Left Behind Game Club: A Video Game Podcast

We travel through time in part 1 of our Chrono Trigger series. Developer: Square | Publisher: Square | Initial Release: August 11, 1995 Jacob, Travis, and Katie talk about JRPGs, which type of characters they gravitate toward in games, and go deep into what they love in roleplaying games. Players: * Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) * Travis Colenutt (@TravisColenutt) * Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:40 i-mode and SNES * 2:40 Fast Pitch * 3:30 History with JRPGs & Chrono Trigger * 8:20 How Are We Playing? * 13:25 Active Time Battles * 19:40 Difficulty * 23:15 Setup for the Game * 29:45 Spoiler Warning for the First 6-8 Hours * 33:10 Ideal Party * 37:00 Overworld * 39:05 Fave Moments * 50:25 Time Travel in Games * 55:10 Predictions for the Second Half DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a video game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We drink lots of caffeine in Fantasy Seattle thanks to Coffee Talk. Developer: Toge Productions | Publisher: Toge Productions, Chorus Worldwide, Serenity Forge | Initial Release: January 29, 2020 Jacob, Flora, and special guests Luke Lewis and Matt Storm listen to some lo-fi chill beats, fight about the best way to caffeinate and swoon over Hyde. Players: * Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) * Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) Special Guests: * Matt Storm aka Stormageddon (@dj_stormageddon) | "Fun" and Games Podcast * Luke Lewis (@lukewarmlewis) | LukeWarmGames Podcast Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:30 More about Luke and Matt * 4:05 The Fast Pitch * 6:10 Our Coffee Orders * 9:50 What You Do in Coffee Talk * 13:55 Characters * 19:30 Storylines * 24:30 The Metanarrative * 26:45 First vs. Second Game * 31:30 Music * 35:20 Checking Our Phones * 39:30 Multiple Playthroughs * 42:00 Coffee Talk Episode 2 Preview * 48:00 Fahmi and his Lasting Impact * 50:40 Games We'll Play After Coffee Talk: * A Space for the Unbound * VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action * The Red Strings Club * Kind Words (lo fi chill beats to write to) * Varney Lake * When The Past Was Around * Emily is Away * Emily is Away Too * Boyfriend Dungeon * 1:01:45 Wrap-Up RESOURCES: * Review: Coffee Talk [via Kotaku] * Coffee Talk Review [via Game Informer] * Emily is Away & Emily is Away Too [via...

We went down to Boston to play videos in our PAX East 2023 episode! This is our last piece of audio about PAX East, promise. Jacob, Flora, Katie and Travis became friends in real life, waited in lines and played lots of cool video games. PLAYERS: * Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) * Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) * Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) * Travis Colenutt (@TravisColenutt) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00​​ Intro * 1:40 Thoughts from PAX Newbies * 9:25 Making Small Talk * 16:10 Panels! * 22:45 The Video Game Section (Please Wishlist Your Faves) * 23:00 Backpack Hero * 26:55 The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story * 28:25 The Mageseeker Interview with Javi Gimenez from Digital Sun  * 39:30 Gori: Cuddly Carnage * 44:00 Terra Nil * 48:15 Slay the Princess * 55:55 A Knight in the Attic * 57:30 A Knight in the Attic Interview with Dave Proctor from Mighty Yell * 1:03:45 Strayed Lights * 1:09:25 Capes * 1:14:35 Every Day We Fight * 1:20:20 Wrestle Story * 1:23:35 Wildmender * 1:28:55 Demonschool * 1:35:10 Goons: Legends and Mayhem * 1:35:35 Goons: Legends and Mayhem Interview with Samuel Bouchard from RageCure Games  * 1:38:30 Pacific Drive * 1:44:50 Bread and Fred * 1:48:15 Rightfully, Beary Arms * 1:50:15 Recap DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server! RESOURCES: * The Best Games ...

Video Game Trivia Live returned to PAX with its first trivia gauntlet in Boston! This competitive trivia game hosted by Jacob McCourt pits three teams of content creators and the video game press against the entire audience. Will PAX East attendees be able to outbrain our panel of video game experts? Bring your wealth of video game knowledge and find out! During this hour-long interactive trivia game, participants will need to estimate video game critic scores, identify video games from a small sliver of their box art, and much more! Buckle up, Boston. Video Game Trivia Live: PAX East 2023 Edition was recorded live at PAX East 2023 on Friday, March 24th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre. There's one section that relies on visual aids; you can download the slides here or watch the video version here. Sections: * 0:00​​ Intro * 4:10 The Speed Round (Rapid Fire Questions) * 15:30 Box Art Blitz (Guess the Game Box Art from a Sample) * 24:15 The Bargain Bin (Guess the Price of a Game) * 41:15 Metacritic Critic (Guess the Metacritic Score of a Game) * ​​56:10 The Bonus Round (Final Question) Panel: * Kyle Stephenson (https://twitter.com/MrKStep) * Flora Merigold (https://twitter.com/LudonarrativeFM) * Brenden Groom (https://twitter.com/begroom) * Jesse Vitelli (https://twitter.com/jessevitelli) * Katie Lesperance (https://twitter.com/lesperak) * Travis Colenutt (https://twitter.com/TravisColenutt) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

