The mitochondria do all the talking this week on Still Loading. To wrap up Backlog Month I am joined by friend of the show Michael Berger from the Bits of Time podcast to talk about Squaresoft's foray into horror, Parasite Eve. Based off a book on the same name, Parasite Eve is a horror JRPG that came out in 1998 and has become a bit of a cult hit …

We're gonna be gonna be golden! This week on the show I am joined by Aaron Klaassen from Super Ghost and Chris Dominguez from Consoles and Stuff to talk about the GBA JRPG Golden Sun! I first got Golden Sun back in the early 2010s from a Game Stop near me and never touched it until my patrons voted for it for Backlog Month this year and I am so hap…

Episode 2 of this year's Backlog Month features a game very different from last week's. Backlog month this year is RPG heavy and one of those RPGs we are looking at is Live A Live. Live A Live is an RPG from Square Enix that originally released back in 1994 for the Super Famicom but was later given a remake and published world wide in 2023. Joining…

Backlog month 2025 kicks off with a big one! It's Castlevania. I covered Castlevania a LONG time ago on the show but that was before I had beaten it and it was very early in my podcasting career. So I figured putting it on my backlog month poll earlier this year was a perfect way to take another crack at this iconic NES game. But... A special game …

Indie games are awesome. They try so many different and unique things or have unique spins on classic game design ideas. This week on the show I am joined by Emily Merritt and Kate Hunter from the No Small Games podcast to talk about an indie game that pushes emotional storytelling without dialogue and explores grief in a way I haven't experienced …

Here comes Mama Mario! In this month's mini episode Dexter Morrill and I break down episode 9 of the Super Mario Bros Super Show! In one of the more wild episodes of we've seen yet we end up meeting Mario and Luigi's Mom, discussing the logisitics of carb loading, Luigi not understanding what the word "default" means and Fry Guy loan sharks. Follow…

The Muppets are iconic and it has been long overdue since I discussed them on the podcast. Joining me today to help me talk about a childhood favorite of mine is... my brother Mike as well as Doug Lief from the Nostalgium Arcanum podcast! The game on this episode is Muppet Treasure Island, based on the movie of the same name. Mike, Doug and I break…

Emulation is a polarizing subject in video games. While I personally feel its not a bad thing there are people who only associate with piracy. So I figured who better to talk about this topic than the founder of one of the earliest emulation websites, Zophar. Zophar founded Zophar's domain back in 1996 as a way to aggregate emulation information an…

A huge part of video game history is context. Context surrounding a game's development, context surrounding a game's release, context of the time and place the game was made during. Context informs how we interpret the past. This week on the show I am joined by author and journalist Ross Benes to talk about his book "1999: The Year Low Culutre Conq…

We delve the depths of Tallon IV on this episode of Still Loading. I'm joined by returning guest to the podcast Chris (aka the British Bond Addict) to talk Metroid Prime. Metroid Prime is a game that has eluded me for a while. I first played it over a decade ago but never got around to beating it even though I made it over 90% through the game. Tha…

More Zelda cartoons can't be a bad thing right? Joining me is my co-host with the mo-host Dexter Morrill to break down the 8th episode of the Zelda cartoon, Doppleganger. We talk about goth Zelda, Link's Kink's, uncomfortable kisses and Bob Ducca's list of bizarre ailments. As usual, what does that actually mean!? You will have to listen and find o…

I love Nintendo. I still do. This company makes some of my favorite systems and games and has also given me some of my favorite memories. But even with my love of Nintendo its hard to overlook their negatives, even if those negatives are not Nintendo's fault. This week on the show I'm joined by Chris Coplien from Retro Hangover and St1ka from the Y…

Video game history is more than just what is shown on YouTube and in podcasts. Joining me on this episode of Still Loading is Laine Nooney and they are the managing editor of ROMChip. ROMChip is an academic journal of game histories that's focus is to advance the critical work of games studies. In short, they publish peer reviewed articles, intervi…

This week we set sail for adventure here on the Still Loading Podcast. Joining me is new friend to the show Supertendo to talk about the originally maligned but now beloved Zelda game, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Despite being more beloved now, Wind Waker had a very polarizing launch back in 2002 when it came out. This was not the Zelda mo…

You ain't nothin' but a groundhog! This month's cartoon episode is on the Super Mario Bros. Super Show Episode 8, "Love 'em and Leave 'em". Dexter is of course back and we had a lot of discuss on this one. We chat about the observational skills of our intrepid heroes, what hot pepper pistacio ice cream would taste like, why love potions are super p…

Whip sounds abound in this episode of Still Loading. I'm joined by TroytlePower of Geek to Geek Media and Thrak from the 3DO Experience to go on a rip-roaring adventure of punching some nazis. And no, this is not a continuation of Punch a Nazi month, but it is kind of a spiritual sequel to it. We are talking about Indiana Jones and the Great Circle…

