Mage Cast

Theorycrafting, key differences, and Kingdom Hearts, showing the monster too soon, nostalgia as a good thing, and if it's even fair to compare original and remake... I'm the Well-Red Mage and this is Mage Cast feat. special guest John (aka Sector 6), content creator, lorist, and theorist.Read more:the-pixels.com/2020/06/23/final-fantasy-vii-remake-2020-ps4PatreonJoin BuzzsproutJoin our DiscordTeePublicTeespringNovella on AmazonGuest: @Sector_6_Links: facebook.com/Sector6UK youtube.com/c/Sector6UKMusic: "Reunion" & "Main Theme of FFVII - Sector 7 Undercity" composed by Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki, Nobuo UematsuThe Gaming BlenderEver wanted to design a video game?Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Get ready for the greebles as Mage Cast sits down with art director James H. Dargie for things that can neither be confirmed nor denied. James is an artist and designer who has worked on titles like Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, Matrix Reloaded, Metroid Prime, Solaris, and Final Fantasy The Spirits Within. Our discussion centers on that film, the first photorealistic computed animated theatrical movie, and what might've happened to derail its performance at the box office. James also shares his memories of being a part of various other studios as well as working under Hironobu Sakaguchi, plus we talk marketing woes, anecdotes about the Grey Project, the hidden chocobo in Spirits Within, art serving the game design, Aki's ambitions as a digital actress, content that didn't make the final cut, how to handle feedback and criticism, the Spirits Within SEIKO wristwatch, and more designer insights!PatreonJoin BuzzsproutJoin our DiscordTeePublicTeespringNovella on AmazonGuest: https://twitter.com/JHDa

Grab your favorite bard and travel back in time to where it all started! We're talking Dragon Quest 1 on this episode, featuring special guest musician and writer Russell Gordon. We'll discuss localization woes, Western reception, and Dragon Warrior vs Dragon Quest, the series' two trilogies, proto-RPGs, our first RPGs, NA vs JP cover art, Nintendo Power subscriptions, differences between the versions of DQ1, grinding vs whittling and the trance-like state of play, where to start with the Dragon Quest series, Dragon Quest 1 as a fairy tale and not an engaging drama or epic, story vs plot and the player's experiences creating the narrative in real time, dungeon crawling, the game's single character, and how you don't even have to save the princess!PatreonJoin BuzzsproutJoin our DiscordTeePublicTeespringNovella on AmazonGuest: https://soundcloud.com/shredrussell-1youtube.com/RussellGHellotwitter.com/rus_gordonLinks: http://thewellredmage.com/2019/12/11/dragon-quest-nintendo-switch-

Vagrant Story hates the player but we love you! That's why we here at Mage Cast are making things simpler by tackling just what makes Vagrant Story such a tough nut to crack. Together with my special guest, Cory the Senior Games Editor of Popzara.com, we cover topics like what makes the game so demanding, how to overcome its convoluted systems, its mixture of genres and postgame content, its disrespect for players, Vagrant Story's place in the Final Fantasy world of Ivalice, and what we'd fix in a potential remake (U and I both know we'd fix the UI!).PatreonJoin BuzzsproutJoin our DiscordTeePublicTeespringNovella on AmazonGuest: https://www.popzara.com/Links: https://thewellredmage.com/2017/09/09/vagrant-story/Music: "Opening Movie", "Snowfly Forest", & "Valendia Knights of the Peace Headquarters - Duke Bardorba's Manor" composed by Hitoshi SakimotoThe Gaming BlenderEver wanted to design a video game?Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the

It's the most successful game you've never heard of: this episode of MAGE CAST represents our Dungeon Fighter Online podcast! In this rapidly evolving conversation, we discuss combining 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up gameplay with RPG elements, Nexon closing servers, best-selling video game franchises and DFO's very high place on those lists, cultural differences regarding DFO, microtransactions, and competition, why games age, the retro aesthetic and impressionism, how the game has changed over the years, its real mess of a story, Eastern vs Western sensibilities in regards to religious symbolism, true player agency, emergent gameplay and roleplay, the game's classes and subclasses, the endgame and the sheer insane stats in this game (in the trillions), the future of DFO, Project BBQ, a console version, and regional markets.PatreonJoin our DiscordTeePublicTeespringGuest: @sommerfeldt_rLinks: https://www.dfoneople.com/https://www.twitch.tv/jrsommerfeldthttps://www.christcenteredgamer.c

