Hey, podcast listeners!
Welcome to dispatch #5 of Video Game Podcasts! If youâre receiving this via email, thank you for letting me in your inbox. If youâre reading this on the web, go subscribe already. Itâs free!
Testing out Monday mornings for the send time. It was my daughterâs birthday this weekend, so Iâm throwing myself a softball. Hereâs a quick review on one of my (admittedly biased) favorite podcasts, New Game Plus!
On with it,
Tom
You might likeâŚ
New Game Plus
New Game Plus is a weekly podcast where âthree guys play one old game for seven days, and then they talk about it.â
The showâs been running for 4 years, and just released episode 201, along with a slew of bonus content to dig into, as well. (Editorâs note: Iâve been editing this show for about 2 years. Itâs one of my favorites, but mostly because I spend a bit of time with it each week.)
Runtime?
Episodes are typically around the 50-55 minute mark. Occasionally some special shows are over an hour.
Who hosts it?
New Game Plus is hosted by three guys - Dustin, Kenny, and Nolan. Theyâre not YouTube celebs, prolific streamers, retro gaming archivists, or journalists.
They are fairly normal guys, and I honestly think thatâs the appeal here.
I started out as a listener around Episode 70: Battletoads. I appreciated how down-to-earth and familiar the hosts were. They talked about games the way my friends and I talked about games.
Whatâs the format?
The point of the show is to discuss one retro game (15 years old or older,) and determine if itâs worth revisiting, or playing for the first time.
New Game Plus is broken up into a few distinguishable segments:
Intro - Every episode begins with an intro of sort, usually discussing a relevant topic in gaming â like E3 news, a recent trailer drop, new console releases, or events like Games Done Quick.
The Segue - This has become a signature of the show. Dustin will drop some wordplay to connect the intro topic to the game at hand. Check out the Billy Hatcher episode for a prime example.
Overview and Gameplay - The gang discusses the general premise of the game, and how the game mechanics work. Theyâll touch on story, character and level design, and any unique characteristics of the game.
Aged - After discussing the game, they transition into a reflection on how well the game aged 15+ years later.
Final Thoughts - Does this game get their vote for New Game Plus status? It required 2 out of 3 votes. Typically, when a game is bad⌠itâs bad! But there are plenty of retro games that appeal to different preferences. Their lasting qualities are more subjective. On these episodes, there can be some tension and drama in the final verdict!
Randomizer and Outro - After they vote, they put the current game to rest and pull the next game at random from a list of fan-submitted games (The Retro Master List) which now covers over 1,000 games. This is the most exciting part of the show. With a list that big, you really never know what to expect.
If you write in your opinion, you might even have it read on air.
Whatâs so special about that?
Okay. Pick a game at random, talk about it on the next episode⌠thatâs not an original concept. So why add New Game Plus to your feed:
đ Itâs what happens between episodes that countsâŚ
This is so much more than a podcast. Between episodes, the hosts stream the game of the week on Twitch, share âfirst playâ videos on YouTube (with early access to Patrons,) and discuss the game freely in their Discord server.
When you play along with the show, you can interact with others doing the same. Whether itâs an amazing game like Chrono Trigger, a dud like Rugrats: Totally Angelica, or an oddity like Einhander, people gather in Discord to discuss what makes or breaks each game. Dozens more hang out just to talk life and games.âCommunityâ is a word that gets thrown around a bit on the internet. I can say with certainty that New Game Plusâs followers occupy one of the brightest spots in the dim world video game forums.
đŽ So. Much. Variety.
You really never know what game youâre gonna get. Itâs exciting, but also lends itself to the variety this show can deliver. Sometimes you get a Nintendo 64 classic, other times a rare Master System game, and sadly a Windows 95 title thatâs almost impossible to get running.
With the â15 years or olderâ rule being the only parameter, thereâs a ton of exciting and miserable games to get into.đ Easy to cherry-pick.
Because you know exactly what game/genre/system/era of gaming youâre getting with each episode, New Game Plus is surprisingly easy to pick up the episodes that interest you, and skip the rest. If youâre into JRPGs on 16-bit consoles, youâll get âem! If youâre not so into real-time strategy games on PC from the early 2000s, you can skip âem!
What do others say about it?
Thereâs a 4.8 star rating on Apple Podcasts currently, from 97reviewers.
Hereâs a good one from âElise_209â
âââââ âSo nostalgicâ
I had a lot of fun reviewing the games I played and loved as a kid. Itâs just such a fun podcast.
â
But donât expect Norm the Gaming Historian with this showâŚ
Hereâs some feedback from a lower review from âjrbgnâ:
âââ âDecentâ
I keep it in the rotation and listen here and there. I enjoy the premise of the show, but the conversation is often kind of stale and doesnât offer much in the way of unique insight or critique. In contrast to other podcasts I listen to, such as Retronauts or Watch Out for Fireballs â one thing that frequently bugs me is these guys donât seem well-read on the history of the releases, sometimes even getting titles or facts incorrect.
I think that fits in squarely with the âthese guys are just like you and meâ feel of New Game Plus. Itâs not meant to be a panel of experts using expensive FPGA hardware, or even non-experts doing extensive research. Theyâre playing the game, often time on emulators, just as you might if you really wanted to revisit it.
Is it kid-friendly?
Yes! The gang keeps it PG. (Note: You might not care about this⌠I typically donât, to be honest, but Iâm on an epic quest to find podcasts that I can reliably listen to with my kids in the car!)
Final thoughts?
New Game Plus gets my vote for New Game Plus status. đ¤Ł
But again, Iâm biased. If youâre looking for a weekly discussion on one random old game, and a positive little corner in our dimly-lit internet, this podcast and community has you covered.
Where to listen? Whatâs a good starting point?
The latest episode couldnât have been timed better. Check out Episode 201: Linkâs Awakening! (Or just jump into a discussion on one of your favorite retro games.)
đ Here are your links:
Do you already listen to New Game Plus? Have you checked it out after reading this? Love it? Hate it? Let me know your feedback!
Random Spotlight: Apple Arcade
Iâm an Android guy with a strong distaste for mobile gamingâŚ
Through a series of fortunate events, I somehow ended up with an Apple Arcade trial on the only iOS device I own, a latest-gen iPod Touch (âŚdonât ask.)
My take so far: Itâs an amazing new take on mobile gaming. For $5/mo, you get access to tons of curated high-quality games that are well-worth 15-30 dollars, or more, each!
While these games are built for mobile, Iâm excited for MacOS support so I can play a few more games on a larger screen with a real controller.
Iâve been playing Assemble with Care, and next up is the much-applauded Sayonara Wild Hearts!
Anyways, my talented friend Joel Sharpton is both a Mac aficionado and podcast producer. Want to keep tabs on Apple Arcade? His new show All About Apple Arcade is your one-stop shop.
Hereâs the link: https://all-about-apple-arcade.captivate.fm/.
Look out for a full spotlight as this show grows!
Reader Recommendations
Send them to me! If youâre an email subscriber, hit reply and let me know what youâre listening to. If youâre reading on the web, email me: tom@videogamepodcasts.com.
Once you start sending, Iâll start sharing.
Support Video Game Podcasts
Video Game Podcasts is and always will be free to subscribe and read on the web.
But I could still use your support!
Share Video Game Podcasts directly with a friend!
Promote this or any dispatch on Twitter, Facebook, your favorite message board, subreddit, or Discord server!
Follow @vgpodcasts on Twitter for more updates.
Send me feedback, I want this to be valuable for you. âď¸