Game/Life Balance U.S.

Steam Deck Review and Halloween Christmas Special

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 20 Dec 2022 08:01:27 GMT

Jon reviews his new Steam Deck in our 2022 holiday special! …but probably not the holiday you’re thinking of. Plus: Cody lost his expensive headphones but WON a brand-new gaming PC, and he and Jon discuss whether it should become part of a new VR rig. They also recount their recent experience at a friend’s wedding in Wisconsin with some of the best cocktails basically ever, then wrap up by reminiscing about their favorite Nintendo 64 memory to celebrate the 64th episode of Game/Life Balance U.S. Sit back and enjoy a Wisconsin brandy old fashioned while you listen!

Theme song credit: Subterranean Kamikaze by Juan Medrano and zircon via OverClocked ReMix - download at https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01730
Visit our sister show in Australia at https://gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
Check out other geeky podcasts on the GonnaGeek Network at https://www.gonnageek.com/

Alcoholic Mountain Dew and Cosmopolitan Bottle Service

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 08:01:28 GMT

Cody reviews alcoholic Mountain Dew and Jon recaps his Allegiant Stadium and Cosmopolitan bottle service experiences. They also discuss disgusting malt beverages, $1,500 bottles of vodka, and Las Vegas vibes. Plus: Cody went to another symphonic performance of Distant World: Music from Final Fantasy, and Jon has returned to Eorzea to play critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, which includes a free trial with unlimited playtime up to level 60 and includes the award-winning first expansion Heavensward.

Theme song credit: Subterranean Kamikaze by Juan Medrano and zircon via OverClocked ReMix - download at https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01730
Visit our sister show in Australia at https://gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
Check out other geeky podcasts on the GonnaGeek Network at https://www.gonnageek.com/

House-Destroying Kids and an Assassin’s Creed Origins Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 08:01:06 GMT

Jon helps Cody talk through his home gaming setup and explains how kids destroy houses. Plus: Jon’s basement cricket and escape artist dog; a FULL GAMER review of Assassin's Creed Origins; a debate about movies that are more than 3 hours long; and trading time for loot in “sit back” versus “lean forward” video games such as critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, which includes a free trial up to level 60 with unlimited playtime and includes the award-winning first expansion Heavensward.

Theme song credit: Subterranean Kamikaze by Juan Medrano and zircon via OverClocked ReMix - download at https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01730
Visit our sister show in Australia at https://gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
Check out other geeky podcasts on the GonnaGeek Network at https://www.gonnageek.com/

Gaming Around Kids and Hades Revisited

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 08:01:43 GMT

Hear how Hades holds up in 2022 and how Cody and Jon handle gaming around their kids. In their first episode from a 3-year hiatus, you'll also hear about where they've been, why they're back, and whether a sound effects soundboard can make the show even worse than it already was in the first place.

Intro music credit: Subterranean Kamikaze by Juan Medrano and zircon via OverClocked ReMix - https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR01730
Outro music credit: Unity by TheFatRat with permission - https://soundcloud.com/thefatrat/thefatrat-unity-1

Literally The Only Podcast Ever Made in All of 2019 (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 060)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 20:27:28 GMT

Cody and Jon record their first episode together in 2019, and hilarity ensues. Also in this jam-packed episode: Cody dives into Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, and Jon reviews Hollow Knight and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. They also talk about Xbox Game Pass, Risk of Rain 2, the TV shows Silicon Valley and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and micheladas. Having a core exercises for swimming will make you a better, stronger swimmer.

Show Notes:

* Join the GonnaGeek Discord server, where you can chat with Cody, Jon, and several other members of the GonnaGeek Network: https://discord.gg/yBBBtGT
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on a future episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Find Game/Life Balance U.S. on the GonnaGeek Network, on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Elliot Callighan Talks “Unlock Audio” and Sound Design for Media (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 059)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 13:00:55 GMT

Elliot Callighan, composer and sound designer for media and adjunct professor at DePaul University, joins Cody to discuss his new project, Unlock Audio. It’s a tool for re-framing game audio to make it developer-centric from both a creative and business perspective. They also talk game design education, sound design, and — of course — what video games they’ve been playing lately! 10 tips for creating a stylish kid’s room on a budgetPaint. Painting remains one of the most affordable ways to decorate a space. Use stickers. Wall sticker art is one of the most popular ways to decorate a child’s room — and one of the easiest. Stick with twins. Try to DIY. Infuse color and texture. Add greenery. Repurpose and recycle. Add a mobile, click for more decorating tips.
Elliot is a classically trained violinist and pianist, metal guitarist and electronic music enthusiast with degrees in Music Composition and Sound Design for Cinema. Currently, Elliot is an independent Composer and Sound Designer, a Soundpost Co-Chair for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Overture Council as well as Adjunct Faculty in the Film & Game programs at DePaul University. His work has been featured in campaigns for United Airlines, The Chicago Advertising Federation, GMC, The Godrej Group, Chevrolet Motors, The Goodman Theatre as well as many independent films and games. In addition, he is an Officer and Platoon Leader in the Illinois Army National Guard.
Show Notes:

* Elliot Callighan discusses:

* How he got into composing and sound design for media, including video games.
* Why anyone who’s interested in working on video games should participate in a game jam.
* His new project, Unlock Audio: “I think we’re on the cusp of how game audio is done professionally, just because it’s a lot more straight-forward and simple and easy for everyone.”
* Video games that feature the U.S. military or are actually used by the military, and why he’s thinking about audio as part of his role in the Illinois Army National Guard.
* Where voice acting falls into the “sound design” umbrella, and what it’s like working with voice actors when working on audio for video games and related media.
* The way students are approaching video game development and sound design differently than they did just a few years ago.
* Nerding out over Heroes of the Storm and an indie game called The Cursed Forest.

* Visit Elliot Callighan’s website, RamovaMusic.com
* Check out his new project at UnlockAudio.com
* Elliot’s DePaul University faculty bio
* Hear Cody’s 2017 interview with Elliot on the Curiosity Podcast: “21st Century Composing: Scoring Music For Film And Video Games”
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with

Author Blake J. Harris Talks Oculus, Facebook, and the Virtual Reality Revolution (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 058)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 01:43:57 GMT

Blake J. Harris, the best-selling author of “Console Wars,” has turned his attention to virtual reality with a new book. In “The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution That Swept Virtual Reality” Harris dives into the dramatic, larger-than-life true story behind the founding of Oculus and its quest for virtual reality. In this podcast, he discusses how he got his hands on the story, the twists and turns he encountered, and what’s next for virtual reality.

Show Notes:

* Blake J. Harris, author of “The History of the Future: Oculus, Facebook, and the Revolution That Swept Virtual Reality,” discusses:

* The changing nature of how we consume media like this epic story of Oculus Rift.
* The extensive access he had to Oculus and Facebook in the course of writing the book.
* How he expected the story of Oculus to unfold, how Facebook expected the story to unfold, and the differences in their expectations versus reality.
* How Facebook and Oculus have responded to the book and why.
* The magic of virtual reality and how people need to experience it before they can really describe it.
* Future uses for virtual reality, from medical technologies to military applications.
* Why this book is almost like the virtual reality version of the 2010 David Fincher film “The Social Network.”
* One part of the story that really took him aback while writing the book and how it changed the course of Oculus.

* Blake J. Harris’ official website
* Pick up his other book, “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation,” on Amazon
* Follow Blake J. Harris on Twitter @blakejharrisNYC
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Favorite Video Games of 2018 (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 057)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 18:00:49 GMT

Cody and Jon go FULL GAMER and review their favorite video games played over the past year, in addition to discussing what they learned about balancing video games with real life. Plus: a look ahead at what’s to come in 2019!People can also check out here if they need help with video games.
Show Notes:

* Cody discusses Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Undertale, 20XX, Timespinner, and more!
* He and Jon both discuss Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Heroes of the Storm.
* Jon talks Darkest Dungeon, Endless Space 2, Final Fantasy XII: Zodiac Age, Dead Cells, and more!
* Cody plugs the GonnaGeek Discord server, which you can join here to chat with Cody, Jon, and several other members of the GonnaGeek Network: https://discord.gg/yBBBtGT
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Support the show by helping Cody cover website hosting costs:

Balancing Not One, But TWO Kids: Jonathan Martin Returns to the Podcast (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 056)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 06 Dec 2018 13:45:19 GMT

Jon returns from an extended hiatus to talk about what it’s like balancing games and life now that he has not one, but TWO, kids. He and Cody also give updates on what video games they’ve been playing over the last several months.

Show Notes:

* Jon explains why he took multiple months off from the podcast, briefly recounting the story of his new baby’s early arrival (you can hear the full, uncut version of the story on our uncut recording on YouTube)
* Then, Jon talks about how his time has been cut up since having a second baby, and how he was somehow able to finish his Final Fantasy “marathon” and beat multiple Final Fantasy games over 2018
* Turning their attention to video games, they discuss all the changes and updates that have been made to Final Fantasy XV, how much fun Jon had playing through Dead Cells, and why he’s been able to actually play multiplayer matches in Overwatch, despite the fact that his time is fragmented
* Cody explains why he and his wife watched every episode of Star Trek: The Original Series and blogged about their experience in an ongoing series of posts on Cody’s website, which you can find here: https://codygough.com/2018/08/28/i-just-watched-every-episode-of-star-trek-the-original-series-and-theres-a-lot-to-say-cody-gough/
* Cody plugs the GonnaGeek Discord server, which you can join here to chat with Cody, Jon, and several other members of the GonnaGeek Network: https://discord.gg/yBBBtGT
* Cody discusses a 12-hour Lord of the Rings movie marathon and a Lord of the Rings book club he participated in over the summer
* Are the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia psychic? Cody’s anecdote about AC and pro wrestling games suggests “maybe“
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Dave Wishnowski Changed His Life On A Dare and Ended Up Creating A Legendary Video Game (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 055)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 12:25:01 GMT

In 2002, Dave Wishnowski quit his job and set out to make his own wrestling game. More than 15 years later, he’s still at the helm of Pro Wrestling X, one of the most ambitious independent game projects in modern video game history. In this podcast, he tells his story and gives an update on the game that by all rights shouldn’t exist — and how he’s been able to stick with it for so long.

Show Notes:

* Dave Wishnowski, creator of Pro Wrestling X, explains why he wanted to make a wrestling game and how he got started learning how to do so
* He explains the challenges of developing an indie game and why there are so many first-person shooters on the market, but very few successful independent pro wrestling games.
* Hear about the current Pro Wrestling X gameplay experience and what’s next for the game. You can pick up the game on Steam Early Access, available now!

* Join the Pro Wrestling X weekly email list, and don’t forget to follow Pro Wrestling X on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube

* You can read more about Dave’s story in the book “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” available on Amazon or anywhere books are sold. You can also find an interview with the book’s author, Patrick Hickey, Jr., on a previous episode of Game/Life Balance U.S.
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Gen Con 2018 Board Game Review Special (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 054)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 21 Aug 2018 12:00:52 GMT

In a special solo episode, Cody discusses his favorite games from Gen Con 2018 and offers some buying recommendations if you’re looking for the latest and greatest in strategy board games. Plus, learn a little about the role-playing game worlds of Starfinder, Arcanis: The World of Shattered Empires, and Savage Worlds.

Show Notes:

* Cody discusses his favorite board game adventures from Gen Con 2018, including the following unreleased games:

* The expansion 7 Wonders: Armada / Asmodee (7 Wonders and 7 Wonders: Leaders Expansion available now)
* Dragon Ball Z: The Board Game Saga / Lynnvander Studios, estimated release date Q4 2018 (originally in conjunction with Jasco Games when it was demo’d at Gen Con 2017)

* Here are Cody’s most recommended board games from Gen Con 2018:

* Azul / Plan B Games (8.0 on Board Game Geek)
* Gloomhaven / Designed by Isaac Childres, Kickstarter (9.0 on Board Game Geek)
* Terraforming Mars: Prelude expansion / Stronghold Games (8.6 on Board Game Geek)
* One Deck Dungeon: Forest of Shadows / Asmadi Games
* Root: A Game of Woodland Might and Magic / Leder Games (8.5 on Board Game Geek)
* Mystic Vale / AEG, Alderac Entertainment Group (7.3 on Board Game Geek) with a whopping TEN EXPANSIONS, with these expansions particularly highly recommended:

* Mystic Vale: Mana Storm (8.0), with new amulets;
* Mystic Vale: Vale of the Wild (8.1), which introduces leaders;
* Mystic Vale: Conclave (7.4), which expands the game from 4 to 6 players;
* Mystic Vale: Twilight Garden, released in July with no rating yet on Board Game Geek, offers player attacks and interaction (but Cody hasn’t had the chance to play it yet)

* Plus, Cody delves into the world of role-playing games, including Starfinder, Arcanis: The World of Shattered Empires, and Savage Worlds
* Check our past podcasts for board game reviews from Martin Con 2018, Martin Con 2016, and Martin Con 2015 (we did not do a podcast following Martin Con ...

Board Game Review Special: Martin Con 2018 (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 053)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 13:10:47 GMT

Cody and Jon recap their favorite board games of “Martin Con” 2018, the annual Memorial Day Weekend board game gathering hosted at Jon’s house in Minnesota.

This year’s games include but are not limited to: Avalon, Near and Far, Chaos in the Old World, Terraforming Mars, Arkham Horror, Mystic Vale, Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn, Rising Sun, Imperial Assault (with iPad), Ethnos, Eldritch Horror, and Codenames.
Show Notes:

* The two hosts give a quick rundown of the concept of “Martin Con” before diving into multiple detailed board game reviews
* Check our past podcasts for board game reviews from Martin Con 2016 and Martin Con 2015 (we did not do a podcast following Martin Con 2017)
* After finishing their massive board game geek-out, Cody and Jon briefly discuss their Deadpool 2 outing and Jon’s motivation to run in the ridiculous hot weather over Memorial Day weekend
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Interview with “The Minds Behind the Games” author Patrick Hickey, Jr. (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 052)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 12:00:35 GMT

You know who directed your favorite films and wrote your favorite screenplays… so why don’t you know the names behind your favorite video games? On this episode, host Cody Gough interviews Patrick Hickey, Jr, author of “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” about his conversations with the creators of games like NBA Jam, Night Trap, Maniac Mansion, and more.
Show Notes:

* Patrick Hickey, Jr, creator of ReviewFix.com, discusses:

* The process of inviting game developers to tell him their stories, and what motivated him to share their tales in the first place
* Why the video game industry historically hasn’t put names above brands the way that movie studios and other entities have done in the past
* Some of the most fun and interesting stories from his time writing the book
* How the world of professional wrestling overlaps with his stories and what he’s working on next
* His first forays into voice acting, as well as how he’s found himself contributing to video games in ways he never would have imagined just a few years ago

* You can also hear Patrick as a voice actor in Relentless Rex (the Dino), The Padre (Padre Alexander, the main character), and Tr.1.S (p05). Patrick also wrote Tr.1.S and is the story editor for The Padre.
* Plus: Patrick can do a voice that sounds exactly like The Shockmaster, an infamous botched pro wrestling debut
* Pick up your copy of “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” on Amazon or anywhere books are sold.

* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

F-Zero: Can you be nostalgic for a bad game? (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 051)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 24 May 2018 12:00:32 GMT

Cody and Jon attempt to explain F-Zero after playing it on the SNES Classic, despite not really caring at all about racing games. They also finally give an update on what’s going on in their lives, for once!

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon try to stumble through a review of F-Zero, despite the fact that racing games aren’t their “thing”
* Jon is curious about what Cody has to say regarding the game’s “interesting mechanics,” and both of them find the game strangely entertaining, despite the fact that they agree that the game is relatively “bad”
* Jon discusses his favorite terrible games: Twisted Tales of Spike McFang, X-Men for the Sega Genesis, and Sewer Shark for the Sega CD
* After an in-depth discussion, play along with some F-Zero trivia!
* Cody gives a “Life Stuff” update and discusses how he’s now hosting a daily podcast for Curiosity.com, which you can listen to as an Alexa Flash Briefing skill on your Amazon Echo device
* Jon helped AC from Game/Life Balance Australia get Cody a belated wedding gift, which Cody thinks is SERIOUSLY THE COOLEST THING EVER, and he genuinely thanks him for the incredible present
* Cody and Jon briefly discuss Avengers: Infinity War, the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Movie, the new season of Arrested Development, and a few other movies/TV shows that are on their radar these days
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* Learn something new in just a few minutes every day on Cody’s daily podcast for Curiosity.com

Is it too late for EarthBound? (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 050)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 10 May 2018 18:10:35 GMT

Jon reviews EarthBound, one of his favorite games ever, and Cody asks: is it too late for EarthBound to find a new audience?

Show Notes:

* The hard question gets put out there: is it too late for EarthBound?
* After an in-depth discussion, play along with EarthBound trivia!
* Jon gives an update on his quest to play through every Final Fantasy game this year, and Cody explains why he’s playing Final Fantasy XIV again
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Video referenced in intro: Earthbound (SNES) Angry Video Game Nerd: Episode 156 (we recorded this episode 8 days before the AVGN released his video, believe it or not!)
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Is Super Metroid A Perfect Game? (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 049)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 17:00:46 GMT

Is Super Metroid a perfect video game? Cody poses the question and Jon tries to come up with answers, as they review the classic Nintendo title on the SNES Classic — 24 years after it was first released.

Show Notes:

* Cody asks the hard question: is Super Metroid a perfect video game?
* Jon reveals why he has SO MUCH HAIR on his head right now, and it’s actually a pretty good reason
* Cody’s first impressions of Stellaris, which is a very confusing game
* Jon gives an update on his quest to play through every Final Fantasy game this year, now that he’s on Final Fantasy V, which is definitely one of his favorite games in the series (if not favorite games in general)
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Yoshi’s Island: When Optional Content Determines A Game’s Fun (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 048)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 23:22:26 GMT

Can optional content determine the playability and fun factor of a video game? Cody discusses how this happened as he and Jon review Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island for the SNES Classic, arguably the best platformer ever made.

Show Notes:

* Cody explains that he has upgraded to “gigabyte internet” but has no idea what that actually means (and plugs the Portal WiFi Router, basically the best router in the history of the world ever)
* Jon explains why he thinks Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island might be the best platformer of all time, and he and Cody discuss the importance of optional content in video games. How do you “handle” optional content? When is there too much, when is there not enough, and what happens when a game’s difficulty is more attuned to completionists than it is to casual players who simply want to beat a game?
* To wrap up the episode, Cody talks about why he’s more or less done playing Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on his PlayStation 4, a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and published by Square Enix
* Jon gives an update on his quest to play through every Final Fantasy game this year, having just completed FFII and FFIII for the first time
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Pacing and Active Participation in Role-Playing Games with Super Mario RPG (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 047)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 13:00:11 GMT

Cody and Jon delve into the history of Nintendo’s unique collaboration with Square-Enix (Squaresoft, at the time) and review Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES Classic.

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss the incredibly unique circumstances of Nintendo and Squaresoft (known today as Square-Enix) working together to create a game that combines the best of many worlds
* To wrap up the episode, Cody gives his first impressions of the recently released PlayStation 4 port of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and published by Square Enix
* Jon also discusses Star Wars: Imperial Assault, a strategy board game by Fantasy Flight Games with a companion app that brings a board game experience to life without the need for human players to be around
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

The Relationship Between Fun and Difficulty with Contra III: The Alien Wars (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 046)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 11 Jan 2018 13:00:30 GMT

Cody and Jon review the run and gun game Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES Classic.

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss whether the game is too difficult or they just don’t like playing games that hard! Plus: why is 2-player mode completely broken and literally unplayable?
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

What Makes A Good Platformer? Super Castlevania IV SNES Classic Review (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 045)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 29 Dec 2017 22:43:07 GMT

Cody and Jon review Super Castlevania IV, one of many remakes of the original Castlevania, on the SNES Classic. Plus: first impressions of the board game Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn!

Show Notes:

* Hear how Cody was gilded on Reddit with an unlikely comment related to Triple H’s entrance music.
* Cody and Jon set the stage for their discussion by talking about their history with the Castlevania series, including Cody’s extremely old Let’s Play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night VHS Tape, which is now on YouTube.
* Cody and Jon debate the merits and pitfalls of Super Castlevania IV: is the platforming any good? Is it too hard? Why is the music so terrible? And most importantly, does it hold up?
* Super Castlevania IV trivia from SNES Classic: The Ultimate Guide To Castlevania IV by BlackNES Guy
* First impressions of Fantasy Flight Games’ Civilization: A New Dawn strategy board game, from Cody’s first play session (highly recommended!)
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

When Do Outdated Graphics Break A Game? Star Fox and Star Fox 2 SNES Classic Reviews (Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 044)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 18:40:24 GMT

Cody and Jon review both Star Fox and Star Fox 2 on the SNES Classic, then discuss the history of the Star Fox franchise. Plus: trivia!

Show Notes:

* Somehow, both Cody and Jon got their hands on an SNES Classic Mini, and they’re going to review a game on every episode of the podcast for the next 20 episodes!
* Hear about the history of the Star Fox franchise and whether Star Fox holds up as a good game more than 20 years after its initial release.
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Final Fantasy RETROspective Review (Podcast Episode 1)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Sun, 10 Dec 2017 02:04:14 GMT

Jonathan Martin reviews the original Final Fantasy for the Nintendo Entertainment System as part of his ongoing RETROspective retro video game review series.

Show Notes:

* Share your thoughts about this review with Jonathan Martin on Twitter at @eatplaygame
* Connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

We’re back! Weddings, Extra Life, and SNES Classic Plans: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 043

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 13:00:26 GMT

Cody and Jon return from a 6-month hiatus to talk weddings, classic Star Trek, the Extra Life video game marathon, Super Mario Odyssey, retro gaming, and their SNES Classic plans for the future of the podcast!

Show Notes:

* After a 6-month hiatus, Cody and Jon discuss what they’ve been up to and why they’ve resurrected their podcast
* Cody raves about his new job with Curiosity.com, then rants about LinkedIn for being a really awful social media network
* They recap Cody’s wedding at Promontory Point in Chicago, including the reception at the Congress Plaza Hotel, the most haunted hotel in the city
* Google tells Cody how to convert Fahrenheit to centigrade, with hilarious results
* Cody is watching the original Star Trek series with his wife, and it’s like a weird crazy blast from the past for him
* Hear how Game/Life Balance and friends raised more than $600 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during Extra Life 2017 – and feel free to donate here: https://www.extra-life.org/team/game-life-balance
* Cody gives a mini-review of Super Mario Odyssey, then Jon gives a quick recap on the games he’s been playing, including his plan to beat every Final Fantasy game and whey he’s going to stick to retro gaming almost exclusively over the next year
* Somehow, both Cody and Jon got their hands on an SNES Classic Mini, and they’re going to review a game on every episode of the podcast for the next 20 episodes!
* To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody Gough presents Curiosity: Game/Life Balance U.S. Special Podcast

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 19:30:16 GMT

Cody gives one more quick update as the 2017 Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Hiatus continues.

