The Cane and Rinse videogame podcast

In a flurry of chaos, Hotline Miami burst through the door of the video game world and took on all comers. In Issue 150, it's time for James, Sean, Brian and special guest Andi Hamilton from Midnight Resistance to take on Dennaton Games' surreal, violent top-down brawler and see who's left standing. Cane And Rinse will return in Volume 4. Music used in this issue: Track 1: Miami Disco by Perturbator Track 2: Silver Lights by Coconuts Track 3: Crystals by M.O.O.N. Track 4: Hotline by Jasper Byrne Track 5: Daisuke by El Huervo featuring Shelby Cinca Track 6: Miami by Jasper Byrne Cane and Rinse 150 was edited by Sean O'Brien

Ahead of the forthcoming Inquisition (which we are expecting), Leon, Jay, Tony and guest Gary Blower of Gameburst journey back to the Ferelden of yore. BioWare's dark high fantasy Dragon Age: Origins burst forth in 2009 and provided gamers with countless hours of epic Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay style adventuring. Hark as the panel discuss the whole Origins gamut, including dlc, and of course as ever we also share missives from the Cane and Rinse community. Music used in this issue: Track 1: Leliana Sings by Inon Zur featuring Aubrey Ashburn Track 2: Dragon Age: Origins (Main Theme) by Inon Zur featuring Aubrey Ashburn Cane and Rinse 149 was edited by Jay Taylor

“Your team has trained hard, and I have every confidence you’ll get the job done.” WASD and mouse fingers are flexed as Leon, Tony and Karl* revisit Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, the game that to all intents and purposes begat monster franchise Call of Duty. Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers are duly namechecked and we recall how this Spielberg/2015/EA production hails from a time when immersive World War II first-person shooters offered a relatively fresh experience. *Keen listeners may notice that Karl’s input is lacking during the middle section of this podcast. Our apologies, it was those damned gremlins that sabotaged his audio feed. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_148.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Main Theme by Michael Giacchino 2: Sturmgeist by Michael Giacchino Cane and Rinse 148 was edited by Sean O’Brien Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. World War II expert (ahem) Darren relives terrible flashbacks of 2002 PC shooter hell in this Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (and its two expansion packs) Quick Rinse:

For this week's podcast, Josh, Darren G., Karl and Jay discuss Valve's 2007 idiosyncratic cartoonish shooter Team Fortress 2. Amongst the topics covered are the changes made between the first game and it's more outlandish sequel, the savvy way in which Valve marketed the game to its prospective audience and the eventual differences between the somewhat short-lived console version and its PC counterpart. Music used in this issue: Track 1: Team Fortress 2 main theme by Mike Morasky Track 2: Playing with Danger by Mike Morasky Cane and Rinse 147 was edited by Darren Gargette Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum.

“Ugh! It smells like a whale… ate some cabbage… and died in your mouth… like a year ago!” Darren, Brian, Ryan and Jay discuss Double Fine Productions‘ ambitious third-person action adventure game – Brütal Legend. They talk about their thoughts regarding the game’s troubled production, the controversial inclusion of the real-time strategy gameplay and the critical response once it was released. Of course, you couldn’t have a discussion about this game and not talk about it’s metal-tastic soundtrack. We’ve also the opinions offered by our community and our usual Twitter-based three word reviews. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_146.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Die for Metal by Manowar 2: Murmaider by Dethklok 3: Through the Fire and Flames by DragonForce 4: Tornado of Souls by Megadeth 5: Kickstart My Heart by Mötley Crüe Cane and Rinse 146 was edited by Ryan Hamann Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum.

Tom Francis' Gunpoint is, by its author's own admission, not the most appropriately named game ever released. However the former PC Gamer journo's debut title is a well-received and well-worth discussing 2D stealth/puzzle/action game. Leon, James, Josh and Ryan discover the joys of trousers that can make you leap like a flea and take no fall damage, while our community correspondents celebrate the satisfying shenanigans provided by the ability to completely rewire a hostile office complex on the fly.