MAGE CAST is starting to show it's age with this, our 50th episode! For the big 5-0, we're diving into the absurdity and genius of the Metal Gear Solid series. This is our MGS4: Guns of the Patriots podcast. Join the Black Humor Mage and myself as we discuss this game's dual world records, its unique format for the time, its relationship with Apple's sense of morality, the infamous Big Boss run, the brilliance and madness of Hideo Kojima, MGS as anime and Death Stranding, weird for weirdness sake, who's on Ocelot's Mt. Rushmore, mature themes in an immature presentation, series context and ranking the Solid games, Twin Snakes and Raiden, a word on exclusivity and popularity, tying up loose ends and heavy exposition or over-explanation, MGS4 as a game vs a movie, why Big Boss is crazy, our favorite and least favorite characters, and what makes the stealth of MGS4 special. Spoilers: we hate Johnny.PatreonTeePublicTeespringGuest: @BlackHumorMageLinks: https://thespinoff.co.nz/games/

On this Super Smash Bros Ultimate podcast, it's the biggest crossover event in history... and also Smash Ultimate! MAGE CAST is back and I'm featuring @DuctapePlays on this very special resurrection episode of the podcast. We're talking sheer numbers to illustrate just how big Super Smash Bros. Ultimate really is, plus more Fire Emblem characters (plz no), the most awkward tournament trophy ever, differences between the Smash games and ranking them to see if Ultimate is truly the ultimate: Brawl's floatiness, Smash 64's wonkiness, Melee's eloquent movement, and the perfect Smash game. The wonderful accessibility of the Smash series as fighting games, stickers, trophies, and spirits, the creative spirit battles, the World of Light, remembering Subspace Emissary, and we spend a hearty amount of time talking characters: the main roster and our mains, the DLC characters, Fighter Pass Vol. 2, and obscure picks. Rest in peace, Luigi.Links:https://thewellredmage.com/2019/06/13/super-sma

Time for a legendary conversation with Patrick from Backlog Odyssey and our subject: Mega Man Legends! We'll also cover your favorite games starring the Blue Bomber and the injection of significant storytelling in the Mega Man universe, the N64 port, the energy drink that kept Legends off of PSN for years, the human tendency to make anything a game, personifying save points, transitioning from 2D to 3D, camera design and infamous tank controls, Legends 2, the canceled sequel, Misadventures of Tron Bonne, a colorful cast of characters, the best version of Roll (?), weapons, bosses, collateral damage, and hope for a Legends Legacy Collection.Links: thewellredmage.com/2018/04/12/mega-man-legends/thewellredmage.com/2018/02/09/the-great-3d-slaughter-20-game-series-that-didnt-make-the-jump/storymode.buzzsprout.combacklogodyssey.comPatreonKo-fiMerchGuest: @BacklogOdysseyMusic: "The Flutter" by Makoto Tomozawa & "'Little' Fugue in G minor" by Johann Sebastian Bach (arr. by Makot

Is it at all fair to call Final Fantasy VIII the black sheep of the series? Either way, Matt aka Berkough joins me this episode and we talk about our personal impressions and the game's general reception, its divisiveness potentially centered around Squall as a character that strongly resonates with some people and strongly not with others, the peculiarities and clout of the Final Fantasy franchise, some fan theories (is Squall Laguna's son?), feeling threatened by Irvine, the experiment that is the draw system and a word on Triple Triad, a bit about VIII's sales, a bit about the remastered and PC versions, a bit about FFVII Remake... okay actually a lot about FFVII and VI and IX, even X and Tactics, as the context for VIII. This is a spoilers podcast.Links: https://storymode.buzzsprout.com/Patreon https://www.patreon.com/thewellredmagehttps://ko-fi.com/thewellredmageMerch https://www.teepublic.com/stores/thewellredmage?ref_id=10322Guest: https://twitter.com/berkough / @berkoughMusic: "Lib

MAGE CAST is back from the dead! On this episode, podcaster and VR pioneer Aaron aka SanityCrypto and I talk Animal Crossing: New Horizons, our new found addiction. We discuss why we were even interested in playing New Horizons in the first place, task-oriented gameplay, Tom Nook for president, Pocket Camp, genre and series context, review bombing and hyperbole, ACNH sales, what the game doesn't tell you, addressing the multiplayer and co-op, the worst, the best, and the missing features, pixel art: the real endgame, how to "evict" villagers, time-traveling, and farming monsters.Links: storymode.buzzsprout.com/thewellredmage.com/2020/03/31/my-animal-crossing-new-horizons-custom-designs/PatreonKo-fi Merch Guest: @SanityCryptoMusic: "Welcome Horizons" & "Island Tour (Day - Rain)" composed by Yasuaki Iwata, Yumi Takahashi, Shinobu Nagata, Sayako Doi, Masato OhashiThe Gaming BlenderEver wanted to design a video game?Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the show