Show Notes:

* You can find Cody’s new podcast, the Curiosity Podcast, on iTunes or Stitcher, or add the RSS feed to any podcast player. Please leave a review if you have a minute!
* While you’re waiting for new episodes, check out our hilarious and still active sister show, Game/Life Balance Australia, on their official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Hiatus 2017: Game/Life Balance U.S. Special Podcast

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 07 Jul 2017 03:58:09 GMT

Following a prolonged absence, Cody gives an update on the mostly-dormant state of Game/Life Balance U.S.

Show Notes:

* No show notes. I ain’t got time for that!

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Nintendo Switch Review (Game/Life Balance Gaiden Special Podcast)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:10:39 GMT

This week, Cody Gough of Game/Life Balance U.S. is joined by special guests Andrew “AC” Yoshimura of Game/Life Balance Australia and Chris Ferrell of the All Things Good and Nerdy and Official GonnaGeek.com Podcasts for a VERY SPECIAL REVIEW of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. Will you like this game even if you aren’t a long-time Zelda fan? And how does the Nintendo Switch hold up? Tune in to find out!

Show Notes:

* Nintendo Switch Review:

* AC talks about why he bought a Nintendo Switch in Japan and not in Australia
* Chris discusses screen protectors, Pro Controllers, and Joy-Con connectivity
* Cody covers the portability factor, including what happens when you fight Ganon on a literal airplane

* Breath of the Wild Review:

* Learn how this Legend of Zelda game has a completely different structure than every other Zelda game since The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
* Everyone drops some knowledge about how the logic and physics of the open world in the game function exactly as they should, and why that makes the game so much fun
* Cody does take one specific issue with the game: the voice acting. And he has a LOT to say about it

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com
* All Things Good And Nerdy official web site: http://allthingsgoodandnerdy.podbean.com/

Defenders of the Triforce Real Escape Game and Trevail Kitchen: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 042

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 11 May 2017 11:13:08 GMT

Cody reviews his experience playing The Legend of Zelda themed Real Escape Game “Defenders of the Triforce,” and Jon explains why his birthday meal at Trevail Kitchen was one of the most unique dining experiences he’s ever had. Plus: a SPECIAL SURPRISE ENDING!

Show Notes:

* Cody has accepted a new position as the director of the FBI, and is legally changing his name to “FBI Director James Codey”
* Life Stuff

* Cody went to The Legend of Zelda themed Real Escape Game “Defenders of the Triforce” in Chicago, and recounts his experience
* Cody discusses Gen Con’s True Dungeon and a few “escape room” type games, describing the puzzles and play style they typically feature
* Jon grills Cody about props, specific puzzles, “production value,” and other details of the escape game, including SPOILERS with puzzle solutions and an explanation of why the game was thematically extremely well-done as it relates to the lore of The Legend of Zelda games
* Cody announces the next Real Escape Game, which he is insanely excited about
* Jon went to a place called Trevail Kitchen in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, for his birthday, and it was one of the best dining experiences he’s ever had
* The restaurant was a Kickstarter (!) and is like a weird hybrid food showmanship / surprise menu / crazy entrepreneurial chef incubator, and it was totally worth the crazy $150+ per person price, even though it completely confuses Cody
* After attempting to explain the restaurant for several minutes, Jon finally compares it to Hideo Kojima’s relationship with the Metal Gear Solid series, which is literally the only way to make Cody understand what he’s talking about
* With all this talk about food, Cody SEAMLESSLY TRANSITIONS into talking about the tasting he just attended for his wedding reception, and he and Jon swap wedding tasting and reception stories while continuing to tease a future story about weddings gone awry
* For once, both Cody and Jon agree on something: not many people remember good food at weddings, but everyone remembers if food at a wedding is bad
* SURPRISE WEDDING PARTY ENDING! Jon and Cody have a legitimate moment
* Plus: “Twitter replies are the new YouTube comments”

* Email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com and tell us what you thought of today’s podcast!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon’s layover fail and Cody’s weight loss win: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 041

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 11:15:36 GMT

Jon explains why he will never risk flying with a layover while in the company of a small child ever again, and Cody shares his weight loss success story and the secret to how he lost 18 pounds in 6 weeks.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells a tender heartwarming story about singing an Australian lullaby to his kid, because the only American lullaby he can think of is by Kid Rock
* Cody and Jon haven’t recorded a new episode in quite some time, so prepare for a lot of excessive exposition! Fortunately, Jon plans on presenting this in essay form, and Cody loves conclusions
* Life Stuff

* Jon went to Florida and stayed at a house with a lanai screen enclosure in the back, which was fascinating to him because he didn’t know that was a thing
* On the way back from Florida, Jon’s wife literally ran into DMX at the airport, and the ensuing story was completely ridiculous… not to mention the layover issues getting to New Jersey
* A bunch of New Jersey bars don’t have actual human servers… so how do you figure out how much to tip? Or… do you tip? Jon speculates on how that even works
* Jon explains why he will literally never accept a layover when flying with his kid ever again
* Cody talks about how he lost 18 pounds in about 6 weeks by doing a lot of DDP Yoga and going on the Whole30 diet for a month
* Jon tells a dumb story about how to grow almonds, which is probably made up and quite frankly just makes Cody angry
* They get into a whole thing about boiling eggs… email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com with your egg boiling methods and recipes pls thx

* Current News

* A guy got to level 99 in Final Fantasy VII without cheating while still in the Midgar Reactor at the beginning of the game… and both Cody and Jon find that incredibly stupid and hate everything about it UNLESS HE WAS DOING KEGELS THE WHOLE TIME
* EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: you can tweet clips of a fully transcribed episode of Game/Life Balance U.S. using the brand-new podcast platform Signl.fm: https://share.signl.fm/gamelife36

* Balancing Act

* Cody has been playing the new Hearthstone expansion, Journey to Un’Goro, and it has not made the game any more fun than it used to be

* Cody explains the new “quest” mechanic and explains that deck experimentation is literally the only good thing about the game right now

* Jon hasn’t actually played the recent Steam release of Bayonetta, but he still has a lot to say about how awesome the game is; however, Jon has actually been playing Kingdom Rush

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII review (Game/Life Balance U.S. FULL GAMER Podcast)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 11:00:36 GMT

Jon gives a very thorough Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII review… 3 years after Cody reviewed the game on their old podcast, Unqualified Gamers. Hear how the game withstood the test of time, including Jon’s specific recommendations for the best way to enjoy playing it for the first time.

Show Notes:

* Cody reviewed Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII 3 years ago on his and Jon’s old podcast, Unqualified Gamers

* Here is Cody explaining the storyline to Lightning Returns to Jon, with hilarious results
* Here is Cody fully reviewing the game, in addition to he and Jon using Google Hangouts for the first time ever (!)
* BONUS VIDEO: Cody and Jon present a hilarious Lightning Returns UNBOXING VIDEO!

* Jon covers the story and setting of the game, explaining why he thinks it’s actually really well done and probably the strongest thing about the game
* Learn what the game does right and what it does wrong, especially when it comes to equipment and armor progression and when it comes to the “time limit” imposed throughout the whole game

Jon is a married gamer with a 3-year-old, so he has a limited amount of time to play video games. He has been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since childhood and has played every “main entry” in the series, and his co-host Cody has similar feelings towards the series. Hear Jon’s review from the point of view of a guy who is careful with how he spends his free time!

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Special edition video games: ripoffs or worth it? Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 040

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:36:42 GMT

The collector’s edition of Final Fantasy XII has been announced, and the price is STEEP. Cody and Jon debate the value of special edition video games, then give an update on their recent game/life balance.

Show Notes:

* Current News

* FINAL FANTASY® XII THE ZODIAC AGE COLLECTOR’S EDITION is for sale on the Square-Enix store, and… it costs $200, which Jon thinks is offensively overpriced
* Jon takes a hard line against collector’s edition and special edition video games, insisting that they just aren’t worth the extra money to him, and Cody debates by helping him understand some of the appeal
* Art books? Collectible figurines? Exclusive games/DLC? Hear how they stack up as add-ons, plus hear about the Gears of War 4: Collector’s Edition and learn why it costs $250

* Balancing Act

* Cody has been playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on his new Nintendo Switch… but he ran into a little trouble actually getting his hands on a copy of the game, since he refused to get anything other than the coveted and ridiculously rare Master Edition of the game
* Jon is replaying through Final Fantasy VII for the first time in a long time, so Cody grills him with the most important question that exists: does he plan on beating Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon?

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody got engaged and Jon nearly died: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 039

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 03:43:13 GMT

In this EXTREMELY EVENTFUL EPISODE: Cody got engaged! Hear him retell the story of how he popped the question, then catch up with Jon and learn how he nearly died last week (like, kinda not joking).

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon argue about whose story should go first in this podcast episode, which somehow turns into a tangent about Omega Virus
* Cody retells the story of how he proposed to his girlfriend and got engaged! Prominently featuring empanadas and the historic Music Box Theatre in Chicago

* Hear also how and why Cody ended up ordering a ton of Insomnia Cookies after splitting a bottle of champagne with his new fiance
* Jon gives some of his perspective as a somewhat recently married man to help Cody prepare for what wedding planning is about to be like, as they both speculate on when Cody might actually schedule his wedding

* Meanwhile, last weekend Jon ran 7 miles (!), then got a couples massage, then got horribly sick and basically almost died

* “So, your weekend? Way better than mine” is Jon’s genius conclusion
* Cody and Jon trade sick day stories, including that time Cody literally couldn’t physically go to Starbucks for work

* Balancing Act

* Jon rates his satisfaction with video game playing over the last couple weeks at a 1 out of 10, because he basically just laid around wanting to die because he was so miserably sick (although he did beat Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII)
* Cody gives himself a 7 out of 10 because he beat New Game+ in Rogue Legacy, plus he’s playing Final Fantasy XIV again and he’s really excited about reaching Heavensward content now
* For some reason, Jon doesn’t realize that the Nintendo Switch is about to change his life, so Cody sets him straight

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Final Fantasy XV review: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 23 Feb 2017 23:00:08 GMT

Cody gives a feature-length Final Fantasy XV review. Spoiler alert: he didn’t love it. Hear Cody explain exactly why he takes issue with this game as a main entry in the series, then judge for yourself whether it’s worth buying at full-price.

Show Notes:
“No sense of wonder. No plot. Poorly structured. Egregious flow and play control issues. A melodrama without the fun or sense of adventure that defines the Final Fantasy series.”
Cody is an adult who works six days a week while trying to maintain a healthy relationship with his girlfriend, so he has a limited amount of time to play video games. He has been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since childhood and has played every “main entry” in the series (except for Final Fantasy XI), and his co-host Jon has similar feelings towards the series. Hear Cody’s review from the point of view of a guy who is careful with how he spends his free time!

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Overwatch first impressions and board game strategy: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 038

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 16 Feb 2017 12:00:02 GMT

Jon finally got the chance to play Overwatch, the video game that literally everyone seems to be talking about! Hear his first impressions, plus Cody’s take on strategy board games and the best ways to play with friends.

Show Notes:

* Jon explains why he thinks he’s “the gross guy” at the gym every morning
* Cody and Jon went to Madison last weekend to play board games! Hear how and why the weekend ended up involving video games, especially Overwatch

* Cody also recounts his quest to get “the ultimate weapon” in Final Fantasy XV, which was roughly as disappointing as the rest of the game

* The first board game of the weekend was Churchill, which Cody attempt to explain, but Jon just can’t process
* Jon quickly changes the subject to the game Terraforming Mars, which both he and Cody thoroughly enjoyed playing, especially since it reminded Cody of Sid Meier’s Civilization (the video game series)
* After many years playing advanced board games, Cody presents his theory of three tiers of strategy gaming skill levels—and how to get to the next level
* Jon argues with Cody about the level of strategy involved in the game 7 Wonders, which is harder to be good at than Jon thinks, no matter what he says
* Cody laments losing every game he played over the weekend
* Cody also had the chance to play Superfight, a game he didn’t enjoy when he played a demo at Gen Con a few years ago but enjoyed so much in Madison, he’s actually considering buying a copy
* Balancing Act

* Cody has barely played any console games since his Final Fantasy XV binge in Madison
* Jon “finished” playing Fallout 4 and was NOT pleased with the game; look for a review from Jon in the future!
* Both Cody and Jon rank their satisfaction with how many games they’ve been playing lately with an 8 out of 10

* Cody promotes Better Podcasting, a phenomenal podcast hobbyist show on the GonnaGeek Network, and The Starling Tribune, a fan podcast for the TV show Arrow on the CW
* Jon screws up reading the outro copy and it is hilarious to everyone, but redeems himself with the most hilarious anecdote ever regarding the oft-used online shorthand “af”
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Gamers on global politics, activism, and the billionaire class: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 037

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 12:00:28 GMT

Following Cody’s recent international travels, he and Jon have a frank discussion about global politics, activism, and the billionaire class, including a conversation on why people should approach politics from the perspective of strategy gamers. This mostly non-partisan podcast is full of unique perspectives from a couple of Millennials trying to make sense of it all; don’t miss it!

Show Notes:

* Cody has “accidentally” become a globetrotter, but Jon has some exciting news about an upcoming trip that came about because he is very good at his job!
* Learn about Michelin Stars, and the fact that apparently you can get more than one at a time
* The Voice was holding auditions during a trip Jon recently took. So how did he do???
* Cultures in Europe vary significantly from country to country, and Cody argues that there is not that kind of diversity in the U.S.; hear why Jon disagrees
* Cody discusses Salzburg and explains why it’s like Rockford, and Jon somehow doesn’t equate Mozart with Cheap Trick
* Then, hear about Cody’s experience at the World Economic Forum, literally one of the most exclusive events in the world

* Cody explains the difference between discourse among billionaires and discourse among the average citizen on Facebook or Twitter, and Jon responds with an argument that both types of conversation don’t have to occur in a mutually exclusive fashion
* Circling back to the U.S., Cody talks about watching the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State Betsy DeVos, and laments the apparent transparency of political theatre as the “game” that it seems to be today
* Jon tries to explain politics and why debates exist, although in today’s political climate, a lot of the meaning and purpose behind it seems to be obscured or even lost, depending on the situation

* Bringing the conversation back around to gaming, Cody explains the 2016 presidential election from a “strategy gamer” perspective, and Jon explains how elections are like playing with a good strategy in the board game Twilight Imperium

* Cody explains why business leaders at the World Economic Forum gave him hope, but watching the U.S. Senate “debate” a presidential appointment left him feeling that politics is a stupid game and a complete joke in which nothing substantive ever gets accomplished
* Jon encourages Cody to “be engaged,” but Cody is jaded about that, too (and for good reason)—with problems that go “up,” not “left or right”

* Balancing Act

* Cody finished playing Lara Croft GO, which had even more content than he originally realized, and he also recently finished Final Fantasy XV, which he destroyed in his soon-to-be-released review, but has continued playing because some of the post-game content is actually really fun (after 80-some hours of play time)
* Jon has been playing a ton of Fallout 4, which he says is huge and massive, but he still doesn’t even know if he likes it or not, and he can’t exactly put his finger on why
* Cody briefly mentions the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV TV show, the first live-action television series with a plot centered around a Final Fantasy game, and reminds everyone that FFXIV is probably his favorite Final Fantasy game

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!

Gaming in bars and casinos: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 036

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:20:53 GMT

Cody and Jon talk gaming in bars and casinos and how they, as gamers, approach gambling*. Hear about gambling laws in Minnesota and Illinois, plus future plans to visit Las Vegas and where they might hope to win it big!

If you think you might have a gambling addiction, then call 1-800-522-4700. The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700). The network is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem.
Show Notes:

* Cody calls Jon out when he claims that parks are indoors in Minnesota
* Jon explains pull-tabs, a form of gambling available in bars in Minnesota, and shares some exciting news about his wife hitting it big just before the recording of this podcast episode
* Jon shares the exciting news of how he bought a new suit, and he and Cody swap stories about men’s fashion and dressing up as adults

* Cody is panicked about an upcoming trip to Switzerland, during which he has no idea how he will dress
* Fun facts about the dark web, the black market for ascots, and asking kids what they drew in their pictures

* Cody and Jon exchange stories about bitcoin gambling in the states of Illinois and Minnesota, respectively, and decide to plan an impromptu trip to Las Vegas next summer

* Jon also goes into the specifics of “Vegas odds” – which he had earlier played on https://njnodeposit.com/ and what games have the best odds for the player (as opposed to the best odds for the house)
* Cody promises to bet on 9 at a roulette table when in Vegas, but only if their ladies are dressed to the nines, and will buy everyone a cheap meal if he wins

* Cody briefly discusses his hilarious Twitter commentary on Final Fantasy XV, which is ongoing and quite humorous
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Annual video game review roundup, plus adulting in 2017: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 035

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 12:00:55 GMT

Cody and Jon go FULL GAMER and review their favorite video games played over the past year, in addition to discussing what they learned about balancing video games with real life. Plus: a look ahead at what’s to come in 2017!

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon present their favorite games of 2016 (note that they were not necessarily released in 2016, but are games they played in 2016), including:

* Doom (2016 edition; Jon’s review here)
* Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Cody, Jon, and a special guest review here)
* The Witness (Jon reviews here)
* Darkest Dungeon (Jon and Russian Jon review here)
* Sid Meier’s Civilization VI (not previously reviewed)
* Metal Gear Solid V (Cody reviews here)
* World of Warcraft: Legion (Jon discusses here)
* Gears of War 4 (Jon discusses here)
* Final Fantasy XV (not yet fully reviewed)
* Kentucky Route Zero (Jon reviews here)
* Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (not previously reviewed)
* Pokemon Go (not previously reviewed)
* Lara Croft GO (Cody discusses here)

* Cody and Jon discuss what they learned about themselves and how to fit video games into their adult lives over the last year, including what types of games fit best into their schedules and the best time of day to play uninterrupted (and without bothering family / roommates!)
* To wrap up the episode, Cody and Jon look ahead at 2017 and discuss the results of Cody’s completely unscientific Twitter poll about which game his followers are most excited to play

* Hear which game has the most hype: Resident Evil 7, Horizon: Zero Dawn, Mass Effect: Andromeda, or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon COMPLETELY DESTROY travel naysayers: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 034

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 04:48:25 GMT

Cody was told by several people that he would literally die by traveling, and yet he survived. Hear him and Jon completely destroy travel naysayers, then talk about what it’s like to take kids on vacation.

Show Notes:

* Jon checks in on his facial hair progress: if you had to pick one, then would you say it’s better to look good or to look young?
* Cody and Jon discuss the lore of spanking in the pantheon of the Game/Life Balance U.S. podcast
* Life Stuff

* Cody traveled to Mexico City for work, and people did not react to learning of his trip in the way he expected
* Despite certain travel destinations being a “dangerous place,” Cody thinks that people should go places anyway
* Jon experienced the joy of traveling on vacation to California via airplane with his nearly 3-year-old son for the first time, and his troubles didn’t occur when he thought they would
* Cody discusses some of the history of Teotihuacan and explains how he ended up at an EDM festival in Mexico City with Paul Van Dyk as a headliner
* In a bizarre turn of events, Cody goes full British after explaining his encounter with three blokes and a bird

* Cody and Jon congratulate Doombrowski, who just released his game Suburban Scavengers on Steam Greenlight, on his Doom Ninja Podcast joining the GonnaGeek Network!
* Balancing Act

* Jon has been playing the latest World of Warcraft expansion, and is back to playing one of his favorite mobile games of all time
* Cody gives first impressions of Final Fantasy XV and discusses a few fun mobile games he picked up when traveling, some old and some new

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon’s Doom Review (2016): Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast FULL GAMER Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:00:37 GMT

Jon goes FULL GAMER with a Doom review (2016), discussing the first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, which he played on Steam.

Show Notes:
Jon is a husband and a parent of a toddler, so he has real-life responsibilities and a limited amount of time to play video games every week. He also isn’t normally a fan of first-person shooters at all, so he was surprised at how much he enjoyed playing Doom. Hear Jon’s review from the point of view of a guy who is careful with his time commitments!

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Holiday work culture and misleading time commitments: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 033

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 13:00:05 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss work culture during the holiday season, then talk misleading time commitments—especially as it relates to finding time to play video games.

Show Notes:

* Jon explains why he’s been absent from the podcast for a few weeks and how it relates to the nature of this podcast (hint: it’s related to parenting)
* Life Stuff

* Jon talks about being a pharmacist during the holidays, and Cody explains what corporate life is like in December
* A quick tangent about the upcoming Hearthstone expansion, Mean Streets of Gagdetzan, spirals out of control and turns into something about Gambit from the X-Men and Harambe
* Cody and Jon discuss how many hours per week they work and how often they like to work; then, Jon calls Cody a communist

* Balancing Act

* Jon explains why he can’t enjoy Gears of War 4, even though he bought it for a very specific reason: Horde Mode
* Jon harshly criticizes Horde Mode and explains why they desperately need to introduce a penalty system for players dropping out
* Cody plugs Suburban Scavengers, the newest game from Doombrowski, which he strongly encourages you to support on Steam Greenlight!
* Cody chastises Jon for not pre-ordering Final Fantasy XV
* The hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia criticized Cody and Jon for their Game/Life Balance rating system on their most recent episode, so the hosts of Game/Life Balance U.S. take the opportunity to explain and define their rating system
* Cody promises upcoming reviews for Doom (2016), Gears of War 4, Sid Meier’s Civilization VI, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, and more!
* Both Cody and Jon happen to have seen Doctor Strange last week, and Jon magically guesses that The Music Box Theatre is showing Akira in Chicago next weekend

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

What the Cubs win was like in Chicago, plus over-age drinking: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 032

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 04:52:31 GMT

Cody describes what it was like to walk from his apartment to Wrigley Field immediately following the Chicago Cubs win in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series for the first time in 108 years. Then, guest host Chris Ferrell discusses over-age drinking and how he can’t quite party like he could in college.

