Episode 90 - A Nice Wide Stance - Blasphemous

What I do know is that, according to The Rule, one must carry out the Three Humiliations to podcast about Souls-like games

Welcome back to the podcast! Today we’re going to be talking about Blasphemous, a Kickstarter funded indie game that takes inspiration from various platformers and metroidvanias and, rather explicitly, Dark Souls. What this means for the game is actually pretty varied, with some elements, like boss fights, absolutely flourishing in their inspiration, while others, like platforming, feel inappropriate for the style of engagement this game presents. The game asks you to explore a world and collect the necessary holy do-dads and other plot important knickknacks, and you do so by jumping over pits and utilizing the simple but weighty combat system. All of this seems pretty standard, but the level of detail in the pixel art visuals the game boasts really draw you in and keep you entertained throughout the experience. We’re going to be talking about the differences between overworld exploration and boss combat, the implementation of collectibles and using it as a case study to examine how they should and shouldn’t be used, and things get really heated when we drop trou and compare Fervor Bars.

Thank you for joining us this week as we begin our countdown to episode 100. This probably won’t be something we make a big deal out of or comment on a whole lot, but it is only 10 episodes away, and that’s kind of insane. Thanks for sticking with us, if you have, or joining us whenever you did! As we enter the 90s, we’re revisiting a series that at the very least has an appropriate appreciation for flannel, though admittedly less so in this installment. We’re talking about Life is Strange 2, so check us out then!

Episode 89 - Shopkiller - The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

I got the NOCLIP Podcast! This might be my chance!

Welcome back to the podcast! Today, we’re taking a look at Link’s Awakening, a Gameboy game, that got a rerelease on the Gameboy Color, and then finally remade and released this last year on the Nintendo Switch. What has changed in nearly three decades since this game’s release? Not a whole lot, actually, but the game holds up to modern standards a lot better than that may imply. Playing through the game now, the somewhat opaque design of the game stands out but, barring a few hiccups, you can see why the early Zelda games really felt before their time. We’re going to talk about an appreciation for narrative and characters in a game as old as this one, puzzle design in a game with limited resources, and we rename one of Nintendo’s least beloved characters! Hoo? Er, who? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Thanks for joining us again this time, and keep an eye on the feed because next time we’re going to be talking about Blasphemous, an indie Soulslike Metroidvania, which is a pretty healthy genre who’s name couldn’t exist without like at least three or four other games.

NOCLIP Pocket E20 - Casual Babies Keep Out - The Beginner's Guide

Stop putting lampposts in my podcasts.

Welcome back to NOCLIP Pocket! For our first episode of the year, we’re going to be taking a look at Davey Wreden’s The Beginner’s Guide. While the developer is certainly best known for The Stanley Parable, this game does a lot to show the level of dedication Davey has to making narrative games that break the mold of what you would expect from the genre. In this particular instance, we are being taken on a tour through the games of “Coda,” a hobbyist developer and friend of Davey’s, as they become more and more disjointed and laden with symbolism. While this is happening, there is narration playing to give context to the games and explain what some things mean and how they came to be. And all of that text was necessary to give you a basic explanation for what this game is, but it is the emotional core that really gives the game its flavor. Play it for yourself before listening if it at all seems interesting. Why? Because we’re talking about the narrative structure of a game about games with narrative structures, game development and its associated stresses, and how this game is basically a sequel to Half-Life 2’s developer commentary.

Thank you for joining us this episode, and we’ll be back (hopefully in a shorter time) with an episode about Harvest Moon, marking the legendary return to handheld consoles in a series called “Pocket.” We hope you’ll check it out!

The NOCLIP Awards 2019 - Deep Dulcet Feebas

In the streets, where true might is chosen.

The podcast games of have been gathered, the categories curated and our three podcasting pedants re-assembled, it’s time to hand out the 2019 NOCLIP Awards! As is tradition every year, for one year, we have organized a list of highly relevant categories, such as “Least Likely to be Compared to Dark Souls” and “Worst Map”, and will be deciding the best of the best or the…smashiest of the smashy…games we’ve played this year, not in clickbait YouTuber top ten list form, but in a spirited debate to really get to the heart of the issues.

