WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:03.480 Ah ah. 2 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:07.679 Of you. 3 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:19.679 Okay man, what what's so funny? You've got fun Factor 4 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:22.559 Two old gamers reviewing old video game magazine reviews. I'm 5 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:25.160 Ty Shelter, He's Aiden Moher, and we're two professional writers 6 00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.559 who grew up loving the video games and video game 7 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.839 magazines of the nineteen eighties, nineteen nineties, and two thousands. 8 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:33.079 Every episode we take a critical look back on the 9 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.479 games media that, for better and for worse, inspired us 10 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:38.640 to do what we do. First, go to funfactor pod 11 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:41.159 dot com, follow the show on your podcatcher of choice. 12 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:44.039 Leave us a rating review on iTunes, Spotify, or or 13 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:46.840 wherever you get your media. We'll read the best, kindest, 14 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:49.240 funniest and most insightful ones on the air in our 15 00:00:49.320 --> 00:00:53.320 letter section. Please consider becoming a member of fun Factor Ultra, 16 00:00:53.439 --> 00:00:57.000 our premium tiers, the unlock ad free episodes, bonus episodes, 17 00:00:57.039 --> 00:00:59.719 and the members only channels of our discord. Just go 18 00:00:59.799 --> 00:01:02.880 to Funfactor pod dot com and I promise you cannot 19 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:06.040 miss the sign up widget on our homepage. Then help 20 00:01:06.120 --> 00:01:08.560 us spread the word shut us out on blue Sky, 21 00:01:08.599 --> 00:01:11.959 at funfactor pod dot com and everywhere else at fun 22 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.920 Factor Pod. Oh boy, Ty, I've been waiting for this moment. 23 00:01:16.840 --> 00:01:19.640 On today's episode, we're gonna discuss another one of the 24 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:20.680 most beloved games of. 25 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.560 All time, another one, another one. Can you believe it? 26 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.200 We've done Halo. I've got another Doom episode cooking for 27 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:29.799 the future. You know, can't have too many of those. 28 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.799 We can never have too many Doom episodes. And of course, 29 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:34.879 we covered a bunch of personal favorites last season, like 30 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:40.760 Krono Trigger and Carnage Heart. Carnage Heart with issue one 31 00:01:40.760 --> 00:01:43.040 to five a game Former, which is still in January 32 00:01:43.040 --> 00:01:45.439 two thousand and two, we have not left the very 33 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:50.719 first month of this of this new season's timeframe. We're 34 00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:54.120 finally covering a game I love to talk about and 35 00:01:54.319 --> 00:01:57.640 very publicly dislike against public sentiment, It's. 36 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:02.719 Final Fantasy X. We'll get my thoughts on. We'll get 37 00:02:02.760 --> 00:02:07.760 to my thoughts and on soon. Yeah, yeah, I intend to. 38 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:09.919 And two's a whole different thing. 39 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.960 I wanted to ask Ty, like, what are some popular 40 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.400 games that just didn't work for you personally? 41 00:02:17.479 --> 00:02:21.039 Yeah, it's funny because, like we've said, part of my 42 00:02:21.080 --> 00:02:24.960 whole thing, my fascination with critique and games media, especially 43 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.960 at this time, is discovering my own taste, discovering taste 44 00:02:29.000 --> 00:02:32.159 as a concept, you know, like what is objectively good 45 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:33.840 and what is like what I like and what I 46 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.560 don't like? Right, So I there, you know, I didn't 47 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:39.919 buy games that I didn't think I would, at least 48 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:42.479 like if not love and I figured that out. But 49 00:02:42.520 --> 00:02:44.479 there were a lot of popular games around this time 50 00:02:44.479 --> 00:02:47.039 and game franchises we've talked about before, and I don't 51 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:48.439 want to linger too more long on the ones I've 52 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:50.039 already talked about a lot, but like you know, Virtue 53 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:54.520 a fighter for me, where the hook is like realism, ye, 54 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:58.360 but the graphics couldn't be less realistic, you know, like 55 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.759 just graphically it was just so is to look at, 56 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.039 and the designs weren't interesting to me, and like they're like, 57 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:07.039 oh yeah, theoretically there's all this like depth and realism, 58 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:11.080 