Region Free Gamers: A Video Game Podcast

Today, Arnaldo, Geoff, Ozzy, and Paul talk about the ups and downs of one of the UK's greatest video game developers, Bullfrog! But not before Ozzy gets congratulated for his acquisition of a Neo Geo MVS cabinet and his future decline into poverty as a result of purchasing games for it (2:45). The guys have a chat about British video game development in general (7:00) before moving on to the birth and growth of Bullfrog (20:40). Of course, we can't talk about Bullfrog without talking about their games, and the place to start is the hugely influential Populous (30:00) followed by hyperviolent dystopian darling, Syndicate (56:00) and the subversive capitalism simulator, Theme Park (1:13:45). After determining whether there was an N-Gage port of Syndicate, the guys make a brief stops at Magic Carpet and Hi-Octane (1:26:35), and finish up with Dungeon Keeper's unusual development story (1:40:20) followed by a discussion about the legacy Bullfrog left behind (1:53:40).   Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk

In the last bout of the Round of 8, the fairy tale underdog that was Grim Fandango in the last round goes against one of the favourites to win it all, Metal Gear Solid. Ozzy is on the hosting chair, as he is joined by his friends over in the old world, namely, Geoff Ivats and old friend of the pod and all around renaissance man, Dennis Strillinger (a/k/a Strillivanilli), as they discuss the merits of each game and make a choice as to which one should go on to the semi-finals. We are getting close to the end and the stakes are higher than ever. Who will prevail as The King of Games 98? Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com

Today, Arnaldo, Anthony, Geoff, and Paul are barely enduring the insane g-forces generated from their discussion of the fastest video game series ever: F-Zero! After a brief discussion about awkward dinner parties, video game collectibles, and the late, great, Barcode Battler, the guys do a quick overview of the F-Zero series, including their first experiences with it. (11:00). The OG Super Nintendo F-Zero is up next in all its Mode 7 glory (25:30) followed by superlative N64 sequel, F-Zero X (57:50). The Game Boy Advance video games are up next, including a look into the rare F-Zero Climax (1:16:20). The show is wrapped up discussing the controversial, Sega developed, F-Zero GX (1:27:30) and whether the series is primed for a comeback on the Nintendo Switch (1:47:00)   Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: F-Zero - Big Blue F-Zero X - Endless Challenge (Mute City) F-Zero: Maximum

Another big Round of 8 matchup in The King Of Games 98' tournament today with the #1 seed in the 'Best Video Game Nobody Played' tournament, Panzer Dragoon Saga, versus the game that grabbed the FPS by the collar and told it to grow up, Half Life! Arnaldo, Anthony and Geoff go over each game's lows (negative sales numbers, terrible platforming) and highs (everything else) in an effort to decide which of these two gems gets to move on to the semi finals! Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com Music Panzer Dragoon Saga - Atolm Dragon Half Life - Drums And Riffs

Today Arnaldo, Ozzy, and Geoff talk about the video game that defined a period in time as well as any, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater! The guys start off geeking out about Tony Hawk himself and their own skateboarding experiences (2:30) before moving on to some of THPS' less successful predecessors and the incredibly effective combination of pizza and demo discs that enthralled Ozzy as a young immigrant (15:00). Geoff takes a moment to confirm Europe has malls and grocery stores (24:15). After checking Geoff's references on that 'fact' and chatting a little more skateboarding, the guys talk about the original THPS and which version is the best (34:00) before moving on to THPS 2 and some of the differences between regions, including one with a heavy dose of K-Pop (1:20:00). The show wraps up with THPS 3 and 4 (1:48:40) and an exclamation of disbelief from Geoff when the Tapwave Zodiac video game system makes its first appearance on the Region Free Gamers podcast! (2:05:10)

The Round of 8 of The King Of Games 98 tournament gets hotter and hotter! The little black and white video game that started an undying cultural phenomenon, Pokemon Red/Blue is up against the game that both birthed one genre and nearly killed another, Gran Turismo! Ozzy, Geoff, and Anthony go over their thoughts on the legacies left behind by these two groundbreaking video games and inevitably select one to continue to the semi-finals, while the other wonders what might have been had a podcasting team with better taste been in charge... Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com Music: Pokemon Red/Blue - Battle! Gym Leader Music

