In this episode of the Game Club, the gang takes on Courier, a cyberpunk adventure for NES by Khan Games. There’s also a half-baked conversation about AI-generated art that should be inconclusive enough to irritate our entire audience. After the end credits, please enjoy Bart’s short and sticky review of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.”

Still need to play Courier? Get the game here.

For more Khan Games, check out Kevin's website.

Our next Game Club pick is Kudzu for the Game Boy. Find the Switch version on the Nintendo eShop, or get a physical cartridge from Mega Cat Studios.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club takes on Flea! and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle for NES and Dreamcast, two entertaining games about adorable parasitic vermin.

You can find links and information for both at the Lowtek Games website.

Our next Game Club pick is Courier for NES. Get it here.

Check out Nick's livestream playthrough of Flea! on the HBGC YouTube channel.

Here's a shot of that limited edition transparent cartridge (including audio cassette) from the Tapeworm Kickstarter.

You can watch Innards, Bart's 16-minute short film about a less friendly type of parasite, right here.

GitHub page for Short Stack by loopj (aka the "Wee Wii").

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Game Boy developer Ben Jelter joins the gang for a wide-ranging discussion on… Lots of things. Things like: Game design, GB Studio, his favorite homebrews, how to stay productive as a creative professional, hacker movies, the illusion of choice, Just World Theory, and what retro console he’s interested in developing for next (you won’t guess what it is). Oh, and we also talk about his excellent game The Machine, covered in depth on Episode 13 of our podcast. It’s a good time!

Find all of Ben Jelter’s games here: https://benjelter.itch.io/

Pocket Pixels on Mastodon: https://pocketpixels.club

Jeltron Games on Discord: https://discord.gg/uzZB2WuHY7

Still need to play The Machine? (Yeah, you do.) Get it here: https://incube8games.com/collections/boxed-games/products/the-machine-gbc

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club takes on The Machine, a dystopian sci-fi dark comedy for the Game Boy Color with surprising depth. Conor theorizes on how to keep hippies from turning into cannibals, Bart clarifies that we’re not watching a completely unrelated movie, and Nick embraces ethically compromised decision making.

Still need to play the game? Get it here: https://incube8games.com/collections/the-machine

Or check out a free demo here: https://www.themachinegame.com/

Our next game is Anguna for the Game Boy Advance, Atari 2600, and NES. Download the GBA and 2600 versions for free here: https://www.bitethechili.com/

Get the NES version here: https://the6502collective.itch.io/anguna-scourge-of-the-goblin-king

Note: This month’s game club pick has nothing to do with The Machine movie starring Bert Kreischer and Mark Hamill, coincidentally releasing on the same day as this podcast episode. Here is a link to that film’s official website, which we include here as a courtesy to our listeners and definitely not in a shameless attempt to improve our search engine results! https://www.themachine.movie/

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Kevin Hanley, creator of NEScape! and co-host of the Assembly Line podcast, joins the Game Club to talk about his history as a developer, what he’s working on next, and why he thinks we’re in a “golden age” for NES homebrew.

Our NEScape! livestream from March 2022: https://youtu.be/xnHryQBMcyE

Kevin Hanley's website, where you can download many of his games for free: https://www.khangames.com/

Get NEScape! here (not the $999.99 version): https://khangames.itch.io/nescape

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club takes on The Cursed Knight, a well-made Mega Drive game that really wants to give you a wedgie and stuff you into a locker. Bart defends his Nintendo bias, Nick rages about passwords, and Conor tries to stay positive. Bonus topic: What's your favorite food item in a video game?

Here's our full livestream playthrough of the game: https://youtu.be/H8eVlIJ7A1g

Still need to play The Cursed Knight? Find it on Steam or get a physical copy here: https://www.brokestudio.fr/product/the-cursed-knight-md/

Our next game will be The Machine for Game Boy Color. Get it here: https://incube8games.com/products/the-machine-gbc

NESmaker Byte-Off III awards video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLxGiWOWRWQ

Flying Arrows 2 Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studioloading/flying-arrows-2-gameboy-game-save-bolognanerd

Harlequest Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ross-codes/harlequest-a-new-3d-dungeon-crawler-for-the-sega-dreamcast

"Every Modern Mega Drive Game Ranked" video by St1ka: https://youtu.be/IR9R01ksI7M

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Nick talks to Francesco Bacchelli, the creative mind behind Game Boy developer Studio Loading. They discuss his inspirations, his approach to retro game development, and the positive aspects of working with a limited platform like the Game Boy. Hot on the heels of his first game Flying Arrows, Francesco is already moving forward with its sequel, Flying Arrows 2, and this time for a good cause: A portion of the funds raised for this game will go to help save Bologna Nerd, a retro gaming community center in Bologna, Italy.