but like yeah, okay, too normal looking people trying to 59 00:03:11.120 --> 00:03:14.919 do like real judo moves on each other. It's just 60 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:17.000 like that's not a video game to me, even if 61 00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:20.479 it was perfectly realistic or photo realistic, which the new 62 00:03:20.560 --> 00:03:23.240 leaked Virtual Fighter video like wow, yeah that looks great, 63 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:25.000 Bease are a little more interesting, but like for me, 64 00:03:25.080 --> 00:03:28.280 I just this is just no same thing. I think 65 00:03:28.919 --> 00:03:32.479 fighting games must be hit or miss for me, because 66 00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:34.360 I was thinking about this and Teken was another one 67 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:38.759 where I was like, okay, so this looks repellent. It's 68 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:45.120 two D fighting with three D graphics. The camera, especially 69 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:47.280 tech in one, where like the camera angle would just 70 00:03:47.360 --> 00:03:50.759 like swing around and smash cut from angle to angle. 71 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.000 You know, you're playing all of a sudden the cameras 72 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.680 just from another angle. I'm like, okay, that looks dramatic 73 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:59.759 in a fighting movie, but like, I can't play this 74 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:03.000 game this way. So I detested Techon. I know lots 75 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.319 of people love Tecan, but like. 76 00:04:04.199 --> 00:04:06.439 To me, I just Techan is one of the few 77 00:04:06.439 --> 00:04:09.000 fighting franchises that I like enjoyed quite a bit. 78 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:10.080 On the PlayStation. 79 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:13.560 Yeah yeah, but probably for the exact opposite reasons. A 80 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:17.639 lot of people, like you're liked it or disliked it, 81 00:04:17.720 --> 00:04:19.319 Like I liked that it was kind of mashy and 82 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:20.439 chaotic and like. 83 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:26.519 Sure but sure yeah, And I'll say I still haven't 84 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:33.759 given Dragon Quest a real shot, oh because I just 85 00:04:33.800 --> 00:04:37.560 can't get away from you know, and as much as 86 00:04:37.759 --> 00:04:41.519 I like to be oh, like, I like gameplay, you know, 87 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:43.360 like back at this time. This was the big thing 88 00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:47.680 gameplay like interactivity, like that's the real thing is you know, 89 00:04:47.680 --> 00:04:50.879 the focus on graphics is yeah, is too. But like 90 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.120 also like I want to be inspired to play a game. 91 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:55.959 I want to spend time in the world. I want 92 00:04:55.959 --> 00:04:58.920 to find the character it's interesting and intriguing. And like 93 00:04:59.439 --> 00:05:02.720 Dragon Quest, maybe I got spoiled by starting with Chrono Trigger, 94 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:05.639 but like you know, because that was like really my 95 00:05:05.720 --> 00:05:10.160 introduction too JRPGs. Like I look at Dragon Quest, and 96 00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.639 every dragon Quest ever makes me just go wow, this 97 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:16.519 looks like shitty Chrono Trigger, Like it just looks like 98 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:20.199 like like like you know, here's all these characters, you know, 99 00:05:21.319 --> 00:05:24.199 minakes and stuff, and they put out the oh people 100 00:05:24.319 --> 00:05:28.800 like oh that's my boy discount Goku and like the 101 00:05:28.879 --> 00:05:30.959 oh my girls discount Goku. 102 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:36.639 It was They're designed by Toria No I know, like 103 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:42.839 like right, well, and that's I think that's why I 104 00:05:43.079 --> 00:05:45.639 like I like Chrono Trigger because so many of the 105 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:48.519 designs are like Okay, Toriyama gave us the starting point 106 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:51.720 and then we built on it, versus like Okay, this 107 00:05:51.800 --> 00:05:55.399 is just Toriyama doing this Toriyama thing, and like all 108 00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:58.160 non dragon Balls, like I like I love dragon Ball, 109 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:02.040 but like a lot of non Dragonball Toriama stuff is 110 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:04.360 sometimes like, you know, it's wildly hit or missed for me, 111 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:07.600 whether it's like, oh, this is just Toriyama cranking out 112 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:10.439 his thing and all the Dragon Quest character designs, like 113 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:13.680 just like it just doesn't look compelling to me, so 114 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:15.120 I'm I should give. 115 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:16.519 It a fair shot. Two things. 