Oft-requested, once delayed, here at last is our podcast devoted to Naughty Dog's critically acclaimed The Last of Us. Leon, Jay, Josh and Sean talk about the story, the cut-scenes, the performances and - yes - the gameplay, in both vanilla PS3 and PS4 Remastered releases. We also touch upon the multiplayer and share a glut of fantastic community posts reflecting some extreme opinions on the game, both positive and negative. Music used in this issue: Track 1: The Last of Us (Goodnight) by Gustavo Santaolalla Track 2: The Path (A New Beginning) by Gustavo Santaolalla Cane and Rinse 144 was edited by Jay Taylor Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you could also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, in discussing past, present and future videogames (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“Don’t be a stranger now!” This week Tony, Darren, Ryan and guest Gary Blower (Gameburst) discuss Rare‘s brightly coloured, papier-mâché life (or perhaps zoological) simulation title Viva Piñata. The discussion also covers the sequel Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise and the various spin-offs – Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise, Viva Piñata: Party Animals and last but not least, the animated TV show based on the franchise. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_143.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Oven-Fresh Day by Grant Kirkhope 2: Tranquil Hours by Grant Kirkhope 3: Sunrise Whisper by Grant Kirkhope 4: Romance Themes Mix by Grant Kirkhope (mix by Ryan Hamann) Cane and Rinse 143 was edited by Ryan Hamann Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. Darren trots down to the magical garden at the bottom of his imagination to breed and nurture some more Piñata (PC version shown):

“You come from a world that’s been gone for 50 years…” Hideo Kojima’s Snatcher isn’t quite 50 years old, but James, Sean, Karl and special guest Brad Gallaway (GameCritics.com) take a trip back to 1988 to visit the far-flung future of 2047, and the cyberpunk dystopia Konami’s update to the text adventure genre.* http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_142.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: One Night in Neo Kobe City by Konami Kukeiha Club 2: Theme of Snatcher 2 by Konami Kukeiha Club Cane and Rinse 142 was edited by Sean O’Brien *Apologies for the rough sounding audio quality this week folks. Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. In this Quick Rinse, Darren Gargette plays the first half an hour of Hideo Kojima’s cyberpunk graphic adventure Snatcher (Sega/Mega CD version, emulated on PC) for the first time ever. Does he enjoy it? Find out…

“Talking about me? Never wise.” Darren Gargette, Darren Forman and Brian Tarran discuss interplanetary anti-hero Richard B. Riddick and his break-out critical hit, 2004’s first-person action adventure The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, as well as its 2009 follow-up, Assault on Dark Athena. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_141.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Prison Escape (Action) by Gustaf Grefberg 2: Code Red (Action) by Gustaf Grefberg Cane and Rinse 141 was edited by Darren Gargette Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. Shine on you crazy Diesel. Darren Gargette plays the 2009 PC versions of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and Escape from Butcher Bay:  

“Your flesh is an insult to the perfection of the digital.” Leon, James and Karl were unfazed by the task of having to complete Looking Glass Studios/Irrational Games’ notoriously tough and terrifying 1999 action RPG System Shock 2 for this podcast. Our panel marvel at how hardcore made-specifically-for-PC games could be back at the time System Shock 2 was created, and also how cleverly Irrational streamlined the experience for 2007’s BioShock. As usual we also hear from those brave enough among our community to have boarded the Von Braun themselves, as well as some music from the game’s OST. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_140.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Rec by Engineering 2: Engineering by Josh Randall/Ramin Djawadi/Eric Brosius Cane and Rinse 140 was edited by Jay Taylor Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum.

“Mya ha! They’ll remember ME once I drive my axe into their… Wait… my axe! Where’s my axe?!” Nintendo‘s near-quarter-of-a-century-old tactical, turn-based fantasy battle RPG Fire Emblem is the subject of this issue of the podcast, and specifically the series’  most recent entry, 2012/2013’s Fire Emblem Awakening for 3DS (and 2DS). Leon, Darren, Josh and guest Simon Cole (@TheSonicMole) learn of the joys and pains of character ‘perma-death’, as well as celebrating Intelligent Systems’ astounding consistency, and bemoaning the price of the GameCube instalment on eBay. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_139.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Champion (Ablaze) by Yuka Tsujiyoko 2: Omen ~ Main Theme by Rei Kondoh Cane and Rinse 139 was edited by Sean O’Brien Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum.