Thanks for joining us again this year! How do you feel about our choices? Are we the pinnacle of good taste, are our categories so thought provoking they’re keeping you up at night? If so, join the discussion over on Discord or in comments or something! Which games did you play this year that felt like Oscar bait? I genuinely need to know.

NOCLIP Pocket E19 - A Real Thing In Reality - Little Inferno

Thank you for purchasing the Little NOCLIP Entertainment Podcast!

Welcome back to NOCLIP for our final episode this year! We’re talking about Little Inferno, a game by The Tomorrow Corporation that doesn’t quite play like any other. This is a game about burning things, from just some bricks to military grade explosives and everything else in between, but also it’s a game about telling you jokes and about figuring out what’s really important in life. Little Inferno is even a great game to play around the holidays, both because of its cozy aesthetic and because of the values it emphasizes in its narrative. You’re also more likely to enjoy it if you don’t know much about it while playing, so we’ll leave it at that. On the episode, we talk about classifying a game that intentionally chooses unorthodox mechanics, character moments communicated in an entirely one-sided interaction, and being surprised at the quality of a McDouble.

Thank you for joining us again this week, and we hope you all have a safe and fun holiday season, whether that’s catching up with old friends or staying safely indoors to binge a couple of games you’ve had on your list this year (maybe an old indie gem from 2012?). The next thing you’ll hear from us will be The NOCLIP Awards 2019 in the early part of next year, but our next Pocket episode will be on The Beginner’s Guide, so check back with us then!

Episode 88 - Jimmy Won't Return - Death Stranding

We’re NOCLIP. But we’re not that NOCLIP.

Welcome to the UCA, listeners, because today we’re talking about Death Stranding. This game has been stirring up a bit of controversy among the AAA game discussion crowd, coming from Metal Gear visionary Hideo Kojima and yet being mostly a game about how walking around with a bunch of stuff on your back is hard to do. While you’ll have to listen to the episode to get all the nuances of why we feel the way we do on the game’s many aspects, I think we’ve landed fairly positive overall, which is not to say the controversy is not well deserved. This game does some very different things that aren’t expected of a game with this budget, this creator, and hell, this star power, which is even a weird thing to say about a game. This is a game you have to sit with and its long run time means that you’ll be sitting for a while and whether this game is an acquired taste or a taste you need to born with is a question we’ll leave to history to decide, it is certainly an interesting taste and a dish we’re happy to serve this week on the podcast. We’re going to be talking about the utility of things to shoot in a game that isn’t really focused on it, an assumption of weirdness that might overshadow a clearer reading of a game, and a biological feature of Sam Bridges that is an objective 0 out of 10.

Thank you for joining us this week! This game is one we wanted to do pretty much immediately given its pedigree and potential for hot takes, but coming up we’re kicking off the new year with a game that we waited so long to do it was remade and released on a new console. That is, The Legend of Zelda, Link’s Awakening (but like, the Switch version). And keep an eye out because coming up sometime in the near future, we will be reprising our favorite end-of-year non-game-specific fortunately-hyphen-free discussion episode: The NOCLIP Awards!

Episode 87 - The Linda Interstitial - Psychonauts

Overly…intricate…podcast!

Welcome back to NOCLIP! Today we’re going to be talking about Double Fine’s platformer classic Psychonauts, which really set the standard for games coming from the company for years to come. Psychonauts is pretty unique as far as platformers go, with an emphasis on strong character writing and level designs that are based on those character’s personalities. Really, the writing in the game is what stands out the most, and they take the concept of a psychic summer camp and really run with it, squeezing as much as they can from the campers and their relationships with each other. The actual play experience, while containing some hallmarks of early 2000s game design has also aged surprisingly well and means while Psychonauts may not be all you remember it, it is still a game worth going back to. We talk about comedy and setting acting in service of one another, the ubiquity of the Levitation power and its place in making the core gameplay feel unique, and how the Meat Circus should have been abject horror but somehow wasn’t.

Thank you for joining us again this month. Next time we’re going to be talking about Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding, a controversial title to be sure. So make sure you check us out then to hear the objectively correct take on the game.

NOCLIP Pocket E18 - Checked-Off's Gun - Untitled Goose Game

Knock the podcast on its bottom.