Flying Arrows 2 Kickstarter (launching April 2023): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/studioloading/flying-arrows-2-gameboy-game-save-bolognanerd

Crowdfunding campaign to save Bologna Nerd: https://ko-fi.com/bolognanerd

Seriously, check out this promotional video from Bologna Nerd, this place looks awesome: https://youtu.be/0pKpdmiCYng

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Grab your tweeter and channel your inner pirate radio broadcaster as the gang covers What Remains, a walkie-talkie* adventure game for the NES. Conor digs the 1980s vibes, Bart gets duped by a false ending, and Nick brings back the beeps... or, at least, one big one.

*Copyright 2023, Homebrew Game Club (yes we are owning this)

Still need to play the game? Get it here: https://iodinedynamics.itch.io/whatremains

Our next game will be The Cursed Knight for Mega Drive / Genesis. Get the Steam version here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2052540/The_Cursed_Knight/

The 5th Annual Atari Homebrew Awards: https://forums.atariage.com/forum/203-atari-homebrew-awards/

Doodle World Deluxe on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2250520/Doodle_World_Deluxe/

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Conor seizes control of the host mic to send the Game Club on a long, rambling, lightly edited conversation about several titles we played in 2022 that deserve more attention. Old games, new games, indie games, mobile games, AAA games – everything is up for discussion. (We even throw some homebrew games in there.) Other topics include game preservation, preorders, a debate about Patreon, online gaming with kids, and... lots of other stuff we'd usually cut.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Elden Ring
• Mushihimesama
• Itch.io homebrews
• The Machine
• No Man's Sky
• Puzzling Peaks
• Cyberpunk 2077
• Baba Is You
• Dawn of the Monsters
• Fortnite
• Atari 50
• Splatoon 3
• Hades
• Horizon: Forbidden West
• The Outer Wilds
• Sturmwind / Sturmwind EX
• Pine Creek
• Lonely Mountains: Downhill
• Gaiares
• Full Quiet 

Question of the 'cast: Should we launch an HBGC Patreon?

Quote of the ‘cast: "That's the whole 50 year arc of Atari... They finally met the aspirations of their own box art."

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Bart, Conor, and Nick head to 13th Century France in this deceptively compact tribute to ZX Spectrum platformers. We check out the original PC game as well as ports to the Spectrum, Mega Drive, NES, and Commodore 64. Sorry, Amiga and Ouya fans -- we tried.

Still need to play the game? Find the original (free) PC version and links to all ports here: https://locomalito.com/abbaye_des_morts.php

Our next game is What Remains for the NES. Get it here: https://iodinedynamics.itch.io/whatremains

Homebrew Publisher Survey by bbbbbr for GB Studio Central: https://gbstudiocentral.com/news/homebrew-publisher-survey/

Cocaine Bear for ZX Spectrum: https://azimov.itch.io/cocaine-bear

SkateCat available for preorders: https://twitter.com/dale_coop/status/1615788369270771712?s=20&t=dHWFV7Q9eOujVhrlzvC73g

NEScape! now available on Switch: https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/nescape-switch/

...and also on Xbox: https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/nescape/9nmvx15m755v

Full Quiet for NES: https://fullquiet.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Note: Nick mentions that Full Quiet was Kickstarted in 2018. It was actually 2017. He regrets the error.

The Storied Sword free demo: https://gauauu.itch.io/the-storied-sword

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

It’s a NES demo extravaganza as Nick, Conor, and Bart check out all sixty-seven 2022 NESDev and NESmaker Byte Off III competition entries. Assuming they were able to figure out the spreadsheet first.