Back in 2020 I did an episode on Final Fantasy X. Five years later there is finally a sequel to that episode where I talk about the sequel to that game! Joining me this week is Rick from Pixel Project Radio to help me change in and out of numerous costumes as we discuss the first ever direct sequel in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy X-2. X-…

As time goes on the games and the consoles we grew up with have a hard time keeping up with modern technology. Plug in your NES or Sega Genesis into a modern HD TV and it just doesn't feel the way you remember it. You may ask, did my games always look and play like this? The answer no. Well sort of... Returning to the show today is my good friend T…

BONUS EPISODE! For a surprise bonus episode, I sat down to chat with Karl Hörnell to talk about his recently released speculative fiction novel Singularity Minus Twelve. Karl is also a game designer who was fairly prolific on the Commodore 64 back in the 80's along with web based gaming in the later 90's/early 00's. His novel Singularity Minus Twel…

This month's mini episode involves underworld connections... Specifically of the Triforce variety. Dexter Morrill is back and we take a look at episode 7 of the Legend of Zelda cartoon, Underworld Connections. In this episode one of the Triforce pieces gets broken into 3 parts and Link and Zelda must track them down. We learn that the Triforce can …

In honor of the Magic the Gathering/Final Fantasy crossover I figured I should bump up this year's Final Fantasy Fantasy Draft a bit early! Four more guests enter the draft to try and craft the best Final Fantasy they can. This year we had a few first time guests and a few returning ones! As usual this was a TON of fun to record and some wild choic…

In this episode we explore another broad-ish topic of game history. Last week was FPS games and this week its Handheld gaming! I'm joined by author Tommy Keough to talk about his recently released book from Pen & Sword Books, "The History of Handheld Game Consoles". We chat about why he specifically chose to write about handheld game consoles, his …

Looking at the evolution of a genre is one of my favorite parts of studying game history. I attempted my own version of this with my history of RTS series a few years back but my guest today does a much more thorough look into a different game genre. Joining me on this episode is game developer and author Stuart Maine. Stuart has a new book out fro…

Sometimes a random online acqauintence from over a decade ago suddenly appears again. This week I am joined by a wonderful guest who is just that (for me at least). This week I am joined by voice actor Sean Chiplock to talk about his career, his approach to voice acting and most importantly, the glory days of Xanga. I had a wonderful time chatting …

A little late but it's here! I'm joined by Bill from the Gaming and Collecting podcast, 3DO Experience and Geek Addicts to talk about the Sucker Punch Productions game InFamous! This was supposed to come out last month as it was a patron voted topic but due to Punch of Nazi month I pushed it back a bit. Anyway, InFamous rules and it was joy to repl…

More Mario is never a bad thing. Dexter Morrill jumps back on the show to break down episode 7 of the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! In this episode we discuss the intricacies of the tax system in the mushroom kingdom, Mario being rude to a foreign exchange student, King Koopa turning into a giant and much more! Follow Dexter on social media! Instag…

The finale of Punch a Nazi month is here! Helping close out this series are two friends of the show, Diamond Feit from Retronauts and Chris Baines from the YouTube channel Rewind Arcade! We dive into the classic NES Bionic Commando! We talk about the game's history, talk about the mechanics of arm swinging, the sheer amount of violence in this game…

We started off Punch a N*zi month by taking on Mecha Hitler and now we are continuing the series with some resistance. I'm joined by Dave Pietrangelo from the Remember 64 podcast to talk about the second installment in the Medal of Honor series, Medal of Honor: Underground. This game approached WW2 from a different direction than the first game. In…

Punch a N*zi month is here! Helping me kick (punch) it off I am joined by Ashton Ruby from the Retro Hangover Podcast and author Aidan Moher to talk about the granddaddy of boomer shooters, Wolfenstein 3D! We talk about how this game set the course for an entire genre of games, how so much of gaming history has traveled in and out of it's orbit and…

The Mario Super Show is back! Mario Month may have ended but that doesn't mean we are done talking Mario. Dexter Morrill returns to help me dissect episode 6 of the Super Mario Bros Super Show. We learn about orphan mushrooms, that Koopa is named after a few of the months and lions with a sophisticated pallet. Follow Dexter on social media! Instagr…

There are game's that have cult followings that while I understand why they do, the game just doesnt hit for me. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver falls squarely into the "This was probably good back in the day" camp for me. I see it's merits as a game from 1999 but man is it hard to play now. Joining me on this episode, from the Gaming Memories Podcast,…

Another Mario Month comes to a close. Helping me round out Mario Month this year is Bill from the Gaming and Collecting Podcast to discuss the second game in the Mario & Luigi series, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. This game is a prime example of a sequel, meaning it's the most sequel I've ever seen a sequel sequel. What did any of that mean? It'…