Show Notes:

* Marijuana is now legal in various forms across America, and Cody is trying to cash in
* Cody introduces Chris Ferrell from the GonnaGeek Network and chastises his regular co-host Jon for blowing him off on the podcast
* Several unnecessary WWE references set the stage for an amazing podcast
* Life Stuff

* Cody watched the Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time in 108 years at a bar just a mile away from Wrigley Field, and he recounts the epic tale of his pilgrimage to Wrigleyville following the big win
* Chris talks about his relationship with baseball and how celebrations happen with Cody
* Then, Chris talks about how he partied a little too hard, and how over-age drinking in adult life complicates the ability to party like he could in college
* Plus: the value in having friends who aren’t your age

* Balancing Act

* Chris and Cody discuss WWE SuperCard, a ridiculous time-wasting mobile game
* Cody describes the outrageous Oz: Broken Kingdom, a mobile game that probably shouldn’t exist
* Cody also gives a quick update on Final Fantasy XIV, including his experience playing the final dungeon of the game

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Highlander, Halloween, and Nintendo Switch: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 031

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 10:50:07 GMT

Cody talks about how he found himself watching Highlander in a movie theater in Wrigleyville as the Chicago Cubs won their first pennant since 1945. Plus: Jon has his annual Halloween love fest and recommends movies and games for the season, then discusses the Nintendo Switch with Cody.

Show Notes:

* The Chicago Cubs are in the World Series for the first time in over 70 years! Cody explains why he found himself in Wrigleyville the night they won the pennant at Wrigley Field
* Cody gives a mini-review of Highlander, which he saw at an old-timey movie theatre with Nick Offerman… and yes, that’s a thing that actually happened for some reason
* Life Stuff

* Jon tells a story about the TV show American Horror Story, then talks Black Mirror with Cody
* Continuing with his Halloween horror theme, Jon tells a ridiculous story about a video game called The Evil Within
* In terms of movies still in theaters, Jon recommends Ouija: Origin of Evil, which is a great endorsement from a horror movie buff
* Cody tells a story about Penumbra, a horror movie set in Argentina that his girlfriend won’t watch with him, then explains why the movie Tremors is his backup plan
* Quick plug for Until Dawn, a video game that Jon would like to play every year in October

* Current News

* Cody and Jon nerd out about the Nintendo Switch! And by “nerd out” we mean “Jon explains what we actually know about it, and Cody just kind of says how awesome it is several times”

* Balancing Act

* Because of the podcast’s new format, Cody plans on reviewing Sid Meier’s Civilization VI and Jon plans on reviewing the 2016 edition of Doom on special episodes of the podcast… but they do talk about them a bit here as well
* Also, you can watch Cody play Hearthstone on a Facebook Live Video in which he explains why Wild is a million times more fun than Standard in the game
* Cody also gives a quick update on Final Fantasy XIV, including commentary on a crazy amount of cut scenes near the end of the game

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Commercial auditions and gamer stereotypes: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 030

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:00:09 GMT

Cody and Jon discuss their recent game/life balance, then Cody explains how commercial auditions and casting agencies work. He then engages Jon in a discussion on gamer stereotypes and how deeply they’ve permeated our culture.

Show Notes:

* Jon riffs on NPR pledge drives, and Cody makes fun of his stupid face
* Cody has a stroke or something and starts screaming about perspiration and precipitation and religion
* Jon disagrees with Cody’s assessment of how to tell when it’s time to start recording their podcast every week, especially regarding putting his son to bed
* Balancing Act

* Cody has been struggling to play Final Fantasy XIV because he burned his girlfriend out on it when he basically played nothing else for 2-3 months; how do you deal with that sort of situation? Jon provides insights from his MMORPG experience
* Very briefly, Cody lauds the changes in Blizzard’s latest Hearthstone patch 6.1.3, which had made the game infinitely more playable… but then has to complain about the mobile volume issue that is preventing him from listening to podcasts, which is extremely annoying
* Jon is still waking up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to play video games, and he explains why the new Doom may be the best first-person shooter he has ever played
* He also realizes that he’s been playing Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes for a full year now, and talks about how that and Mobius Final Fantasy have been his main mobile gaming “things” lately

* Life Stuff

* Cody explains the commercial audition and casting process and how he got his second callback in a very long time
* Also this week: Cody had lunch with podcast super-fan and Doom Ninja podcast host Ryan Dombrowski
* Jon and Cody discuss the “gamer stereotype” and how society has adjusted peoples’ expectations for what gamers are like in real life
* Black Mirror is coming back with new episodes! Get excited!

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Facial hair, creative ruts, and potty training: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 029

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 02:30:25 GMT

Jon and Cody debate styles and merits of facial hair, Cody gets stuck in a creative rut, and Jon has a potty training nightmare. All in one explosive episode!

Show Notes:

* Jon explains why he’s trying to grow a beard, and Cody explains why some people just are not allowed to grow facial hair for any reason ever
* Cody describes his creative rut and discusses creative outlets with Jon

* Jon used to actually be really good at singing, but apparently is not driven by the same need for a creative outlet as Cody, who is floundering like an idiot not having any clue what to do with his life

* Jon tells an incredibly long but somewhat informative and entertaining story about trying to potty train his son, who is basically trolling him for kicks
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon improvise comedy for an hour: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 028

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 11:30:42 GMT

Look, let’s just call this episode like it is: Cody and Jon don’t really have anything significant to talk about, so they just improvise comedy for a while. Listen to this episode, but expect hilarity in lieu of actual content!

Show Notes:

* Jon brings up Harambe McHarambeface, and Cody crushes his dreams by pointing out that the story is fake and stupid
* What do you drink after you get home from the gym? Cody and Jon discuss why the answer probably should not be “cookie dough”
* Cody rages because sports seasons are happening, and explains that sports seasons are dumb

* Welcome to Dumb

* In an unexpected twist of fate, Cody introduced himself to one of his neighbors, which Jon then both admits is a big deal and then berates Cody because he says it isn’t a big deal, mostly because Jon’s a jerk and can’t make up his mind
* “Sorry, what were you saying? I was busy drinking water because my life is so interesting.”
* Life Stuff

* Jon visited Chicago and didn’t even tell Cody he was in town, because he has no heart and they aren’t real friends
* Jon goes into painstaking detail about how board games are printed, then reviews both the first and second edition of A Study in Emerald, a board game based on the award-winning short story of the same name by Neil Gaiman
* Jon also explains the concept behind a board game called Codenames, which Cody actually owns and now really wants to play
* Cody then tells a ridiculous story about how he both literally and figuratively found gold while digging through a neighbor’s discarded goods over Labor Day weekend

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Kentucky Route Zero Review: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 027

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 11:45:47 GMT

Jon gives a glowing Kentucky Route Zero review and tries to help Cody understand how it’s like Twin Peaks.
If you don’t know what to do in the gym or you’ve never stepped foot in one before, it can seem like a pretty scary place. What are all the machines for? How do I do use them? Is everyone looking at me? That’s why we’ve put together the ultimate gym guide for beginners, that covers everything from what to pack in your gym bag, right up to your very own beginner’s workout. Once you’ve read through this guide, you’ll know everything there is to know about working out in the gym and smashing your fitness goals.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells a story about how he used to own hermit crabs, which Cody refuses to believe
* Debate on how to pronounce the word “route” in “Kentucky Route Zero”
* Cody trashes L.A. Fitness, which is a garbage gym with garbage policies and nobody should ever go there, and then tells and epic (short) gym story about exercise, testosterone supplements and sleep habits
* Then, Cody covers a LIVE BREAKING STORY involving live podcasting, which is hilarious and involves bad timing and his girlfriend
* Full Gamer

* Jon is generous in his Kentucky Route Zero review because it felt like Twin Peaks to him, and Twin Peaks is good
* “It’s different from any other experience with a game—in terms of storytelling—than anything I’ve ever seen”
* It’s interactive and you should play it with your girlfriend! TUNE IN TO LEARN WHY

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Travel tips and stories from Las Vegas and Spain: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 026

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 03:42:57 GMT

Jon returns from Las Vegas (one of his favorite travel destinations) and Cody returns from two weeks in Spain with some travel tips for listeners.

Show Notes:

* Jon explains what happened last week when his power went out, which abruptly ended last week’s episode
* Cody and Jon discuss Jon’s guest appearance on Game/Life Gaiden, an offshoot of the Game/Life Balance brand that he co-hosted with AC of Game/Life Balance Australia
* Full Gamer

* It’s more like “Half Gamer,” as Cody discusses joining a Free Company in Final Fantasy XIV (which he only started playing a few months ago), but does so in a reasonably accessible way
* Jon tells an amusing story about being left behind in a raid while he was watching a cut scene in Final Fantasy XIV
* Cody explains why he loves the social aspect of the Free Company (FFXIV’s version of a “guild” as they’re known in other MMORPGs) and tells a similarly humorous story involving Power Rangers poses
* Jon and Cody discuss the difficulty of playing online games while around significant others, and how they deal with it

* Life Stuff

* Despite his regrettable decision to stay at the MGM Grand, Jon claims that this was his favorite trip to Las Vegas out of all the times he’s been over the last several years
* Jon discusses “fine dining” in Las Vegas and how going to nice restaurants and visiting nice swimming pools can completely change your view of the city
* Someone tried to sell drugs to Jon. HEAR WHAT HAPPENED
* Cody and Jon get in a fight over shrimp cocktails in “Old Las Vegas”

* More Life Stuff

* Cody spent a month in Spain, and if you’re curious about Spain at all, then you should check out his friend’s blog, Sunshine and Siestas, to learn all about the culture and how to travel there
* Jon asks Cody about the work culture in Madrid, which is super bizarre because people have dinner really late (around 10 p.m. a lot of the time) yet still show up at work around 9 a.m. the next day in some cases
* Not satisfied with just hanging out in Madrid for two weeks, Cody also discusses his favorite parts of visiting Toledo and Sevilla when in Spain (though he didn’t make it to any other countries once he arrived there)
* Cody says to check out his Brian Noonan Show podcast for a more comprehensive list of travel tips from his point of view, then spends THIS podcast discussing cool things about Madrid, including their public transit system and Buen Retiro Park
* Cody and Jon get in a fight over Final Fantasy XII
* Cody shares his UTTERLY TERRIFYING experience at a bus station in Spain after missing a high-speed train and having to take an overnight bus instead

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our BitBash, the indie video game festival that he’s going to attend yet again this year, which you can follow on his Instagram feed at Instagram.com/CodyGough
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn review and MMORPG history: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 024

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 12:04:17 GMT

Cody bit the bullet and started playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, his first massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). He and Jon welcome special guest and FFXIV fanatic Brad to talk about the game, MMOs, and more.

Show Notes:

* Jon tries to trick Brad, this episode’s special guest, into thinking they’re actually going to talk about pro wrestling for an hour
* Cody and Jon welcome special guest Brad to the program, since he’s been playing Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn since its inception and thus knows a ridiculous amount about the game and its extremely unique history
* Full Gamer

* Jon explains a bit about the massively multiplayer online RPG (MMORPG) genre and typical play styles of its players
* Brad explains the history of Final Fantasy XIV and why its initial release was unsuccessful, including graphical limitations and experience point caps
* Learn why Square Enix decided to try to re-launch the game and how they listened to fan feedback rather than simply shut it down
* Hear about the final days of the “original” release of Final Fantasy XIV, and how a cataclysmic event was coordinated with their server shutdown timeline to create an awesome in-game epic battle that served as an “ending” to the game before it was re-launched
* Jon discusses his MMORPG history, including Everquest and World of Warcraft, and how it impacts his view of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, especially considering the social aspect of the games
* Brad and Jon agree that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a World of Warcraft “clone” in a way, based on its carrot-on-a-stick adventure/reward system
* The biggest differentiation between FFXIV and other MMORPGs from a gameplay perspective is that you can “do everything” and master multiple classes, which is not possible in many other MMOs
* Why did neither Cody nor Brad enjoy World of Warcraft when they played a free trial, but they were hooked when they played a similar (to a newcomer) Final Fantasy MMO?
* The story in World of Warcraft “is there if you want to engage with it as the player,” but it’s not integral, according to Jon, as opposed to the highly integrated and elaborate story in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
* Brad and Cody discuss some of the amazing puns in the game and the clear care taken to make story elements entertaining and memorable, including Metal Gear Solid references of all things
* Everyone gushes about how awesome the soundtrack is, and why you should probably listen to it on YouTube
* To add some balance to the conversation, Jon mentions a few features in the game that he didn’t know about until very late in the game, such as unclear quest indicators and other minor “unexplained” systems that make it more difficult to play certain classes due to the fact that it’s a more complicated game than WoW and other MMOs
* Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is coming to Xbox One! Cody explains why it took so long, and when it will become available
* Brad tells a hilarious story about a raid partner named Arnold Schwarzenegger whom most of the players on his server blocked at some point
* Jon briefly discusses Free Companies (FFXIV) versus Guilds (WoW) and Level Sync in FFXIV, and Brad talks about how Level Sync works in later raids and dungeons
* Brad talks about the most hardcore raid parties and how they literally schedule their lives around playing FFXIV raids

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!

Live from Podcast Movement 2016 with Signl.fm: Game/Life Balance U.S. Special Episode

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 17:00:30 GMT

In this special bite-sized podcast, Cody sits down with Kim Hansen of Signl.fm to discuss her podcasting platform and share some fun stories from her background in the video game industry.

Show Notes:

* Cody thanks Buzzsprout for letting him use their equipment at Podcast Movement 2016
* Cody introduces Kim Hansen, CEO of Signl.fm, and she talks a bit about Signl.fm and its features (“Twitch for podcasting”)

* Learn about how Signl.fm can help with podcast monetization, live streaming and listener engagement, transcription with IBM Watson, and more!

* Kim also used to work for Bioware, and has some cool stories about her time working on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 (in addition to some other cool games that weren’t necessarily ever released)

* Fun fact: Mass Effect 2 had the fewest launch bugs of any Bioware property (at the time it was launched)
* Kim also tells an awesome story about the Xbox achievements in the first Mass Effect game and helping gamers with strategy

* Cody throws some shade at NPR for being ridiculously successful in the world of podcasting, as he learned during the week at Podcast Movement 2016
* Kim also discusses her role in developing the game Everlove: Rose, a narrative game of romance and mystery that was shockingly well-received, for a pretty entertaining reason
* What was her favorite part of visiting Chicago? Tune in to find out!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Independence Day Weekend 2016 with Guns N’ Roses: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 023

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 07 Jul 2016 12:05:31 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss their Independence Day weekend, complete with illegal fireworks displays, The Book of Mormon, and the Guns N’ Roses “Not in This Lifetime…” tour. Plus, hear about a bizarre Anime called Belladonna of Sadness and a check-in with Summer Games Done Quick 2016.

Show Notes:

* Following a raucous Independence Day weekend, Jon and Cody reflect on their feelings about fireworks, which are strangely similar despite Jon being a cranky old man at this point in his life
* Life Stuff

* Cody saw The Book of Mormon in Chicago, and it was worth every penny
* Cody also saw Guns N’ Roses perform at Soldier field on both Friday, July 1, and Sunday, July 3

* Oddities

* Cody discusses Belladonna of Sadness, an obscure 1973 Anime with a highly sexual plot that he saw at the very hipster Music Box Theatre in Chicago
* Jon discusses Summer Games Done Quick, a charity speedrunning marathon taking place July 3-9, 2016

* Cody will be attending Podcast Movement Chicago 2016, so keep an eye out for him!
* Cody will also be co-hosting an upcoming episode of Game/Life Balance Australia, so be sure to follow that show for updates!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Mighty No. 9 Launch, Kickstarter Fails, and Booking Air Travel: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 022

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 12:03:08 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss the epic tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, plus other Kickstarter projects they’ve backed in the past. Then, Cody launches into a tangent about the Tremors movie series, Jon talks about Father’s Day, and Cody shares some tips and tricks for booking international travel online.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells the sad tale of the Mighty No. 9 launch, which underwhelmed and under-delivered in more ways than thought possible

* Cody shares his history backing video games on Kickstarter and why he doesn’t closely follow Kickstarter campaigns after he’s funded them (especially after the Mighty No. 9 launch going the way it did after so much hype)
* Jon and Cody briefly discuss Exploding Kittens briefly, which is one of the most successful Kickstarter projects of all time

* Somehow Cody gets on the topic of Tremors 5, a fifth movie in the Tremors film series that actually happened in 2015

* Cody refuses to let Jon change the subject, instead launching into a brief ranking of every Tremors film, which is relevant to roughly nobody

* Life Stuff

* Jon wishes himself and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia a Happy Father’s Day, then talks about how he ate ribs on Father’s Day like he does literally every year that he has ever recorded a podcast with Cody
* In addition to patting himself on the back for being an awesome dad, Jon also tells yet another story of how his son is constantly trying to find ways of destroying himself, this time involving a hilarious habit with swimming pools
* Cody saw Flight of the Conchords at Millennium Park, and literally refuses to believe that Jon has never heard of them, because that is a stupid thing for him to have never heard of
* Jon received the most domestic male gift in history for Father’s Day

* More Life Stuff

* Cody explains his summer travel plans and what an airline means when it offers a “mystery deal,” which he actually did for the first time
* The airline itinerary mystery deal Cody found on Kayak directed him to Vayama, which offered a full 100% refund if he canceled his transaction within one hour of booking his three flights… and it actually worked!
* Naturally, Jon argues that Cody probably won’t get his money back, because he’s an awful person. The previous sentence can be read one of two ways, and either are probably accurate
* In the end, Cody ended up booking his overseas flights on JustFly, which also had good customer service—so check it out!

* Both Cody and Jon lament that they didn’t have a ton of adventures to recount on this episode, but preview an action-packed summer of podcasting coming soon
* Cody tries to explain a very complicated but difficult to communicate joke between him and the hosts of Game/Life Balance Australia, which involves Costume Quest and gifting video games—leading, naturally, to another argument between him and Jon, whom he feels is just lying at this point (and please note that this sentence can also be read one of two ways)
* Learn how to connect with us on the Chaos in the Old World: Cody played this game last year, but Jon played it without him this year because he’s a jerk. It’s a good game for advanced gamers, and super fun! It’s also where Jon got his son’s former nickname
* Avalon: A Werewolf-like game that Cody and Jon have played about a zillion times, which is extremely accessible to any group of people (Cody even played with his girlfriend’s family last year!)
* Last Night On Earth: Jon insists that this game “can be fun,” and Cody completely disagrees. Cody compares it to Eldritch Horror in a way, which he says is a bad thing, while Jon compares it positively and claims it’s a good thing (Jon is obviously wrong)
* Roll for the Galaxy: A game that Cody played and Jon didn’t, which means that of course Cody gives it an average review, since he’s super critical of every game ever in this podcast (and also probably not very good at them)
* Sheriff of Nottingham: Neither Jon nor Cody actually played this game at Martin-Con, but Jon did “referee” the game and said that everyone had a ton of fun and that it’s super easy and accessible and fun
* Citadels: Another game that both Cody and Jon played, it’s another really accessible game but has a deceptively deep strategy element; somehow, Cody won this game, so of course he highly recommends it for basically anyone (especially since it’s a pretty quick game)
* Battlestar Galactica: The review of this game is extremely complicated, so you’ll just have to listen to hear what they have to say about it… and there is a lot to say!

* Following their foray into board game reviews, Cody and Jon briefly talk X-Men: Apocalypse, which is a movie that they actually feel the same way about, both because of the flow of the film and because of the plot

* Jon goes on a random tangent about Jessica Jones, which he saw about half of, and Cody briefly compares and contrasts the first season of both that and Daredevil on Netflix

Jon’s first 5k and parenting scares: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 020

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 26 May 2016 16:13:37 GMT

Jon bares his soul in this riveting episode, featuring his first 5k (did an injury hold him back, or did he run through the burn?) and a terrifying story of parenting that a lot of parents should be able to relate to.

Show Notes:

* Life Stuff

* Jon ran his first 5k—or did he? Hear his exciting tale of how it all went down
* To “run through the burn,” or not to run through the burn? That is the everlasting question among athletes!

* Joy of Parenting

* Jon has a scary parenting story regarding childhood development, which is both educational and provides a rare serious side look at the hosts of Game/Life Balance U.S. (well, mostly Jon)

* Cody is headed to Minneapolis for Martin Con this weekend, and really hopes that he and Jon get to stream live to Twitch.TV via Darrel TV
* Cody is hype about going to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this week
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Why people hate the new Ghostbusters: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 019

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 20 May 2016 04:52:16 GMT

Why is there so much hate surrounding the new Ghostbusters movie, despite the fact that only one trailer has been released? Jon discusses the dark psychology of the Internet, and Cody plays devil’s advocate when it comes to maintaining the integrity of storied franchises. It’s a back-and-forth discussion you won’t want to miss!

Show Notes:

* Cody talks about the format of Game/Life Balance Australia, plus why they are kind of stealing their format, and also talks about fire tornadoes
* Cody and Jon had a fascinating discussion over Google Hangouts regarding the new Ghostbusters film, and launch into a podcast about it with a quote from Jon
* Current News

* Jon argues that people online are too hyperbolic to have any meaningful discussion
* Cody defends people who defend a franchise’s integrity, and how that applies to old Ghostbusters versus new Ghostbusters
* Jon asserts that original works can’t “become worse” because a sequel or additional intellectual property in a series is released that is worse
* Cody brings Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Indiana Jones, The Matrix, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and other storied franchises into the discussion
* The overall quality of certain properties, such as Battlestar Galactica, Heroes, or Lost, can in fact lower the overall perception of something, Cody argues

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Video game commitment anxiety, gardening, and Budweiser’s “America”: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 018

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 12 May 2016 12:10:57 GMT

Budweiser wants to change its name for the summer, and Jon thinks it is utterly ridiculous. Then, learn why Cody has Star Fox Zero commitment anxiety following his triumph over The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD. Plus: Jon’s big birthday was so big, he literally forgets how old he is, and Cody does a quick hit on Captain America: Civil War.