NESDev Competition results (with links to demos): https://itch.io/jam/nesdev-2022/results

NESmaker Byte-Off III competition main page: https://www.thenew8bitheroes.com/byte-off-iii

Byte-Off III game demos: https://theretroverse.com/special-events/byte-off-2022/

Music break #1: Stage 1 theme from Tactus by zeta0134

Music break #2: Irritating Ship by Trirosmos

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Does Elon Musk have entrepreneurial brain worms? Tech industry veterans Conor and Nick discuss.

In the first-ever live HBGC show, the gang interviews NES developers John Vanderhoef and Greg Caldwell. John is the Byte Off Award-winning creator of the Orebody series, including Hunt the Wampus, Orebody: Binder's Tale, and Oratorio. Greg Caldwell is a member of Retrotainment Games, developers of classic homebrew titles Full Quiet, Haunted Halloween '85 and '86, and Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum.

Find more about the Orebody series at its Twitter / X page.

For Retrotainment Games, check out their website.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club gets spooky with two GB Studio titles for Game Boy: bite-size dungeon-crawler Traumatarium and glitchtastic platformer Phobos Dere.

Still need to play the games? Get Traumatarium here: https://horatiunyc.itch.io/traumatarium

And here’s Phobos Dere: https://appsir.itch.io/phobos-dere-gb

Our next Game Club pick is L’Abbaye des Morts for ZX Spectrum and other platforms. Find out more about the game here: https://locomalito.com/abbaye_des_morts.php

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum for NES: https://www.iam8bit.com/products/garbage-pail-kids-nes

Jane Austen’s 8-Bit Adventure: https://www.8bitjane.com/

Sneak Peek of GBScape, a Game Boy Color port of NEScape: https://twitter.com/gbs_central/status/1583502918183186432?s=20&t=fpvUT3qBXozRNpwISI5atA

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Happy birthday to us!

Nick and Bart crush some undead 8-bit skulls in Dungeons & DoomKnights, a "Zeldavania" action adventure for the NES. There's also a conversation about barbecue on the menu, and Nick finally reveals the origins of his cryptic internet handle, Dvertov.

Still need to play the game? Grab it here: https://www.heromart.com/collections/dungeons-doomknights-collection

Our next games are Traumatarium and Phobos Dere.gb for Game Boy. Get 'em here:

Traumatarium: https://horatiunyc.itch.io/traumatarium

Phobos Dere.gb: https://appsir.itch.io/phobos-dere-gb

NESmaker Byte-Off III Demos: https://theretroverse.com/special-events/byte-off-2022/

Force Bot on Kickstarter (Ends Oct. 15, 2022): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ericschafer/force-bot-a-brand-new-nes-game

Man With A Movie Camera on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019760/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Nick and Bart talk with Jordan Davis about adapting his NES game Space Raft for an arcade setting, and what it’s like to get a homebrew game published on the Nintendo Switch. This interview was recorded live at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 1, 2022.

Raftronaut on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0000jordan

Get Space Raft for NES: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes

Or play it for free in your browser here: http://nes.dustymedical.com

Keep an eye out for that Premium Edition Classic Series Volume One for Switch, featuring Space Raft (and a bunch of other original NES homebrews): https://premiumeditiongames.com

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Bart, Conor, and Nick head to the tundra with Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure, a puzzle platformer for the NES. There’s also a lengthy debate about the ethics of using save states on emulated games, and an even longer, highly skippable (but hopefully entertaining) examination of the regional cuisine of Saint Louis, Missouri and its notoriously divisive pizza.

Haven’t played the game yet? Get it here: https://www.spoonybard.ca/nes-games/alfonzos-arctic-adventure

Our next game is Dungeons and Doomknights for the NES. Get the ROM or a cartridge version here: https://www.heromart.com/collections/dungeons-doomknights-collection 

Video for Eskimo Bob 18: We’re Irish (the clip we watch around 5 minutes into the podcast): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWsMVGBsQyE

We’d love to hear your feedback on our save states debate. Sign up for our Discord server and tell us how wrong we are: https://discord.gg/MsaGY87kex

Photos of a few of the St. Louis foods mentioned: https://www.feastmagazine.com/restaurants/collection_d307488c-5164-11e9-b8e4-c71e92577f8c.html

Yes, provel cheese has its own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provel_cheese

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Conor and Nick discuss Ruby & Rusty Save the Crows, a charming platformer for the Game Boy Color that may or may not concern workplace discrimination and chronically traumatized birds (it doesn’t).