Two experts meet in St. Canard: Nicole (RedAuxPDX) and Ryan (Retrogamebrews) discuss with me the terror that flaps in the 8-bit night: Darkwing Duck on NES! We'll unpack Darkwing's origins and inspirations, Disney+ and the full 91 episodes, RedAux's cosplay and meeting the creators, 2017 DuckTales and Darkwing, remembering the beloved cartoon, the heart of the show, its characters and villains and our favorite episodes, ranking cartoon theme songs, the TurboGrafx-16 game, the tragically canceled sequel, the mobile game, Capcom and Mega Man, the hanging mechanic, late NES games, licensed games and their many woes, and the Disney afternoon multiverse.Links: https://thewellredmage.com/2016/04/25/darkwing-duck/https://thewellredmage.com/2017/04/18/the-disney-afternoon-collection-2017/https://www.twitch.tv/redauxpdxhttps://www.etsy.com/shop/RedAuxPDXhttps://www.twitch.tv/retrogamebrewsPatreonMerchGuests: @RedAuxPDX and @Retrogamebrews Music: "Darkwing Duck theme song" original lyrics by St

It's time to talk about something that's really old, because old things can be great, too! Pac-Man podcast with the Arcade Mage and the Slipstream Mage. We'll discuss the devs taking a risk with Pac-Man over Rally X, vandalizing "Puck-Man", world records and President Reagan, the killscreen, K.C. Munchkin, how the world of games development has changed, our earliest memories of Pac-Man, ye olde arcades, the infamous Atari 2600 Pac-Man, developers that once struggled to gain recognition and credit for their games, being inspired by pizza, the twin cherries strategy, purchasing arcade cabinets today, deterministic artificial intelligent and the ghosts, Pac-Man's firsts, Pac-Man at amusement parks, Pac-Man merch, Pac-Man spin-offs, Pac-Man pasta!! Everything Pac-Man, plus Ms. Pac-Man, Professor Pac-Man, and Baby Pac-Man, too. Oh and appealing to stereotypes vs inclusivity.Links: https://thewellredmage.com/2017/02/01/pac-man/https://thewellredmage.com/2020/01/17/psikyo-shooting-stars

Dreams do come true! Time for a Nights Into Dreams podcast feat. Andy aka @ProducerBTW and Aaron aka @SanityCrypto, plus what the guys are up to: standing up to cancer and podcasting in VR. We'll talk about Steven Spielberg, the 3D Controller and the invention of the analog stick, Oneirology, Freud and Jung, collecting for the Sega Saturn, the retro gaming market, imports, not missing ultra-fragile jewel cases, playing Nights then and now, sequels and spin-offs, the game's reception, reviewing things from the perspective of modernity or contemporaneous eras, struggling to define Nights Into Dreams, being threatened by walking, the appearance of S-Rankings, over-designing background texture, similarities between Sonic and Nights, a bit about Jung and shadow archetype, the vibe of the 90s and the quality in this OST, revisiting old IPs, expectations, and some of y'alls insane dreams.Links: https://thewellredmage.com/2020/01/30/top-10-dreamcast-games/https://www.twitch.tv/loveretrobtwhttps://disco

Presenting an original conversation from the Bookwarm Games podcast! I was invited to the discussion by Wesley Schantz, host of Bookwarm Games. We'll talk about the core principles of The Well-Red Mage, the value of open discussion and conversation free from ridicule, the necessity of communication to learn from each other, some words on systematic theology, agnosticism, impassibility and aseity, ancient individual rights, loving something to understand it, objectivity and subjectivity together in appreciation of video games, context for "best game ever" statements, the relationship between personal favorites and qualities in an object, the evolution of standards in art, the development of Xenogears and Yasunori Mitsuda, suffering artists and the definition of the word "art", the phrases "work of art" and "art form", Final Fantasy VII's rich mythological texture and how it might've introduced a lot of people to theological ideas, schools of thought on the

Chiptune and rock musician Russell Gordon and I talk about a MONSTER of a game, HUNTING down the best discussions for a WORLD of fun... it's Capcom's best-selling game of all time! We also mention the development and reception of the Monster Hunter series, Monster Hunter Tri on Wii and the day the music died when they closed its online servers, the complexity of these games despite their simplistic premise, viewing Monster Hunter World as a boss rush game, being prepared, crossovers, some thoughts on subscription services as paywalls for online multiplayer, World's design decision to merge single-player and multiplayer gameplay, the awesome absurdity of the weapons, blending comedy and cartoonishness with realism, real-life hunting and how it's not at all like Monster Hunter, poop lovin' Deviljho, being disappointed by Zorah Magdaros, missing Lagiacrus, nostalgia for Jhen Mohran, a word on Iceborne and its scale, the endgame grind, and addressing the question of "animal cruelty&q

