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Ok, I won’t lie; I’ve been editing this episode for almost an entire week, and I just don’t have the mental bandwidth left to write a pithy, entertaining show post. Y’all don’t read this stuff anyway, amirite? Yeah, so here we go.
Not so final after all.
Final Fantasy is the stuff of legend. No, seriously-- it is. Just ask any enthusiast about the origins of the series. Watch as their eyes gleam while recounting the story of how it all began. Legend has it that a long time ago (1987) in the land of Japan, a fledgling company known as Square (now Square Enix) wasn’t doing so well financially. Despite earlier releases like Rad Racer and 3-D World Runner, their games weren’t selling well enough to pull them out of the slump. It seemed as if all was lost. Wanting to go out with a bang, Square chose to develop a role-playing game. They called it Final Fantasy (*cue epic music*).
Wait, the generation is ending already?!
It’s the final Nerds Without Pants of the year, and that means it’s time to take a look back at 2019, a look back at the 8th generation, and a look forward to the 9th generation. It’s a short episode that quickly balloons into a normal sized episode for…reasons!
The original Geometry Wars
My earliest memory of Qix began sometime in the mid-90s when I saw it listed in a Funcoland price sheet (remember those?) and thought it was pronounced “quicks”. As a kid, I thought it was a rule that all words spelled with a “Q” had to be pronounced with the qu inflection. But years of expanded vocabulary eventually proved me wrong. In short, the game’s title is pronounced “kicks”- because I suppose the developer Taito wanted you to get your kicks playing Qix. See what they did there?
Would you miss them? Would you?
Welcome to an…interesting episode of Nerds Without Pants. It’s Justin’s first time in the hot seat, as he’s on Stage Select and Video Game Cage Match duty. Things get a little spicy! Also, we announce our third winner of the Great Game Giveaway and kick off the next contest, and get into it with Nier: Automata. Give it a listen, will ya?
I think we need dramatic readings for every comment from now on...
Welcome to another jam-packed edition of Nerds Without Pants! This week, we’re joined by Friend of the Show John Gholson to talk about remaking some of our favorite games. We have a lengthy Consumption Junction segment, and finish things off with the most bombastic Video Game Cage Match so far!
A Game Changer
Every time I play Xevious on one of Namco’s "museum" compilations, I can’t help but reminisce about the time when I first discovered the game in 1992 on the Atari 7800 (a system which also familiarized me with other Namco classics outside of Pac-Man). Back then, our family couldn’t afford the Super NES or Sega Genesis. So, in a move of what I think was out of pity, a friend of ours gave us her 7800 with a huge bag full of games. While rummaging through the cartridges, I came across the little oddity known as Xevious. It was probably the first game I had heard of that started with an “X”, and the name intrigued me. I quickly fell in love with the unique enemy designs and mysterious land structures peppered throughout the game.
Family Matters
August of this year will mark the 20th anniversary since Dragon Quest was introduced in the US. With 10 core sequels and many spin-offs since then, you’d think an RPG fan such as myself would be well-versed in the series by now. But in reality, my Dragon Quest knowledge over the years has only been cursory at best. I got started about eight years ago when I completed Dragon Warrior (the series’ name in the US until 2005), and I’m currently nearly halfway through the massive adventure that is Dragon Quest XI. My depth of familiarity with the series pretty much ends there. Or at least it did until I recently finished Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride- a Nintendo DS remake of the beloved Super Famicom original.
This RPG is a real grind. No dragon your feet here.
If there’s one thing I absolutely adore about Dragon Warrior (aka Dragon Quest), it’s how much its subtle charms have influenced each sequel to come after it. There’s just something special about playing the latest game in the series (currently Dragon Quest XI) and still hearing the familiar sound cues of attacking an enemy, taking a hit, or the brief but satisfying victory chime and level-up fanfare. Additionally, the character designs by Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball creator and illustrator) give a visual continuity throughout each game. Without question, the Dragon Quest series has laid down some deep roots that all started here. But although it's a beloved first entry for nostalgic fans of the series, newcomers might not warm up to certain gameplay elements that would not be refined until much later.
Holy crap, it's Ryan Scott!
Welcome to the last episode of Nerds Without Pants for 2018! It’s been a heck of a year, and we’re closing things out with our biggest guest to date: none other than Ryan Scott of The Geekbox and The Comedy Button! So strap in, because it’s time for our annual breakdown of the video game industry that we like to call the State of the Generation podcast.