Get the full game here: https://www.bitmapsoft.co.uk/product/ruby-rusty-save-the-crows/

Play the demo here: https://maxoakland.itch.io/ruby-rusty-save-the-crows

Max Oakland on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WinkWinkerson

The next game club pick is Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure. Get it here: https://www.spoonybard.ca/nes-games/alfonzos-arctic-adventure

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Homebrew Game Club takes on Xeno Crisis, a twin-stick shooter for the Sega Mega Drive. And loses, spectacularly.

Get the game here, or on your platform of choice: https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/

The next game club pick is Alfonzo's Arctic Adventure for the NES. Get it here: https://www.spoonybard.ca/nes-games/alfonzos-arctic-adventure

Music break: "Nest (Area 4)" by Savaged Regime. Free Xeno Crisis OST download available via Bitmap Bureau here: https://twitter.com/BitmapBureau/status/1332448249819652098?s=20&t=DUdYSp0oZ3T9VjMnYYs8oA

Here's that Dunning-Kruger graph featuring the "Valley of Despair": https://www.dreamendstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/DunningKrugar-1536x1103.jpg

Scrobins' State of Homebrew 2022: https://www.videogamesage.com/blogs/entry/753-special-episode-the-state-of-homebrew-2022/

Conor returns to the podcast as the gang takes a look at Diamond Thieves, a new game for the Mega Drive and Genesis. Developed by Mangangá Team, Diamond Thieves is available through a joint collaboration between Mega Cat Studios and Video Game Sage.

View the Diamond Thieves Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sks9sfC5atQ

Order your copy of the game here: https://megacatstudios.com/collections/16-bit/products/diamond-thieves

Here's a deep dive on the game by Scrobins on VGS, with developer interviews: https://www.videogamesage.com/blogs/entry/714-episode-1-diamond-thieves/

Mangangá Team: https://www.mangangateam.com/

The next Game Club pick is Xeno Crisis for the Mega Drive. Find it on the modern console of your choice, or buy the ROM here: https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

***The podcast would like to preemptively apologize to all Portuguese speakers and Sean Connery fans for the content of this episode.***

Nick and Bart discuss Space Raft for NES and its remixed semi-sequel, Space Raft Arcade. Bart has no regrets about taking over the Discord with Atari 7800 talk, and Nick builds a badass flight simulator. Also: Hey, did those Beanie Baby collectors ever make money??

Still need to play Space Raft? Get it here: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes

The next game club pick is Xeno Crisis for the Sega Mega Drive. Get it here, among other places: https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/

Music break: "Tomorrow Today" (8-bit and original versions). Check out both on the Space Raft Bandcamp page: https://spaceraft.bandcamp.com/

In case you don't get the 8BitDo jokes... How do you pronounce this company? https://www.8bitdo.com/

The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Beanie-Baby-Bubble-Delusion/dp/B00RC545Z2/

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The 2022 Midwest Gaming Classic is over, and Nick and Bart are tired.

For more on the Midwest Gaming Classic: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/

Hair of the Dogcast: https://hairofthedogcast.libsyn.com/

Warren Davis' Q*Bert Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Bert-Other-Classic-Arcade/dp/1595801057

Premium Edition Games Series 4 Direct (NES homebrew 10-in-1 announcement): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlA6m5zEDmg

Video Game Sage: https://www.videogamesage.com/forums/

Space Raft, the game: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes

Bite the Chili Productions (Anguna, Halcyon, and more): https://www.bitethechili.com/

Songbird Productions (Lynx and Jaguar homebrew): https://songbird-productions.com/

As always, find links to our Discord server and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Special guest host Chris (aka Deadeye) joins Conor and Nick for a deep dive into Retrotainment Games’ brilliant but baffling Full Quiet for NES. Conor reveals his new game design concept (the F.A.R.T.W.A.L.K.), Nick dusts off his memories of Russian literature, and Chris… probably isn’t used to this amount of profanity in a homebrew podcast.