Show Notes:

* This summer, for a limited time, Budweiser wants to change the name of its beer to… “America”
* Cody and Jon search for various things on Google, including what you get when you mix a beer with orange juice, plus the top search results for both America and Europe
* Balancing Act

* Cody beat The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, talks a little bit about the gameplay and how much he enjoys playing games at 60 frames per second
* The first 3 dungeons in the game are great, and then the game opens up to a ridiculous amount… but then there isn’t much left in the last half of the game, at least according to Cody
* He discusses how he wrestled with “wanting” to actually play the game versus just wanting to finish it, and how much his sense of accomplishment has actually prevented him from playing Star Fox Zero, which he got the day it was released
* Shockingly, Jon sympathizes with Cody’s commitment anxiety over starting to play new video games, and explains that’s why he’s replaying through Final Fantasy XIII right now
* Jon explains that time is a precious commodity, and Cody explains how that translates to committing to video games, movies, TV shows, or really anything else, even if it’s purely “entertainment”

* Life Stuff

* It was Jon’s birthday this week, and he insists that he’s so old, he literally doesn’t know how old he is
* He also set up his garden and got really hype about a rototiller, further proving that Jonathan is in fact a 60-year-old man
* He also set up the 3 season porch with a TV, both making the room legitimate and forcing him to explain to Cody the concept of a 3 season porch
* Cody describes the smell and chill of death emanating from Trump Tower in Chicago
* Jon ruins Cody’s life by telling him that Axl Rose is on Twitter, which can’t possibly be true, for the love of all that is holy

* Current News

* Cody saw Captain America: Civil War, and explains why it was awesome
* Jon apparently is lactose intolerant, so Cody gives him a detailed quiz on milkshakes
* Fun fact: strawberry milk is a thing that exists! Hear how it is definitely made and definitely not kidding about that

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Meet The GonnaGeek Network: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 017

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 May 2016 12:00:35 GMT

In this very special episode, members of the GonnaGeek Network from across the U.S. join Cody at WGN Radio in Chicago to discuss their podcasting panel at C2E2, nerd convention highlights, what they’ve been watching on Netflix lately, and more.

Show Notes:

* Jon takes a birthday week off, so Cody welcomes several members of the GonnaGeek Network to the studios at WGN Radio for a podcast featuring several podcasters from across the U.S.!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Netflix extravaganza featuring Daredevil Season 1: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 016

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 28 Apr 2016 12:10:51 GMT

Cody and Jon have a Netflix extravaganza, prompted by Cody’s choice to watch Marvel’s Daredevil Season 1 on Netflix almost exclusively on his cell phone. Hear them discuss everything from Black Mirror to horror movies to various versions of Star Trek, then get Cody’s aggressive thoughts on the newest Hearthstone expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods.

Show Notes:

* Jon agrees to discuss the podcast only in terms of emoji from now on (Cody does not actually agree to this at any point, but he rolls with it)
* Jon gets a text message from THE WEATHER because he is INCREDIBLY RUDE
* Balancing Act

* Cody explains how the GonnaGeek Network tricked him into wanting to watch geeky TV shows, so he watched the first season of Daredevil on Netflix
* For some reason, Cody’s girlfriend doesn’t like mindless excessive violence or superhero things, so Cody decided to watch the entire first season on his phone
* Cody and Jon debate which films or shows would be best to watch on a phone versus on a big screen television with a corner tv wall mount, and Chris from the GonnaGeek Network helps Cody remember basically everything in the chat
* Massive tangents about Star Trek series and Swimfan@ on Netflix make this basically the most hilarious episode ever… I’m not going to type it all out for you here, just listen and your life will be better, seriously
* Jon talks a bit about Black Mirror and some other shows he’s watched lately
* Cody nitpicks the first season of Daredevil on Netflix
* Cody explains why Heroes is the worst TV show ever made

* Current News

* Hearthstone released a new expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods, and it has made Cody hate the game even more than he did originally

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Finding a life balance with irreverence, exercise, and music: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 015

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 12:20:07 GMT

Cody shares some exciting news coming from Illinois, just in time for the 4/20 “holiday.” Then, Jon discusses his child’s hilarious sleeping habits and his own personal battle with becoming a runner, and Cody shares his favorite hidden gems in the world of video game music arrangements and radio drama podcasts.

Show Notes:

* Jon accuses Rob from Game/Life Balance Australia of being well-read and cultured, because he reads books

* “Buying a bunch of games and not playing them is not nearly as impressive as buying a bunch of books and not reading them”
* Jon makes jokes about a book called The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam, which is a callback to Episode 4 of Game/Life Balance Australia
* Cody introduced Jon to introduce himself, after Jon introduces himself several times

* Current News

* This episode was recorded on April 20, also known as 420, also known as marijuana, weed, pot, etc.
* Jon complains about the internet on 4/20 because he is butthurt that Reddit wasn’t as fun for one day of his entire life
* Cody shares the news that the state of Illinois has even further decriminalized marijuana, taking the state several steps closer to legalizing the substance, at least according to Cody

* Joy of Parenting

* Jon gives an update on his son’s “big-boy-bed” transition saga, which now involves an elaborate puzzle contraption used to hide a light switch, plus an amazing analogy from Cody that is basically one of the smartest things ever said
* Cody also explains how The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD has given him a brilliant idea for making Jon a better parent, because that’s how life works

* Life Stuff

* Jon talks about training for a 5k, why it’s important to him, and how he feels about running
* Cody explains his bizarre super-privileged neurotic mental block that has prevented him from exercising regularly for several months until he discovered testosterone supplements for men which gave him the energy needed

* Oddities

* Speaking of video game music, Cody discusses Dwelling of Duels, a really awesome video game music web site that people should check out if they like live instrumentation of classic video game tracks

* Cody raves about Friend of the Family, the newest member of the GonnaGeek Network, and insists that you check it out

* Friend of the Family is one of a handful of shows produced by Strange N Unusual Productions, which produces radio dramas “that embrace the bizarre and spooky with a laugh”

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds,

Podcasting technical difficulties and rage uninstalling Clash Royale: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 014

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 12:30:56 GMT

Cody reveals his #1 pet peeve in the entire world, which happens to involve podcasting technical difficulties that occur both before and after this episode’s recording. Then, Jon explains why he rage uninstalled a mobile game for the first time in his life, and some of the pros and cons of Clash Royale.

Show Notes:

* Cody visits the bomb dot com, which we aren’t going to link to in our show notes because it’s such an atrocious click-bait website
* Jon raises the important question: why isn’t Game/Life Balance Australia this podcast’s “brother show?” “Sister show” doesn’t seem to make sense to him

* On a related note, Cody and Jon debate Australian slang, all of which Cody is pretty sure is completely wrong
* Cody compares himself to Rob of Game/Life Balance Australia, based on stuff he heard in their third episode

* While elaborating on his biggest pet peeve on the planet, Cody makes a brilliant Legend of Zelda analogy, which Jon somehow doesn’t understand fully, even though it’s really genius
* Since apparently this episode is in many ways a freeform podcast, somehow the topic of hypersensitivity on college campuses comes up, and Cody either tells or makes up stories about trigger warnings (it’s hard to tell)
* Life Stuff (Jon)

* Jon explains that he is an infinitely patient person who has never been frustrated at anything in his entire life, yet the mobile game Clash Royale infuriated him so much that he “rage uninstalled” it
* Jon starts to explain the minutae of gameplay before Cody cuts him off, because Cody is a better podcaster than he is
* Learn why Jon actually thinks the game is quite excellent, but was nevertheless compelled to uninstall it because he was terrible at it and he can’t handle adversity
* Cody explains how he makes Hearthstone tolerable by muting his opponents, and why that automatically makes it a better game than stupid Clash Royale which Jon can’t handle because he is weak and I will crush him
* Jon explains the term “being on tilt,” which is his first educational contribution to the podcast possibly ever

* Life Stuff (Cody)

* Cody refuses to make a “Jonathan sandwich,” then throws up in his mouth
* After Cody’s girlfriend had family in town over the weekend, including a cat, he is now tempted to get a cat
* The most difficult part of living with a cat, in Cody’s mind, is where exactly to put the litterbox, and fortunately/unfortunately for him, his current apartment can actually accommodate one that doesn’t interfere with his universe, mostly because his apartment is really long
* Cats as a way to stave of Russians: yay or nay? Cody and Jon discuss
* “Cats are really cute and fun, plus it would be, like… a practice run for having a kid”
* Cody makes a comment about how expensive it is to have a cat, which Jon immediately misconstrues to mean something it doesn’t, because he enjoys being a contrarian, even if it does end up being humorous
* Jon joins Team Cody in trying to convince his sister to not get a dog while living in the city of Chicago, because that is an abysmal and prohibitively expensive idea
* To wrap up the cat conversation, Cody explains how his owning a cat could drastically improve ratings and views for their YouTube videos

* Current News

* Risk of Rain, a multiplayer roguelike platformer which both Jon and Cody really love, is now The Green Solution, which he firmly believes is the future of marijuana in the United States

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Steam in Russia, C2E2 podcasting, and Darkest Dungeon: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 012

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 12:35:18 GMT

Cody introduces special guest “Russian Jon,” a long-time friend of the podcast who discusses what it’s like to buy Steam games in Russia. Then, Cody recaps the GonnaGeek Network podcasting event he attended at C2E2, and the two Jons review the roguelike dungeon crawler Darkest Dungeon.

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon introduce / re-introduce Russian Jon to the podcast, and he discusses what it’s like to acquire games on Steam in Russia
* Russian Jon, a long-time friend of both Cody and American Jon (Regular Jon? AmeriJon?), tells some stories about growing up with them, how he knows the podcast, and what he does with his free time
* Life Stuff

* Cody discusses the panel he sat on at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), GonnaGeek Network Presents: Everyday Podcasting For Your Everyday Life
* Cody talks about the benefits of being on a network and how cool it was that there was a huge crowd at C2E2 that really actively participated in the panel
* Cody also explains how the weekend inspired him to get a brand-new podcast rig, and exactly why that may affect the sound quality of this episode

* Full Gamer

* The two Jons review Darkest Dungeon, a roguelike, dungeon crawler video game created by indie game developer Red Hook Studios
* Although there are some major problems with the game, its reception on Steam varies wildly; listen to hear what kind of gamer would enjoy this game most, and what kind of gamer should probably pass on the chance to play it

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com/

The Witness and the dentist: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 011

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 17 Mar 2016 12:42:21 GMT

Cody gives a public service announcement about The Legend of Zelda dungeons and going to a teeth whitening dentist (in real life), and Jon reviews The Witness, the new puzzle game from Jonathan Blow.

Show Notes:

* Cody explains the importance of never, ever quitting a Zelda game while in the middle of playing through a dungeon, even if you’ve already played it several times in the past
* Cody and Jon discuss March Madness, and you’ll be shocked at what they have to say about their brackets (or lack thereof)
* Life Stuff

* Cody explains the importance of going to the dentist for regular checkups, and gives a public service announcement encouraging everyone to go following his painful story of oral hygiene

* Full Gamer

* Jon is so hype about the new Jonathan Blow game “The Witness,” he claims it’s one of the best single-player experiences he can remember
* Jon struggles to explain an abstract puzzle game without giving away any spoilers or strategies

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com/

Minnesota caucus and The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 010

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:53:24 GMT

Jon did his duty as an American citizen by participating in the Minnesota caucus process, and boy, was it exciting! Plus: Cody delves into Sherlock Holmes after seeing a musical about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, then discusses ownership of fictional characters.

Show Notes:

* Jon explains his new-found love of red wine in a weird conversation about beer and Australia
* Current News

* Jon and his wife participated in the Minnesota caucus, and it was much more exciting than they had anticipated

* Life Stuff

* Cody’s girlfriend brought him to see The Man Who Murdered Sherlock Holmes, a musical at Mercury Theatre in Chicago,and it was awesome
* Who “owns” a fictional character? Cody talks about The People vs. George Lucas and other instances of characters taking on a life of their own

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com/

Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 at Goodman Theatre: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 009

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 13:00:32 GMT

Cody and his girlfriend Casey discuss the current production of 2666 at Goodman Theatre, which they had the opportunity to see over the weekend. They also finished watching Twin Peaks, and have a lot to say about its final episodes.

Show Notes:

* Game/Life Balance Australia has finally launched! Or, re-launched! …either way, Cody is excited about it!

* Hear why Cody is now referring to his usual co-host Jonathan Martin as “Uncle Stabbo,” and meet this week’s guest host Casey
* Cody reveals his true identity as a Nigerian princess, as discussed on Game/Life Balance Australia

* Life Stuff

* Cody and Casey discuss the book 2666 by Roberto Bolaño, doing their best to synthesize the plot part by part
* Hear what they thought when they saw 2666 at Goodman Theatre, a 5-hour production adapted and directed by Robert Falls and Seth Bockley

* Life Stuff (part 2)

* Although Cody and Casey already discussed Twin Peaks extensively on the WGN Plus podcast You’ve Binge Challenged, they return to the subject to discuss the final episodes of the series now that they’ve finished it
* Hear what they thought of the series’ decline as Cody asks: how can really good shows like Twin Peaks and Battlestar Galactica become so un-watchable so quickly?

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com/

Deadpool movie to become highest-grossing Rated-R film ever: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 008

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 02:30:12 GMT

The Deadpool movie is set to surpass Passion of the Christ as the highest-grossing Rated R film of all time, and having seen it last weekend, Cody completely understands why. Hear all about it in this episode of the Game/Life Balance U.S. podcast!

Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon are really hype about the fact that Risk of Rain, one of their favorite multiplayer games, is going to be released on the PS4 with a robust matchmaking system
* Cody and Jon discuss the basic tenets of the podcast, which somehow involves Vatican City and/or Rome
* Current News

* Deadpool is breaking box office records for rated R movies, and Cody explains why everyone needs to see the movie because it’s ridiculously awesome
* Cody attempts to explain Deadpool’s background and origin story, despite not really knowing it very well

* Life Stuff

* Jon drank a ridiculous amount of wine with his family, and it was hilarious and awesome
* Cody argues that Jon didn’t have difficulty recovering from his drunken episode because he’s getting old, but because he doesn’t get drunk often enough
* Jon tells a crazy story about trying to give food to his son’s classmates, because Allergies

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

The Federal Reserve, U.S. Politics, and The Order: 1886: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 007

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 13:30:27 GMT

Jon tells a hilarious story about a “free to play” game he’s been playing on his phone, and Cody discusses how he’s learning about the Federal Reserve. Then, he and Jon delve into U.S. politics for a bit before Cody goes FULL GAMER and reviews The Order: 1886 for the PlayStation 4.

Show Notes:

* Jon tells a ridiculous story about Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, featuring a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR “micro” transaction
* Cody discusses the book he’s reading, The Power and Independence of the Federal Reserve, and talks about his foray into learning about the Federal Reserve System… including how it somehow explains the assassination of John F. Kennedy (???)
* Jon talks about The Big Short, which he saw over the weekend, and how it differed from his expectations
* Cody jokes about the idea of doing a political podcast, then explains the resemblance between politics and playing a very complicated game
* Jon brings up a good point about anti-establishment rhetoric in the current U.S. political environment, critical of a sometimes overly reductive and dismissive public

* Both Jon and Cody take issue with presidential candidates and their supporters demonizing their opponents and making broad generalizations about people running for political office
* Cody expresses reservations about Donald Trump as a human being, and asks deep, impactful questions about human nature

* Life Stuff

* Jon is hosting a gigantic family get together in his new house this weekend, and he’s pretty excited about it
* Result: rampant references to Full House and Too Many Cooks, followed by an aside about how Jon’s son constantly gets him sick
* Valid question: would Jon rather change a diaper, talk to Cody, or change Cody’s diaper? Riveting conversation, plus smoothies

* Full Gamer

* Cody reviews The Order: 1886, a PlayStation 4 exclusive video game he actually finished (!!!), by first focusing on the plot, and then how the in-game violence affected his experience
* Were movies / cinema ever called “talkies?” Learn the answer in this piece of edutainment!
* Cody and Jon discuss the pros and cons of quick time events

* Cody plugs a cool Amazon price tracker tool called camelcamelcamel, and explains why he used it to buy a copy of Wrestlemania X-Seven
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

Competitive gaming in high school: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 006

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 13:45:46 GMT

Cody and Jon are joined by a very special guest to discuss his experience with the competitive video game scene, including how to balance such a hobby with the rigorous demands of high school (!!!).
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon welcome Chris Long to the podcast, a long-time listener of the podcast eager to share his experience with competitive gaming
* Life Stuff

* Chris talks about his experience building robots for robotics competitions, then makes Cody and Jon feel really old by talking about some other awesome high school things
* Jon asks the question on everyone’s mind: why didn’t Space Ghost get a really cool streaming treatment?

* Full Gamer

* Chris talks about how he got into the Smash Bros. Brawl: Project M tournament scene, then talks Team Fortress 2
* Cody mentions that he actually participated in MELEE-FC Diamond, a major Smash Bros. Melee tournament in 2007, giving him mad street cred
* Hear Chris explain how much time it takes him to organize and manage a Team Fortress 2 team, and how the seasons are structured
* Yes: he schedules scrimmages, too. Hear what that’s like, including major challenges and roles for his team
* Cody doesn’t understand why Chris doesn’t just build a robot to build him a computer, but apparently there’s a good reason why that’s a terrible idea

* Life Stuff (again)

* Jon tells a story about how his son has entered major meltdown mode, and how parenting apparently becomes difficult when you cannot physically stop a human being from constantly screaming nonstop

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

Cody goes viral with Bernie Sanders, talks political identity: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 005

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 13:00:53 GMT

Cody somehow unexpectedly became a political writer when his post about Bernie Sanders went viral. Hear him discuss how it’s changed his life, including a surprisingly thoughtful discussion with Jon about politics and identity. Then, hear Jon go “FULL GAMER” and chat about the video game Sunless Sea.
Show Notes:

* Jon insists on recording a promo for the GonnaGeek Network, even though the broadcast already started
* Current News – Cody wrote an article about Bernie Sanders and somehow became a political writer on the Huffington Post after it went viral on his web site

* Jon talks to Cody about the Iowa caucus, including Brian Williams and MSNBC’s coverage of the event and why he really hates CNN

* Life Stuff – Cody discusses how “going public” about his political POV is new territory for him, and chats about internet culture with Jon

* They talk about how and why politics are tied to identity and ideologies, and also tackle surprising facts about internet trolls and what motivates them to be so awful
* A Donald Trump supporter leaves a comment on this podcast during the YouTube broadcast, and Cody delivers a public service announcement to register to vote

* Full Gamer – Jon discusses the video game Sunless Sea and explains what audience would most appreciate the game

* Jon also bought The Witness, the newest game from Jonathan Blow, and explains the specific reason why he hasn’t actually started playing it yet
* Jon briefly discusses the Fine Brothers controversy, which Cody thinks is just stupid

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

League of Legends nets $1.6 billion, plus Yik Yak app talk: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 004

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 13:00:47 GMT

League of Legends brought in $1.6 billion in revenue in 2015, and Jon explains why that’s a big deal for video games and their fans. He then explains why he’s hype about The Witness, and Cody discusses why he’s addicted to the Yik Yak app.

Show Notes:

* Current news: League of Legends

* Jon discusses how the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game earned $1.6 billion in revenues in 2015 — seven times more than its closest competitor in the genre
* Cody has a brilliant plan to combine World of Warcraft with Facebook in order to maximize its profits so it can compete with League of Legends, and Jon ups the ante by introducing the concept of farming to the revolutionary idea
* On a random tangent, Cody explains the origin of the phrase “and Bob’s your uncle,” which Jon refuses to believe is a thing that actually exists
* Cody also explains the importance of keeping super PACs out of video games, then explains the best candy to pair with espresso: is it Nestle Crunch, Kit Kat, or Snickers?

* Hype: The Witness

* Jon discusses The Witness, the newest game from Jonathan Blow, and talks with Cody about Braid and why that game was also totally awesome
* Somehow, for some reason, Cody ends up talking about AJ Styles’ WWE debut in the 2016 Royal Rumble, and how it’s possible that Triple H won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2016

* Life Stuff: Yik Yak

* Cody explains why he’s addicted to the Yik Yak app (to the best of his ability), and of course Jon makes fun of it, because College Students

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

100 percent completion? Finishing what you started: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 003

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:02:50 GMT

Do you always finish what you started? How about in video games? What exactly does “finished” mean, anyway? Hear Jon and Cody discuss 100 percent completion and more in this exciting Game/Life Balance U.S. podcast!
Show Notes:

* Cody introduces the segments that will make up future of episodes of Game/Life Balance U.S.: Balancing Act, Current News, Full Gamer, Game LIVE, Hype, Life Stuff, and Oddities
* Life Stuff

* Jon bought a new house, and it was broken! So he talks about how he fixed it, and Cody wonders how much of their mutual enjoyment from “fixing things” is because of who they are and how much is because they’re just getting older

* Oddities

* Cody discovered the legend of Desert Bus, a bizarre video game created by Penn & Teller of all people, and through Jon learns about Desert Bus For Hope, an equally if not more ridiculous charity event centered around said ridiculous video game

* Hype

* Jon is hype about something completely unrelated to video games, which makes Cody angry but also gives him an opportunity to accuse Jon of once again basically copying everything he does with his girlfriend
* Cody is hype about video games like Mighty No. 9, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, and Star Fox Zero, which brings up a discussion about Amazon Prime’s new video game pricing and other ways to save money buying video games

* Balancing Act

* Jon miraculously achieved a 100% completion rate in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, which is shocking because he hasn’t done that with a video game in at least a year and a half
* Cody discusses how he can’t quit playing Metal Gear Solid V in a seemingly endless pursuit of a 100% completion with the game, and Jon explains why he needs to be happy just quitting things sometimes
* Hear the difference between finishing what you started when it comes to video games, TV shows, books, and other projects, and why some are harder than others, as Cody and Jon strive to achieve a Game/Life Balance (in the U.S.)!

* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

New Year’s Resolutions and habits: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 002

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:30:10 GMT

Cody and Jon discuss Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Then, Jon has figured out a legendary way to strike a balance between games and life, and Cody doesn’t understand how to podcast anymore but he DOES like reading books.
Show Notes:

* Jon finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens and discusses his thoughts and feelings about the film

* Cody launches into a tangent about Quentin Tarantino films, including his thoughts on The Hateful Eight

* Both Jon and his wife made agreed upon the same New Year’s Resolutions, and Jon explains why that has given him more time to play video games than he can remember having in recent memory
* While he doesn’t necessarily make New Year’s Resolutions, Cody explains his thoughts behind forming new habits and how Lent is a good time for him to cultivate them
* In a surprising tangent, Jon and Cody discuss books and what to read before going to sleep
* Then, they vaguely promise new segments for the future of the podcast—stay tuned to hear what they have in store for the future of Game/Life Balance U.S.!
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

Favorite video games of 2015: Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Ep. 001

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 13:00:43 GMT

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin debut their new lifestyle podcast after 4 years of hosting their video game podcast, Unqualified Gamers, which they ended at the end of 2015. Learn about the hosts, the new podcast, and their favorite video games of 2015.
Show Notes:

* Cody Gough introduces the Game/Life Balance U.S. podcast with Jonathan Martin
* Cody and Jon explain why they stopped doing their old video game podcast, Unqualified Gamers, and why people should listen to Game/Life Balance U.S.
* Learn about what types of games Cody and Jon like, what they have in common, and more about their backgrounds, including Cody’s professional accomplishments and Jon’s family pride
* Don’t forget to check out the original Australian version of the Game/Life Balance podcast!
* Cody and Jon name their honorable mentions for their games of the year: Final Fantasy XIV, Hyrule Warriors, Dying Light, and Elbow Room
* Cody and Jon discuss their games of the year, including (in no particular order) The Swapper, Until Dawn, Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Sid Meier’s Civilization V: CivAddiction’s Multiplayer Modpack, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
* Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more!
* Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Subterranean Kamikaze‘ by Sixto Sounds, zircon, via OverClocked ReMix (http://ocremix.org)
* Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://gamelifebalance.podomatic.com/

U.Gamers Podcast #127: Selling your video games: the final episode

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:19:19 GMT

Learn why Jon sold his entire collection of physical video games and consoles, and why his wife is upset with his decision. Jon and Cody’s significant others join them with some surprising perspectives on collecting “things” and the emotional value of physical objects. Tune in for the final episode of Unqualified Gamers before Cody and Jon move on to their next venture, Game/Life Balance U.S.!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon explain the saga of why Jon decided to sell all of his video games
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that it was a terrible decision for several reasons, including that the decision was made too quickly and that now he’s lost a sense of history from his game collection
* Cody’s girlfriend Casey talks a bit about the relationship between objects and at what point something becomes a “collection”
* Jon debates the utility of simply “having objects” while his wife insists that there’s a connection to those objects that make them more significant
* Cody and Jon both reminisce about some of their fond memories of games, and how much the physical games have to do with the memories associated with them
* Jon’s wife Casey argues that if only digital copies of things matter, then why not just take pictures of everything and get rid of the physical objects?
* Jon and his wife make fun of people who shut down their computers… which Cody admits he does, basically all the time
* Cody offers his Diablo II display case to Jon’s household to make everyone feel better about him getting rid of all of his games, but they instead tentatively settle on a copy of International Track & Field for Playstation
* Cody brings the conversation back around to Steam libraries and collecting games, including the guilt induced from purchasing new games when there are dozens of un-played games in a game library
* Jon reveals one of at least one games that he DID keep, despite selling the vast majority of his collection, and explains why: lack of emulation
* With some of the money he made from selling all of his games, Jon bought a brand-new computer and built it by himself for the first time ever! Hear how smoothly it went
* Cody laments that he has a bunch of old NES games in excellent condition, but they aren’t worth anything—even Castlevania II: Dracula’s Curse in great condition

* Jon discusses the role of emulation in game valuation, and Cody talks about other weird video game artifacts he’s recently found

* Cody and Jon look back at the last 4 years of Unqualified Gamers (which started in January 2012, even though they say it started in January 2011) and reflect on the last few years of adventures together
* Cody thanks many of the listeners and contributors who supported Unqualified Gamers over the years, including the GonnaGeek Network, and he and Jon thank everyone for being so positive and awesome

* Always providing content, Cody explains what listeners can expect in the weeks leading up to the premiere of their new podcast in January 2016

* Cody and Jon explain why they’re ending Unqualified Gamers on the note of selling your video games, then recount the incredible story behind the name of their new podcast, Game/Life Balance U.S. Then hear what to expect when it launches!

U.Gamers Podcast #126: Worldwide Nuclear Disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: Philosophers versus Patriots

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 17:10:29 GMT

Cody discusses the concept and efforts behind worldwide nuclear disarmament in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including efforts from Reddit communities to participate in one of the biggest metagames he’s seen since Twitch Plays Pokemon. Then, he and Jon have a MAJOR announcement about the future of Unqualified Gamers!
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss whether 127 is a prime number (it is) in a moment of ominous foreshadowing
* Cody explains how nuclear weapons work (kind of) in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and the inner workings of Konami’s “worldwide nuclear disarmament” event online

* Members of two subreddits, /r/MetalGearPhilanthropy (which Cody mistakenly calls Metal Gear Philosophers throughout the episode) and /r/MetalGearPatriots, are particularly active in vying for disarmament and proliferation, respectively
* Cody references “mainstream” pickup of the event, including WIRED and Ars Technica
* Jon compares the event to events in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs)

* Meanwhile, in real life, Cody and Jon actually saw each other in the flesh over Thanksgiving! Hear them recap their turkey day weekends, including Cody seeing Jon’s son running around and being hilarious
* Hear why Jon is still playing Final Fantasy XIV, and what his latest plans are for his PC gaming life

* PC building with Jonathan Martin

* Cody and Jon make a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT regarding the future of Unqualified Gamers

* You will not want to miss next week’s episode, for anything, no matter what

* Also on the GonnaGeek Network this week, check out Legends of S.H.I.E.L.D. Episode #99 and All Things Good and Nerdy Episode #187: Clever Cosplay Returns

U.Gamers Podcast #125: Downloadable content woes, featuring Star Wars Battlefront & Metal Gear Solid V

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 13:00:35 GMT

Jon has a bone to pick with the upcoming downloadable content release schedule for Star Wars Battlefront, and Cody debates with him whether Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is guilty of DLC misdeeds.
Show Notes:

* Photo credit: Marco Verch via Flickr
* Jon recounts the tale of one man’s ridiculous customer service experience with Sony

* Cody counter-points with some good customer service experiences he’s had with Sony, which somehow leads to Jon talking about a subscription he has that allows him to listen to old baseball games… which is completely pointless
* Jon is not a fan of how difficult it is to unsubscribe from basically anything on the iTunes Store
* Jon claims that if you get a “dumb” customer service representative, sometimes you can get totally screwed
* Cody posits that stupidity isn’t the only thing that can affect your customer service experience, as many people are great and many people are just kind of terrible people
* Jon and Cody argue about whether they’re even arguing at this point in the customer service conversation

* They transition into downloadable content (DLC) discussion mode, starting with a reference to the atrocious DLC in Plants vs. Zombies 2: Garden Warfare
* Jon gives a primer on the Battlefield video game series, since Star Wars Battlefront is essentially a Battlefield game and the third game in the Star Wars: Battlefront series
* Jon explains the $50 Season Pass available to order pre-release, and why he thinks that’s too expensive and splits the player base too dramatically

* Is the initial offering for the game too thin at $60 for a game that’s been in development for a very long time? Cody doesn’t think it is, and discusses with Jon

* Cody discusses his history with the Call of Duty DLC map packs and how dissatisfied he was with the maps
* Jon compares Destiny’s latest expansions to the price of the season pass to highlight its absurdity to him, and Cody argues why the content is “worth it” to some
* In Cody’s world, it’s just as offensive to have spent $20 on a game like Gone Home as it is to spend fifty bucks on some DLC, then reminisces on his multiplayer days playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and 3 with his friends
* Jon concedes that he is probably “just old” and seamlessly transitions into a discussion on in-app / in-game purchases, which seem a little more frightening

* Cody helps enable the most seamless transition basically ever

* Cody explains the online multiplayer in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, including Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), your staff, R&D, and offense/defense when infiltrating bases in multiplayer mode

* Jon is a fan… up until Cody starts talking about how you can buy insurance, using real-world money, to “insure” your virtual characters from being captured by online adversaries

* The verdict is out regarding exactly whom is the target of the game...

U.Gamers Podcast #124: Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 13:00:43 GMT

Jon reviews Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below, including a brief history of the Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior franchise and a primer on Musou games. Plus, Cody has an exciting announcement about the future of Unqualified Gamers!
Photo credit: gullevek via Flickr
Show Notes:

* Jon briefly mentions Google’s addition of podcasts to Google Play Music, which is a big deal for the world of podcasting
* Cody teases an announcement, which Jon fears may be an announcement of an announcement, which may just end up being a bunch of Vaguebooking
* Jon talks about his internet connection, which is running at a slow speed of legendary proportions, although you’ll really only notice if you’re watching the video of this podcast on YouTube
* Jon gives a feature-length Dragon Quest Heroes review, starting with an overview of the relationship of the Dragon Quest series with North American audiences, including when in 1990, Nintendo Power ran a promotion packaging a free copy of Dragon Warrior with a paid yearly subscription

* Jon discusses Musou games in general, then gives a review rife with comparisons to Hyrule Warriors, which Cody talked about on basically a zillion episodes in a row in the past
* In a surprising twist, although Jon likes Dragon Quest Heroes more than Hyrule Warriors in general, he does point out one thing he misses from the WiiU game from his past

* An unexpected, accidental seamless transition finds Cody briefly mentioning a bachelor party and how he brought his WiiU to play Smash Bros. with friends, and ended up playing Hyrule Warriors in an airport
* PSA: Cody reminds the listener that neither he nor Jon advocate drinking and driving
* Without giving any details, Cody briefly mentions that he is still playing Metal Gear Solid V, and just over 70 hours into the game, he has finally unlocked multiplayer mode (and maintains a game completion rate of less than 40%)
* Cody promotes All Things Good and Nerdy Episode 183 “Halloween Hangover” and the series finale of Voices of Defiance, both fellow podcasts on the GonnaGeek Network
* Jon brings up the fact that there’s going to be a new Star Trek television series, which he simply hopes won’t be as bad as Enterprise, which he hated; Cody remains neutral on the matter for various reasons
* Cody finally makes the first official announcement about an upcoming change with the podcast—tune in to future episodes to learn more details!

U.Gamers Podcast #123: Broforce review with Casey and Russian Jon

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 18:55:48 GMT

Cody is joined by occasional co-hosts Casey and comedian Russian Jon for a joint Broforce review, a game described as an “assault on the senses,” patriotic hyperbole, and more.
Photo credit: Czar via Wikipedia

U.Gamers Podcast #122: IGN’s Top 100 Video Games Ever Made debate and discussion

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 12:00:18 GMT

Cody and Jon welcome video game enthusiast and broadcaster J.D. Fox to the podcast to praise and rage over IGN’s recently released list of the Top 100 Games Ever Made.
Photo credit: Axel Pfaender via Flickr
Show Notes:
Cody introduces video game enthusiast, veteran broadcaster and fellow Drake University alumnus J.D. Fox to the podcast. In groups of 10, Cody, J.D., and Jon review IGN’s list of the top 100 video games ever made, which follows:
100. The Walking Dead: Season One
99.   Advance Wars
98.   Perfect Dark
97.   Galaga
96.   The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker
95.   Super Mario Galaxy 2
94.   Donkey Kong ‘94
93.   Ico
92.   Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
91.   Batman: Arkham Asylum
90.   System Shock 2
89.   The Oregon Trail
88.   Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
87.   SimCity 2000
86.   Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!
85.   X-COM: UFO Defense
84.   Contra
83.   Fallout 2
82.   Resident Evil 2
81.   The Secret of Monkey Island
80.   Final Fantasy VII
79.   Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2
78.   Fallout 3
77.   Zork I: The Great Underground Empire
76.   Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening
75.   EarthBound
74.   League of Legends
73.   Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness
72.   Spelunky
71.   Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield
70.   Mega Man 2
69.   Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec
68.   Suikoden 2
67.   Final Fantasy Tactics
66.   GoldenEye 007
65.   Burnout 3
64.   The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
63.   Super Smash Bros. Melee
62.   Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge
61.   Grim Fandango
60.   Donkey Kong
59.   Persona 4: Golden
58.   Team Fortress 2
57.   MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat
56.   StarCraft
55.   Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
54.   Thief II: The Metal Age
53.   Ms. Pac-Man
52.   Pokemon Yellow
51.   Mass Effect 2
50.   Dota 2
49.   Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
48.   The Last of Us
47.   Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
46.   Metroid Prime
45.   Diablo 2
44.   Banjo-Kazooie
43.   Resident Evil 4
42.   Counter-Strike 1.6
41.   Metal Gear Solid
40.   Dark Souls
39.   Journey
38.   Mass Effect
37.   Silent Hill 2
36.   BioShock
35.   World of Warcraft
34.   Shadow of the Colossus
33.   Battlefield 1942
32.   Rock Band
31.   Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
30.   The Legend of Zelda
29.   Red Dead Redemption
28.   Final Fantasy VI
27.   Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
26.   Half-Life
25.   Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
24.   Sid Meier’s Civilization IV
23.   Star Wars: TIE Fighter
22.   Halo: Combat Evolved
21.   Super Mario Galaxy
20.   Street Fighter II
19.   Deus Ex
18.   Baldur’s Gate 2
17.   Portal
16.   Grand Theft Auto V
15.   Minecraft
14.   Super Mario World
13.   Chrono Trigger
12.   Sid Meier’s Pirates!
11.   Super Mario 64
10.   Tetris
09. Halo 2
08. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
07. Super Metroid
06. Half-Life 2
05. Portal 2
04. Super Mario Bros.
03. Doom
02. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
01. Super Mario Bros. 3

U.Gamers Podcast #121: Super Meat Boy, Broken Age, Until Dawn

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 12:30:26 GMT

Cody discusses his latest computer technology curses, including his first impressions of Windows 10. Then, Jon explains his video game bender and reviews Super Meat Boy, Broken Age, and Until Dawn. Plus: Cody describes his experience at Nintendo World in New York City, and Jon gives an update on his ongoing house-buying drama.
Photo credit: dronepicr via Flickr

U.Gamers Podcast #120: Lifestyle update with Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD and more

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 16:12:16 GMT

Catch up with Cody and Jon as they talk life milestones, Devil in the White City, Hearthstone, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD.
Photo credit: Diavolomezzo via Flickr
Show Notes:

* Cody talks microphones, acoustics, and what kind of podcast you can expect to hear
* Jon chastises Cody for not making enough Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney jokes when he interviewed Sam Castree III, Ace Attorney on the podcast
* Cody rants about how Radiolab ripped off his story about the Cryptolocker virus; Jon tries to debunk his theory of being ripped off directly, but Cody uses the power of the lottery and math to thwart his efforts
* Jon tells an endless, boring, rambling story about why he hasn’t been on the podcast lately, and somehow manages to do so while clicking his mouse the entire time

* Congratulations to Mister Manager, since Jon thinks he’s a big deal now because he sold his house (hear how it happened!)
* If you’ve ever wanted to learn about listing a house, buying or selling a house, or any other miscellaneous real estate questions… then this is definitely not the podcast for you. But Jon talks in painstaking detail about those things anyway

* Fun fact about Walt Disney and his dad, which serves as a seamless transition into Cody talking about Devil in the White City, an excellent book

* Cody explains that reading Devil in the White City is infinitely more fun and rewarding than playing Hearthstone in literally every way
* Jon claims that the Arena is still “kind of” fun, but Cody insists that Hearthstone generally just really sucks and is not a game “for him”

* Cody gives an update on Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which he’s now played for a bit over 50 hours

* Cody describes the “buddy” system, including D-Horse, Diamond Dog, and Quiet, which is very cool
* Cody also discusses the prevalence of side missions and dispatch missions in the context of main story missions

* Jon discusses his first impressions of Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD, which Cody had also begun playing before he got MGSV

* Jon explains the premise and beginning of the game, and he and Cody discuss how the “tutorial” near the beginning nearly ruined the game for both of them
* Cody calls out the voice acting after Jon calls out some inconsistencies in what graphics had increased resolution and what graphics seem to have been forgotten
* They discuss pacing in games and how things like the tutorial in this game can really mess up a game

* Cody plugs the GonnaGeek Network, specifically All Things Good and Nerdy
* Reminder that you can subscribe to Unqualified Gamers on iTunes, and even leave reviews, which we would LOVE for you to do

Video game law 101 with Sam Castree III, Ace Attorney

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 12:00:59 GMT

Cody welcomes Sam Castree III, Ace Attorney, who discusses some fundamental legal needs of video game developers. Hear Sam walk Cody through the process of how a video game developer should select and leverage legal counsel from day one of development.
Show Notes:

* Sam Castree III, Ace Attorney, talks about how he got into practicing video game law, including an incident with a friend’s free-to-play game being ripped off and listed for sale by another company in Vietnam

* Sam briefly touches on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and how it applied to the situation
* For more information, you can check out Sam’s published paper, Cyber-Plagiarism for Sale!: The Growing Problem of Blatant Copyright Infringement in Online Digital Media Stores

* Sam reveals that he was sworn in on Halloween, and Cody reveals why that is perfectly appropriate for Sam, whose trademark for years has been the color orange
* Sam discusses word-of-mouth, networking, and other methods of growing a business
* Learn the importance of establishing “the basics” when beginning a video game development venture
* Background info on “one size fits all” lawyers and why to NOT use them when entering into an entertainment-specific business venture like video game development
* Cody asks Sam to walk him through the legal process from square one, beginning with the moment a potential video game developer picks up a dev kit

* Sam starts with the importance of defining what type of company you have, e.g. sole proprietorship, limited liability corporation, corporation, partnership, etc.
* Sam talks about Lawyers for the Creative Arts (pro bono & low-cost legal help in the Chicago area), which he has worked with in the past
* Sam explains independent contractor agreements, why it’s important to have them when someone contributes to your game, and what happens to those agreements after 35 years

* On a related note, learn why Superman has been dealing with litigation for decades

* Also learn about how different contracts work under different court jurisdictions, and why it’s important to get local legal help
* In a rare moment, Cody contributes his expertise by mentioning one good piece of legal advice he’s ever heard: get everything in writing

* Sam backs him up and actually explains why this is important

* Sam goes into the details of different types of partnerships, such as general partnerships, and when and what kind of partnership may be a good idea
* Sam explains the legal benefits and privileges gained from filing for a copyright, including some of the policies surrounding how and when you can do it
* What do you do if you accidentally “rip someone off” when making a game? Sam explains!
* Why using someone else’s content in your game is definitely a no-no
* Cody and Sam talk about overseas litigation, and the reasons why it can be pretty ridiculously difficult to pursue
* Sam talks trademarks and how protectable they are

* He delves into King Digital’s attempt to trademark “saga” to protect their games like Candy Crush Saga, and why the trademark filing wasn’t quite as strange as everyone initially thought (although it was still pretty bad)
* Cody brings up the iDroid from Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and asks Sam about the “i” prefix as a trademark

* Sam also talks about logo usage in games, and what can and can’t get you into trouble, including an interesting situation that is currently being “tested”

U.Gamers Podcast #119: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain review (after 30 hours of gameplay)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 13:00:15 GMT

Cody gives a Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain review based on his first 30 hours of gameplay. Check out the first episode featuring Jon’s brand-new microphone, and hear him follow Cody’s review with a chat about Diablo 3, Hearthstone, and Bojack Horseman.
Show Notes:

* Cody kicks off the review by discussing the storyline of the series, including how accessible this game is to Metal Gear newcomers
* Jon asks about the new open world format of Metal Gear Solid V, and Cody addresses how the change in structure affects the feel of the series
* Cody describes what “open world” means to the Metal Gear Solid series, including the new “episode” structure of the storyline
* Jon inquires about the actual game mechanics, so Cody explains the iDroid system, the sneaking and combat mechanics, and what “stealth game” precisely means in the context of the Metal Gear series
* Moby Dick references and symbolism! Hooray!
* Cody explains Mother Base and the private army you build throughout the game, and how those mechanics affect your progression through the game

* Upon further questioning from Jon, Cody explains the Fulton recovery system, also known as “the giant balloons you attach to things,” and Jon finds the idea utterly insane

* On a side note: fortunately for everyone, microtransactions seem to be all but missing from this game, which Cody and Jon are fine with
* Without giving away any spoilers, Cody describes the uncharacteristically hyper-violent opening to the game, which sets a somber tone that Hideo Kojima somehow masterfully maneuvers into a much different overall feel
* Jon talks about why he’s pretty much “done” with Diablo 3 (for now)
* Mandatory Hearthstone talk, since Jon downloaded it to his phone again, and Cody can’t quit it despite the amount of self-loathing that it entails
* After Cody plugs All Things Good and Nerdy on the Gonna Geek Network, Jon talks about the show Bojack Horseman, and how it is not at all the kind of show he expected it to be when he started watching it
* Following a final plug for Gallifrey Public Radio, Cody impresses everyone with his ability to roll the letter “r,” even in completely inappropriate situations

U.Gamers Podcast #118: BitBash 2015, plus the CryptoLocker Virus

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 03 Sep 2015 12:30:51 GMT

Cody explains the intricacies of the CryptoLocker ransomware trojan, and how he’s dealing with the effects. Plus, hear about all the games he played at BitBash 2015, Chicago’s alternative / indie games festival.
Show Notes:

* Cody explains why he’s recording a solo episode and what happened to his home PC

* Hear all about the CryptoLocker Virus, and what it will cost Cody to get rid of it so he can use his home computer again

* Cody discusses BitBash 2015, Chicago’s alternative games festival, including some background on the festival and how well he liked the way it was organized this year
* Cody talks about all the games he played (or saw people play) at BitBash 2015, many of which you can preview in video form on his Instagram account:

* Downwell by Devolver Digital, “a game about a young man going down an endless well with gun-boots.”
* Gunsport by Necrosoft Games, which “takes place in an alternate future where humans have grown tired of war. Nations’ petty disputes are now settled with the World’s Game, Gunsport.”
* Chambara, “a local multiplayer stealth-deathmatch game with only two colors, allowing players to seamlessly camouflage themselves with the environment.”
* Yojimbrawl, “a fighting game with very fluid fighting mechanics made by Evan Greenwood (Programming), Dawid Strauss (Art) and Deon van Heerden (Music/SFX).”
* Fotonica, “a first-person game about the thrill of speed and traveling flawlessly through complex environments.”
* Particle Mace, “a 1-4 player game for Windows/Mac/iOS by Andy Wallace about defending yourself in a hostile universe by swinging particles into enemies.”
* Johann Sebastian Joust, “a no-graphics, digitally-enabled playground game for 2 to 7 players designed for motion controllers.”
* Elbow Room by Deep Dark Hole, “a game about personal space, perpetual motion, and hitting a single key better than anyone else.”

* Cody also discusses the 18 and up “adult games” area at BitBash, including some incredibly lewd but incredibly humorous games
* If you’re a video game developer and want to talk to Cody on the podcast, then email him and Jon at unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com!

U.Gamers Podcast #117: Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 12:00:04 GMT

Jon Reviews Rocket League and Dying Light, and Cody reviews Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Plus: Jon’s thoughts on the science-fiction short story Flowers for Algernon, and Cody raves and rants about a couple sci-fi movies—both good and bad.