Today the whole crew is here with Arnaldo, Ozzy, Geoff, Anthony, and Paul talking about what video games they've been playing lately. The show starts off with Paul's experiences in Japan, including retro game shopping in Akihabara and Osaka (7:30) before moving on to Ozzy's games including Dark Souls 2 (30:00). Geoff's video games are up next, including Rime and Zone Of The Enders 2 (54:30), followed by Anthony with MLB The Show 20' and fellow contemporary sports game, NHL 94' (1:11:30). We wrap up the show with Arnaldo and Wargroove (1:26:30), and Paul with Factorio (1:43:30).   Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes Of Heaven - Jonathan Joestar Battle BGM Return Of The Obra Dinn - Loose Cargo Z.O.E. The 2nd Runner - Beyond The Bounds Streets Of Rage 2 - Alien Power Wargroove - Bounding Joy

In the first match-up of the Round of 8 stage of the tournament, Arnie, Paul and Ozzy come together to discuss whether Bioware's influential CRPG has stood the test of time in order to go up against Nintendo's powerhouse title. Baldur's Gate previously defeated Tekken 3, whilst The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time took down Resident Evil 2. Now that they are facing each other, which of these fantastic games will advance to the semi-finals? Find out on another episode of the King of Games 98! Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com

Arnaldo and Anthony are joined by author and video game historian, Rob Strangman, as they discuss the first video game series that truly married the medium with horror, Splatterhouse! The guys start off talking about how Rob got into gaming and founding the definitive Splatterhouse website, West Mansion (2:30). The crew moves onto talking about the original Splatterhouse arcade game and its legendary conversion to the PC-Engine / Turbografx-16 (15:00) and little known variants and spinoffs, such as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Grafitti for the Famicom (47:00). The Genesis / Mega Drive sequels are up next (59:30) and the show wraps up with some behind the scenes stories from the 2010 Splatterhouse remake Rob consulted on, including why it ultimately failed and probably won't return (1:36:00).   Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Splatterhouse 2010 - Zombies In The Mausoleum

Geoff, our in-house Final Fantasy 7 diehard, is joined by Anthony, Arnie and Ozzy to discuss their thoughts on the unexpected release of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo. Topics on the episode range from the change in the combat mechanics, to whether Cloud's heartthrob looks work in 2020 and even go into unexpected, hard to reach places. So if you are even just a fraction as excited as we are about a game that has been long awaited, make sure to take a listen to this very special Pocket episode. Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com

Crazy episode today with Geoff, Arnie, and Paul going through the hottest video game opinions our listeners sent us. We start off discussing whether LeBron James was a Nintendo or Sony guy (4:00) before discussing whether Zelda: Ocarina of Time was actually terrible or if, as usual, the N64 controller is the culprit (6:30). We then talk about whether Saints Row IV is actually better than GTA V (31:00), whether Lost Odyssey is actually the best Final Fantasy game (36:30), and whether the Dreamcast was the worst system of its generation (44:00). The remaining highlights include a discussion on whether The Last Of Us is overrated (52:30), whether Dark Souls is unfair or merely difficult (1:02:30) and Arnie's preferred cosplay character (1:28:30). Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Sonic Boom - Forest Battle Lost Odyssey - An Enemy Appears! The Last Of Us - The Last Of Us

It is a tale of two dragons, as Paul and Ozzy are joined by Kelly, a/k/a @sierranight_gaming, as they discuss whether Spyro the Dragon can leverage its nostalgia against the mythical (and expensive) allure of Panzer Dragoon Saga. Will Team Andromeda's cult-classic fantasy RPG stand up to the lovable mass appeal of Insomniac's Spyro the Dragon? Find out on the last match in the Round of 16 of the King of Games 98! Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com

Ozzy, Arnie and Geoff are joined by Rob Howard, host of the Grid Snaps podcast, to talk about some of the games released by Capcom in the 7th generation that deserve another look. The crew starts out by discussing Rob's career path as a professor of game design at Purdue University, including his work on Earth Defense Force and his wholehearted defense of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The crew then starts the Capcom procession by discussing the swinging grim world of the Bionic Commando 2009 reboot (33:08). Afterwards, they discuss the jetpack escapades of Dark Void (1:09:05), and then finish the episode by chatting about the many charms of Dragon's Dogma (1:28:41). Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com Music in this episode: Above the Canopy - Bear McCreary (Dark Void) The Laws of Nature - Trond-Viggo Melsen (Bionic Commando) Gran Soren Metropolitan Area - Various (Dragon's Dogma) V

