A Gamer Looks At 40
An exploration of the history of video games told through the stories of the every day people who lived it. Join me along with a rotating cast of friends, family, gaming journalists, and industry types as we share personal recollections from the last thirty years of gaming, one story at a time.
Episodes
156 episodes
Ep 118: Halloween Memories with Joe Coiro
BOOO! A few years back, I did a Halloween retrospective with my brother. Two years later, why not revisit this nostalgia well with my best friend Joey of Perfect Storm Gaming and Chase Brogan's YouTube channel. On this episode, we discuss terri...
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Episode 118
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56:40
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Ep 117: Side Quests Vol 9
As I conduct hours upon hours in interviews for this show, occasionally a few clips get left by the wayside. Either they don't fit into a main episode or they're so random, there's simply no place for them to live. Enter Side Quests, an ongoing...
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Episode 117
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54:48
Ep 116: A Conversation with Chase aka Retro Gaming Guy
As we continue our extended breather from the monster Final Fantasy series, let meet Chase aka Retro Gaming Guy on YouTube. On this week's episode, Chase and I discuss the joy of arcades, his work in becoming a content creator and the power of ...
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Episode 116
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1:02:43
Ep 115: A Conversation with Ben Magnet
A veteran of both the videogame journalism and podcasting space, Ben Magnet's seen it all. Join us as we chat about the early days of PC gaming, Pokemon, Sonic the Hedgehog and anything other than Final Fantasy. Enjoy!STARRING:B...
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Episode 115
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42:46
Tales From the Bargain Bin #22 - Frogger II: ThreeeDeep!
When Joe Coiro suggested Frogger II for a Tales From the Bargain Bin episode, I thought, "Great. An Atari 2600 game. How are we going to do a tight 30 minutes on Frogger?" Turns out that after over three decades of friendship, we can blather on...
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47:41
Ep 114: Chrono Trigger - To Be or Not To Be a Final Fantasy
Six months ago, The Well Red Mage asked me if Chrono Trigger is a Final Fantasy. From that innocent question grew a six month quest to mine the patience of my guests and test the temperance of my listening audience. On this episode, I ask a bun...
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Episode 114
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1:16:03
Ep 113: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 8) - Odds and Ends
Whew! After two long months of scouring Final Fantasy 6, we've reached the final episode. On this culminating edition, a wide variety of my FF6 friends share random thoughts, stories, and opinions that didn't make it into the main episodes. An ...
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Episode 113
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2:11:53
Ep 112: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 7) - More Connections to an Ensemble Cast
On the second half of our Final Fantasy 6 character discussion, we explore the stories and connections of Edgar, Sabin, Shadow, Gau and more. Seven episodes, one more to go in our exhaustive dissection of this legendary classic. Enjoy!S...
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Episode 112
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1:01:03
Ep 111: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 6) - Connections to an Ensemble Cast
Any discussion of Final Fantasy 6 would be incomplete without a thorough deep dive into the cast. From rakish rouges to magic infused generals to a loyal solider, the characters in FF 6 are as varied as they are intriguing. In this first part o...
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Episode 111
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1:13:17
Ep 110: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 5) - The Mama Terra Story
In the midst of my nearly 20 interviews for this Final Fantasy 6 series, one conversation stood out as unique. And sometimes, those chats need to exist on their own. On this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, we meet Mama Terra, an FF6 cosplayer w...
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Episode 110
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47:19
Ep 109: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 4) - The Kefkasode
If you were to build a Mount Rushmore of Final Fantasy antagonists, Kefka Palazzo would have to be included. A mastermind of nihilism, this clown prince grows from general to deity in the space of Final Fantasy 6's runtime and through that grow...
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Episode 109
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1:24:21
Ep 108: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 3) - Moments and Memories of the World of Ruin
If Final Fantasy 6's World of Balance is an action movie of moving castles, flying airships and magical creatures, the World of Ruin is an anthology of indie character dramas. Focused more on finding the motivation to do right thing as opposed ...
