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
164 episodes
Ep 126: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 8) - It's Not All Sunshine and Sephiroth w/ Barry Carenza
For the past few months, we've been speaking heaps of sugar about Final Fantasy 7. But it's not the perfect experience many fans my think. Taking up the position of someone less than enthusiastic about the game is co-founder of Premium Edition ...
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Episode 126
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57:01
Ep 125: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 7) - Memories and Moments
More than the pillars of Cloud, Sephiroth, and Aerith, Final Fantasy 7 is filled to the brim with memorable moments, both big and small. On this week's episode, we discuss everything from dens of ill repute to epic slap fests in our attempt to ...
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Episode 125
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59:52
Ep 124: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 6) - Story and Themes
As we continue down the road of dissecting Final Fantasy 7 like some bizarre Hojo experiment, we arrive at story and themes. From the opening tales of corporate greed and environmental espionage to the eventual themes of literal life versus dea...
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Episode 124
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1:09:56
Ep 123: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 5) - A Memorable, Enduring Cast
When lost in the dueling seas of Cloud and Sephiroth, it's easy to forget there's an entire cast backing them up. From the drama of Aerith to the strong-willed Barret, there's plently of gold to be mined in Final Fantasy 7's supporting players....
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Episode 123
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1:35:16
Ep 122: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 4) - Cloud and Sephiroth: A Tale of Two Giants
The two headed monster of Final Fantasy 7, Cloud and Sephiroth may be the ultimate one/two punch in the entire franchise. Two towering examples of style, power and intrigue, this dynamic duo takes control - and often overpowers - the balance of...
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Episode 122
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1:24:24
Ep 121: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 3) - MORE Intros and First Impressions
Welcome back to our multi-month exploration of Final Fantasy 7! This week, we continue to share our first impressions and initial thoughts about this incredible, enduring title. Many thanks to all my guests who helped make this possible!
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Episode 121
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59:48
Ep 120: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 2) - Intros and First Impressions
Before FF7, our first impressions of a game were generally in a home. Huddled around a CRT TV in a friends basement or stuffed on the family couch, experiencing games for the first time was an intimate experience. But with Final Fa...
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Episode 120
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52:43
Ep 119: Final Fantasy 7 (Part 1) - The Buzz, Buildup and Cloud High Expectations
Final Fantasy 7 wasn't just a game release. It was the changing of an era. The moment when the franchise grew from fun games to media events. As a result, the marketing for FF7 reached unheard of levels for videogames at the time. And with the ...
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Episode 119
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1:10:04
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