Still need to play Full Quiet? Find it on Steam, Nintendo e-Shop, or Xbox, or ⁠get the cartridge here.

Our next Game Club picks will be Flea! and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle for NES and Dreamcast. Find links to both at Lowtek Games’ website.

Check out Chris' Homebrews in Focus on YouTube.

You can find the Full Quiet wiki here (expect spoilers).

Join the Full Quiet speedrunning Discord server here.

Ron Gilbert on “The Monkey Island rubber chicken problem” and designing obscure puzzles in games.

Legacy of the Wizard (NES) game map.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club talks NEScape!, an escape room game for the NES. Conor makes the point-and-click connection, Bart is happy he finally figured out Morse Code, and Nick's just glad to have had help on this one.

View the HBGC full livestream playthrough on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/xnHryQBMcyE

Still need to play NEScape? Get it here: https://khangames.itch.io/nescape

Music break: "Final Escape (Scene 4)" by Travis Nelson: https://famitrackerbits.bandcamp.com/album/nescape-original-soundtrack

The next game club pick is Space Raft for the NES. Get the game here: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes

Or try it out in your browser: http://nes.dustymedical.com/

The Homebrew Game Club will be attending the Midwest Gaming Classic April 30 - May 1. Get tickets and more here: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/

As always, find links to our social media, merch shop and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club talks with Matt Hughson, developer of NES homebrew games Witch n' Wiz and From Below, as well as the upcoming From Below Pocket for Game Boy. While the discussion focuses on previous Game Club pick Witch n' Wiz, this is a great conversation for anyone interested in creating and marketing homebrew games, regardless of console.

Matt Hughson's website: https://www.matthughson.com/

Matt Hughson's games: https://mhughson.itch.io/

Blog Post: How to Start Making NES Games: https://www.matthughson.com/2021/11/17/how-to-start-making-nes-games/

As always, find links to our social media, merch shop and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The gang talks about Witch n' Wiz, a puzzle platformer for the NES. Nick tries in vain not to swear, Conor confesses to a terrible mistake, and Bart has a particular room in mind where he'd like to play this one. There's also a bit about Reddit movies. Finally, Nick has a cautionary tale about giving your childhood stuffed animals away to high school filmmakers.

Still need to play Witch n' Wiz? Get the full game here: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz 

Or play it for free on Piepacker: https://piepacker.com/ 

Music break: "Gravity" by Tuï: https://twitter.com/Tui2A03 

The next game club pick is NEScape! For the NES. Check our social media for the livestream date, and get the game here: https://khangames.itch.io/nescape 

Mawthorne on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crazygrouptrio/mawthorne-nes-game/ 

Skeller Boy on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/skelerboy/skeler-boy-part-ii-for-game-boy-cartridge-and-pc 

The Great Gatsby for NES: https://greatgatsbygame.com/ 

Needle in a Timestack Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VfPClAsIpg 

As always, find links to our social media, merch shop and more at homebrewgameclub.com.

Nick has a story about losing his car keys. It's long, sorry. 

Eventually, Nick and Conor talk about some of their favorite retro-inspired indie games. Let us know which ones we missed by yelling at us on social media or emailing homebrewgameclub@gmail.com.

Games mentioned in this episode:

• Streets of Rage 4
• Fight'n Rage
• River City Girls
• Cave Story
• VVVVVV
• Super Hexagon
• Celeste
• Bionic Commando Rearmed
• Undertale
• GG Aleste 3 (Aleste Collection)
• Super Meat Boy
• Binding of Issac
• Shovel Knight
• Hollow Knight
• Sega Ages (Series)
• Limbo
• Braid
• Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 1 & 2
• Shantae: 1/2 Genie Hero
• Shantae and the Pirate's Curse
• Super Hydorah

The Game Club takes on handheld homebrew horror with Deadeus for the Game Boy, a great Halloween title we're talking about in January for some reason. Warning: Spoilers abound. The guys wrap up with a discussion of their favorite non-homebrew games of 2021. Got a different take? Share your experience with us at homebrewgameclub (at) gmail.com.

