No Cartridge Audio

We're excited to have Hazel Monforton (@hazelmonforton) on the show to talk with us about narrative in video games, Ian Bogost's recent writing, architecture in games, and the haunting What Remains of Edith Finch. It's an erudite conversation, but it's way less trendy than a TED Talk, so you can feel like you have some cred too. As always, bonus material up at the patreon, including more from Hazel this week -- patreon.com/hegelbon -- and if you'd like to give a smaller tip, we're at paypal.me/hegelbon. Music this week is "Milton's Kite" from the Edith Finch OST, composed by Jeff Russo.

We warmly welcome Chapo Trap House's Felix Biederman (@ByYourLogic) to the podcast to talk to us about his grand theory of Metal Gear Solid. We cover the gamut here, from wartime aesthetics, jingoism, the deep state, and the hole at the top of the chain of command. You don't want to miss it! Music this episode is the theme from Metal Gear Solid 2 by Harry Gregson-Williams. Please consider donating at the patreon for more bonus content, including extras from Felix this week -- www.patreon.com/hegelbon.

We welcome Matt Brady (@mattvbrady) on the podcast to talk about his experience coming to serious gaming in his 20s and 30s. From Fallout and the joy of building shelters to the sublime efficiency of checking tasks off a list, Matt helps us understand the appeal of gaming from a new perspective. Audio this week is "Dominant Species" from the Fallout IV OST, composer Inon Zur. If you like the podcast, please consider donating at patreon.com/hegelbon for bonus episodes or at paypal.me/hegelbon for tips. Thanks!

I'm fortunate enough to have two guests this week, in the knowledgeable and excellent Roger Clark (@rogerclark) and Trent (@goodboytrent). I try to stay in the background in this one as the guys talk about rhythm games and why they occupy an interesting and unique space in the video game landscape. From addiction to dedication, from immersion to abstraction, we cover it all on this episode of No Cartridge Audio. Music this week is from the Dance, Dance, Revolution Extreme OST and is titled "Destiny's Lovers." Please consider donating at www.patreon.com/hegelbon for bonus episodes and at paypal.me/hegelbon if you'd like to help fund games for future episodes. Thanks!

We welcome the wonderful Erica (@LavosXII) on to talk indirect sequels in RPGs, the conceptual problem of time, how hard it is to talk about plots, and the ontology of schlocky action games. And there's even more stuff I haven't mentioned -- seriously, check it out, it's good. Music this week is "Time's Scar" by Yasunori Mitsuda off of the Chrono Cross OST. Consider donating at patreon.com/hegelbon or paypal.me/hegelbon !

First off, we delve into the future of the cast and some exciting teasers for future guests! Then we jump into the content, particularly the elements of appeal in side-quests, a brand of gaming that I and many others love for seemingly unclear reasons. I break down the ways that side-quests both reveal and ameliorate capitalist anxiety, if only for a moment or two. As always feel free to donate at patreon.com/hegelbon or at paypal.me/hegelbon . Music this week is "Amusement Park (Battle Theme): Dynamic" by Keiichi Okabe off the NieR: Automata OST.

What does creepypasta have to do with Night in the Woods? Well, we try to answer that question today with a classic 10 minute No Cartridge Audio deep dive into questions surrounding cause, effect, and narrative intention. Music is "Astral Fish (Buildup)" by Alex Holowka.

We have the opportunity to talk with Scott Benson, one third of Infinite Fall, the studio that brought us Night in the Woods. To say this is a wide-ranging conversation is selling it a bit short -- we touch on capitalism, mental health, small towns, politics, the art of narrative, and how to best portray ideology in literary form. It's a long one, but it's a good one -- enjoy!! Music this week is "Die Anywhere Else" composed by Alex Holowka, and with bassline by Mae.

In Episode 11, we focus on the conceptual qualities of Open World Gaming, particularly the ways in which this unstable genre can be understood and how it might evolve, particularly alongside the recent challenge of Breath of the Wild. Music this week is the opening theme from the original 1986 Legend of Zelda. Enjoy!

Up front, so everyone's aware, this one includes descriptions of suicide. Giant Bomb's Alex Navarro (@Alex_Navarro) joins us to talk Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special (yes, the bizarre SUDA51 jawn), as well as the future and legacy of the popular but enigmatic franchise. We also talk Japanese wrestling, smarks, Chris Benoit, and more on this, the first of hopefully many No Cartridge Audio Interviews. Thanks again to Alex for being the first! Music this week is from the Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special OST.

In Episode 9 of No Cartridge Audio (if you missed episode 8 on SimGolf, consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/hegelbon) we start with a guest spot by someone who may or who may not be NPR's Ira Glass (probably not him) discussing a fundraising effort for the show. After this, we focus in on Nier: Automata, a lovely game I've been writing about and streaming this weekend. Focusing on genre and the bucking thereof, we talk about constraint, aesthetics, and the way gameplay can be read as art.  Music this week is from the Nier: Automata soundtrack, the song is called "Alien Manifestation" and was composed by Keiichi Okabe.

What is it that brings us back to games again and again? Why do we especially invest our time in games that we cannot beat, or which don't have a win condition? I don't know all of these answers, but we open the door to future consideration on this episode of No Cartridge Audio, which focuses on one of my favorites -- Failbetter Games' Sunless Sea. Music is "Wolfstack Docks" by Maribeth Solomon and Brent Barkman off of the Sunless Sea OST. Patreon at www.patreon.com/hegelbon and paypal at www.paypal.me/hegelbon .

Upon the occasion of thinking about the seminal Planescape: Torment, I think through the implications of the RPG genre, its history, its narrative strategies, its weirdnesses, and how Planescape somehow comments intelligently on them all in its first three hours. First of hopefully many little insights on this impressive piece. We're also on iTunes now! Please rate review and subscribe! Music for this week's episode is "Deionarra's Theme" by Mark Morgan and Richard Bend from the Planescape: Torment OST.

Two Twin Peaks homages enter, and both leave, though one a bit less bloodied than the other -- find out what to make of these strange half thrillers, half adaptations, half procedurals in today's episode! Intro music is S. Halle and P. Alanko's "Welcome to Bright Falls" from the Alan Wake OST and outro music the "Whistle Theme" from the Deadly Premonition OST.

Hey! Welcome to episode 4 of No Cartridge Audio! We have here our first Patron only piece, now free as a thank you for hanging in until we got the iTunes feed set up. This one is on the ever elusive and strange Euro Truck Simulator 2. Music is by the immortal CW McCall, and it's "Convoy." Enjoy!