers and their collections.

Not every game is chosen to have a sequel, but video game franchises aren't made by one game alone. It's the second release that can really establish an identity for what defines the future of the series. Or it can veer off wildly and (maybe) come back around later. Matt & Geoff discuss some of their favorite second games in franchises. They also run into difficulty with defining a "second" game in long-running franchises that don't seem to keep track of their numbered releases.

Putting a recognizable and marketable face on your company can do wonders. Game consoles, developers and franchises have had countless mascots help build brand identity and sell product. Sometimes they're catch on and sometimes they're Bubsy. Matt & Geoff discuss some of their memories of the faces that have selling us video games since the early days of Pac-Man.

Memes are the ideas, phrases and images we imitate, duplicate, and propagate. Gaming culture is teeming with such memes. Matt & Geoff discuss what defines a meme and some of their favorites.

"Metroidvania" is a clumsy term, but it's the best we've got. A term based on two of its biggest examples, free-roaming exploration-based Action-adventure games are a mouthful, but a lot of fun. With plenty of shining examples past, present, and future. Matt & Geoff share their thoughts on one of their favorite types of game.

The Final Fantasy Series has been going strong since its debut in 1987. From mainline sequels, spin-offs, and even unrelated series branded as Final Fantasy to sell them better, It seems there's often something new. And with all the re-releases there's often something old as well. Matt & Geoff discuss their highs and lows as fans of the franchise.

There are more ways than ever to bring small, obscure or forgotten games into your home. Between limited print runs, aftermarket releases, and tiny scale models of consoles, your options seem pretty varied. But what gets forgotten? How do we properly value these releases? Matt & Geoff spend the first eleven minutes talking about E3, then discuss.

Historically, Video Game Movie adaptations have not performed well. The recently released "Detective Pikachu" doesn't exactly break that streak, but Matt & Geoff both liked it. They discuss why they felt it worked as an adaptation and where we can go from here. WARNING: Contains spoilers.

When you get stuck in a game, where do you find your answers? Matt & Geoff reminisce about some of their favorite physical strategy guides and discuss why they can no longer function in today's gaming landscape, and the potential reach of their legacy.

Do you need to play every game on release date? Are there benefits to waiting for an update or remaster? What games always stay fresh for you? Matt & Geoff discuss and try to figure out which games are worth waiting for.

The Google Stadia was announced this March and it's gotten Matt & Geoff thinking about streaming and digital distribution. What does it mean for preserving games and gaming? Where is the industry headed? Stream this episode from your favorite platform, irony optional.

An unintentionally double-length episode! Matt & Geoff talk some of their favorite video game soundtracks and the evolution of music in games as well as music influenced by video games.

Case Aiken has twitch streamer Neil Smith on the show as they discuss the ever evolving platform of gaming online for a mass audience.

When an old game gets remade, rather than simply ported, there's going to be drastic changes. Whether those changes are in gameplay, difficulty, tone or any number of other ways. Sometimes the changes are an improvement And sometimes you may lose what made the game worth remaking in the first place. Matt & Geoff discuss the intangible difficulty in keeping that essence as you modernize classic experiences.

Video games have had various recorded voice clips programmed in since its inception. Whether to draw in players at the arcade, or a selling point of cinematic realism once CD/DVD storage took over. Matt & Geoff discuss the awesome, the awful and the awesomely awful they've experienced in voiceover for games.

Since its founding in 2009, KickStarter.com has received nearly $1 billion in pledges towards successful gaming projects, both tabletop and video games. It's been a great tool in circumventing conventional avenues of development/publishing. But a successful campaign does not make a successful game. Matt & Geoff discuss how some projects go right, go wrong, or go way off the beaten path.

More than five years after it was first announced, Kingdom Hearts III has finally been released and fans the world over can wrap up a trilogy nearly two decades in the making. Kingdom Hearts isn't the only series that has kept us waiting beyond console generations for its next release. Matt & Geoff discuss how long is too long, and what allows a series to take its time and still go gold while garnering gamer goodwill.

Matt & Geoff discuss their last year of gaming; what games, new and old, they played and what they're looking forward to for 2019.

The seventeenth Music and Games Festival has come and gone, and "F"&G was there! Four days of gaming, nerd music, esoteric panels, and gaming. Matt & Geoff are joined by Case, Ben & Addy from several of our fellow CPoV shows to share their experiences. Stay tuned after the main discussion for several interviews Matt conducted at the festival.

A big part of the DNA of modern video games come from the countless arcades, random arcade cabinets in pizza parlors, and pinball machines on the boardwalk. Matt & Geoff discuss some of their formative arcade experiences and where they see the arcade's influence in today's gaming experiences.

From one console generation to the next, there is nostalgia for old experiences. When franchises put out new releases there is mourning for what is left behind. From this mindset we get nostalgia fueled re-releases, MMO "Classic" rollbacks, and Ultimate edition after Complete Collection. But what gets muddled when we cross generations so completely? Matt & Geoff have bought Mega Man X several times.