A Gamer Looks At 40

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 of this incredible periodical, Gail Tilden. 

During our conversation, we discuss her beginnings in the industry, the creation / curation of the magazine, and the unique culture that allowed Nintendo Power to become a window to a world of games I'd never experience otherwise.

SONG COVERS:

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 video game. 

My Website: agamerlooksat40.com
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My Email: [email protected]
My Phone Number: Ehhhhh, not gonna happen. :-D  

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.

STARRING (All handles from Twitter)

Aiden Moher (@adribbleofink)
Barry Carenza of Premium Edition Games (@HawkHellfire)
@Dancarnate
Greg Sewart of the Player One Podcast and Generation 16 (@sewart) 
John Trenbeath (@crazyjohnt)
Mekel Kasanova (@MekelKasanova)
 Mike of the Distorted Illuminations YouTube channel (@MadMonarch_DI) 
Moses aka @thewellredmage of the-pixels.com and Gamelogica on YouTube
Nate McLellan (@natedoescomedy79 on TikTok)
Ryan aka @GameswCoffee

SONG COVERS

FINAL FANTASY II: 'Town' | Classical Guitar by John Oeth Guitar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZwJ-Ap82Fo

Final Fantasy II - Tower of the Magi (Harp Solo) by Harpsibored - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdMwNDcl1Bs

 My Website: agamerlooksat40.com
My Discord: https://discord.com/invite/SdaE4atGjC
My Twitter: @agamerlooksat40
My TikTok: @agamerlooksat40
My Facebook: facebook.com/agamerlooksat40
My Insta: @agamerlooksat40
My Patreon: patreon.com/agamerlooksat40
My Email: [email protected]
My Phone Number: Ehhhhh, not gonna happen. :-D  

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 (@sewart) 
John Trenbeath (@crazyjohnt)
Julian Titus (@julian_titus) of The Stage Select Podcast (@StageSelectPod)
Matt of the Backlog Busters (@skinnymattk)
Mike aka MageORage on Twitch and YouTube (@mageorage)
Nate McLellan (@natedoescomedy79 on TikTok)
Ryan aka @GameswCoffee

SONG COVERS

Final Fantasy: Main Theme (String Quartet) - ft. Israfelcello by Patti Rudisill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii3IEp4UiL8

Let The Battle Begin | Final Fantasy VII | MES by Mariachi Entertainment System - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRvwScxf1Kw

My Website: agamerlooksat40.com
My Discord: https://discord.com/invite/SdaE4atGjC
My Twitter: @agamerlooksat40
My TikTok: @agamerlooksat40
My Facebook: facebook.com/agamerlooksat40
My Insta: @agamerlooksat40
My Patreon: patreon.com/agamerlooksat40
My Email: [email protected]
My Phone Number: Ehhhhh, not gonna happen. :-D  

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 legacy of a game that's more than worth visiting, even if it's for the first time. 

STARRING (all handles from Twitter)

Aiden Moher (@adribbleofink)
Barry Carenza of Premium Edition Games (@HawkHellfire)
@Dancarnate
Greg Sewart of the Player One Podcast and Generation 16 (@sewart) 
J.R. Sommerfeldt (@sommerfeldt_r)
Jody aka (@bakuiel)
John Trenbeath (@crazyjohnt)
Julian Titus (@julian_titus) of The Stage Select Podcast (@StageSelectPod)
Kyle of the The RPG Podcast (@TheRPGPodcast)
Matt of the Backlog Busters (@skinnymattk)
Mekel Kasanova (@MekelKasanova)
Mike aka MageORage on Twitch and YouTube (@mageorage)
Nate McLellan (@natedoescomedy79 on TikTok)
Ryan aka @GameswCoffee
Wade aka (@ProfNoctis)

SONG COVERS

Final Fantasy 1 - Town Theme (Nes Acoustic Classical Guitar Fingerstyle Music Tabs Cover) by Jonas Lefvert - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpJ7j8M6dtw

Final Fantasy 1 - Chaos Temple (Acoustic Classical Fingerstyle Guitar Cover Music Theme Tabs) by Jonas Lefvert - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9jZXqPPbt0

Final Fantasy - "Opening Theme" 【Metal Guitar Cover] by Ferdk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5-T3nPBG3Y

Final Fantasy: Main Theme (String Quartet) - ft. Israfelcello by Patti Rudisill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii3IEp4UiL8

My Website: agamerlooksat40.com
My Discord: https://discord.com/invite/SdaE4atGjC
My Twitter: @agamerlooksat40
My TikTok: @agamerlooksat40
My Facebook: facebook.com/agamerlooksat40
My Insta: @agamerlooksat40
My Patreon: patreon.com/agamerlooksat40
My Email: [email protected]
My Phone Number: Ehhhhh, not gonna happen. :-D