2001 was an excellent year for gaming, thanks to the little purple lunch box that could. In this special bonus episode of the podcast, live at PAX East 2023, some of the biggest fans of the Nintendo Gamecube were assembled to discuss the device's history and their memories of the console, as well as build an essential collection of Nintendo Gamecube games with help from the PAX East audience. The Nintendo GameCube Was The Greatest Game Console Ever Made was recorded live at PAX East 2023 on Friday, March 24th at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre. There's one section that relies on visual aids; you can download the slides here. Big thanks to the Video Game History Foundation for providing research assistance. Find them on Twitter, Patreon and on the web. Sections: * 0:00 Intro * 2:40 A Speedy History of What Led to the Nintendo Gamecube * 4:20 Why It's the Greatest Console of All-Time * 26:40 A Definitive List of the 15 Best Gamecube Games as crafted by the PAX East Audience Panel: * Jacob McCourt: https://twitter.com/JacobMcCourt​​ * Cam Hawkins: https://twitter.com/CamFinalMix * Janet Garcia: https://twitter.com/Gameonysus * Matt Storm aka Stormageddon: https://twitter.com/dj_stormageddon * Mike Towndrow: https://twitter.com/itsMikeTown * Asa Greenriver: https://twitter.com/agreenriver07 Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We hit things with a guitar really well in Hi-Fi RUSH. Developer: Tango Gameworks | Publisher: Bethesda Softworks | Initial Release: January 25, 2023 Jacob, Flora, and special guests Adam Gumbert, Michael Higham & Brenden Groom gush about rhythm games, ship Peppermint and Korsica and finally explain the origin of the "clean" rating of the podcast. Players: * Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) * Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) Special Guests: * Adam Gumbert (@AdamGumby) | Isle of Misfit Rolls & Respawn Aim Fire * Michael Higham (@michaelphigham) * Brenden Groom (@begroom) | Pass the Controller Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:25 The Gauntlet * 6:25 Mario vs. Luigi * 9:00 The Fast Pitch * 11:00 History with Rhythm Games and Tango Gameworks * 20:45 How This Game Dropped * 29:30 Core Gameplay * 31:15 Food-Based Characters * 34:00 Underrated Voice Acting * 38:25 Music * 46:00 Boss Fights * 53:35 Hangout & Side Characters * 56:20 End of Hi-Fi RUSH * 1:02:00 Post-Credit Content * 1:04:40 Jacob Forgot Rekka and Loses His Title * 1:06:00 Disability Representation * 1:12:30 Recommendation Machine * 1:23:10 Wrap-Up * 1:26:40 PAX East 2023 Plans RESOURCES: * Hi-Fi Rush Review by Michael Higham via IGN * Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon Review by Michael Higham via IGN * Stop What You’re Doing and Play Hi-Fi Rush by Brenden Groom via Pass the Controller DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We think a lot about back tattoos in the second part of our Yakuza 0 series. Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio | Publisher: Sega | Initial Release: January 24, 2017 Flora, Katie, and special guest Matt Storm tearaway our jackets, get our pants stolen and finally talk about the Cabaret Club mini-game! Players: Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) & Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) Special Guest: Matt Storm (@DJ_Stormageddon) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:35 The Cutscenes Minute * 3:05 Re-Intro to Matt * 5:50 Matt's History with Yakuza 0 * 12:50 What Would Your Back Tattoo Be? * 17:50 Katie's Take on Yakuza 0 * 19:25 Hour Counts * 23:50 The Story Jumps Off the Page * 27:55 Getting Your Pants Stolen * 31:40 Being Tender * 33:55 There Are Too Many Yakuza Games * 38:00 Sledgehammer * 39:45 Sewers and Motorbikes * 46:15 Too Many Names! * 48:30 Flawed Mentors * 51:00 Revenge * 54:45 Cabaret Club * 59:00 Other Mini-Games * 1:06:30 Sub-Story Characters * 1:15:00 Special Moves * 1:21:30 Wrap-Up * 1:24:15 PAX East 2023 Plans DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