Welcome back to Pocket! Today, we’re going to be talking about contemporary internet darling Untitled Goose Game, which is a puzzle game where, unsurprisingly, you play as a goose. As a goose is want to do, you spend the majority of your time attempting to accomplish goals that, in the grand scheme of things, mostly just annoy people into fits of rage. The systems behind this are predominately physics and interaction based, using the game’s fairly limited mechanic set along with your understanding of character’s patterns and behaviors to accomplish your goals, but the context it is all set in is what gives the game its charm. Is it worth the hype? Is it correct to say that a public bemusement over a game about an irritating goose is hype? We dive into these questions and more as we talk about the cultural reasons this game seems to have become as popular as it is, expectations and experiences within the world of the game, and what it is about this game that reminds us of Napoleon Dynamite.

Thank you for joining us this week to talk about Goose Game. As is tradition, we’re a couple weeks behind popular discourse on this one, but we’re really outdoing ourselves next time as we’re talking about 2012’s Little Inferno, placing us squarely 7 years after its relevant popularity. Hopefully you’ll join us then.

NOCLIP Pocket E17 - Reached JNCO Status - Tamashii

You are the spark emanated by my light. The podcast of my will in the hidden spheres.

Welcome back to NOCLIP Pocket on this very special Halloween night (well, if you’re catching it like right as we upload it’s very early in the morning, but like, shut up, I’m trying to be thematic). Hopefully you’re having a spooky holiday season, and in an attempt to help you further along that path, we’re talking about Tamashii. This is a puzzle platformer that pulls its visual and narrative inspiration from old Japanese indie games that put theme and spectacle above silly little things like “making sense.” Tamashii is still more approachable than some of the art house games that inspired it, but has a style that is simultaneously abrasive and pretty intriguing. We explore this odd game in this episode and attempt to explain how it engaged us. We’ll be talking about what different kinds of imagery accomplish in establishing tone, how the platforming mechanics help drive engagement without being the explicit focus of the game, and whether or not something with a “butthole mouth” can be cute.

Thank you for joining us this month, and I hope you’ve been sufficiently frightened by our game choices…because we’re saving the most terrifying for AFTER Halloween. I know it’s unusual, but it’s the perfect way to catch all you SUCKERS off guard. Get ready, because we’re talking about Untitled Goose Game. And don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Episode 86 - He Gets Greasier - Silent Hill 2

I guess I really don’t care if it’s dangerous or not. I’m going to podcast either way.

Welcome to our spooky Halloween episode this year, where we’re talking about Silent Hill 2, among the most classic of classic survival horror games. Being a pillar of the genre, Silent Hill accomplishes a lot of what you would expect, providing a unique memorable atmosphere and characters that have persisted as icons of the series. But that’s what you’ve heard about Silent Hill 2. The experience of actually playing it for the first time, nearly 20 years after its original release, is something really strange and different, and what we’re actually here to talk about. As anyone who revisits childhood favorites is familiar with, games from older generations, particularly those that were considered cutting edge at the time, have a tendency to feel a little wonky and dated to modern audiences. And I hesitate to say that this game avoids that completely, but the original intent of the game is still in full force despite its age. Find out more as we talk about survival horror conventions, the importance of symbolism in psychological narratives, and why it is there is no boat% speedrun for this game.

I hope you enjoyed this year’s horror offering. While this is our only full horror episode this year, we tried to make it the best one we could, and this was a game that has been sort of calling to us for years. We hope you enjoy the retrospective on one of the most classic of horror games. And be sure to keep an out for the next episode, which will be on Psychonauts, because I guess we’re feeling nostalgic these days.

NOCLIP Pocket E16 - Ghost Bucks - Detention

Let us meet again, in another podcast.

Welcome to October! It’s time to play some horror games, and boy are we starting off with a bleak one. Detention is set in Taiwan during a period of marshal law, and despite its supernatural elements, really wants its lasting horror to be about the oppressiveness of life during this time. The game itself is a point-and-click adventure game, with puzzles to solve and diary entries to collect and uncover more of the story, and taken together, all its elements are in an eerily even balance. And that’s a good thing. The puzzles are not too hard, but not brainless. Narratively, there is equal weight placed on character-driven plot as well as the surrounding gloom of the world they inhabit. The game is spooky for its imagery and terrifying for the consequences its characters face. It all blends together into a really worthwhile experience in a genre of game that has seen its fair share of auteur works recently. We talk about the mechanical implications of narrative themes, good adventure game puzzle design, and ghosts that move just waaaaay to slowly.