Play Deadeus here if you haven't already: https://izma.itch.io/deadeus

Break music: Day 2 Overworld Theme by Stoo Busby: https://stoobusby.bandcamp.com/track/urizen-falls-day-two-overworld-2

Bart Elfrink's horror short film Innards: https://vimeo.com/101396406 

The next game club pick is Witch n' Wiz for the NES. Get it here: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz

Find social media links and more at http://www.homebrewgameclub.com

In this totally bonus, eminently skippable episode, Nick and Conor address a couple of wild days in the NES homebrew scene. Do you devour internet drama like it's hot popcorn? This episode is for you. Seth Abramson's Top 100 NES Homebrews (archived version): https://archive.is/QCi8s Response to the list from Sole Goose (Beau Holland): https://www.solegooseproductions.com/?page_id=816

The Game Club kicks off with enigmatic platformer Lizard for the NES, and contentious takes abound. Conor is perplexed by the soundtrack, Bart is scared and confused, and Nick wonders if his favorite homebrew game is an existential crisis simulator in disguise. Got a different take? Share your experience with us at homebrewgameclub (at) gmail.com.

The next game club pick is Deadeus for Game Boy. Check it out here: https://izma.itch.io/deadeus

2A03 Puritans on Bandcamp: https://bitpuritans.bandcamp.com/album/2a03-puritans

N64 Homebrew Game Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuOEStdYg-8

Don’t forget about our Witch n’ Wiz giveaway: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz

RetroUSB’s 8-Bit Xmas 2021: https://tinyurl.com/y26w36ht

GB Dev on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gbdev0

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and the Game Club's own Bart Elfrink made a movie about it! Here's a short, totally-extra bonus segment featuring Bart and Nick talking about Drinksgiving, a film Bart co-directed back in 2016, now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. IMDB page for Drinksgiving (with poster art): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4773854/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Drinksgiving on Prime Video: https://tinyurl.com/3rkjz3pv

Meet your podcasters! The gang discusses what they mean by “homebrew games” and why they’re different from “hacks” before outlining plans for the podcast. Bart examines what he looks for in a game, Conor reminisces on video games in 1990s Ireland, and Nick reveals behind-the-scenes tales from a family-operated video rental chain. The conversation turns oddly philosophical before wrapping up with a reveal of the first Game Club pick. It's all downhill from here, folks.

Get Lizard here: http://lizardnes.com/

UK games market share from 1992: https://twitter.com/ChinnyVision/status/1431393686588428289

Jeremy Parish on Bio Miracle Bokkte Upa (the baby game; yes, it’s real): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_45uWffcY0

And here’s that excellent Micro Mages promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWQ0591PAxM

Play along with us on Discord: https://discord.gg/MsaGY87kex

Instagram, Twitter, and other links: https://linktr.ee/homebrewgameclub

Welcome to the Homebrew Game Club podcast! Did you know that brand new, original games are still being made for retro video game consoles like the NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Atari 2600 and more? Join us as we explore these games and the communities that make them.

Find links to show notes, our Discord server, and other social media at https://linktr.ee/homebrewgameclub

In this extra special bonus episode, Conor, Bart, and Nick scour the "Ask the Podcast" channel from the HBGC Discord server to catch up on unanswered questions over the last year. Questions like: How long should a homebrew game be? What's your favorite video game movie? Is Atari still Atari? And what's your desert island laundry detergent? The gang even employs artificial intelligence to answer the most pressing question of our day: What is the Frogger frog's job?

Nick also offers his extended take on Breath of the Wild. (It's long.)

Frogger Club music: "Dark Atmospheres 01" by dave_wheatley via Pixabay

Got your own questions for the podcast? Join our Discord server, find us on social media, or buy some merch at homebrewgameclub.com.

The Game Club whets their appetites for cyberpunk cool with the demo for Courier, a hackeriffic new adventure for NES from Khan Games.

Courier is available on Kickstarter until January 31, 2024. Grab your copy here.

The gang takes on three very short but action-packed shoot 'em ups: Omega Blast for the Mega Drive, Dangan GB2 for the Game Boy Color, and Flight of Pigarus for the Master System. We also reveal the winners of our 2023 shoot 'em ups high score competition!