116 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.560 One great Chrono Trigger anecdote. If you've read my book 117 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:23.319 Fight Magic Items, you probably know it. But a curator 118 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:27.759 Yama famously did the character design and like created like 119 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:32.480 visual design for Chrono Trigger, but all he provided for 120 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:35.639 the characters was them from the front, So he only 121 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:37.839 drew them from the front, did not draw like three 122 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:40.519 sixties of their back or their sides, and so the 123 00:06:40.839 --> 00:06:44.720 pixel artists had to like basically make it up based 124 00:06:44.759 --> 00:06:47.439 on his his designs from the front. And my understanding is, 125 00:06:47.439 --> 00:06:49.800 like we've seen all the key art from Chrono Trigger, 126 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:54.560 the art that's on the cover, like the concept epic 127 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:58.439 ye flying through, you know, the speeding up for the 128 00:06:58.439 --> 00:07:01.920 time warp. I I think all that concept art is 129 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:04.720 all Toriyama actually did for Chrono Trigger, and then everything 130 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:09.279 else was the pixel artists and stuff following up. Second 131 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.360 of all, tie, everything that you like most about Chrono 132 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:16.079 Trigger is its dragon Quest DNA. That makes sense and 133 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.000 so like if you like like the characters and the 134 00:07:19.040 --> 00:07:21.360 story beats and the structure and all of that is 135 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:25.680 so dragon Quest that a lot of people call Chrono 136 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.480 Trigger the best Final Fantasy game. To me, it feels 137 00:07:29.319 --> 00:07:32.240 more like a dragon Quest game than it does a 138 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:34.360 Final Fantasy game. If I had to split hairs. 139 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:35.199 So give it a shot. 140 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:37.120 We can talk off air about some of the good 141 00:07:37.160 --> 00:07:42.399 starting points eight eleven five if you have access to it. 142 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:47.040 Oh, very good. Interesting. Interesting. 143 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:50.879 Another game series for me, which I almost chose for 144 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:54.639 this episode actually is Grand Theft Auto. I actually played 145 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:58.079 more of the first two games. Did you know there's 146 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.839 a Grand Theft Auto one and two? Ty I missed 147 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:04.120 out on the PS two entries. Like a friend had 148 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:06.439 Vice City, I think one of my brother's friends and 149 00:08:06.439 --> 00:08:07.279 would bring it over, So. 150 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:09.519 I like dabbled it a little, but didn't play it 151 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:09.879 too much. 152 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:12.079 I just liked my RPGs, and that's what I was 153 00:08:12.120 --> 00:08:15.360 playing when I finally decided to give the series a shot. 154 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:17.399 With GTA four, I just couldn't really get. 155 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:20.879 Past the ludo narrative dissonance of the story about an 156 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:23.560 immigrant seeking a new life in America to escape the 157 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:27.079 violence in his home country, who then just immediately goes 158 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:31.000 on this like sociopathic crime spree. And so there was 159 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:35.720 this like divergence between the gameplay, which was classic grand 160 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:39.840 theft auto and story beats. They were so far apart 161 00:08:39.879 --> 00:08:43.879 in those terms. That was just sort of the end 162 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:46.799 of the series for me. I just never really. 163 00:08:46.600 --> 00:08:48.600 Could get past that dissonance. 164 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.960 And I just can get fun sandbox experiences in a 165 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:53.919 lot of other ways, in a lot of other games, 166 00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.879 And so it's just, you know, if I want zany 167 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:00.360 samdbox experience, I can play goat Simulators three or one whatever, 168 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:03.600 and it's ridiculous, and I spend forty five minutes and 169 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:06.120 then get bored of the sandbox gameplay and move on 170 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:10.960 without the tension, the bad tension, the bad friction of 171 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.399 that narrative dissonance. 