Thanks for joining us again this episode! This is a game we played sort of on a whim based on the coverage it got and subsequently felt we had to put out an episode on it. We’re still in the early stages of the spookiest month of the year, and have a few more episodes queued up to talk about, but what have you guys been playing? Anything really scarin’ your socks off? Am I too late in the description now to be asking questions? No one’s reading? …yep.

Four Years of NOCLIP - Tomed Out of His Mind

NOCLIP Day Tidings, everyone! It’s the season of giving here on the podcast, but as usual, all we have to give is utter garbage. Specifically, the garbage we edit out of each episode and save in a special folder to break out for just such an occasion. This year we took steps toward improving our quality, making better jokes, and expanding our horizons to talk about a wide variety of still no real time strategy games. More seriously, though, we want to thank all of you for listening. We appreciate everyone who has joined our Discord to talk to us, sent us ratings, likes and feedback, and everyone who has just given us a chance and then was like “eh, it was okay.” Because “Okay” is all we strive for.

We hope you enjoyed this annual indulgence before we dive into spook season, because coming up in the next couple of weeks we have a NOCLIP Pocket episode on Detention and a regular episode on Silent Hill 2! Hopefully we’ll be able to jam a few more episodes in October, since it’s when we really get to run wild with horror games, so be on the look out for that, as well!

Episode 85 - Evidence That Spins - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

When something stinks, it’s probably the NOCLIP Podcast.

Thank you for joining us again today! We realize this one’s a bit late, but we needed to get it out before October starts and all non-scary content is expunged from the Internet. Today, however, we’re going to be talking about Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the first in what has become a series of games where you play the part of the titular Wright, and attempt to make the task of being a defense attorney fun to do. Fortunately, the game does succeed in that endeavor in most cases (get it?), with what was at the time a real twist on the adventure game formula. The gameplay generally breaks down to collecting items and information and then applying those things in an appropriate context in the trial sequences. The trials are a real joy to experience at times and really highlight how drab the investigation scenes are, which the game attempts to make up for with generally good writing throughout. We are going to be talking about characters, both in design and development, mechanical implementation in a courtroom environment, and we have a REAL LAWYER comment on the two (count ‘em, two) rules of evidence.

Thank you for listening again this week! We appreciate those of you who are sticking through our transition to a JJ-less podcast, and I hope the new perspective brings something valuable to the table. We’re going to be back again in October talking about a real horror classic in Silent Hill 2. Until then, be on the lookout for a new Pocket coming in the next week, and our annual celebration of unprofessionalism on our fourth anniversary on the third!

NOCLIP Pocket E15 - Firmly Grasped It - Device 6

I don’t know any people who listen to podcasts, nor do I care to.

Welcome back! On today’s episode of Pocket, we’re returning to phone games, and, in fact, returning to a mobile developer we’ve talked about before. Device 6 is a game by Simogo, who also developed Year Walk, which we discussed last Halloween, and between the two games prove that they get that using phone hardware in a unique way is key. This game, however, focuses on text almost exclusively. The game’s text tells the story and provides descriptions, but is also your map, the space you play in, and also forms the basis for interaction. There’s a lot of unique elements present here and the low-barrier to entry makes it worth trying out. We talk about the game’s use of its unique conceit to blend mystery and more spooky elements, the pros and cons of having to spin your phone all around, and whether we are, in fact, just brains in vats.

Thanks for joining us again today, and we hope you give the game a shot, as it’s (ironically, given its name) really one of a kind. We’re going back to talking about short games that won’t necessarily fit in your pocket next week as we talk about Detention. Got to gear up for Halloween eventually, right?

Episode 84 - The Bible is Dope - Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Your words are as empty as your soul! Mankind ill needs a podcast such as you!