Show Notes:

* Jon and Cody talk about the most ridiculous technical difficulties ever, including ones that shouldn’t even exist
* Jon discusses his new-ish passion for reading books, and how he basically hates himself for not really reading books when he was young

* “Man. Books are really good.” -Quote of the episode
* Jon explains his thoughts on short stories, including profound observations like “short stories are usually short”
* Jon found a list of the 100 greatest science fiction short stories ever written, including Flowers for Algernon, written in 1958 by Daniel Keyes

* Speaking of science fiction, Cody talks about a classic sci-fi film that he recently watched for the second time: the Stanley Kubrick classic 2001: A Space Odyssey

* Cody explains how you have to kind of be “conditioned” to watch a movie like 2001, and Jon talks about his experience viewing it

* Jon got a free PS4 game with his PlayStation Plus subscription this month, which is normal; what’s less normal is that it’s a brand-new game, Rocket League

* Jon explains that Rocket League is basically cars playing soccer, and Cody can’t understand the appeal
* Jon talks about how Rocket League could actually help improve the popularity of international futbol / soccer in the United States if it becomes popular enough, and he usually sees over 100,000 people playing online
* Cody explains the popularity of the game by bringing up an essay by Tom Wolfe on the birth of the demolition derby (Clean Fun at Riverhead, for those interested in reading it), but discredits himself by comparing soccer to hockey

* Jon also has been playing Dying Light by Techland, the Polish video game developer that created Dead Island

* Jon explains that Dying Light is a first-person zombie survival game, but it’s not a shooter (technically, it’s an open-world first person survival horror video game); instead, you’re helping citizens on the island survive the zombie apocalypse
* The city where the game takes place is incredible, and the game gives incentives to not actually fight, which Jon thinks is awesome
* Jon explains how skills are unlocked and how the “talent tree” works, plus why he thinks it (and the story) is cool, despite his and Cody’s general fatigue over too many zombies these days

* Cody mentions that he’s played all the Metal Gear Solid games other than Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, which puts him at a perceived disadvantage to getting the most out of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes

* He beat the game in under 3 hours, but had less than a 10 percent completion rate with the game, so he doesn’t think it’s a big of a ripoff as the initial press around the game suggested
* Cody explains how the storyline “makes sense” on its own and actually doesn’t require a t...

U.Gamers Podcast #115: Customizable Card Games and Luck

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 01:38:07 GMT

Cody has a bone to pick with customizable card games, specifically Hearthstone, specifically the Hearthstone Arena, specifically the amount of luck involved in winning games in it. Plus, catch up on Jon’s progress in the massively multiplayer online RPG Final Fantasy XIV, and hear what the hosts have been up to in their spare time lately.

Show Notes:

* The Unqualified Gamers podcast is now on WGN Plus! Cody explains what that means for the show
* Jon describes his house hunting adventures
* Cody recounts the tale of his day job’s company picnic, and how a massive weather system affected its outcome

* Learn about Chicago’s utterly ridiculous weather systems, plus how to become the most popular co-worker at your company in the event that disaster ever strikes
* Jon and Cody parody Donald Trump for a bit, mostly because of some of the ridiculous things he’s been saying lately

* Despite being a very critical audience, Jon is still a fan of Final Fantasy XIV, and he explains some of the major reasons why it’s a great MMORPG

* Jon makes comparisons to World of Warcraft while hammering home some of the points he made in Episode 114 of Unqualified Gamers

* Cody finally gets to his points about Hearthstone, which mostly consists of whining about how unfair it is

* He and Jon debate the merits and pitfalls of randomly generated numbers in competitive gaming
* Jon explains why he has no sympathy for Cody, and why he should have more fun playing the game

* Cody plugs the Unqualified Gamers’ Gen-Con podcast recording at Gen-Con Indy 2015

U.Gamers Podcast #114: Final Fantasy XIV, unicycles & fruit flies

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 12:00:21 GMT

Cody announces the exciting addition of the Unqualified Gamers Podcast to the WGN Plus lineup, and what that means for the podcast. Jon discusses Final Fantasy XIV after he and Cody are finished discussing such compelling topics as unicycles, fruit flies, downtown Rochester, and the unfortunate passing of Nintendo’s late President Satoru Iwata.
Show Notes:

* Cody speculates about why Jon always records episodes from a nondescript hotel room somewhere
* Cody makes a major announcement: Unqualified Gamers has joined WGN Plus!
* Jon disregards the announcement entirely to go on an unwarranted rant about unicycles and unicyclists

* Cody defends unicycles as thief-proof, but Jon disagrees

* Epic tale of Cody vs. Fruit Flies: The Reckoning

* Speculation on the best ways to get of fruit flies, plus fun facts about fruit flies that may or may not be true
* Detailed description of precisely where Cody will let the bodies of the fruit flies fall

* According to Jon, there is something very, very wrong with Rochester, Minnesota

* Learn about the Mayo Clinic and what Jon thinks it means to Rochester
* Jon explains why he thinks Rochester’s downtown is the way that it is, and why he thinks Rochester is one of the most depressing places in the world
* Cody compares Rochester to other places that are built “around” one specific thing, and how it affects the surrounding area

* Cody discusses the sad passing of Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata, and how he reacted as a fan and as a gamer

* He then unleashes on someone from Google+ who used the news to get attention, which he found disrespectful
* Jon trolls Cody, because Jon is a huge jerk
* Fortunately, Jon stops being an idiot for three seconds to show his respect for Mr. Iwata before moving on

* Finally getting down to games, Jon reviews Final Fantasy XIV after playing about 40 hours on the PlayStation 4

* Learn about the game’s storyline, how the game is different than World of Warcraft, and why Jon thinks it’s successful as a “traditionally priced” MMORPG
* While he enjoys the game a lot, Jon doesn’t think it will ever come close to his love for World of Warcraft

* Cody is climbing up the ranked ladder in Hearthstone, and he is extremely excited about it

* Learn why he’s burned out on the Arena, and what class he’s using to progress in Ranked mode

* Cody shamelessly plugs the Unqualified Gamers Live Podcast Recording Friday, July 31, 2015, at Gen-Con Indy in Indianapolis, IN

U.Gamers Podcast #113: CivAddiction’s Multiplayer Modpack

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 12:00:30 GMT

Cody reviews CivAddiction’s Multiplayer Modpack, a massive mod that completely overhauls Sid Meier’s Civilization V. You can find more the official modpack thread at http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=548835. Learn about this massive overhaul of Civilization V and hear whether Cody thinks it’s worth your time!

U.Gamers Podcast #112: Crypt of the NecroDancer, Geometry Wars 3

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 02:00:38 GMT

Jon reviews Crypt of the NecroDancer before he talks about his obsession with this year’s Final Fantasy V Four Job Fiesta. Hear whether he got a decent starting character, or if he’s just going to FAIL MISERABLY. Plus: Cody actually played video games this week, specifically Geometry Wars 3! And, of course, there’s some requisite Hearthstone talk in there, including Cody’s opinion on expansions Naxxramas and Blackrock Spire.
Show Notes:

* Jon talks about what it’s like to drive long distances with a baby
* Speaking of driving: Cody talks about driving from Chicago to North Carolina!
* Jon explains Crypt of the NecroDancer, and Cody talks about why he should probably play it
* He grills Cody for details on his new Hearthstone obsession, which included purchasing the Naxxramas and Blackrock Spire expansions

* Cody explains the difference between the two expansions and discusses whether they’re worth the cost

* Cody reviews Geometry Wars 3 and talks about how the game is different than its predecessors
* For the second year in a row, Jon is participating in the Final Fantasy V Four Job Fiesta, and explains how you, too, can get involved to help support a good cause
* Cody claims that he has discovered the best type of single-player video game to play with friends (trading off lives), and he talks about how he tested it with Rogue Legacy, a game that both he and Jon had chosen as a “Game of the Year” recently
* Shameless plug for the Unqualified Gamers video game podcast LIVE at Gen-Con 2015
* Cody plugs Gonna Geek Network podcasts Voices of Defiance and the GonnaGeek.com Podcast’s 100th episode

U.Gamers Podcast #111: E3 2015 recap, Steam Summer Sale

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 12:00:03 GMT

Jon recaps E3 2015, including press conferences from Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, and he and Cody discuss their reactions to various announcements. Plus, hear what games Cody has purchased so far in the 2015 Steam Summer Sale!
Show Notes:

* Jon and Cody brace for a podcast with some vicious technical difficulties, and this time it’s actually Jon’s fault
* As they postulate which Elder God they angered to bring about their horrible luck with computers recently, Cody and Jon debate about how to pronounce the name of H.P. Lovecraft’s fictional character Cthulu
* Cody is sitting in a chair that is over 35 years old, and he is fine with that
* Which of the “big three” (Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo) WON E3 and is objectively better than literally every other one? Cody asks Jon for his input
* In Jon’s estimation, Sony and Microsoft held very similar press conferences based on their major focus on games and rapid-fire game trailers; however, most of Microsoft’s games are coming this year, whereas Sony talked about a lot of things coming in 2016
* Microsoft’s press conference:

* Microsoft announced Gears of War 4, which looks like it will have more of a horror/thriller element than the previous installations in the series
* Microsoft also talked Halo 5, but neither Jon nor Cody are the target audience for that game… or for Forza Motorsport, because they don’t “do” racing games
* Rare came out and announced a huge Rare collection, featuring a bunch of their games from the Nintendo 64 era onward, including Blast Corps, Banjo Kazooie, and more

* Rare also announced an open world adventure game that looks like a pirate-based multiplayer game, which got Jon very excited

* The new Tomb Raider looks ridiculously gorgeous, and looks like it will be less focused on combat, which Jon supports
* Dark Souls 3, which will be the last game in the series, should also be pretty good, even though they only showed a teaser trailer
* Jon goes into detail describing Microsoft’s Hololens, and the Minecraft demo they performed on-stage, which was ridiculous
* Cody saw some negative reactions after Microsoft announced that they are going to make the Xbox One compatible with Xbox 360 games, but Jon doesn’t think that’s a valid thing to be upset about
* Jon and Cody discuss the pros and cons of backwards compatibility: it’s not good for everyone, but there are definitely situations where it can be an issue

* Sony’s press conference:

* Jon explains the back story behind The Last Guardian, made by Fumito Ueda, the same guy who made Shadow of the Colossus and Ico, which was the game that kicked off Sony’s press conference with a gameplay demo on the PlayStation 4
* Both Cody and Jon are hot for Horizon, the second game Sony showed off during its press conference, because it is basically the most beautiful game ever and features tribes hunting robot dinosaurs… and as a PS4 exclusive, it could be a system seller
* Sony somehow nabbed Street Fighter V exclusivity, which will help sell some PS4 consoles
* An on-stage demo of No Man’s Sky got Cody even more hype for the game, and Jon describes why he’s so amazed by it
* Jon tells Cody why he should know Media Molecule, and why people were excited for the extremely bizarre game “Dreams,” which they then try to describe
* FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE OH MY GOD HOLY SHIT GET HYPE #HYPE #FFVIIREMAKE #GETOUT

* Jon explains why it’s such a big deal, but let’s face it, we all know already

* Jon is actually pretty excited about PlayStation View,

U.Gamers Podcast #110: Martin Con 2015, summer moving update

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 29 May 2015 01:10:15 GMT

In this solo episode, Cody explains why he and Jon missed two weeks of podcasts. Hear about Martin Con, Cody’s new apartment, the new Mad Max movie, and everything else that’s been going (and is to come) this summer!
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #109: Hearthstone Mobile, Transistor first impressions

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 May 2015 23:01:16 GMT

Hearthstone mobile is now available on phones! There’s a legit Final Fantasy game on mobile! Transistor is awesome! Cody and Jon discuss the latest awesome things in video games–tune in to hear all the great news.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #108: Jon’s Hardcore Diablo III Adventure

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 30 Apr 2015 12:30:21 GMT

In this rare solo podcast episode, Jon gives a brief update on his recent gaming stuffs, including his hardcore Diablo III adventure in the new season of Diablo III and his progress playing through “every Final Fantasy game,” specifically Final Fantasy VI on iPad and Final Fantasy IV on Steam.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Jon explains that since he’s doing a solo episode, he plans on only talking about video games… so he starts the episode by talking about his weekend
* Jon describes his first experience with “hotel living” while traveling for work, and why he is a terrible solo traveler
* Update on Jon’s progress playing Final Fantasy VI on his iPad, but can’t give an update on his progress in Final Fantasy IV on Steam because he can’t save his file to the cloud, which is stupid
* Blizzard ruined Jon’s plans to play Final Fantasy games because oops, here comes a new season of Diablo III
* Learn about how “seasons” work in Diablo III, including leaderboard stats
* Jon explains what a “hardcore” character entails in Diablo III, and how his first foray into it went

* Adventures in getting epic level gear from running rifts with his hardcore character
* ULTIMATE BONUSES and how high he had to turn up the difficulty before the game began to feel truly perilous

* Hear the gritty details about an elite pack ambushing Jon, and learn whether his hardcore character survived
* Jon explains why he probably won’t play a hardcore character again, and why you may or may not want to as well
* Update on Jon’s progress in Final Fantasy IV on Steam, and how he’s faring in the final dungeon
* Hear which version of Final Fantasy VI Jon recommends playing if you’ve never played a Final Fantasy game
* Jon plugs Unqualified Experts and wraps up the show

U.Gamers Podcast #107: Final Fantasy Record Keeper and Square-Enix Remakes

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:00:58 GMT

Jon reviews Square-Enix’s latest ports of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI, and Cody brings it all back together by reviewing mobile game Final Fantasy Record Keeper. Plus: Cody’s first impressions of Supergiant Games’ 2014 release, Transistor.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

Show Notes:

* Jon discusses the insanely graphic fatalities featured in the upcoming game Mortal Kombat X
* Jon gives a quick recap of the inner circles of hell from Dante’s “The Inferno”
* Cody explains the significance of the number 107 from his childhood
* Jon’s kid is still sick all the time always, because apparently kids can run ridiculous fevers and then be perfectly fine at random
* Jon had the most beautiful weekend he could basically ever remember in Minnesota, because Weather
* Cody recaps his birthday weekend, which was full of less fanfare than he’d anticipated, and also full of far more church than he’d anticipated
* Cody explains how he and his girlfriend kept themselves entertained during the longest Catholic Mass he has ever attended
* Cody started playing Transistor, but didn’t get very far because he’s busy selling things
* Transistor is the kind of game that makes you think about video games as art, according to Cody
* Cody explains the ability system in Transistor, which allows for a ridiculous amount of customization
* Jon insists that he’s going to play Transistor this weekend, after months of anticipation
* Cody explains the very deep storyline to Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker
* Cody got a third-party Gamecube controller adapter so he can play Super Smash Bros for WiiU with a Gamecube controller, and he says it works great!

* Minor complaint about how it would have been nice to have a story mode in the newest Smash Bros game, but it’s still fun

* Jon gives an update on his progress in Final Fantasy IV, which he’s playing on Steam, and Final Fantasy VI, which he’s playing on his iPad

* Jon explains how he broke Final Fantasy IV using augments, primarily Counter and Kick
* Even with broken augments, the final dungeon of Final Fantasy IV is still stupidly hard… but the Bahamut Cave is not

* Jon explains the difference between “old school” classic NES and SNES JRPGs, especially the difference in the purpose of battles in the games

* It’s hard to “enjoy” playing Final Fantasy IV from the standpoint of modern gaming, but it’s still an amazing trip down memory lane and totally worth it for the feels

* Cody and Jon discuss Edge, the ninja who is no longer as horribly awful when he joins your party in the new version of the game

* Jon has a freakish memory when it comes to the exact number of hit points he had when he joined your party in the original game

* Jon discusses the new “art” “style” of Final Fantasy VI on the iPad, and why he is basically disgusted by the changes they made

* “It plays like an SNES-style RPG, but on an iPad.”
* Jon doesn’t understand why developers make stupid decisions when it comes to making joysticks appear in games on tablets and other touch-screen devices
* The controls in combat are super-intuitive, but on the main map…

U.Gamers Podcast #106: Darrel TV becomes official Twitch channel of Unqualified Gamers

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 12:00:15 GMT

Ryan from Darrel TV joins Cody and Jon to announce that he is becoming the official Twitch streamer / partner / something vaguely affiliated with/of the Unqualified Gamers! Meet Ryan for the second time and marvel at the insanity that ensues. Plus, hear Cody’s first impressions of Final Fantasy Record Keeper and Jon’s devious plan to beat every Final Fantasy game… again.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

Show Notes:
-Cody introduces Ryan, host of Darrel TV, which is the new official Twitch stream affiliate partner whatever of Unqualified Gamers!
-Ryan answers some listener questions via Google Hangouts’ Q&A feature
-Jon and Cody explain what Unqualified Gamers is “all about,” explaining the format of their video game podcast
-Cody talks about Halo 5 in response to another listener question
-Jon prescribes Cody something to get rid of the ridiculous amount of mucus all up in his body (shout-out to Mucinex, apparently)
-Cody tells a story of meeting his friend’s baby and crashing at Ryan’s place
-Cody and Ryan talk about Mount Your Friends, a Steam game they streamed while incredibly drunk over the weekend
-Ryan describes Crawl, a roguelike, brawler indie video game by Australian developer Powerhoof, which he also played with Cody over the weekend
-Cody and Ryan tell the epic story of their second live stream of their drunken evening, which may or may not have actually been a stream
-Jon tells his weekend wedding story
-Jon talks about the horror movie “It Follows,” which he absolutely loved over the weekend
-Ryan reviews the first episode of Unqualified Experts and how it fit into his weekend
-Jon previews the Nintendo Direct scheduled for April 1, and he and Cody discuss how excited they are about it
-Ryan talks Nintendo vs. PC gaming
-Cody calls out Ryan for never using items in Super Smash Bros. for WiiU, and they get in a heated debate about the game’s balance and use of items and fun
-More Nintendo Direct talk, and why (and whether) to get excited about it
-Cody gives his very early impressions of Final Fantasy Record Keeper, the new mobile game from Square-Enix, now available for Android and iOS devices
-Ryan also played a mobile game: Scramble with Friends, which he is stupidly good at, so Cody stopped playing it altogether
-Cody resumes his Final Fantasy Record Keeper review, talking about the music and the actual size of the game
-Jon announces his plan to play through every Final Fantasy game and gives an update on his progress, though he is skeptical about the possibility of actually following through with that plan
-Ryan describes his history with the Final Fantasy series, particularly Final Fantasy VI, which takes some bizarre twists and turns
-What’s the best entry point into the Final Fantasy series? Jon analyzes which and why
-Jon explains why he wants a PS4, even though he definitely doesn’t have time to play it
-Ryan tells the story of why he calls his Twitch.TV channel “Darrel TV,” which involves Fire Emblem and a hilarious story involving his girlfriend
-More about Darrel TV,

U.Gamers Podcast #105: Hyrule Warriors Multiplayer, Heroes of the Storm St. Patrick’s Day Special

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:00:28 GMT

After introducing special guest host Gold “Danger” Frieza, Cody tells an awesome story about meeting a rock and roll legend, which Jon quickly tries to ruin. Then, Cody and his guest discuss the pros and cons of Hyrule Warriors multiplayer before Jon delves further into his experience playing the Heroes of the Storm open beta.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Cody introduces his surprise special guest for St. Patrick’s Day and explains that he will be drinking a Guinness on the podcast, since it is being recorded on St. Patrick’s Day
* Jon bought new shoes for his baby over the weekend, and apparently that took up literally all of his energy and made it impossible to do anything else
* Special guest “Gold Frieza” says that he worked all weekend… relatively un-interesting, to be honest
* Jon and Cody reveal their brand-new web series, Unqualified Experts, a non-video-game related series whose pilot episode is on their YouTube Channel
* Cody tells a story of how he met legendary drummer Dino Danelli in an alley next to a dumpster in Lakeview in Chicago, which Jon refused to believe and instead makes up an idiotic story that is completely improbable, probably because he’s jealous

* Please note that after the podcast, Cody confirmed via YouTube that he did, in fact, definitively meet Dino Danelli, one of the founding members of The Rascals, and it was awesome

* Cody’s special guest, now suddenly named Blake and somehow magically in his bedroom, joins him to discuss the good and the bad of Hyrule Warriors’ local multiplayer

* The conversation also contains a miniature debate regarding what makes a “good” game

* Jon compares the open beta of Heroes of the Storm to his experience playing League of Legends, focusing especially on the difference in healing abilities and playing solo versus playing with other people
* Cody explains his guest Blake’s rating system that is completely based around Link from The Legend of Zelda
* Blake jumps in to mention that he’s been playing Shadowrun Returns, which he believes will probably be a 25-30 hour game, and is cyberpunk, which is apparently better than steampunk according to him and Jon
* Blake also recently replayed through Mega Man Network Transmission on Nintendo Gamecube, which has old-school side scrolling Mega Man platformer game action

* Blake gives a mini-review of the game, which he thinks is awesome

* Cody got Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker but probably won’t play it, because he’s too busy playing Hyrule Warriors

U.Gamers Podcast #104: Heroes of the Storm closed beta, MOBA recap

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 12:00:19 GMT

Jon has been playing the Heroes of the Storm closed beta, and he has a lot to say about it. Plus: tune in for a MOBA 101 recap, and hear how Jon thinks it’ll fare against other popular MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2!
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Cody and Jon discuss what they’re hoping to accomplish on the show
* Minnesota is a tundra where nobody lives, and that is why the WiiU works better there than it does in Chicago; also, Cody is radioactive
* Daylight Saving is stupid, and is comparable only in practice to a dry handjob on your birthday
* Jon took his son on a walk because the weather is nice, which organically leads to Cody asking Jon how hard it is to produce breast milk
* Now that Cody’s girlfriend is listening to podcasts and she has identified the worst part of terrible podcasts, Cody finds this episode getting caught up in the same pitfalls
* Jon nearly died of a sinus infection, which he compared to that one time he was stabbed in the face
* Cody went to a pretentious but incredibly delicious and amazing bar in Wicker Park called Violet Hour, and then he talks about pharmacists and basically the best whiskey ever
* KFC’s secret recipe is kept in a vault and guarded by a sorcerer
* Cody and Jon debut “Qualifying Round,” a segment where they explain a gaming term before delving deeper into a related subject. This week: learn about the MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) genre of video games (also a very popular type of e-sport)
* Jon explains League of Legends’ drafting system and how it contributes to making games take around an hour to play
* Jon explains how Heroes of the Storm features shorter games than League of Legends and Dota 2, has multiple maps, and has other traits that make it distinctly different than its peers in the MOBA genre
* Jon also talks about the Heroes of the Storm community is more inviting/forgiving than the community he experienced when playing League of Legends, and Cody compares it to other e-sports
* Cody goes on an inane tangent about unlocking stuff in video games, using Batman: Arkham City and Hyrule Warriors as examples
* Getting back to the main point, Jon gets to some listener Q&A, answering a question about micro-transactions within Heroes of the Storm
* Another question asks if we at Unqualified Gamers actually show game play, which Cody tackles before giving an overview of their YouTube content
* Cody incidentally mentions #GamerGate for the first time ever on the podcast, but only to tell the story of how he got really drunk one time and talked about it on a one-man episode
* Check out Cody’s video on “flipping,” especially as it applies to consoles, and find out why he doesn’t own a Limited Edition 20th Anniversary Sony Playstation 4
* Jon has been playing Adventure Mode in Hyrule Warriors, even though he continues to insist that it’s not a “good” game, and he can’t seem to stop himself from playing more of it
* Cody posits that Hyrule Warriors, at this point, may have surpassed Final Fantasy XIII-2 as the most...