172 00:09:13.480 --> 00:09:15.519 Yeah, and for me, you know, we've talked about this 173 00:09:15.559 --> 00:09:17.960 a little bit before. My dad mom split when I 174 00:09:18.039 --> 00:09:21.399 was one, and my dad very quickly remarried and converted 175 00:09:21.440 --> 00:09:26.320 to born again evangelicalism. So every other like once a 176 00:09:26.320 --> 00:09:28.240 week and then every other weekend like go over for 177 00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:30.759 dinner on week once a week, and then I'd spent 178 00:09:30.840 --> 00:09:33.840 every other weekend with them, and so I was getting 179 00:09:34.679 --> 00:09:42.799 the stereotypical eighties nineties evangelical parenting experience half you know, 180 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.759 twenty percent of the time. And then I would come 181 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:49.120 back home to my mom, who's a lapsed Catholic, dabbling 182 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:54.960 in uh, you know, wu wu stuff, yoga, astrology, the taro, 183 00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:58.000 all that kind of stuff, and so like I'm getting 184 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:02.519 like like whiplash, and then so trying to find my 185 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:05.600 own moral compass, Like you know, Vice City. My best 186 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:07.919 friend met in college had Vice City and we were 187 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:10.240 roommates for both in and out of college for a 188 00:10:10.279 --> 00:10:12.480 couple of years. So you play Vice City and it'd 189 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:15.639 be this mix of like, oh, wow, that's so cool 190 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:19.840 and like, oh I don't like that. Yeah, okay, I 191 00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:22.720 do like that, but I feel really guilty about it, 192 00:10:23.159 --> 00:10:26.840 you know, Like it's this like like constant tension between like, yeah, 193 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.039 this is exactly what I want to do. No, that's 194 00:10:29.080 --> 00:10:33.200 actually GROSSA Oh that's do I think that's gross? Or 195 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:36.600 is that my stepmom and dad like in my head 196 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:41.799 telling me it's you know, and so like, uh four, 197 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:45.440 I didn't really like five. I didn't play until the Pandemic, 198 00:10:45.480 --> 00:10:47.519 which I think I've brought up before. You had your 199 00:10:47.559 --> 00:10:52.960 multiplayer like multiplayer, yeah, yeah, doing the the pists the 200 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:55.639 I keep wanting to say Cabo San Lucas because that's 201 00:10:55.639 --> 00:10:59.240 what it's it's based off of, right, it's but it's 202 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:01.320 an island like that drug Kingpin and you got to 203 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:03.759 go and do your heist team and like that was 204 00:11:03.759 --> 00:11:06.000 an incredibly fun experience. And then even outside of those 205 00:11:06.039 --> 00:11:10.399 heist missions, some of the sandbox stuff was wild. Did 206 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:14.840 I tell the story about the Big Inferno? I think 207 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:17.559 I've heard it maybe off air before, but I don't 208 00:11:17.559 --> 00:11:19.600 think you've ever told it on the show. Okay, so 209 00:11:19.879 --> 00:11:22.600 real quick, we're doing these these heist missions, right, and 210 00:11:22.639 --> 00:11:24.080 the idea is you have to go do a bunch 211 00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:26.519 of missions in the city to get like body armor 212 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:30.399 or weapons or whatever. And there's multiple different ways you 213 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:34.000 can crash this drug Kingpin's island, up to and including 214 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:38.440 using a Russian submarine bought off surplus. Once you buy that, 215 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:42.799 you can sneak in and swim in through the sewer grade. Right, 216 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:45.080 So it's super cool, but you have to do these 217 00:11:45.080 --> 00:11:47.120 prep missions and the more prep missions you do, the 218 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:50.639 easier the actual run is. And so we were doing 219 00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:53.519 one of the prep missions and we had a helicopter 220 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:57.559 park our helicopter. We go inside, we shoot up these guys, 221 00:11:57.559 --> 00:12:01.039 We take their guns and you know, bullet bests, and 222 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:04.360 we come out and everything is on fire. Everything is 223 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:08.759 on fire, just total conflagration, like two blocks, all the 224 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:11.120 cars are on fire, our helicopter is on fire. Well, 225 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:14.679 I should say, while we're in the mission, all of 226 00:12:14.679 --> 00:12:18.360 our quest markers disappear and I'm like, what is going on? 227 00:12:18.519 --> 00:12:20.720 And then we come outside and everything's on fire, and 228 00:12:20.759 --> 00:12:23.639 we're like so we start walking around. We're on you know, 229 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.799 Mike around live Chat, like I'm over here, like our 230 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:29.519 helicopters destroyed, all these cars are destroyed. A couple other 231 00:12:29.559 --> 00:12:32.039 people are walking around, you know, We're like what happened? 