Welcome back to the show this week. Join us in bidding a fond, but temporary, farewell to JJ, who will be taking some time off in the coming months, by playing Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. Also, sorry for spoiling the first five minutes of the podcast. Castlevania is a groundbreaking game that helped to establish a particular genre of platform/action game and is regarded by many to be one of the most influential games of all time. With Konami having fallen under in terms of public opinion, and the most recent releases in the Castlevania series being mostly remasters and collections, Symphony stands as a perennial favorite of the older crowd of nostalgic players, but for three newcomers to the Metroidvania title, how does it feel on a first look? We’re going to talk about intermixing systems, level design in a game set primarily in one location, and we establish a new holiday: August 25th, Whipmas.

Thank you for joining us, and while JJ may be leaving us for now, we intend to keep going as we are able to pick up new guests and releasing Pockets on our usual schedule. As for what we have on the horizon, next time we release an episode it will be on Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, the original lawyerin’ game by Capcom, and will be joined by Dan, who you may remember as being last heard yelling about Bad Rats on the Obra Dinn episode.

Episode 83 - He Is Now A Preteen - Super Mario Maker 2

We’re here to rebuild Princess Peach’s Podcast.

Welcome back to the show this week! Maybe this content isn’t so original at the moment, but we’re going to be covering Super Mario Maker 2. A game focused on user-generated content is particularly difficult to cover holistically, so we’re going to be looking at the elements of the game that are not focused on specifically playing people’s levels. Presentation, the robustness of the editor and how building and playing levels makes you feel are our focus and in some respects, are the real focus of the game as well. Everything in Mario Maker is expressive, colorful and fun to use and look at, and what lies beyond that is really up to your personal ability in platformers. We’re going to be talking about the satisfaction of seeing people playing your creations, the variability in playstyles forced by the possibilities present in the available tools and that nagging feeling you missed some cheese, and some 14 year old kid on the internet is going to comment that Bowser Jr. “EASY” sticker, and you are just GOING TO LOSE YOUR MIND DAMN IT JOHNNY JUST ENGAGE WITH THE LEVEL AT FACE VALUE I’VE HAD IT WITH YOU!

…thanks for listening! This is one of those games that just keeps on giving as far as new and interesting stuff to do goes, so I’m sure those of you who are playing it will likely still be playing for some time. But we are moving from one genre pioneer to another, and talking about Castlevania, Symphony of the Night on the next episode, the game that pushed the Castlevania franchise in a new direction, melding with the groundwork set out by Metroid and creating a new genre.

And if you want to play our levels, or on the flip side, have us play your levels, head on over to our discord, where you can submit codes for us or just talk about how every level you get in Super Expert is a big troll.
https://discord.gg/tRNNSJ6

NOCLIP Pocket E14 - Type "Sweet Love" - Only If

I’m listening to the podcast. The one with the anime painting.

Welcome back to NOCLIP Pocket! Today we’re talking about Only If, which is a free PC Adventure game that dedicates itself to doing things that are strange and interesting. While the inexperience of the team holds the game back from completely accomplishing its goals, what this game does provide is a great snapshot of the things indie game developers were trying to accomplish at the time in a very accessible package. There are some really good ideas here, and some of the elements (using the keyboard to type responses, surreal landscapes, a unique mishmash of mechanics) are ones we have previously praised in other games because they do such a good job of keeping the player on their toes and subverting expectations. These combine with some genuine creativity to make something that is worth the low bar of investment to experience despite the game’s relative lack of polish and narrative shortcomings. We’re going to talk about the search for weird indie titles, characters that are both really good and really very bad, and we design a hypothetically really bad Metroidvania that’s all about green pots.

Thank you for joining us again this week! This game kind of represents a desire for us to tackle some smaller titles on Pocket and look at some of the weirder elements experimented with in games. In a similar vein, next time we’re talking about Device 6, a very much text-based puzzle game from the developer of Year Walk, so be sure to check us out then.

Did you like this episode and want us to do more in the same style? Did you think this was a stupid idea and we should go back to covering Game Boy games from the early 90’s? Are you still angry that we didn’t like Detective Pikachu? Let us know, and maybe drop us some suggestions for what you’d like to see us cover in our discord!
https://discord.gg/tRNNSJ6

Episode 82 - Front Gatekeepers - Baba Is You

Podcast Is You And Podcast Has Bad Jokes

Welcome back! I hope you’ve been enjoying the scorching summer months as we pack into a single air-conditioning-less room to record a new episode on Baba Is You. This is an indie puzzle game with an incredibly unique concept, namely, being able to push around words that define the rules of the puzzle. The primary mechanic set of each level is then to manipulate these rules to provide a clear passage for whatever object you happen to be inhabiting at the time to reach whatever object represents the goal. Sound abstract? We think that’s kind of the point. We’re going to be talking about puzzle game accessibility, face-value readability in a game with a lot of moving parts, and how maybe, deep down, there’s a creepypasta in here somewhere.