U.Gamers Podcast #103: Dragon Age: Inquisition

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:00:53 GMT

Special guest host Meredith Targaryen joins Cody and Jon to talk all things Dragon Age: Inquisition, including an overall perspective on the series. Plus: more Hyrule Warriors, and Cody talks a bit about the indie games he played at Itty Bitty Bash in Chicago.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Jon insists that he can “check in” and “get badges” on Twitter, which is asinine
* Cody introduces special guest host Meredith Targaryen, who loves dragons
* Meredith is literally the only girl in the universe who plays video games
* Meredith reviews Dragon Age: Inquisition and talks about the Dragon Age series with Jon, who has actually played games in the series before

* On Dragon Age 2: “It’s the worst video game I’ve ever played in my life”
* Also, “every Pokemon is awesome”
* Explanation of how Inquisition is bringing the series into the “modern day” gaming world by implementing Farmville-like systems and “bite-sized” quest content that makes it easier to pick up and play

* Cody presses Meredith on the burning question: what does she think of Frieza’s new look in the new Dragon Ball Z Movie: Revival of F Official Trailer
* Cody talks about how he has become completely obsessed with Hyrule Warriors, and Jon continues to insist that it is not a “good” game even though it’s really fun
* Jon was invited to the Heroes of the Storm closed beta, and it’s VERY different from League of Legends and DotA thus far
* Cody went to an event called Itty Bitty Bash, a small showcase of multiplayer indie games in Chicago, and touches on a few of the games:

* A Fistful of Gun (Farmergnome)
* Wormball (Chris Wade)
* Extreme Exorcism (Golden Ruby Games)
* Lethal League (Team Reptile)
* Slam City Oracles (Jane Friedhoff)
* SpeedRunners (DoubleDutch Games)

* Cody goes into actual detail about SpeedRunners, which was easily his favorite game at the event

* Cody tries to entice Meredith into playing Hyrule Warriors multiplayer
* In-depth conversation about Cody’s hair and the new Frieza
* Jon celebrated his son’s first birthday over the weekend! Happy birthday!
* What the hell is a truffle mocha?
* After breaking once again, Cody is completely done with his Microsoft LifeCam
* Exciting announcement: Jon and Cody are shooting the pilot episode of a non-video-game-related project this week, available only on YouTube!
* KAKAROT!!!

U.Gamers Podcast #102: Hyrule Warriors, Ni No Kuni, Samurai Butterfly

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 27 Feb 2015 02:35:34 GMT

Cody somehow convinced Jon to buy Hyrule Warriors, and Jon talked Cody into playing Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. They discuss these console games before reviewing the mobile game Samurai Butterfly. Plus: learn more about Cody’s Amiibo collection, and hear which Flappy Bird ripoff may be the worst clone of all!
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Cody has a 6-foot tall foam cutout of a video game character, who he supposes may be someone from Tekken (but is actually Mitsurugi from Soul Calibur)
* VGL is actually slang for “very good looking,” which Jon does not believe but is nonetheless completely true
* Jon and Cody actually set a date for “Martin-Con,” which means they’ll be in the same place at the same time… but mostly because Jon’s wife is an awesome host
* Cody is legitimately excited about the idea of dumpster diving, and he can’t wait to try it after discussing it with security specialist Matt Malone
* Cody performs a surprise LIVE UNBOXING of a Toon Link Amiibo
* Jon talks about what he thought of Hyrule Warriors
* Cody unlocks items in Hyrule Warriors using his five Amiibo LIVE on the podcast
* There is no reason why characters in video games need to be as ridiculously hyper-sexualized as Cia from Hyrule Warriors
* Cody started playing Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, which Jon absolutely loved
* Both Cody and Jon played indie game Samurai Butterfly by Alien Game Play, available for both Android and iOS devices

* They mistakenly call the game an Angry Birds clone, when really they mean Flappy Bird

* Speaking of Flappy Bird, Cody reviews Flappy Fish Surge, which you should neither download nor play because it is atrocious
* Cody’s going to post a new opinion video on the Unqualified Gamers YouTube channel – he promises!

U.Gamers Podcast #101: Hyrule Warriors DLC and Nintendo-woes

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Feb 2015 13:00:35 GMT

Cody rages about podcast hardware problems before he and Jon discuss the Nintendo NEW 3DS XL – Majora’s Mask Edition and Nintendo’s stance on Metacritic (plus the potential problems it presents). Then, Cody reviews Hyrule Warriors DLC.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* The Mortal Kombat movie wasn’t that bad
* Cody goes on an angry rant about various computer issues he’s had
* Jon canceled his Comcast cable package, and for the first time in his life he doesn’t have cable TV
* Cody’s webcam breaks mid-podcast, and he flies into a raging screaming tirade about it
* “I’m gonna GET SYPHILIS if my webcam doesn’t start working again”
* Nintendo’s limited edition Majora’s Mask New 3DS XL is sold out basically everywhere – but are people blowing the lack of stock out of proportion?
* Various thoughts on preorders and the issues that arise when inventory can’t be met
* Cody explains Google Hangouts and why/how he’s on two devices at once, including video on his phone
* Jon explains how Metacritic scores work following the news that Nintendo touted high Metacritic scores at an investor’s meeting
* Jon explains to Cody that China and Japan are two different countries
* Cody reviews all DLC for Hyrule Warriors on the Nintendo WiiU
* Before talking about multiplayer, Cody gives a miniature review of Inherent Vice
* In-depth discussion on unlocking things in video games, being a completionist and when it’s fun to unlock everything and when it’s not
* Jon played some more Warframe, not that Cody cares, because he doesn’t
* Please comment on our podcast, whether you’re watching on our YouTube channel or you’re visiting our web site

U.Gamers Podcast #100: Special 100th Episode featuring the Gonna Geek Network

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 13:00:37 GMT

Cody and Jon celebrate their special 100th episode with guest appearances from members of the Gonna Geek Network and more! Plus, hear Cody wrestle with his video game habits as he delves deeper into Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, and hear how Jon fared in his first multiplayer sessions of Don’t Starve.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

Show Notes:

* Cody offers a whiskey toast to Jon for surviving 100 episodes with each other
* Jon explains his love for podcasts and why he wanted to start doing his own video game podcast
* 17:05- Congratulations for reaching 100 episodes from the Crimson Comet podcast
* Jon and Cody talk about their favorite podcasts, including Giant Bombcast and Serial
* 26:54 – Throwback to the intro to Episode 37, in which Jon explains the change in the definition of the word “literally” to Cody
* 29:43 – Gallifrey Public Radio congratulates Cody and Jon for reaching 100 episodes
* Cody gives an update on his progress playing Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
* Cody and Jon discuss various aspects of the idea of playing video games for 10 hours straight
* 39:08 – Naki and the crew from All Things Good and Nerdy congratulate Jon and Cody for reaching their 100 episodes
* Jon and Cody answer a listener question about snowballing
* Jon talks about his experience playing Don’t Starve Together, the multiplayer version of the game Don’t Starve
* 51:21 – YouTuber Jamie Butterworth of the Butterworthy YouTube channel congratulates Cody and Jon on 100 episodes
* 52:27 – Stephen, owner of the Gonna Geek Network, and Stargate Pioneer from Legends of S.H.I.E.L.D., Voices of Defiance and the GonnaGeek.com Podcast congratulate Cody and Jon on their 100th video game podcast episode
* 54:06 – …aaaaaand Cody’s drunk.
* Jon sincerely thanks our listeners, and Cody teases future projects
* 1:02:45 – Steve Boyd of the Walking the Walking Dead Podcast gives the Unqualified Gamers a special congratulations for reaching 100 episodes

U.Gamers Podcast #099: Star Realms and Warframe

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 13:00:16 GMT

Jon and Cody say hello to Ryan D., a fellow unqualified gamer, who gives his completely unqualified opinion on the Star Realms deckbuilding game! Plus, Jon talks about Warframe, and Cody reveals his latest gaming addiction!
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Meet listener Ryan D., who identified all the foul language from early episodes of the Unqualified Gamers Podcast to help Cody clean up the archives!
* Cody, Jon and Ryan discuss how they don’t care about the Super Bowl at all
* Cody talks about how he got sucked into Blizzard’s Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, the collectible card game available for free on Battle.net
* Ryan reviews the deckbuilding game Star Realms, available both on Android and iOS devices and as a physical card game
* Jon reviews the free-to-play cooperative third-person shooter video game Warframe
* Cody explains why he was disconnected from Google Hangouts and explains his completely ridiculous computer setup
* Learn about the Unqualified Gamers Android app, available on Google Play!

U.Gamers Podcast #098: Listener Appreciation Episode

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 13:02:31 GMT

In their first ever listener appreciation episode, Cody and Jon tackle hard-hitting listener questions and address YouTube comments! Hear Jon recount his revelatory Comcast experience and listen to Cody vaguely outline plans for their website. Plus: Google Fiber, cross-platform play, video game pre-orders, crowdsourced games and more!
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode
Show Notes:

* Jon’s Comcast nightmare story, referencing a Comcast nightmare cancellation story
* Google Fiber is coming to 4 new markets
* Cody explains his feelings about the Star Wars Holiday Special
* Cody explains why he re-joined Battle.net, and what he plans do to about it
* Thanks to listener Ryan D. for noting all of our profanity, and shout-out about his next project
* We answer listener questions from our Google+ page (posts taken verbatim, not edited):

* Michael Acuna: On games being shipped half baked. Would you rather have a game that is buggy and is patched after release like Halo MCC, Assassin’s Creed or deal with delay after delay like with The Witcher and The Division?

* MS just announced Xbox One, PC cross-platform play with Fable Legends and Sony will have it with Planteside 2 and Street Fighter 5. Thoughts and options on cross-platform play, is it something you want to see more of? And of course do you think the PC has the “unfair” advantage of keyboard and mouse?
* And lastly a fun topic, game(s) you love but everyone you talk to hated (^o^)

* Donovan Jokers485: What is your opinion on the new Battlefield Hardline? Is it innovative with the cops vs crims theme or should they have just stuck with the standard military theme?
* Christopher Long: Have you ever turned down sex to play video games?
* VintageGamer Pvt. Lee- Brown: actually i would like to know you twos favorite Video Game for every (most) genres [RPG, ACTION, FPS, STRATEGY, ETC]
* Scott Parks: The king of random right here haha. Hey, I heard that Microsoft was trying to do cross platform online gaming to PC with windows 10. I’d kinda like to hear what others think of that myself. If it would work across other consoles that be great. With 3rd party games of course but it sounds like a great start to end the fan boy war haha. “PC master race” shit haha.
* Jamie Butterworth: Glad to see you posting! Unfortunately I don’t have anything constructive to add right now, or any topics that are burning in my brain or else I’d offer to join. I think the only thing really bothering me is my sudden disdain for crowdfunding. Also, as an aside, I have been sharing your videos over on the G@L blog each week since you’re a member of this network 🙂
* Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #096: The Swapper Indie Game

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 02:36:46 GMT

Jon reviews The Swapper indie game, a puzzle-platformer video game developed and published by Facepalm Games. Cody also talks Risk of Rain and viral pharyngitis, and the Unqualified Gamers reveal the answer to the eternal question: save or kill the animals?
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U.Gamers Podcast #095: World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 16:58:29 GMT

Jon and Cody are BACK with their first podcast of 2015. Tune in and hear what they think of Awesome Games Done Quick 2015 and listen to Jon’s thoughts on World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor.Plus: Cody talks Amiibo and touches on his holiday adventures in gaming.
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U.Gamers Podcast #094: Top 5 Video Games of 2014

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 00:14:58 GMT

Cody and Jon each reveal their personal Top 5 Video Games of 2014. Hear them talk about roguelikes, platformers, MMORPG expansions, tower defense games, and some good old fashioned Nintendo games in this year-end podcast.And don’t forget to re-live the magic of 2014 by checking out old episodes to hear more about each game!
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U.Gamers Podcast #093: Super Smash Bros WiiU vs. 3DS review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 16:59:17 GMT

Cody talks about Super Smash Bros WiiU and how it’s different from Super Smash Bros for 3DS, as the Unqualified Gamers return from a well-deserved Thanksgiving holiday. Plus: Jon and Cody discuss failed or botched video game launches, especially recent issues with Ubisoft, Microsoft, and even Nintendo.
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Drunqualified Gamers Podcast #01: Cody drunkenly explains #GamerGate

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 17:47:35 GMT

Cody gets drunk and explains #GamerGate, its inherent problems, and why you can’t actually own a hashtag.
Click here to download this Drunqualified Gamers Podcast

U.Gamers Podcast #092: Too Many Cooks in the Video Game Podcast Kitchen

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 12:04:45 GMT

Are there too many cooks in this video game podcast? Learn about sun lamps, Hyrule Warriors, Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and the Pokémon Omega Ruby and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Video Game Podcast

U.Gamers Podcast #091: Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 21:59:49 GMT

Cody and Jon find themselves playing the same video game for once, so they discuss their first impressions of Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth.
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U.Gamers Podcast #090: Smash Bros. for 3DS online, New Words with Friends

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 17:26:15 GMT

Jon and Cody talk about weddings before Jon gives an update on Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor; then, Cody rages about online multiplayer issues in Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, before ending the episode on a positive note by talking about the “New” Words with Friends.
Click here to download this episode of the Unqualified Gamers Podcast

U.Gamers Podcast #089: October gaming traditions and comfort games

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 17:18:34 GMT

Cody and Jon discuss their favorite October gaming traditions, from survival horror video games to thematic monster games like the Castlevania series. Plus, hear about their favorite comfort games!

U.Gamers Podcast #088: Hyrule Warriors, more Shadow of Mordor

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 00:31:25 GMT

Jon talks more about Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, and Cody gives his first impressions of Hyrule Warriors for the Nintendo WiiU.

U.Gamers Podcast #087: Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 02:19:24 GMT

Jon reviews Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor in his first ever solo episode. He also talks about “comfort games” and wonders: what are yours? Plus, hear where you can get a delicious burger in Minnesota!
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U.Gamers Podcast #086: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 19:58:08 GMT

Jon discusses Blizzard’s cancellation of Titan and the League of Legends World Championships, then reviews reviewing On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4.

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U.Gamers Podcast #085: Super Smash Bros for 3DS Demo Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:01:28 GMT

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin discuss their first impressions of the Super Smash Bros for 3DS demo, in addition to speculating about cake and bar trivia.
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U.Gamers Podcast #084: Bit Bash Chicago, Five Nights at Freddy’s

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:05:12 GMT

Cody recounts his experience with the “Bit Bash” Indie Gaming event at Threadless HQ in Chicago, featuring lots of games! Then, Jon reviews Five Nights at Freddy’s.
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U.Gamers Podcast #083: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 22:17:05 GMT

Cody talks about the Final Fantasy VI 20th anniversary performance of Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy before giving his highly anticipated review of Bravely Default: Flying Fairy for the Nintendo 3DS. Hear his thoughts after 8 months of playing the game! Warning: spoilers abound.
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U.Gamers Podcast #082: Boss Monster and Borderlands 2

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 20:43:29 GMT

Cody talks about Boss Monster, the retro-inspired dungeon-building card game from indie publisher Brotherwise Games, and Jon discusses what he did and didn’t like about Borderlands 2.
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U.Gamers Podcast #081: Sketchy Tower Defense Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 14:00:23 GMT

Cody gives a Sketchy Tower Defense review with a little help from Russian Jon, Unqualified Gamers’ go-to for tower defense games. Hear what they thought of this 2010 Xbox Live Indie game!
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers
Click here to watch this episode on YouTube, complete with gameplay in the background!

U.Gamers Podcast #080: Angry Video Game Nerd Movie Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:25:08 GMT

Cody saw a special screening of Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie in Chicago! Hear his Angry Video Game Nerd Movie review, recorded immediately after he got home from the show.
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers

U.Gamers Podcast #079: The International Dota 2 Championships and MOBA

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 16:59:42 GMT

Cody basically refuses to talk about anything relevant, so Jon discusses The International Dota 2 Championships and explains the difference between Dota and League of Legends in this MOBA-MAZING episode.
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers

U.Gamers Podcast #078: Nitpicking Sid Meier’s Civilization V and JRPG Grinding

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 19:34:27 GMT

Cody and Jon discuss the game mechanics in Sid Meier’s Civilization V through the lens of board games, and then talk about grinding in JRPGs, particularly Jon’s experience with the Final Fantasy V Four Job Fiesta and Cody’s experience with Bravely Default.
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers

U.Gamers Podcast #077: Shovel Knight Review and JRPG Update

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:24:03 GMT

Jon and Cody give a full Shovel Knight review, and Cody is quite happy with the game. Jon then gives an update on his Final Fantasy V Four Job Fiesta, and Cody checks in on his Bravely Default progress.
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U. Gamers Podcast #076: eSports’ Gender Divide, SGDQ 2014 Speed Run Recap

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:28:48 GMT

Jon talks about his massive home improvement project before he and Cody address some controversies regarding women in gaming. They then recommend some great speed runs from Summer Games Done Quick, their favorite summer speed run marathon. SGDQ 2014 FTW!
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Go watch Summer Games Done Quick 2014! #SGDQ2014

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 02:49:05 GMT

Go watch Summer Games Done Quick 2014 while your favorite Unqualified Gamers take a break this week! #SGDQ2014
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U.Gamers Podcast #075: Jon’s Cookie Dilemma, Watch Dogs and the FFV Four Job Fiesta

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:31:16 GMT

Jon has the most epic cookie dilemma in the history of video game podcasts. After giving him advice, Cody gives his first impressions of Watch Dogs. Jon then talks about recent improvements in Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time, and explains his participation in the Final Fantasy V “Four Job Fiesta” fundraiser, complete with excessive alliteration and a new way to play the Square-Enix classic.

U.Gamers Podcast #074: E3 2014 Recap and Analysis

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 13 Jun 2014 03:17:28 GMT

Jon and Cody provide an in-depth E3 2014 recap, including the press conferences of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, and discuss their favorite and least favorite games and moments of the annual video game convention.
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U.Gamers Podcast #073: Mario Kart 8 and E3 2014 Predictions

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:00:13 GMT

Cody reviews Mario Kart 8 (WiiU) and Jon talks about Steam’s new In-Home Streaming feature. Plus, Cody and Jon fumble through their E3 2014 predictions!
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U.Gamers Podcast #072: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 29 May 2014 16:23:21 GMT

After recapping their Memorial Day weekends, Jon reviews Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (Nintendo 3DS) and explains to Cody why he stopped playing Bravely Default and Batman: Arkham Origins.
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U.Gamers Podcast #071: Final Fantasy: A New World at ACEN 2014, YouTube Acquires Twitch

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 22 May 2014 17:15:58 GMT

Cody recounts his experience seeing A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy at Anime Central 2014. He and Jon then discuss YouTube acquiring Twitch, and Cody goes on an impassioned rant about how other people are reacting to the announcement.
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Intimate

Unqualified Gamers #070: Subjective Video Game Reviews and Batman: Arkham Origins

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 15 May 2014 16:55:23 GMT

Cody faces an internal dilemma regarding the objectivity of his video game reviews, and Jon gives his first impressions of Batman: Arkham Origins. Plus, learn which video game console Cody feels is definitively the best video game console currently on the market!
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Unqualified Gamers #069: Let’s Play Videos and Video Game #Truth

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 08 May 2014 15:40:56 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss Let’s Play videos, particularly of Chrono Cross and Breath of Fire 3, and Jon continues his love affair with Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft. Plus: board games!
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Unqualified Gamers taking a week off

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:07:07 GMT

Cody and Jon explain why they’re taking a week off from the podcast this week, and they promise that it’s a good reason. Stay tuned next week for a brand-new explosive, action-packed episode!

