16: Shovel Knight

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shieldKnight shovelKnightRun
This week on The Short Game, we discuss Yacht Club Games incredible debut and love-letter to the NES, Shovel Knight. This is a game we’ve been dying to discuss on the show and it stands out as both faithfully retro and relentlessly innovative and modern.

We discuss the ways the game pays homage to its inspirations, from Mega Man to Zelda to Duck Tales to Castlevania, and how it improves upon those games with technology and mechanics that feel both old and new. After the spoiler break we discuss the game’s ending and talk about how it made us feel.

Availability:

Steam for PC, with Mac & Linux as soon as they’re available – $15, or $25 for the Deluxe Edition with Soundtrack and PDF manual
3DS eShop – $15
WiiU eShop – $15

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15: How to Play 400 Games in 4.5 Years: An Interview with Dr. David Heineman

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Edit: We fixed a small editing error at around the 2:00 mark.

This week on The Short Game, we bring you an awesome interview with Dr. David Heineman, author of the recent Kotaku article ​How To Beat 400 Games In 4.5 Years.

Kotaku Article

David is a real life scholar of video games. He is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies t Blooksburg University of Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming book “Thinking About Video Games: Interviews with the Experts.” (Indiana University Press) He also hosts the long running Racketboy Podcast, a great show about playing classic games, game collecting, and great interviews with video game creators and luminaries.

David HeinemanWe’re a show about fitting games into your life, and David does that in spades. We ask him about his strategies for finishing all the great games in his backlog, and he offers some suggestions of short games you might enjoy.

Follow David on Twitter at @DrHeineman!

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14: iOS Gaming & Leo’s Fortune

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iOS Gaming & Leo’s Fortune

In this episode, Raygan and Nate are joined by friend of the show Laura Nash as we talk about Leo’s Fortune in particular, and the present and future of iOS smartphones as a gaming platform in general.

Leo’s Fortune won an Apple Design Award in 2014 but it’s the one game that none of us had played in time for our Apple Design Award Winners 2014 episode a few weeks ago. This week, we attempt to remedy the oversight.

This also gives us the opportunity to discuss in depth the strengths and weaknesses of iOS and other touch screen devices as gaming platforms. We talk about asynchronous multiplayer, “augmented reality” and the future of quality gaming on a platform where games can seem a little ephemeral, or even disposable.

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13: Transistor

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This time on The Short Game, your three hosts unite to discuss Super Giant Games new action RPG for PS4 and Windows PC, Transistor.

We discuss the game’s painterly art, its unique setting, and terrific customizable combat system. We also share in depth game tips and strategies, and after the spoiler break (at about 56 minutes in) we speculate about the game’s effecting ending.

Transistor is available on Windows through Steam ($20) and on the Playstation 4 ($20.) Expect it to take about 6-7 hours to complete the first play-through.

transistor cute

 

(art by DeviantArt’s JenZee, art director of the game)

Links for this episode

Check out Game Plus, a great YouTube channel and friend of the show.

12: Towerfall Ascension

Towerfall Ascension

This week we discuss Matt Thorson(@MattThorson) of Matt Makes Games multiplayer masterpiece, Towerfall Ascension.

Towerfall is an arena multiplayer platform fighting game for two to four players. It draws on inspirations like SNES platformers, the Smash Bros series, and the fighting game genre to weave a simple, elegant, and ridiculously fun and hilarious party-fighting-game. You have absolutely got to play it.

If you’d like to see what the game looks like in action (and you do) have a look at this great multiplayer gameplay footage from GameSpot.

towerfall-green-archer

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11: Apple Design Award Winners 2014

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Apologies in advance for the sound quality of this episode and for its late release. Your intrepid podcast host was moving cross country this week and our equipment and schedule did not cooperate as planned.

2013-14 has been great for iOS gaming, and Apple has picked five great games to honor with Apple Design Awards at this year’s World Wide Developers Conference. We’ve played (nearly) all of them and share our impressions with you!

Threes

A tiny puzzle game that grows on you

*(Currently on sale for $1.99.) *

Monument Valley

An illusory adventure of impossible architecture and forgiveness

Blek

Watching it move is like watching magic

Device 6

A surreal thriller in which the written word is your map

Leo’s Fortune

A beautiful platform adventure game.

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10: Play Portal Again!

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In this episode, we discuss a game that probably all of you have played: Valve’s incredibly popular distraction from Half-Life 3 development, Portal.

Portal is a game so influential it likely requires no introduction. In this episode, Raygan and Shane break down the qualities that made the game was so successful, and its widespread impact on gaming in general.

We command you:

GO PLAY PORTAL AGAIN!

Portal is available on nearly every platform you could want, including:

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09b: Luftrausers & The Board Game Special part 2

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This episode was recorded in two parts. In the introduction, recorded just a few days ago, Host and Bro-host discuss the recent announcements at E3, Tom Cruise movies, and a great quick video game about pseudo-nazi-airplane-submarines! In the second half, we wrap up our recent board game special with a lively discussion of Dominion.

Links for this episode:

The Introduction

The Conclusion to the Board Game Special

09a: Board Game Special part 1

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In this, our first very special episode, we take a bit of a detour and talk about a gaming passion that has less to do with keyboards and gamepads, and more to do with cardboard and dice. This is our first Board Game Special, and we discuss some of the games that brought us into board gaming as a hobby, with a special focus on games that are both quick to play and quick to teach.

We got so carried away talking about great board games that the episode ran long, so we’ve broken it into two parts. Join us next week for episode 9b!

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08: VVVVVV

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VVVVVV logo

This week we discuss Terry Cavanagh’s indie gaming masterpiece VVVVVV. Inspired by the Commodore 64 generation of games, this game presents a tough challenge to even the most experienced gamer, while still clocking in at a descent length. Clever level design and a great focused game mechanic make this game shine.

The game is available:
– Steam for Mac, PC, and Linux – $4.99
– Direct from Develper DRM free for Mac, PC, and Linux – $4.99 (or $7.50 with the soundtrack)
– From the Nintendo 3DS eShop
– Coming soon for several other platforms including PSVita, iPhone, iPad, Android, and Ouya

Expect the game to take between 2 to 4 hours to complete depending on your skill level and willingness to persevere against sometimes absurd difficulty.

Pre-show topics

Links for this episode

There is no spoiler break for this episode, as we all concurred that there wasn’t really that much story to spoil.

Correction: Raygan stated that the game was available on the Humble Store but this is not the case. It was previously included in a Humble Bundle but it is only available through Steam and DRM Free through the developer’s website, sold using the Humble Widget. We regret the error.

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