Still need to play the games? All are available as free downloads here:

Omega Blast

Dangan GB2

Flight of Pigarus

Our next game will be Full Quiet for the NES. Find it on Steam, Nintendo e-Shop, or Xbox, or get the cartridge here.

We got interviewed about our Discord channel for Full Quiet! Read about it here.

Reddit AMA by toggleswitch about First Press Games

***Please note: the deadline to submit games for the MAGfest Indie Retro Homebrew Showcase was December 15, 2023. You can find out more here.

8-Bit Xmas 2023

Gunhawk by Skyboy Games

Bleeper! Get one before they sell out.

Ben Jelter's game Talbut.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

The Game Club takes on Doodle World and Kubo 3, two NESmaker games created with contributions from children. But are we the right audience for this type of game? We invite some guest experts on the show to discuss.

Still need to play the games? Find Doodle World here.

And here’s the link to Kubo 3.

Our next Game Club picks will be shoot ‘em ups Flight of Pigarus, Omega Blast, and Dangan GB2. Join the high score tournament on our Disc ord server to win one of two very cool prizes. Entries accepted through December 18, 2023. Discord link and more available at http://www.homebrewgameclub.com.

Get free ROMs for all three games at these links:

Omega Blast (Mega Drive)

Flight of Pigarus (Master System)

Dangan GB2 (GB Color)

R.I.P. Rani Baker, NES developer. Her itch.io page is here.

The Game Club takes on three iterations of Nathan Tolbert's Zelda-inspired Anguna series on the Game Boy Advance, Atari 2600, and Nintendo Entertainment System. Conor attempts to define the "walkie-pokey" genre, Nick has a question about where those arrows are coming from, and Bart shares a wholesome story about George Clooney and a litter box.

Still need to play Anguna? Find links to all versions here: https://www.bitethechili.com/

The next Game Club picks will be Doodle World and Kubo 3 for NES. Get Doodle World here: https://natepeters.itch.io/doodle-world

And find Kubo 3 here: https://dale-coop.itch.io/kubo-3-nes-game-by-sj-games

AtariAge acquired by... Atari?! https://forums.atariage.com/topic/354609-atariage-atari/

Play all 82 Game Boy Competition 2023 entries here: https://itch.io/jam/gbcompo23/entries

As always, find links to our social media and more at: http://homebrewgameclub.com

Twitter, now rebranded "X," has been an important avenue for homebrewers and other indie game developers to connect with each other and promote their work. Tech industry veterans Conor and Nick discuss the decline of the app under Elon Musk, the rise of alternative platforms, and what it might all mean for the homebrew community.

This is an update of a similar episode from December 2022. Find that one in our feed, or listen here.

You can find links to ALL of our social media accounts (regardless of where they are as you're listening to this) at homebrewgameclub.com.

The gang takes on The Storied Sword for NES and Dreamcast, a Princess Bride-inspired tribute to Ninja Gaiden and Sunsoft's Batman. Is "NES hard" too extreme for modern gamers? Inconceivable!

Still need to play the game? Get links to all physical and digital versions (including a free demo) at Bitethechili.com.

We did a livestream playthrough of this one back in April 2024. Check it out here.

Here's the video trailer Bart and Nick made for The Storied Sword's Kickstarter campaign.

Our next game is Inspector Waffles: Early Days for the Game Boy Color. You can find the digital on Itch.io or Steam, or get a physical copy from Broke Studio.

Recommended by Nick's wife, here's a Pumpkin Old Fashioned cocktail you can impress your friends with over the holidays.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

CHAPTERS:

00:00:00 Thanksgiving In the UK

00:07:30 Holiday Gaming

00:15:15 Intro: The Storied Sword

00:20:19 Describing the Game

00:36:30 How Did We Play This?

00:38:25 More About Difficulty

00:48:16 What Worked for Us

00:59:10 Signposting and Easy Mode

01:11:16 Working as a Tester on a Tough Game

01:15:01 Other Nitpicks

01:21:28 Music Break

01:23:33 Comments from Discord

01:31:51 Final Thoughts On The Storied Sword

01:37:39 Our Next Game Is...

After a long, unscheduled break, the Game Club grabs their gardening hats and Birkenstocks to take on Kudzu, a top-down Game Boy adventure set among the vines. Also: Should Nick get another Switch? Or a Steam Deck? A short discussion with an obvious conclusion.