232 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:39.639 And we slowly pieced together that two that a commercial 233 00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:45.159 airliner and a private plane. Oh no, all NPCs, yeah, right, 234 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:50.240 like just in the world collided in mid air above 235 00:12:50.240 --> 00:12:54.279 our heads, landed on the streets, blew up all of 236 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:58.440 everybody's stuff, including our helicopter, which is a required thing 237 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:01.679 to run from thing to thing, and like boom, our 238 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:05.440 quest failed because our helicopter got destroyed. Yeah, while you 239 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:09.320 like doing something completely different, Yeah, yeah, and so does 240 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:13.399 the emergent Sandbox gameplay. The world lost track of two 241 00:13:13.480 --> 00:13:18.759 planes and they just collided together, and like unbelievable, just 242 00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:21.559 the fact there's so many levels of like emergent things happening. 243 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:23.480 We were all just like, I can't even be bad. 244 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:28.600 That's incredible and so still years later, years later, So 245 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:30.480 and like that, like you say that sort. 246 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.519 Of emergent gameplay of like the gameplay is, the story is, 247 00:13:33.600 --> 00:13:37.000 the narrative is really compelling, Like I do really like 248 00:13:37.080 --> 00:13:39.720 that and I enjoy it and stuff like Fallout three, 249 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:43.120 Like I have so many fun stories that happened because 250 00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:48.720 of just like the way you know, the gameplay unfolded, right, 251 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:52.120 and that's unique to like my experience, and that's cool. 252 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.799 But GTA was just never doing that for me. I 253 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:58.600 also think it's interesting that specifically it took multiplayer for 254 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:02.879 you to find your sort of fit with that series, 255 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:06.240 Like I've found myself just drifting away from a lot 256 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:09.519 of the major like non Nintendo Triple A releases these 257 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.519 days in favor of smaller titles, any games, like I'm 258 00:14:12.519 --> 00:14:16.440 playing Yoshi. Right now, I'm playing Mina the Hollower. But 259 00:14:17.080 --> 00:14:19.080 you know, I got caught up in the Blueprints hype 260 00:14:19.159 --> 00:14:21.120 last year. That was a big hyped up and. 261 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:24.320 We're doing it now. It's swollen four of the five 262 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:26.720 of us now, yes, every time I played Blueprints, we 263 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:27.559 have to have four of us. 264 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:31.519 And it's so good. So you know, I'm not immune 265 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:34.320 to hype. But like something like Pragmata and Marathon just 266 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:38.559 have completely passed me by. And like, for you, multiplayer 267 00:14:38.600 --> 00:14:42.399 was the key that unlocked Grand Theft Auto, but I've 268 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:45.840 just found it so hard to get into like any 269 00:14:45.960 --> 00:14:48.759 multiplayer focused games. Like my friends were really into hell 270 00:14:48.840 --> 00:14:51.919 Divers too, and I played a little bit with them, 271 00:14:51.960 --> 00:14:55.480 but just the time commitment of being there reliably and 272 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:57.960 stuff is just so so tricky. 273 00:14:59.440 --> 00:14:59.639 You know. 274 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:02.799 I want to play something like Marathon, and Andrew and 275 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:04.480 Chat is saying, like Marathon has a free. 276 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:06.200 Week coming up from June second to June ninth. 277 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:09.159 That's cool, Like I'll probably give it a shot because 278 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:12.679 it looks cool, but it's just like my schedule just 279 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:15.720 doesn't really allow for those multiplayer games. So stuff like MMOs, 280 00:15:15.799 --> 00:15:18.320 I like, Wow, I like Funanci fourteen but I can play. 281 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:21.039 Those on my schedule the way I play them. Yes, 282 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:23.720 never got into like graide groups and stuff like that, 283 00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:27.519 guilds because I'm just it's just too hard for me 284 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:30.159 to like chunk out parts of my life that other 285 00:15:30.200 --> 00:15:32.480 people are kind of relying on me for. That's what 286 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:36.360 my kids do exactly, and you know, your whole season. 