It’s the end of an era… the Left Behind Game Club is changing. Read the full text below or listen to the announcement: After over 160 episodes over five and half years, our release cadence will be slowing down. Going forward, we will move from a twice-monthly model to a non-regular publishing schedule. We don’t quite know what that cadence will look like yet but we know that it will be much less than 24 shows a year. Please stay subscribed to the feed, though, as you should expect non-regular new audio, like episodes about very long games that we have been dying to play but couldn’t due to the time constraints that come with producing a twice-monthly show, as well as interviews from conventions and updates on some of our new projects. A few very important pieces of housekeeping: * Our Discord community will remain active; if you haven’t joined yet, please find it at leftbehindgame.club/discord * The podcast back catalog will stay up for the foreseeable future although we may migrate podcast hosting platforms this year * We will send out updates about new episodes via our Twitter (@LeftBehindClub) You can still find us all of us on the Internet: * Moe will be on Twitter and Instagram * Mike will be @ruffolom on all major social platforms or at michaelruffolo.com and michaelruffolo.ca (branding, baby) * Jacob will be @JacobMcCourt on Twitter and TikTok. You can see his seasonal Video Game Trivia show on YouTube and his written work at TheGamingBrief.ca. * Katie can be found @lesperak on Twitter and you can listen to Jacob, Travis and Katie’s other podcast, Cutscenes, on all major podcasting platforms. * You can find Flora’s work at EpilogueGaming.com and follow her on Twitter @ludonarrativefm. * Travis can be found on Twitter at @traviscolenutt. So to summarize again, the show is moving to a non-regular publishing model. We aren’t going to commit to the next show or number of episodes per year, so our Discord and podcast feed will be the best places to find updates. Over the past nearly half dozen years, we have been humbled by the support that you have shown our little independent Canadian video game podcast. With over 100K downloads, six nominations from the Canadian Podcast Awards, and press from Apple Podcasts, PocketCasts, CBC, and more… I think we did alright. Thanks for everything, and with that, my friends, we’ll see you when we see you.