Still need to play the game? Find links to the demo, digital, and physical versions here.

For more about Chris Totten and his work, check out his website.

And you can wishlist Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends on Steam.

Our next game is The Storied Sword for NES and Dreamcast. Get it here.

We actually did a livestream playthough of The Storied Sword back in April 2024. You can watch it on Youtube here.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Bart and Conor seize the mic to fill dead air with topics suggested by the HBGC Discord audience. Enjoy the ride as our mutinous hosts chat away in the spirit of "We can say whatever we want, because Nick's never going to post this."

This episode has chapters, so feel free to skip any of it. Or all of it. Topics include:

Generative AI (The forbidden topic)

Hot sauces

Coffee

Irish and / or English Breakfasts

Ethnic food in the UK

Wagyu beef

Favorite movies

Favorite animations

Collecting physical media

The history of the Napoleonic Wars

Listener medical advice, or not

Bart's famous kimchi fried rice

Things to collect besides video games

The Zen of pinball machines

Questions for Nick (to be added in post)

Here's that YouTube clip Conor mentions from Sharpe.

The next Game Club pick will be Kudzu for the Nintendo Game Boy. No, really. Episode coming soon, we promise.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

The gang reviews Justice Duel, a Joust-inspired arena combat game for the NES from 2017, set in a techno-dystopian America dominated by unhinged AI presidents riding giant eagles. Or something like that. Wait, is this still satire?

Physical versions available from Mega Cat Studios.

Download the free demo here.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

The gang interviews Chris Totten, Associate Professor of Game Design at Kent State University and the creator of recent Game Club pick Kudzu. This far-ranging conversation touches on GB Studio development, game design as a field of study, publishing indie games, introducing Gen Z students to retro gaming, a possible Kudzu sequel, and many other topics.

This episode has a transcript! You can download the PDF here.

Browse some of Chris' other projects at the Pie for Breakfast website.

You can also follow him on Bluesky.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Nick and Bart discuss their trip to the 2025 Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a convention that's surprisingly become an annual destination event for homebrew fans. After the break, a special guest returns to the podcast (with a slightly deeper voice than last time).

Cover image drawing by Nate Ehlers.

Music break: Shooting Starlight by Tappy - 8 Bit Music Power Final (RIKI Collection, Famicom, 2017)

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Bart, Conor, and Nick don their detective hats for Inspector Waffles: Early Days for the Game Boy Color. Tune in as the gang solves the paw-some mystery of just how many cat puns three grown men can handle. Can they make it through with their wits intact, or will it be a cat-astrophe?

Still need to play the game? Find it on Steam or GOG, or get the ROM (and a free demo) at itch.io.

Physical copies are available from Broke Studio.

Our next game is Sam's Journey for Commodore 64 and NES.

Get the C64 version here.

Get the NES version here.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Nick and Conor welcome an all-star panel of guests for an episode 10 months in the making. Can E.C. Meyers, JordiGH, and Matt Hughson (cue fanfare) help Sam get home safely?

Still need to play the game? Get the C64 version here.

You can find the NES version here.

Check out E.C. Myers' website here.

Wishlist Matt Hughson's Super Sunny World on Steam.

You can follow Jordi on Mathstodon.

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com

Nick returns from Portland Retro Gaming Expo 2025 with several short interviews featuring some very neat people.

Optomon (Chris Lincoln) is a ROM hacker and the developer of the NES homebrew game Rollie. You can find his work at Optovania.com.

Clyde Shaffer is the creator of the Game Tank. Find out more about this project at gametank.zone.

Ellen Cooper is a board member at Hit Save, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of video games, and the administrator of Keitai Wiki. Check out her work here:

• ​Keitai Wiki
• ​Keitai Archive
• ​Hit Save!

Music credits for this episode:

• ​Gameplay (From Below Pocket) by Pegmode (arr.), Tui
• ​Beat 7 by Nikku4211
• ​Minddrug (Layla: The Iris Missions) by Supper
• ​Homebrew Game Club Redux by Raftronaut

As always, find links to our social media and more at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://homebrewgameclub.com