287 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:38.720 You know, we got we had kids early, but our 288 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:43.919 youngest graduates from high school tomorrow. So that is incredible 289 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:46.759 that that brings graduate of schedule stuff. Thank you, thank you. 290 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:51.960 They're they're crushing it. They're going to state fourth third 291 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:56.279 generation Michigan State on my wife's side, fourth generation Michigan 292 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:01.639 State on my side. Spartans. I went Spartans. That's hey, yeah, 293 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:05.120 so that's that's it's pretty cool. But then also, you know, 294 00:16:05.159 --> 00:16:06.879 it's like the season of your life where like you 295 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:08.720 can't do stuff because of kids. It's like, all right, cool, 296 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.960 I'm gonna have from when i'm you know, forty five, 297 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:18.279 forty six, forty seven up through dead, like have raid groups. Yeah, right, 298 00:16:18.679 --> 00:16:20.279 I think about that because my kids are quite a 299 00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:23.519 bit younger than yours. My illness isn't even close to 300 00:16:23.879 --> 00:16:27.000 graduating high school and I do think, like I look 301 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:29.919 at you know, my parents and my in laws, and 302 00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:32.240 I'm like, oh, okay, Like we will get back to 303 00:16:32.279 --> 00:16:35.039 a point where I can like go do stuff with 304 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:38.320 my wife, just the two of us, and like, you know, 305 00:16:38.360 --> 00:16:40.799 where I can have time where like you know, every 306 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:43.600 Tuesday and Thursday I spend time. Maybe it's playing magic 307 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.679 cards with my friends, or maybe it's getting into like 308 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.960 a multiplayer game more seriously, but you know for sure, 309 00:16:49.000 --> 00:16:51.480 and then off it's worth it. Like family life is awesome, 310 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:54.000 but it is like does make it hard? Yeah, and 311 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:55.840 then when your kids get older, you're doing stuff together. 312 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:56.960 You're playing prints. 313 00:16:56.759 --> 00:17:00.399 Together, you know, wather and that sort of. Yes, that's 314 00:17:00.440 --> 00:17:02.840 my raid group, right like it is playing with my kids. 315 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.799 They're like they're my my friend group for multiplayer games, 316 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.759 playing Mario Kart, or we're playing Animal Crossing, or even 317 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:12.240 just sitting down like hanging out while they're playing Tomodachi 318 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:14.240 Life and they're showing me their island and all that 319 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:14.880 kind of stuff. 320 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:17.559 You know, it's it is still there, just in a 321 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:20.640 different way. I suppose. All right, well, folks, we could 322 00:17:20.680 --> 00:17:23.880 go on like this forever, but we have an issue 323 00:17:23.960 --> 00:17:26.519 to look at. We have a review to do. It 324 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:28.640 is time to open the cover and get started. If 325 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:31.039 you're not already a member of fun Factor Ultra watching 326 00:17:31.079 --> 00:17:33.880 us stream this session live in the chat, getting ad 327 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:36.480 free episodes, hang tight through this break. When we come back, 328 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:41.279 we will flip through which is here? Is it? Game 329 00:17:41.319 --> 00:17:45.720 in Former number one oh five from January two thousand 330 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:48.279 and two. Game in Former number one oh five from 331 00:17:48.359 --> 00:18:03.759 January two thousand and two, and they're really the final fantasy. 332 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:13.559 Welcome back to fun Factor, where two old gamers review 333 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:16.000 old video game magazine reviews. Of course we want you 334 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:18.240 to review us. Do we get a full five point 335 00:18:18.279 --> 00:18:20.440 zero in fun Factor? Leave us a review on Apple 336 00:18:20.440 --> 00:18:23.200 Podcasts and we'll read the best, funniest, kindest, and most 337 00:18:23.319 --> 00:18:27.599 entertaining ones on the air. All Bright Aiden, What is 338 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:28.960 the deal with Game Informer? 339 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:35.400 All right, so Game Informer as we know it was popularized. 