Media Molecule's Vita-feature utilising Tearaway is the subject of this issue of the podcast. Traversing a whimsical and surreal paper-craft world typical of the developer, Iota and Atoi must deliver a crucial message to the player. As usual we also hear about what the game means to members of the Cane and Rinse community. Music used in this issue: Track 1: The Message by Kenneth C. M. Young/Brian D'Oliveira Track 2: Hugs by Kenneth C. M. Young/Brian D'Oliveira Track 3: Messenger's Theme by Kenneth C. M. Young/Brian D'Oliveira Track 4: The Barn by Kenneth C. M. Young/Brian D'Oliveira Cane and Rinse 138 was edited by Jay Taylor Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you could also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, in discussing past, present and future videogames (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Cane and Rinse forum

“It really does sound quite absurd, adventure of a bear and bird!” Rare’s ursine-avian twosome are the subject of this issue of the podcast. Not only do Leon, Ryan, Brian and former Rare employee Darren discuss the original, much-loved Banjo-Kazooie, but also its 2000 sequel Banjo-Tooie as well as a brief word about a brace of GBA spin-offs. As usual we also get to share the experiences and opinions of the Cane and Rinse community too. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_137.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Main Title by Grant Kirkhope 2: Clanker’s Cavern by Grant Kirkhope 3: Isle o’ Hags (Cloud Cuckoo Land) by Grant Kirkhope 4: Grunty’s Lair (Arrangement) by Grant Kirkhope Cane and Rinse 137 was edited by Ryan Hamann Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. A gleeful Gargette re-enters the sumptuous and magical fairy tale world created by his beloved Rare. Banjo-Kazooie debuted on N64 in the summer of 1998, before the bear ‘n’ bird duo made their way to Xbox Live Arcade in 2008. Darren’s playing the game via PC emulation here but it goes without saying that he owns the original cartridge, because as he says himself, his reason for being born was to play it:   Next Darren has a (partially successful) stab at racing through Treasure Trove Cove on 4J Studios’ Xbox 360 version of Rare’s Nintendo 64 classic Banjo-Kazooie:   Darren was so excited ahead of the release of Rare Replay that he went back to sprawling Banjo-Kazooie sequel Banjo-Tooie. Next Darren investigates the Game Boy Advance outing that was set between Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie but came out three years after the second N64 game in 2003, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge. As you can plainly see, the GBA game is being emulated on PC here:   Finally Darren takes on the game that should have been a pseudo-successor to Diddy Kong Racing, but instead ended up as the final game featuring Banjo on a Nintendo platform, Banjo-Pilot. Again GBA emulated on PC:

“You’re so fine, I want you mine, you’re so delicious, I think about you all the time, you’re so addictive…” Bringing our journey through the Burnout series to a close we come to Criterion’s final ‘proper’ game bearing the name, Burnout Paradise. Cruising around Paradise City are Leon, Darren, James and Karl, plus we also hear from a fleet of Cane and Rinse correspondents and, intriguingly, we get some exclusive and official insight into the making of Paradise from lead gameplay programmer Iain Angus. http://media.blubrry.com/caneandrinse/caneandrinse.com/podcast/cane_and_rinse_issue_136.mp3   Music used in this issue: 1: Paradise City by Guns N’ Roses 2: Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne 3: Burnout 2002 Reprise by Stephen Root 4: Stand and Deliver by Adam and the Ants Cane and Rinse 136 was edited by Darren Gargette Do you have an opinion about this particular game or maybe about our podcast in general? Then why not venture into our forum and leave us your feedback. Whilst there you can also interact with our ever-growing and friendly community, discuss past, present and future video games (and lots of other stuff too!) and perhaps even arrange some games with like-minded individuals. Sound good? Come and say hello at The Official Cane and Rinse Forum. In this solo Burnout Paradise Quick Rinse, Darren Gargette takes himself down to the Paradise City where the girls are green and the grass is pretty (PC version): A multiplayer Burnout Paradise Quick Rinse featuring Darren Gargette, James Carter and listeners/community members Jonster and the Nekemancer (PC version): If you like these Quick Rinse videos you can find many more (plus a few other bits and bobs) over on the Official Cane and Rinse YouTube channel. NB: Apologies if one or both of these Burnout Paradise videos isn’t/aren’t available in your region or on your platform. Licensed music is the problem.