On the penultimate episode of the Round of 16, Arnie and Paul are joined by Benja Hiller (a/k/a @frau_lametta) from Welcome to Last Week, to pit Grim Fandango against Starcraft. On one hand, Grim Fandango is one of the best examples of the point and click adventure genre. On the other hand, Starcraft is probably the game that did the most to expand the popularity of the real time strategy genre and remains popular in competitive play to this day. Does the underdog Grim Fandango ever stand a chance of taking down the mighty Starcraft? Find out on another episode of The King of Games 98. Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com

On this episode, Ozzy, Paul and Arnie are joined by fellow Canadian Mike Doucet to discuss the history of Sony's Sly Cooper franchise. The episode is tinged with heavy doses of nostalgia, tons of raccoon facts and Paul showing an unusual level of concern for turtles. The crew first explores the creation of Sucker Punch Productions, the origin of Sly Cooper and discuss the first game (27:35), then discuss the very good reception of Sly 2 and the more muted acclaim of Sly 3 and whether it was warranted (1:09:41). The crew closes out by briefly discussing Thieves in Time and then pondering on the future of Sly (1:49:50). 

On the sixth episode of the round of 16, Paul and Arnie are joined by cartoonist and retro gamer Ryan Medlock a/k/a @videogamebear to tackle a perennial underdog match-up, as the sublime stealth action of Metal Gear Solid squares off against the whimsical platforming of Banjo-Kazooie. Will the googly-eyed charms of Banjo-Kazooie be enough to take down Hideo Kojima's masterpiece? Will the lack of Ozzy tilt the scale in Banjo's favor? Will Arnie ever make a final decision? Find out on another episode of The King of Games 98. Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Banjo Kazooie (Grant Kirkhope) - Main Title

Today, Anthony, Arnaldo, and Paul talk about the video games they've been playing lately, starting with Arnaldo and the game that's good no matter how many times you play it, Yakuza Kiwami 2, shortly followed by Hotline Miami (11:00). Anthony's current video games are up next with SUPERHOT and Keep Talking And Nobody Explodes (40:00) while we also tackle the question of whether the PSVR beats out the Sega-CD as history's greatest video game add-on (43:30). Paul finishes up with some Nintendo Switch multiplayer goodness in Killer Queen Black, River City Girls, and NBA2K Playgrounds 2 (1:00:30). Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Hotline Miami - Perturbator Killer Queen Black - Main Theme

On the fifth episode of the round of 16, Anthony, Geoff and Ozzy come together to pit Baldur's Gate,  Bioware's seminal computer RPG, against Tekken 3, the most polished 3D fighter Namco had released up to that point. Will Baldur's Gate's complex systems and deep narrative prevail? Or will Tekken 3's timeless pick up and play appeal place the RPG in a chokehold? Find out on another episode of The King of Games 98. Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music: Dr. Bosconovitch Theme - Various (Tekken 3) The Friendly Arms Inn - Michael Hoenig (Baldur's Gate)

It's a full house today as Ozzy, Paul, Geoff, Anthony and Arnaldo go over their top picks for 2019 video game of the year, as well as their favourite non-2019 video games. First the crew celebrates their second birthday in talking about 2019 for the podcast itself, with some of the ins and outs of what it takes to put out a video game show on a regular basis (2:30). The introspective is followed by Geoff's picks (24:30), Anthony's picks (48:00), Arnaldo procrastinating his way towards his picks (1:06:30), Paul's picks (1:20:30), and finally, Ozzy's self proclaimed "not great" picks (1:37:30) Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail dot com   Music Fist of the Northstar: Lost Paradise - Sphere City Resident Evil 2 Remake - Super Tyrant Boss Theme Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order - Stormtrooper Battle Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - Main Theme Etrian Odyssey Nexus - Storm

On this fourth match of the Round of 16, Ozzy, Geoff and Anthony talk about how Resident Evil 2 for the PlayStation fares against The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Nintendo 64. Is the terrifying adventure of Leon and Claire enough to overcome Link's maiden voyage into the 3D realm? And what exactly is the Nintendo bump? Find out on this thrilling episode of our biweekly tournament.  Talk to us! Instagram @regionfreegamerspodcast Twitter @regionfreegamer Email regionfreegamers at gmail.com Visit us! www.regionfreegamers.com Music on this episode: Song of Storms - Koji Kondo (Ocarina of Time) Ada's Theme (In the Sewer) - Various Composers (Resident Evil 2)