We ride the train with robots in Subsurface Circular. Developer: Mike Bithell Games | Publisher: Mike Bithell Games | Initial Release: August 17, 2017 Jacob, Flora, Travis and special guest Scott White ask a lot of questions, think about Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics and sing some Hamilton for good measure. Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) & Travis Colenutt (@TravisColenutt) Special Guest: Scott White (@ProfessorRPG) | Podcast Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:00 Intro to Scott White * 2:00 Special Announcement * 2:45 The Gauntlet * 8:40 Fast Pitch * 10:50 The Setup * 12:20 Selecting a Name * 12:50 Our History with Bithell Games * 16:00 Talkin' to Teks * 20:00 Connecting It To World Events * 25:25 Power Dynamics * 29:50 Choice (or a Lack Thereof) * 37:00 Commentary * 38:40 More or Less Linear? * 43:35 Versions Comparison * 46:10 The Final Choice * 56:20 Sequels and Final Thoughts * 1:05:30 Reviews from the Press * 1:06:20 Scott's Work * 1:09:30 Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We revisit 2022 in our Year in Review episode (for the second year in a row)! Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 1:30 Katie's Favourite Podcasts from 2022 * Bloodborne [Part 1 & Part 2] * Returnal * Celeste * 6:00 Katie's Favourite Games from 2022 * 9:40 Moe's Favourite Podcasts/Games of 2022 * Fave Podcast: Horizon Zero Dawn * 11:30 Flora's Favourite Podcast from 2022 * Celeste * Yakuza 0 [Part 1] * Bloodborne [Part 1 & Part 2] * 15:50 Flora's Favourite Games from 2022 * Flora's Article on Epilogue Gaming * 20:20 Jacob's Favourite Podcasts * Star Fox 64 * Life is Strange [Part 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5] * Returnal * 23:40 Jacob's Favourite Games * 29:35 Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We give no explanations in the first part of our Yakuza 0 series. Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio | Publisher: Sega | Initial Release: January 24, 2017 Katie, Flora, Mike and special guest Imran Khan play minigames, fight with wacky weapons and sing karaoke. Players: Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom), Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) Special Guest: Imran Khan [Twitter, Patreon] Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:00 Introducing Imran Khan and running The Gauntlet * 13:00 Fast Pitch * 14:30 Our Experience with Yakuza games * 24:30 Yakuza Gives No Explanations * 27:30 The Setup: What Is Yazuka * 29:50 Mike Got All The Tissues * 33:00 Katie’s Got All The Cards * 39:00 Combat And Wacky Weapons * 44:00 A Majima Character Study * 51:20 Minigames: Shogi Is Hard * 56:00 Karaoke Time * 1:01:00 Imran’s Final Yakuza Pitch * 1:06:40 Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We become a Peeping (Major) Tom in Tacoma. Developer: Fullbright | Publisher: Fullbright | Initial Release: August 2, 2017 Jacob, Katie and Mike read everyone's emails, get a little bit scared and then become subcontractors. Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:30 Fast Pitch * 2:40 The Setting * 6:15 The HUD * 8:10 Welcome to the Spoiler Zone * 8:25 Tacoma's Structure * 9:55 Alternate Histories * 12:20 The Central Conflict * 16:25 The TLDR of Tacoma * 19:25 Voice Acting * 20:50 The Ending * 28:50 Other Lovely Story Bits * 34:00 How We Played * 36:00 The Time Capsule * 40:10 Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We travel to the Land of the Dead in Grim Fandango. Editor's Note: Katie's mic did not record properly, so apologies for the lower-than-normal recording quality. Developer: LucasArts | Publisher: LucasArts | Initial Release: October 30, 1998 Katie, Mike and special guest Jay Yi struggle with puzzles (even with hints), open the fridge and spend too much time in Year 2. Players: Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) & Mike Ruffolo (@ruffolom) Special Guest: Jay Yi (@PoundJayYi) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:00 Intro to Jay Yi * 4:00 Mike doesn't like adventure games * 5:40 Jay Yi's Gaming Gauntlet * 13:20 Fast Pitch for Grim Fandango * 14:30 Time Capsule * 21:15 The Setting * 26:45 Psychonauts Vibes * 28:40 Spoiler Zone is Open * 29:00 Puzzles * 38:00 The Environments * 39:40 A Remake? * 47:25 We enjoyed it, okay? * 53:50 Switch vs. Other Consoles * 1:00:00 Graphic Modes * 1:02:00 Glottis and The Twist * 1:07:00 Reviews * 1:08:00 Wrap-Up DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We finish the Zero Escape trilogy with a dive into Zero Time Dilemma. Developer: Chime | Publisher: Aksys Games/Spike Chunsoft | Initial Release: June 28, 2016 Jacob and special guest CtrlAltNoob flip a coin, play with floating thumbnails and try desperately to defuse bombs. Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt) Special Guest: CtrlAltNoob (@CtrlAltNoob) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:15 Who is CtrlAltNoob? * 4:10 Fast Pitch * 7:30 AI: The Somnium Files * 11:40 People's First Zero Escape Game? * 12:55 A Graphical Upgrade * 15:00 Where This Game Starts * 21:35 Spoiler Warning * 23:45 Floating Thumbnails * 28:00 Rules of Engagement * 36:50 The Button * 39:40 The Chainsaw * 44:20 Russian Roulette * 48:25 Quantum Computer * 51:55 Eric and Mira * 56:55 The Stand Off * 1:00:50 The Snail Effect * 1:07:00 Transporter Pods * 1:20:00 10 * 1:33:25 Jump Around! * 1:43:25 Shift! * 1:50:40 The Final Decision DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!

We beat one of the hardest games of all time in Bloodborne. Developer: FromSoftware | Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment | Initial Release: March 24, 2015 Jacob, Katie and Flora gain insight, debate snakes vs. spiders and run through all of our enemies. Kidding... it was only Jacob. Players: Jacob McCourt (@JacobMcCourt), Katie Lesperance (@lesperak) and Flora Merigold (@LudonarrativeFM) Web: LeftBehindGame.Club | Twitter: @LeftBehindClub | Instagram: @LeftBehindGameClub SHOW NOTES: * 0:00 Start * 1:30 Did We All Finish * 10:20 Watching Jacob Play Bloodborne * 17:00 Grind or Rush? * 20:50 Go to Jail * 25:30 Story of Bloodborne * 36:00 SideQuests? * 39:00 Multiplayer Elements * 44:35 Boss Summons * 49:00 Flora's Experience with Rom, the Vacuous Spider * 56:00 High Insight * 1:01:00 Bloodborne is the Easiest Soulsborne * 1:05:00 Three Endings * 1:11:00 Weapon Chats * 1:18:00 Stats * 1:22:40 Do We Feel Accomplished? * 1:26:00 Accessibility vs. Difficulty * 1:39:30 Katie's Rant * 1:44:35 DLC Required? * 1:46:45 "Bloodborne Is My Least Favourite Soulsborne" * 1:55:30 We Did It DISCORD: The Left Behind Game Club is a monthly game club podcast focusing on positivity & community. To talk to members of the community, join our Discord server!