Can you believe this is our first Pokemon episode ever? This time around, my guest is Cory the senior games editor of Popzara Press and we're talking about Sword and Shield, our first impressions, the game's pacing, version sales, differences, and exclusives, the greatness of the Wild Area, our favorite gym leaders, Pokemon, starters, and types, problems with the story and Pokemon as a utopian society balanced with nature, character development for rivals, formulas and Nintendo, quality-of-life changes, saying goodbye to HMs, fan outrage and "Dexit", missing Pokemon in Sword and Shield and whether it even matters, the boycott, thoughts on gigantamax and dynamax, aesthetic differences between Pokemon and Digimon, the accessibility of the series for all ages, and how that's a great thing and part of the global phenomenon that is Pokemon.Links: https://thewellredmage.com/2019/11/19/demo-disk-pokemon-sword-and-shield/https://thewellredmage.com/2017/09/09/vagrant-story/Patreon: https://www

Welcome to the lost episode of MAGE CAST... All the way from the land where women glow and men plunder comes Patrick Arthur, my special guest for this episode. We'll talk about how VVVVVV took inspiration from the Commodore 64 and how to pronounce the title, as well as discuss limitations from big budgets, the indie scene and trends developing over time, our favorite indies, the problem of discoverability for games, what makes VVVVVV stand out, platforming without jumping, room names, the game's challenges, accessibility vs difficulty and how to avoid ad hominem when talking about tough games, the beauty of a simple premise, learning your colors and the sad elephant.Links: thewellredmage.com/2017/11/25/vvvvvv/thewellredmage.com/2018/09/02/asking-big-questions-011-is-game-quality-improving/thewellredmage.com/category/magipedianormalhappenings.com/rspodcast.net/Patreon: patreon.com/thewellredmageMerch: teepublic.com/stores/thewellredmage?ref_id=10322Guest: @retpodcastThe Gaming BlenderEver wanted to d

MAGE CAST Season 2 is here!! We're putting our worst foot forward with what is considered to be one of the worst games ever made: the Wand of Gamelon, plus there's talk on the Nintendo PlayStation, some of the historical firsts accomplished by Wand of Gamelon, the Philips CD-i and how my guest was nearly talked into buying one instead of a SNES as a kid, why anyone should play Gamelon, games preservation, YouTube and meme culture, what to weigh in reviews and weighing in on reviews, judging a game by modern or vintage standards, objectivity in graphics, reviews at launch and allowing criticism time to function, what the game is about, its vices and virtues, and the evolution of a beloved franchise.Links: thewellredmage.comthesixthaxis.com/2020/01/02/nintendo-playstation-rare-sale-console-snes-auction-2020/Patreon: patreon.com/thewellredmageMerch: teepublic.com/stores/thewellredmage?ref_id=10322Guest: @TeacherBloke85The Gaming BlenderEver wanted to design a video game?Listen on: Apple Podcasts  

I hope you came hungry! We'll devour another Super NES JRPG classic in Breath of Fire, this time with Hungry Goriya! We'll talk on Capcom's self-admitted first attempt at a traditional RPG, the passionate fandom of Breath of Fire and the middling experience of playing the first game, first impressions and expectations with vintage gaming, the roots of the BOF series, the first game's lack of refinement and its innovations, playing it blind, BOF's music, comparing versions and contemporaneous JRPGs, purely stats based RPGs and review scores, BOF's biggest emotional beats and the difference between drama vs melodrama, relating to characters, localization woes, "cause" and party members, our favorite and least favorite playable characters, villains and Capcom cameos, an overview of BOF's premise and a small word on how the games in the series connect, thematic elements, pros and cons, inventory management and hilarious abbreviations, and the future of the series.Links

It's time to return to the musty neon lairs of old with Rich the Deviot to talk about Street Fighter II's insane sales and its popularity in the competitive scene of the arcades then and the internet now, the console wars, arcade ports bringing classics home, the fighting game explosion, steep skill-based difficulty and therefore inaccessibility, our first experiences finding SFII, version differences and re-releases, the EGM April Fool's gag, balancing and simplicity in game design, comparisons with Mortal Kombat, SFII's massive influence on fighting games, updated editions vs DLC as release philosophies, favorite mains, movies, and music, controllers, endings, adaptations to film and animation, and the oddities of the first Street Fighter.Links: thewellredmage.com/commaeightcommaone.wordpress.com/about/twitter.com/shinbojackyoutube.com/channel/UCKUGzrE6_IA6CDGbEdutnnQ/featuredyoutube.com/user/Miles923twitch.tv/therenesanceyoutube.com/user/Dongledyoutube.com/user/RussLymanyoutube.com/user