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Episode 108
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1:16:26
Ep 107: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 2) - Moments and Memories of the World of Balance
Final Fantasy 6 is a tale of two stories. In this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, we look at the first half of this epic tale, The World of Balance. Starting as a traditional rebellion vs the Empire story, the tale quickly morphs into a charact...
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Episode 107
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1:01:13
Ep 106: Final Fantasy 6 (Part 1) - Intros and First Impressions
From the second the title faded from my 19 inch Zenith CRT and the opening montage began, I was an insta-fan of Fina Fantasy 3/6. Nothing could have prepared me for the epic adventure that awaited me. An experience rich with high drama, interes...
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Episode 106
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1:38:15
State of the Show Address and AMA - Summer 2024
Before I spend the next month and a half speaking all sorts of sugar about Final Fantasy 6, I figured I'd fill in the time with a quick pod update and AMA session. Silly questions get answered seriously, life mistakes are shared, and somehow I ...
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47:39
Tales From the Bargain Bin #21 - NBA All Star Challenge (SNES)
When I asked Justin Hamm of The Stage Select Podcast which game he would like to do for Tales From the Bargain Bin, he immediately responded, "NBA All Star Challenge on the SNES". Almost too quickly.Turns out, Justin was trying to exorc...
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55:01
Ep 105: Final Fantasy 5 - The Forgotten Classic
While North American gamers dined on Mystic Quest, our pals in the East were chowing down on Final Fantasy 5. Full of customization, intrigue and a killer soundtrack, this game was often considered unattainable aside from emulation and a handfu...
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Episode 105
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1:12:02
Ep 104: Final Fantasy Mystic Quest - The Entry Level Adventure
While Final Fantasy was already a Japanese phenomenon, things here in the states were slower to gather steam. FF4 did well in stores, but nowhere near the numbers overseas. So, what to do with Final Fantasy 5? Release this complex, job heavy du...
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Episode 104
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54:59
Ep 103: Final Fantasy 4 (Part 3) - All The Things We Didn't Talk About Yet
As we put a bow on our virtual round table regarding Final Fantasy 4, there's still so much to discuss. In this, the third and final installment on FF4, we take a shotgun approach to the stories by sharing - well - all the things we didn't on t...
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Episode 103
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1:16:47
Ep 102: Final Fantasy 4 (Part 2) - Moments and Characters
Last week, we started the FF4 fire by documenting our initial impressions. On this week's episode, we go deeper into the big (and small) moments that left an impact along with the characters that made this SNES launch title a game to reme...
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Episode 102
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1:35:41
Ep 101: Final Fantasy 4 (Part 1) - Introductions Into a Brave, New World
In the winter of 1991, Final Fantasy 2 stormed onto North American shores as an SNES launch title and was met with middling enthusiasm. US gamers were too busy stomping Goombas and driving hovercrafts to worry about turn based combat and ...
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Episode 101
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1:16:27
Tales From the Bargain Bin #20 - M.U.S.C.L.E. (NES)
Wrestling and videogames. The two combined conjures up images of late night sleepovers hopped up on Jolt Cola, Pixie Sticks and sweaty man-beasts. But for two brothers in Northern New Jersey, our first blush with digitized pugilism was M....
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35:35
Ep 100: The Birth of Nintendo Power w/ Gail Tilden
When Mario's Claymation visage first landed in my mailbox in the summer of 1988, I was a Nintendo fan. After tearing into that inaugural issue of Nintendo Power, I was a devotee. On this episode of A Gamer Looks at 40, I chat with the architect...
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Episode 100
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54:38
Tales From the Bargain Bin #19 - The Rocketeer (SNES)
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 fois...
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35:06
Ep 99: Final Fantasy 2 and 3: The Forgotten 8-Bit Adventures
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 epic...
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Episode 99
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1:45:40
