You think you know a guy. Podcast with him for almost 5 years, talk about Marvel movies, guest on almost 100 of his show's episodes. And then, in a time of need, when asked to suggest a game for a last minute Tales From the Bargain Bin, he foists this piece of junk upon me.  That man is Mike Albertin of Games My Mom Found, the game is the Rocketeer for the SNES and if you know this strange shoot-em-up, you're already feeling my pain.  Join Mike and I as we fail to talk about the movie, discuss World War 2 museums and bemoan the strange, strange experiment that is The Rocketeer vide ..read more

While we were stomping Goombas and hunting ducks, Japanese gamers were embarking on epic NES adventures. When the missing Final Fantasy 2 and 3 were finally released to the West, fans were excited. Finally, we could try those missing 8-bit epics without downloading sketchy emulators and learning Japanese.  While the reality never lived up to the hype, the NES sequels earned the respect of the community, even if they didn't quite live up to the loft standards of 1 and 4. On this edition of A Gamer Looks at 40, we explore this JRPG two-some and do some memory mining of our very own. STARR ..read more

On Part 1 of our two part exploration of the original Final Fantasy, we talked intros and first impressions. For Part 2, we start by talking about the game's many inspirations and the amazing moments that blew our 10 year old minds. A mixed bag of topics that somehow ties into the overall theme of this series: Final Fantasy 1 is a classic for a reason, warts and all. Oh, and we talk about Warmech. Lots and lots of Warmech.  STARRING (all handles from Twitter) Barry Carenza of Premium Edition Games (@HawkHellfire) @Dancarnate Greg Sewart of the Player One Podcast and Generation 16 (@sewa ..read more

When Final Fantasy hit North American shores in 1990, it sparked an RPG revolution in the West. Gamers like myself and many of my friends fell in love with the interesting mechanics, player expression, and overarching story. These days, Final Fantasy 1 feels like a relic of an era gone by. As a cultural artifact, it's significant but whether it's worth playing, even on the spiffy new re-masters, is under debate.  But not on this podcast. Join over a dozen of my friends and fellow Final Fantasy fans and I as we discuss our first time playing the title, the mechanics, and the lasting lega ..read more

LJN The name alone brings shockwaves of terror to retro gamers everywhere. But what was it like back in the day? Join podcaster Michael  Colby and I as we discuss three titles: The Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine, and Spider-Man: Return of the Sinister Six.  And be sure to check out Michael's show Jack Billings Presents: Haunted Apartment Complex - https://open.spotify.com/show/1hi3mFv6Cezcf0WsmsTsxl?si=06eb950e96f94182 Support the show ..read more

Last week, we looked at the various nuts and bolts of the Final Fantasy franchise to see what it structurally needed to be a member of the family. On this week's episode, we explore personal stories, connections made, and communities built over this landmark series of games. STARRING (all handles from Twitter) Aiden Moher (@adribbleofink) Carson Clark (@DesireeKorrupt) Josh of Still Loading Podcast (@StillLoadingPod) Julian Titus (@julian_titus) of The Stage Select Podcast (@StageSelectPod) Kyle of the The RPG Podcast (@TheRPGPodcast) The Let's Play Princess (@TheLPPrincess) Mekel Kasanova ..read more

From its humble beginnings as a "last gasp" for a fledgling game designer to the billion dollar monolith it is today, Final Fantasy's rise from niche to mainstream mirrors videogames as a whole. On this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, we launch our multi-month deep dive into the world of this storied franchise, meet some of its super fans and try to answer the unanswerable: what makes Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy. STARRING (all handles from Twitter) Aiden Moher (@adribbleofink) @GameswCoffee @Dancarnate James and JJ of RetroFits on YouTube (@retrofits7618) Josh of Still Loading Podcast (@Sti ..read more

When A Gamer Looks at 40 first launched in May of 2021, my intention was for it be a year long project. To date, I've been at it for over two and half. So, it's time for a break! On this episode, I announce a three month hiatus from producing new episodes for the show. Give this quickie a listen to learn why the break, what to expect during the pause in new work, and what to look forward to when AGLA40 makes a triumphant return on March 4th, 2024. JOIN THE DISCORD!! -->  https://discord.gg/PFd2xVbpEM My Twitter: @agamerlooksat40 My Facebook: facebook.com/agamerlooksat40 My Insta: @ag ..read more

Another week, another chance to share even more videogame stories from the gaggle of lovely people I got to chat with over the last few months. Enjoy Side Quests Volume 8, Intros Part 2, etc, etc! STARRING (all handles from Twitter X) Brian aka @DayandKnightly Cat Blackard (@NeonFeline) of the Mother, She Wrote Podcast (@EarthBoundPod) Ian aka @teacherbloke85 Jodi aka @Bakuiel Lucas White aka @HokutoNoLucas Jonathan (@DaEgg123) and Katie (@earthbound64) J.R. Sommerfeldt (@sommerfeldt_r) Kyle VonKubik of Read Only Magazine (@obeykube) My Discord: https://discord.com/invite/SdaE4atGjC My Twit ..read more

Whenever I get the opportunity to chat with people about games, the conversation rarely stays on topic. Invariably, my guest and I start jibber-jabbering about all sorts of gaming related topics. In this action packed addition to my Side Quests series, we learn the backstories of a few of my favorite guests from the last four months of podcast interviews. Volume 8 is coming next week! STARRING (all handles from Twitter X) Dan aka Captain Gingerbeard (@ScurvyBay) Joe of SNES is Life Podcast (@SNES_is_Life) Matt of the Backlog Busters (@backlog_busters) Mustin, music producer (@Mustin) Rigney ..read more