Thanks for joining us again this week! We’re encouraging some viewer participation on our next episode as we’re discussing Mario Maker 2! Have a level you’re proud of? Or a level you think will make us pull our hair out? Send it to us! Leave a comment wherever you’re listening to the podcast (or on our Discord at https://discord.gg/tRNNSJ6 ) or send us an email at NOCLIPPodcast@gmail.com and we’ll probably give it a shot!

NOCLIP Pocket E13 - #Only90%ofKids - Pokémon Trading Card Game

Dueling is more fun than just listening to podcasts!

Welcome back to NOCLIP Pocket! This episode, we’re going to revisit a childhood favorite of, I think, every single kid who grew up in Pokémon’s heyday. Even more than an adaptation of the card game everyone was playing and collecting at the time, the game seemed almost like a full-fledged Pokémon game, with a similar conceit and art style. While that seemed good at the time, almost too good to be true, in fact, reflecting on the game in the current landscape of Pokémon the way that it is colors our opinion a little. Still, the game is still the same, being based on a TCG means that the rules are close to timeless and the things it did well in adapting a card game to the limited hardware of the Game Boy are still impressive to this day. We’re going to talk about our experiences with this and other physical card games, the narrative aspects of the game that would go largely overlooked in a modern TCG adaptation, and debating the voracity of the most prevalent of urban myths: can you just press “A” when the coin is heads up to win every flip?

Thank you for joining us again this week, and hopefully you will proceed to absolutely JAM to this game’s soundtrack over the next few days like we have been since we started playing it. Next time, we’re going to be talking about Only If, which is currently still free to play on Steam as of this writing.

Got a sweet deck list for Pokémon you want to share? Want to tell us that games from 1998 should stay in the ground where they belong? Join our Discord to have conversations about all this and more!
https://discord.gg/tRNNSJ6

Episode 81 - The Birth Pillar - God of War

There is one unavoidable truth you will never escape: you cannot change. You will always be... a podcast.

Welcome back to the show, where today we’re going to take a look at the return of the God of War franchise with the, uh, aptly titled “God of War.” We meet Kratos this time around on a much more somber mission than in previous games, with him setting out with his son to scatter his wife’s ashes on the highest peak in the realms. This is of course swiftly interrupted and the journey continues but with more of a focus on the action combat the series is known for. This isn’t to say that the gameplay is unchanged, as the polish here has gone into smooth, satisfying animations and really tremendous visuals which help make the fighting feel, for the most part, fluid and satisfying. Yet, despite this polish and despite the budget, there is some niggling feeling that something else could have been done and we discuss what it is that makes this feel like maybe a little less than the triumph it was largely sold as. We’re going to talk about the value of iteration over innovation, implementation of RPG elements in seemingly every game, and what is truly the genre-defining title in the arms (big beefy arms)-race that is Buff Guy Games.

Thanks for joining us again this time, it’s a few days late but there were some holidays and some driving and stuff that prevented us from finding a convenient time to record so we hope you’ll forgive us. Next time we’re going to take a step in a decidedly different direction to talk about Baba Is You, an indie puzzle game that works on the very abstract formula of moving words and objects around the screen to change the rules that govern how you interact with the world. It’s fascinating, and we hope you’ll join us for it.

And hey, maybe you’re wondering “NOCLIP, why are you talking about this game that released last year and most people don’t really consider to be that relevant anymore? Also, why don’t you like anything? Jesus. Consider yourself uninvited from all future parties we might hypothetically have cause, honestly? Honestly? You’re bringing everyone down.” Well, for one, harsh. And for two, maybe the relevant games discussion you’re looking for can be found on our Discord server, where we have a great group of people with whom we recently live-reacted to E3 and are always up to talk about the recent developments and old favorites. Come join us!

https://discord.gg/tRNNSJ6