Unqualified Gamers #068: Storytelling and Good vs. Bad Difficulty in Video Games

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 11:37:41 GMT

Jon talks about storytelling in video games and missed opportunities in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Cody ponders “good” and “bad” kinds of difficulty in video games. We really ask the hard questions in this episode of Unqualified Gamers!
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Unqualified Gamers #067: Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Live Google Hangout

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 16:55:00 GMT

Cody delivers an epic review of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Xbox 360). He and Jon also answer listener questions and engage with the audience as they record in their first-ever public Google Hangout. Technical difficulties—and hilarity—ensue.
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Unqualified Gamers #066: Long-distance Friends, Video Game Reviewers and FTL: Advanced Edition

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 12:51:00 GMT

Cody grapples with the idea of “hanging out” with friends over the internet and has a philosophical debate with Jon about the merits and pitfalls of video game reviewers (and, of course, their reviews). Jon reviews FTL: Advanced Edition (Steam).
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Unqualified Gamers #065: Oculus Rift Facebook Acquisition, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 15:16:23 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss the public’s reaction to the Oculus Rift Facebook acquisition before Jon reviews Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls and Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.
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Unqualified Gamers #064: Arcade Boards and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 27 Mar 2014 12:20:30 GMT

Guy, Jon’s fill-in, talks to Cody about arcade boards and previews JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (PS3). He also gives some handy tips on how you can “get into” the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Anime and discusses his experience growing up with Turbo Grafx-16.
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Unqualified Gamers #063: Video Game Pricing, Storylines, Voice Acting and Secrets

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:06:52 GMT

Cody and Jon use Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Bravely Default as a launching point into surprisingly interesting video game topics, from video game pricing to the importance of dynamic storylines. Cody also discusses his thoughts on English vs. Japanese voice acting and asks an important question about how people discover secrets in video games.
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Unqualified Gamers #062: JRPGs with Lightning Returns: FFXIII and Bravely Default

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:17:53 GMT

Cody pushes Jon’s capacity for suspension of disbelief to its limit by discussing the storyline thus far in the Final Fantasy XIII universe and explaining the premise behind Lightning Returns, and Jon discusses his first impressions of Bravely Default (Nintendo 3DS). Join the Square-Enix JRPG extravaganza!
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Unqualified Gamers #061: Papa Jon, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls, Bravely Default Demo

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:43:09 GMT

It’s Jon’s first episode as a proud new dad! He recounts the highlights of his transition into parenthood, then talks about the upcoming Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls expansion. Then, Cody reviews the Bravely Default demo (Nintendo 3DS).
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Unqualified Gamers #060: Ryan’s Rogue Legacy Drinking Game

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 16:05:03 GMT

In an act of desperation, Cody invites his friend Ryan to fill in for Jon. After discussing his DDR and Rock Band tournament experiences at Gen-Con Indy, Ryan explains his Rogue Legacy drinking game and talks a bit about the Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures (Steam).
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Unqualified Gamers #059: The Last Remnant and NES Remix

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 12:38:57 GMT

Jon reviews The Last Remnant (Xbox 360, Steam) and Cody reviews NES Remix (WiiU) after they weigh in on Gamestop’s pre-order policy and the Twitch Plays Pokemon experiment.
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Unqualified Gamers #058.5: Cody on the Flappy Bird Fiasco

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 12:45:44 GMT

Jon takes a sick day, leaving Cody to analyze the Flappy Bird fiasco, explain how he made it onto a list of Chicago’s Hottest Geek Guys of Winter, preview his Valentine’s Day, and complain about the stupid reason why he’s still waiting for his copy of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
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Unqualified Gamers #058: Jon Versus Super Mario 3D World

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 11:30:52 GMT

Cody briefly discusses NES Remix and Pokemon Y before Jon delves into the epic tale of how he beat Super Mario 3D World in this WiiU-centric episode of Unqualified Gamers.
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Unqualified Gamers #057: Super Mario 3D World Review (on a sick day)

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 12:00:35 GMT

Jon and Cody fight through their winter colds to review Super Mario 3D World on the Nintendo WiiU. Cody also briefly discusses Pokemon Y and tells an unnecessarily long story about professional wrestling, specifically regarding the 2014 WWE Royal Rumble.
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Unqualified Gamers #056: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 20:01:18 GMT

Cody reviews Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, one of his favorite action games since Ninja Gaiden. Jon also recaps his busy weekend, and debates video game decor with Cody.
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Unqualified Gamers #055: Awesome Games Done Quick 2014, State of Decay

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 16 Jan 2014 12:00:09 GMT

Cody and Jon talk about joining the Gonna Geek Podcast Network before recapping their favorite (and least favorite) moments of Awesome Games Done Quick 2014, a 7-day video game speed running marathon to raise money for cancer prevention. Jon also reviews State of Decay (Steam, Xbox 360).
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Unqualified Gamers #054: Risk of Rain PC Game Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 09 Jan 2014 12:58:05 GMT

Cody and Jon deliver a rare joint review, this time for indie PC game Risk of Rain. Plus, hear about what games they acquired over the holidays and a sample of what to expect to hear from them for later in 2014.
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Unqualified Gamers #053: Favorite Games of 2013

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 11:10:23 GMT

Cody and Jon choose their personal favorite games of 2013 and look ahead at what’s to come in 2014. You might be surprised at their choices!
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Unqualified Gamers #052: Ghost Trick and Streetpass Mii Plaza Games

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 19 Dec 2013 16:46:50 GMT

Jon reviews the iPad port of Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, originally for the Nintendo DS, and Cody reviews the Streetpass Mii Plaza Games for the Nintendo 3DS (Mii Force, Flower Town, Warrior’s Way, and Monster Manor).
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Unqualified Gamers #051: Link Between Worlds Revisited, Batman: Arkham City

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 12 Dec 2013 17:24:11 GMT

Jon talks about his interesting experience replaying Final Fantasy V on his iPad, and Cody concludes his review of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS). Cody also reviews Batman: Arkham City (Steam) while Jon chimes in with his thoughts on the game.
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Unqualified Gamers #050 Addendum: Unqualified Gamers Name Change

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 05 Dec 2013 23:03:01 GMT

Jon takes a sick day and Cody talks about Thanksgiving, precipitation, and the Unqualified Gamers name change.
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Unqualified Gamers #050: The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Device 6

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 27 Nov 2013 06:01:31 GMT

After announcing their new name—Unqualified Gamers—Cody reviews The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (Nintendo 3DS) and his brand-new Nintendo 3DS. Jon then reviews Device 6 (iOS), and special field correspondent Jamie checks in with a live update from the front lines of the 2013 console wars.
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Unqualified Gamers #049: The Last Of Us and Dust: An Elysian Tail

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:19:40 GMT

After catching up on the console wars and some other miscellaneous gaming news, Cody finally reviews The Last Of Us (PS3) and Jon reviews Dust: An Elysian Tail (Xbox 360). Apologies in advance to anyone listening whose name is “Bruce.”
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Unqualified Gamers #048: In-Depth Gone Home Discussion

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:35:40 GMT

Cody and Jon have an in-depth Gone Home discussion about every facet of the Steam game. From its emotional resonance to its impact on the video game industry and everything in-between, we take an incredibly in-depth look into a major indie darling of 2013. Get ready to get personal, with plenty of metagaming on the side.
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Unqualified Gamers #047: Organ Trail and Being Unqualified

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:15:04 GMT

In this strikingly directionless episode, learn about video data storage, Extra Life, and new features of the Humble Indie Bundle. Plus, Cody reviews Organ Trail (Android) and Jon teases his review of Gone Home (Steam). They both also launch into several tangents, so listen, learn, and have fun with us!
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Unqualified Gamers #046: Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z, Dark Souls, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 30 Oct 2013 18:43:38 GMT

Zombies, vampires and souls, oh my! After much Halloween talk, Cody gives an E3 preview of Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z and Jon reviews the brutally difficult Dark Souls. Cody then teases his upcoming review of The Last Of Us (PS3) and he and Jon discuss the original Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Cody also offers his E3 impressions of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Plus, hear which host is really bad at saving games, and how that affected his experience with Pokemon Y and Final Fantasy VII in this jam-packed episode!
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Unqualified Gamers #045: Pokemon X, Star Trek Online w/ Byte the Bullet

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 17:38:50 GMT

Jeff and Bayley, hosts of YouTube Let’s Play series Byte The Bullet, join Jon and Cody to talk about Pokemon X and Star Trek Online. Join them to learn how Byte The Bullet is different from other Let’s Play channels, plus hear some marsupial humor, tarantula facts, and other things that frankly have no business existing within a video game podcast.
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Unqualified Gamers #044: Pokemon Y and To The Moon Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 19:35:44 GMT

Jon talks about his first Pokemon experience in 15 years when he reviews Pokemon Y, and Cody finally gives his To The Moon review (Steam) after several weeks of mentioning it. Plus, hear who won the Plants vs. Zombies 2 E3 Swag Sweepstakes, and learn about the new official YouTube channel of Unqualified Gamers!
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Unqualified Gamers #043: The Wonderful 101, Nintendo WiiU features analysis

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 20:10:36 GMT

Jamie Butterworth, video game writer at PlayerEssence.com and curator of the popular Butterworthy YouTube channel, joins Cody and Jon to review The Wonderful 101 (WiiU) and help explain the full scope of features on Nintendo’s current-gen console. Plus, learn a little bit about your hosts (both regular and guest) on this surprisingly qualified episode of Unqualified Gamers!
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Unqualified Gamers #042: Bastion Follow-Up, Steam Machines, Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 20:32:36 GMT

Jon explains his love of board games before Cody gives a mini-review of Bastion (Steam, Xbox 360), which Jon reviewed in an earlier episode. Both hosts then launch into an in-depth discussion of Valve’s Steam Machines and new controller. Jon also reviews Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes (Xbox 360) alongside Cody’s side commentary on Crackdown (Xbox 360).
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Unqualified Gamers #041: Infinity Blade 3, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD WiiU Extravaganza

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 20:50:46 GMT

Jon talks about Insidious 2 (even though it isn’t a video game) and Infinity Blade 3 (iOS). Cody then launches into his thoughts on his new WiiU console, the Miiverse within, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD.
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Unqualified Gamers #040: League of Legends 101 and Video Game Championship Wrestling on Twitch TV

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 21:11:40 GMT

Hear about how: Jon loves horror movies, Cody pre-ordered a Wind Waker HD WiiU, and the console wars are heating up again as a result of some ridiculous revelations. Plus, Cody and Jon explain why they will NOT be playing Grand Theft Auto V before Jon reviews and gives a League of Legends 101 (PC). Cody also discusses his favorite Twitch TV series, Video Game Championship Wrestling (VGCW).
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Unqualified Gamers #039: Tower Defense and Free to Play Games Extravaganza

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 11 Sep 2013 22:12:20 GMT

Special guest host “Jon 2″ joins Cody and Jon to take a special look into the world of tower defense and free to play games, starting off with his review of Go Home Dinosaurs (Steam). Cody also delivers a follow-up review of Castle TD (Android) before Jon discusses free-to-play models, specifically SolForge (PC, iOS) and Plants vs. Zombies 2 (iOS). Plus, learn about what it’s like to be a gamer living in Moscow!
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Unqualified Gamers #038: Binging on Sid Meier’s Civilization V: Gods and Kings

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 15:53:31 GMT

Cody talks about his binging on Civilization V: Gods and Kings (Steam) for 27 hours over Labor Day weekend, and he and Jon discuss how Civilization is basically just one huge board game. Plus, hear which of the show’s hosts plans on pre-ordering a special edition Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD WiiU console!
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Unqualified Gamers #037: WWF No Mercy at Gen-Con, Rogue Legacy, and Bioshock Infinite Ending

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 20:35:37 GMT

Jon and Cody describe their experience at Gen-Con 2013, including Cody’s participation in the WWF No Mercy (N64) and Smash Brothers: Impossible (Wii) tournaments. Jon then gives Rogue Legacy (Steam) a shining review before he and Cody FINALLY discuss the ending of Bioshock: Infinite (PS3 / Xbox 360 / Steam), which they’ve been teasing for several months. Plus: learn about the new definition of the word “literally!”
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Unqualified Gamers #036: Bastion, Divekick, Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 20:40:43 GMT

Jon reviews Bastion (Steam) and Cody delivers his E3 review of DIVEKICK (PS3). Cody also talks about the Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection (PS3), specifically Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake.
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Unqualified Gamers #035: Zelda & Final Fantasy HD Remakes, Twitch TV Speedruns, and Torchlight 2

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 16:07:13 GMT

Cody talks about his impressions of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD and Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster from E3. Jon explains his first foray into the world of Twitch TV speedruns and reviews Torchlight 2, one of his Steam Summer Sale acquisitions. Cody also reviews Final Fantasy VI: Balance and Ruin, an epic 5-disc Overclocked Remix fan album, after he and Jon talk about the cancellation of Fez 2.
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Unqualified Gamers #034: THE LOST EPISODE

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 21:05:59 GMT

Unfortunately, this episode has been lost to the unforgiving gods of Corrupted Save Data. Feel free to listen to the first 20 seconds of this podcast, which sadly is all that Cody was able to recover from his archives despite his greatest efforts.In case you’re curious, here’s what happened in the original recording of this episode:
Jon explains Valve’s new trading card system that debuted during the Steam Summer Sale before he and Cody talk about Awesomenauts (PC), one of their favorite sale acquisitions. Cody also talks about Civilization IV (PC) and Jon introduces him to the Humble Indie Bundle.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode (or, at least, what’s left of it)

Unqualified Gamers #033: Xbox One vs. PS4 Controller and Ducktales Remastered E3 Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:30:34 GMT

Cody discusses his E3 experience with Jon, particularly his impressions of the Xbox One vs. PS4. Cody also reviews Ducktales Remastered in the podcast’s highly anticipated return from a lengthy summer hiatus.
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Unqualified Gamers #032: Microsoft Xbox One Video Game Console Reveal

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 27 May 2013 19:48:20 GMT

Jon and Cody return after a one-month hiatus to discuss Microsoft’s Xbox One press conference. Hear what they’ve been up to and who they think will win this generation’s console war!
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Unqualified Gamers #031: Mobile Game Extravaganza

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:00:47 GMT

Jon goes on a mobile game rampage, reviewing Space Team (iOS), Nimble Quest (Android, iOS), Slayin’ (iOS) and Year Walk (iOS). Cody counters with his review of Castle TD (Android) and wraps up the podcast by nerding out with Jon over the announcement of Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara.
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Unqualified Gamers #030: Bioshock Infinite Storytelling

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 15:21:46 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss the first hour of Bioshock Infinite (Steam, PS3, Xbox 360), and Jon goes on to discuss his overall impression of the game. They then launch into a discussion about Bioshock Infinite storytelling through its underlying themes, and much more!
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Unqualified Gamers #029: April Fools with Batman: Arkham City

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:44:39 GMT

In this INCREDIBLY SERIOUS AND DEFINITELY NOT APRIL FOOL’S THEMED PODCAST, Cody and Jon have a thoroughly in-depth discussion about Batman: Arkham City (PS3, Xbox 360, WiiU), mutant animals, Cody’s dinner, Subway sandwiches, Final Fantasy IV (iPad), and eventually debate what they feel like talking about in this episode. Tune in for fascinating video game conversation the likes of which you have never heard!
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Unqualified Gamers #028: Game of Thrones: Ascent, Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:21:14 GMT

Cody reviews Game of Thrones: Ascent (Facebook), the first Facebook game featured on Unqualified Gamers. He then wraps up his review of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) after some back and forth with Jon over the nature of beta testing and how long it takes before a game becomes too long.
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U.Gamers Podcast #027: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet and FTL: Faster Than Light

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:32:42 GMT

Jon reviews the Metroidvania style twin-stick shooter Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (PC) and the real-time strategy game FTL: Faster Than Light (PC). Cody talks, too, but you’ll have to listen if you want to hear what he has to say!
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U.Gamers Podcast #026: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Review Wrap-Up

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:01:13 GMT

Jon goes into graphic detail about his love for the JRPG Ni No Kuni (PS3), explaining why he loves the game and why you might love it too.
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U.Gamers Podcast #025: Sony Playstation 4 Video Game Console Reveal

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:13:38 GMT

Jon and Cody discuss the highly anticipated press conference revealing the Sony Playstation 4, the first video game system of the next generation of console gaming. What does it mean for the future of video games? Only Jon and Cody can tell you. Yes, ONLY Jon and Cody.
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U.Gamers Podcast #024: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:48:50 GMT

Cody reviews The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii) after Jon explains why Unqualified: A Video Game Podcast isn’t about women.
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U.Gamers Podcast #023: Final Fantasy VI ROM Hack Reviews

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:01:13 GMT

Cody and Jon talk about The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD (WiiU) and THQ losing the WWE license. Cody then dishes out a pair of Final Fantasy VI ROM hack reviews, including Final Fantasy VI: The Eternal Crystals and Final Fantasy VI: The Complete Hack, and discusses ROM hacking in general with Jon.
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U.Gamers Podcast #022: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:43:59 GMT

Cody regales Jon with a review of The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses before Jon reviews Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch (PS3).
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U.Gamers Podcast #021: Borderlands 2 LIVE with Two Jons and a Cody

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 02:20:59 GMT

Jon, Cody, and Russian Jon play Borderlands 2 LIVE for your entertainment. Hear some hilarious banter, Cody’s initial impressions of some of the game mechanics, Jon Simon spontaneously break out into song, and a whole lot of Brock Lesnar in this special bite-sized podcast (only 10 minutes!).
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers

U.Gamers Podcast #020: Final Fantasy VIII Low Level Run and Mass Effect 3, Plus Borderlands 2 First Impressions

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:03:19 GMT

Cody reviews his Final Fantasy VIII low level run (roughly 12-13 years late) before exploring the “Squall is Dead” Theory. Jon then reviews the single-player mode of Mass Effect 3 (PS3), and Cody and Jon discuss Borderlands 2 (PS3), which they’ve begun to play with one another online.
Here’s the 21:45 Ocarina of Time Speedrun Cody mentions in this episode, as well as the Super Mario 64 120-Star Speedrun Jon mentions. Enjoy!
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U.Gamers Podcast #019: Dishonored, Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade, and Free-to-Play Games

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:25:29 GMT

Jon raves about Dishonored, a first-person stealth action/adventure game, before berating Cody for his love of Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (Android/iOS). They then use a joint mini-review of Tiny Tower (Android/iOS) as a launching point for a discussion on free-to-play games and their financial models.
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U.Gamers Podcast #018b: Halo 4, Lollipop Chainsaw, and iOS Fun, Part 2

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 21:35:56 GMT

Despite Cody’s earnest efforts to completely derail him, Jon somehow manages to review Kingdom Rush (iOS), Plague, Inc. (iOS) and Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3).
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Click here for Part 1 of this episode

U.Gamers Podcast #018a: Halo 4, Lollipop Chainsaw, and iOS Fun, Part 1

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 21:12:45 GMT

Cody doesn’t let Jon talk because he’s too busy talking about Halo 4 (Xbox 360). Hear all about the latest installment in the storied Halo franchise from Halo’s new developer, 343 Industries. Stay tuned next week to hear Jon review iOS games and Lollipop Chainsaw (PS3)!
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers
Click here for Part 2 of this episode

U.Gamers Podcast #017b: Cave Story and Xenoblade Chronicles, Part 2

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:22:04 GMT

Jon talks about Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) and engages Cody in a deep discussion on the past and present states of the Japanese role-playing game / JRPG.
Click here to download this episode of Unqualified Gamers

U.Gamers Podcast #017a: Cave Story and Xenoblade Chronicles, Part 1

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 17:52:16 GMT

Jon gives his first impressions of Assassin’s Creed 3 (PS3), Cody gives an incredibly vague review of Cave Story (PSP), and Jon talks about the latest Diablo 3 (PC) patch in the first half of this feature-length podcast.
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U.Gamers Podcast #016: Nintendo WiiU Release Preview and Predictions

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:24:44 GMT

Jon and Cody debate the merits and pitfalls of the Nintendo WiiU release. Will it succeed? Will it fail? Will it blend? Find out during the course of this epic video game debate!

Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #015: Machinarium, Zelda II: The Adventure of Error, and ROM Hacks

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 16:38:46 GMT

Jon reviews Machinarium (PC) and the Steam Summer Sale, Cody talks about Zelda II: The Adventure of Error (NES Emulator), and the two have an incredibly high-brow (as usual) discussion about ROM hacks.
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #014: Resident Evil: Revelations, Chrono Trigger: Flames of Eternity

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:25:21 GMT

Special guest Blake “Danger” reviews Resident Evil: Revelations (Nintendo 3DS), Jon gets more in-depth with Diablo III (PC), and Cody reviews Chrono Trigger: Flames of Eternity (SNES Emulator), an unlicensed sequel to the original Chrono Trigger.

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U.Gamers Podcast #013: Fez Indie Game, Wrath of the Lamb, and FFXIII-2’s DLC Conclusion

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:47:21 GMT

Cody strongly urges listeners to approach the Fez indie game with a very specific mindset so they can enjoy the game to its fullest. Jon reviews the DLC add-on The Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb, and Cody finally finishes Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)… or does he?

Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode

U.Gamers Podcast #012: Video Game Orchestra, Diablo III, and Fez

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:37:54 GMT

Cody recaps his Video Game Orchestra experience before Jon gives his first impressions of Diablo III. Cody also teases his Fez indie game review, along with some early impressions.

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U.Gamers Podcast #011: Mass Effect 3 DLC, plus DLC dos and don’ts

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 07 May 2012 17:48:12 GMT

Jon reviews Mass Effect 3 DLC. Plus, he and Cody discuss downloadable content they’ve acquired for various games, leading to a list of DLC dos and don’ts.
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U.Gamers Podcast #010: Ninja Gaiden 3 and Space Marine

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:07:05 GMT

Cody gives his notorious review of Ninja Gaiden 3. Jon then gives the episode some contrast with a relatively calm review of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.
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U.Gamers Podcast #009: God of War III and Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:32:56 GMT

Jon reviews God of War III before he and Cody launch into a discussion on downloadable content. Cody also reviews the ending of Final Fantasy XIII-2 and reviews some FFXIII-2 DLC. Plus, hear an exciting story about adventures at GameStop!

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U.Gamers Podcast #008: Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, Kingdom of Loathing

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:09:28 GMT

Cody gives an update on his never-ending quest to beat Final Fantasy XIII-2, which brings up a discussion on when it’s appropriate to use a strategy guide. Jon then talks about Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning, and Cody talks Kingdom of Loathing, a free browser-based game.

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U.Gamers Podcast #007: Saints Row: the Third, Rayman Origins

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:18:15 GMT

Cody continues his quest to actually beat a video game as he provides some insight into his Final Fantasy XIII-2 progress, and Jon gives his thoughts on the end of Saints Row the Third. Jon also reviews Rayman Origins before discussing Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions on iPad, which Cody played through on PSP.
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U.Gamers Podcast #006: Saints Row: The Third Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:54:36 GMT

Jonathan delivers a follow-up on Final Fantasy XIII-2 before giving his Saints Row: The Third review. Cody also raises an interesting question about the way video game reviews affect the way we see games, plus much more.
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U.Gamers Podcast #005: Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:34:07 GMT

Cody and Jon go head-to-head in an epic joint Final Fantasy XIII-2 review. Get ready for a Square-Enix showdown as they cover everything from the battle system to the music.
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U.Gamers Podcast #004: L.A. Noire, Final Fantasy XIII, DLC, Portal 2

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:55:56 GMT

Jon delivers his follow-up review of L.A. Noire before delving into a discussion with Cody about the merits and pitfalls of downloadable content. Then, hear what Cody and Jon thought of Final Fantasy XIII as they anticipate the release of Final Fantasy XIII-2. Cody gives his final thoughts on Portal 2, after finally beating it.

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U.Gamers Podcast #003: Deus Ex Follow-Up, Portal 2, L.A. Noire

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:16:30 GMT

Jon gives the highly anticipated follow-up to his review of Deus Ex. Then, Cody and Jon discuss the merits and pitfalls of Portal 2 before Jon reviews L.A. Noire.
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U.Gamers Podcast #002: Nation Red and Deus Ex Reviews

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:53:38 GMT

Cody finally downloads Steam, firmly placing him in the 21st century like pretty much every other gamer in the universe. Cody then gives Nation Red and Jon gives Deus Ex reviews. Hear what Jon thought of the voice acting and the color gold in the second ever video game podcast from Unqualified Gamers!
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U.Gamers Podcast #001: Space Pirates and Zombies, The Binding of Isaac

Cody Gough and Jonathan Martin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:10:40 GMT

Meet Jon and Cody, two average guys who just happen to like video games, and hear what Jon thought of the games “The Binding of Isaac” and “Space Pirates and Zombies” in the debut video game podcast episode of Unqualified Gamers (formerly Unqualified: A Video Game Podcast). Plus, hear Jon explain Steam sales and listen to Cody chat a bit about “Escape Velocity.”
Click here to download this Unqualified Gamers Podcast episode