340 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:37.759 I guess it started life as like a newsletter for 341 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:40.359 Game Stop or Babbage's I don't I don't know. 342 00:18:40.400 --> 00:18:42.799 The American fun coland brands fun co Land. 343 00:18:43.319 --> 00:18:47.559 Yeah you know, but uh, Progressing is just one of 344 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:51.319 the most important iconic gaming mags ever. And now they're 345 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.680 like an indie operation which is really cool. You know, 346 00:18:54.759 --> 00:18:58.160 a lot of respect for that. And they've been around 347 00:18:58.200 --> 00:19:00.519 forever as well, which is the other import thing, Like, 348 00:19:00.599 --> 00:19:03.079 unlike the other magazines that have like come and gone 349 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:05.720 and reached a peak like EGM but then disappeared, like 350 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.720 Game Informer has just been around forever and so they've 351 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:14.519 covered everything. This issue number one oh five from January 352 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:19.319 two thousand and two has had on the cover, which 353 00:19:19.359 --> 00:19:22.559 I think is pretty cool. This issue has a page 354 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:27.319 count of one hundred and twenty six, which is starting 355 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:29.720 to catch up with what this era looks like. In 356 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:32.799 the mid nineties, Game Informer was kind of slim when 357 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:36.880 you had three hundred plus page count and stuff like EGM. 358 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:40.240 But this issue, you know, at one hundred and twenty six, 359 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:43.640 with like feature editorial, lots of reviews, quite a few ads, 360 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:48.720 feels pretty matched up with its contemporaries. Number of games 361 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:53.319 reviewed in this issue fifty six Jesus. 362 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:55.359 Oh wow, Yeah, that's a lot, a lot. 363 00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:58.480 Number of systems reviewed for is even higher, like a 364 00:19:58.599 --> 00:20:02.279 zillion because there's a Breakout review on page one hundred 365 00:20:02.279 --> 00:20:04.960 and seventy one and seventeen and they list it as 366 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:08.079 a multi platform game and Breakout has been on pretty 367 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:13.079 much every console of all time. But otherwise, more realistically, 368 00:20:13.079 --> 00:20:17.160 it's eleven. So we have PC, Dreamcast, GameCube, PlayStation two, 369 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:23.319 game Boy Advance, Xbox, PlayStation one, SNS Apple two, E 370 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:28.400 Sega CD, and Genesis. Wow, a lot of reviews, a 371 00:20:28.440 --> 00:20:29.319 lot of systems. 372 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:31.880 So they've got a retro I mean, I'm assuming we'll 373 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:34.279 get there, but yeah, like that's that's fascinating. Yeah, So 374 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.839 they have a section at the back which is like 375 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:40.039 retro coverage and then retro reviews, and that's where we 376 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:42.920 get the not the PlayStation but the SNS Apple two, 377 00:20:42.920 --> 00:20:46.359 E Sega CD and Genesis reviews and the breakout review 378 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:46.839 of course. 379 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:51.599 But yeah, a lot of reviews. Looking at the masthead, 380 00:20:51.759 --> 00:20:53.920 which starts on page seventeen. 381 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:56.759 Jason Wft and Chat, I just wanted to say so, 382 00:20:56.880 --> 00:20:59.119 I worked at Gamestat from twenty six to twenty twelve, 383 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:01.559 and I remember Gaming four as the quote magazine they 384 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:04.680 give you to try to justify the monthly discount subscription. Yeah, 385 00:21:04.839 --> 00:21:07.960 and yeah, we talked about that. I think our first 386 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:11.640 Game Informer issue or I'm sorry, I did it. I 387 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.400 did it. Our first Game in Former episode was the 388 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:20.680 one with the Carnage Heart review. I think in season one, yes, 389 00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:23.519 episode fourteen, and it was the same thing where it 390 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:27.160 was like, you know, I kind of missed the peak 391 00:21:27.200 --> 00:21:31.000 Game Informer, like yeah, like mid twenty tens, late twenty tens, 392 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:33.960 early twenty twenties, Oh, this is the best magazine going. 393 00:21:33.960 --> 00:21:37.759 And everybody's like, oh, Game Informer the goat the best magazine, 394 00:21:37.839 --> 00:21:39.839 And I was like, oh, that was like the thing 395 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:42.359 they just tried to sell you at the game store 396 00:21:42.359 --> 00:21:44.240 when you're buying games. Yeah. 397 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:46.440 So yeah, then that was always my impression because I 398 00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:48.279 couldn't really it was hard to get it in Canada, 399 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:51.319 like you got it was at eb games sometimes, but 400 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:53.839 it wasn't what I had access to, and so I 401 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:57.559