Season 6 | dlcpodcast

Season 6 (2016)

Episode 1: Pixel Glory

To kick off our 6th year of DLC, Brian and Ron talk about the retro revival that's taken gaming by storm: who would've thought that 20 or so years after the NES and SNES that we'd still be playing games that look like those we grew up on? Why are we still drawn to such games? Panel: Brian, Ron

Episode 2: Polarizing Games

Developers are starting to utilize storylines and plot elements not typically found in games: depression, anxiety, LGBT issues, death, racism, among others. Some feel that such divisive and controversial subjects have no place in games--should they? What's the aim? Panel: Brian, Ron, Gabriel, Wyatt

Episode 3: A Hail of Bullets

We look at shoot 'em up games, a genre of game that has fallen out of favor in recent years. Challenging, maddening, and fun (depending on who you ask), these games still manage to appeal to gamers seeking a challenge. Panel: Brian, Ron, Andy, Michael

Episode 4A: Gotta Catch 'Em All (Part 1)

Do you want to be the very best, like no one ever was? On the first part of what ended up being a 2-part episode, we dive back into the nostalgia pool to talk about Pokemon, celebrating 20 years of catching, training, and battling to become the Pokemon Champion. Panel: Ron, Brian, Nick, Gabriel, Brittany

Episode 4B: Gotta Catch 'Em All (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our Pokemon 20th Anniversary episode, we pick up where we left off in the first half--from the 3rd generation (Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and going all the way through to now. It's 2 more hours of Pokemon chat! Panel: Ron, Brian, Nick, Gabriel, Brittany

Episode 5: The D&D Connection

Wyatt from Sprites and Dice returns to guest-host this episode, moderating a discussion about the influences that the long-running tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons have had on video games past and present. Panel: Wyatt, Brian, Ron, Nick

Episode 6: The PC Master Race

What started off as sarcastic commentary on PC gamers became something said PC gaming community embraced, but why do we feel a need to further divide gamers based on how and what they play their games on? Panel: Brian, Ron, Nick, Ryan, Tanya

Episode 7: PAX East 2016

It's our longest PAX East recap episode yet! We talk about our experiences--all the amazing indie games we demoed, the concerts, and PAX overall. Part 1 covers the first day, part 2 covers days 2 & 3. Panel: Brian, Shanna, Wyatt, Reid, Jonathan Markle

Part 1

Part 2

Episode 8: From 2011 to Now

In Season 1, we looked at six classic franchises celebrating milestone anniversaries: Sonic, Dragon Quest, Zelda, Metroid, Donkey Kong, and Resident Evil. Now, five years later, we look back and see what new entries each franchise have given us. Panel: Brian, Ron, Nick

Episode 9: 20 Years of Nintendo 64

We spend 2 hours going down the warp pipe of nostalgia to talk about the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo 64, bringing up our most memorable games from the well-known to the obscure, and discussing the console's place in gaming history. Panel: Brian, Ron, Wyatt

Episode 10: E3 2016

The dust has settled on another E3, and so with it, we take a look at this year's offerings. What stuck out, for better or worse? Are we looking forward to anything? We break it all down for you here, alongside with Joshie, here on his annual appearance. Panel: Brian, Ron, Joshua, Andy

Episode 11: Free Play 11

It's the first of three Free Play for this season: episodes where we talk about anything and everything game-related. On this episode: we rant about Mighty No. 9 and Final Fantasy 15, discuss the idea of playing a video game blind, and much more. Panel: Brian, Ron, Tanya

Episode 12: Puzzling, Isn't It?

Even though they don't get the same attention and press that some franchises do, puzzle games remain a steady genre. Here, we talk about classics like Tetris and newer titles that blend genres such as Portal. What are some of your favorites? Panel: Brian, Nick, Andy, Ryan

Episode 13: Free Play 12
On our second Free Play of the season, it's just Brian and Tanya as they talk about nostalgia, the fact that major developers have taken notice, the problem of online bullying, sports games, and plenty more. Panel: Brian, Tanya

Episode 14: The World of Survival Horror

Just in time for Halloween, we talk about our favorite survival horror games. From classics like Sweet Home and Clock Tower, to current favorites like Five Nights at Freddy's, we take a in-depth look at this niche genre. What are some of your favorites? Panel: Brian, Shanna, Ronald

Episode 15: What the hell, Nintendo?

Even though the Nintendo Switch has captivated our Nintendo fanboy hearts again, we have to bring down the enthusiasm just a touch. There are many issues we have with Nintendo in recent years: threatening legal action and shutting down any fan projects as well as neglecting major franchises, for starters. We ask: what the hell, Nintendo? Panel: Brian, Ron

Episode 16: Nintendo Switch Hype Train

We break down the reveal of the Nintendo Switch and go into full-on speculation about it: the little we do know, plus what we hope we'll see on it as long-suffering Nintendo fans...most of which will probably be dead wrong by January. Regardless, we're all on the hype train! Panel: Brian, Ron, Nick, Ronald, Tanya, Scarlet Miller

Episode 17: Free Play 13

The final Free Play episode of this season--recorded over the summer, it's another wide-ranging episode full of varied topics, such as the overblown hype that No Man's Sky brought, or extolling the virtues of Deus Ex, and a good ol' rant or two. Panel: Brian, Nick, Ryan, Gabriel

Episode 18: The Purple Cube

Fifteen years ago, the Nintendo GameCube arrived on the scene, giving us classics like Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, Super Smash Bros. Melee, a host of Mario-themed sports titles, along with some decent third-party games like Eternal Darkness and Resident Evil 4. Where does it rank in video game history? Listen to our thoughts as we wax more nostalgia on this retrospective. Panel: Brian, Ron, Nick

Episode 19: From Console to Tabletop

We've discussed how video games have translated into a variety of media, and how tabletop games like D&D influence video games even today. On our season finale, we talk about how video games influence board/tabletop games, a marriage that brings the games loop full circle. Panel: Brian, Wyatt, Reid