Practicing origami once was not enough for Mario Month this year! I am joined by Try from My Life in Gaming and Jared from the Play Along Podcast to talk about Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. In this giant episode of the podcast we discuss why this game may be one of the darkest Mario games? We talk about how the game updated the Paper Mario f…

We are gonna have a fine time on this super episode of a podcast. In this episode I am joined by Andre from the Fine Time podcast and Aaron from the SuperPod Saga podcast to talk about Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga! This game was not what I expected at all, both in good ways and bad ways (but mostly good). It was by far one of the bigger swings I've…

Looks like it's time to dust off my origami skills because this week's episode is all about Paper Mario, specifically the first Paper Mario game for the N64. Joining me to make some paper airplanes are returning friends to the show Nerdbomber and Techtic from the Online Warriors Podcast. For all of us, this was our first experience with the Paper M…

MARIO MONTH IS BACK! This year's theme is all RPGs! For the next 5 weeks I will be diving into a different Mario RPG game and of course I had to start off the the original Mario RPG game, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars. Joining me to explore Mario's first foray into the RPG genre are friends of the show Matt Storm from Fun and Games…

Portal is a triumph of a game and many a note has been written on it's huge success. Ok enough of that. We are here this week to talk about Portal! The legendary first person puzzle game from Valve. I'm joined by returning guest to the show Andrew Kinsey from The EXP Point but we are ALSO joined by Pilisa Mackey, another EXP Point member and it is …

16 bit JRPGs are a bit of a nostalgia spot for me. I would actually classify it as more of misplaced nostalgia in that I didn't play a lot of them growing up but playing them now makes me feel nostalgic anyway. This week on the show I was lucky enough to get a review copy of a recently released indie game that takes inspiration from the 16 bit JRPG…

Zelda two months in a row!? Dexter and I are joined by actor and filmmaker Chris Carpenter to talk about episode 6 of the Legend of Zelda cartoon, That Sinking Feeling. We learn about how the Mario Bros have a pet clog.... named clog. We also learn that magnets work very differently than we expect and that Zelda is DTF when a cupid statue is presen…

Strategy guides were a huge part of many a gamers' childhood. I read my strategy guide for Final Fantasy VIII so much that the spine started falling apart. These books felt like we were getting a peak behind the scenes of how the game's inner workings actually functioned. To help us peak further behind that curtain, I am joined this week by David C…

The Last Guardian has been on my backlog list for quite a while and never got around to it until now. I'm joined by friend of the show Dave Jackson from Tales From the Backlog to discuss the third game in this makeshift trilogy from Fumita Ueda. Ueda has a very different approach to game design compared to the rest of the industry and Dave and I ha…

Some games burn brightly and flame out. Others have a long tail where people are consistently discovering it years after it launched. Everquest is one of those odd cases where both of those outcomes are true. Joining me today is author and tech journalist Matt Smith to talk about his recently released book from Boss Fight Books all about Everquest.…

You know... I am not a fan of this Zelda cartoon. And just when I think Link can't get more problematic he finds a way. We are of course talking about episode 5 of the Legend of Zelda Cartoon, "Sing for the Unicorn". I am, as always, joined by my co-host with the mo-host Dexter Morrill to break it down. We talk about Link being more creepy than bef…

Kicking off 2025 I am joined by my good friend Gabe Swarr to talk about a series of indie games he has made called the Bub-O games! The newest game in the series, Bub-O Burst, just came out so I wanted to have Gabe on to talk about his charming puzzle/action series! We are also joined by the composer for Bub-O Burst, a chiptune music legend, Seth S…

It is the end of another year and, as is tradition over here on the Still Loading Podcast, I am joined by my good pal TJ from Tapes of Trepidation and The Hodder Show. We talk about our top 10 most popular episodes of the year, what our goals are for next year and more! It's always a blast looking back on the year and seeing what all has happened. …

The Mario Super Show is back with episode 5 and let me tell you this one is anything but tame. Dexter Morrill joins me to dive into the episode as usual and boy howdy does it go places. This episode features the fastest mouth in the south, Mark Twang, a goomba carrying a plate-o-chicken and much more! Follow Dexter on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/prof…

The Commodore 64 is one of those systems that feels simultaneously ubiquitous and also unknown. It was the best selling home computer in the 80's and is loved the world over by a large group of passionate fans. But outside of that group it feels largely forgotten in the annals of gaming history. This episode is a small step in correcting that. I'm …

The finale of the World of Warcraft series is here! Joining me to discuss the second expansion of the game are two wonderful returning guests! First is Ryan Kern of the newly formed Pixel Resistance Podcast (Follow on BlueSky HERE). Second is tech journalist, YouTube and author Matt Smith! We gather to talk all about The Wrath of the Lich King, how…

The World of Warcraft followed up it's wildly successful launch with an equally successful and important decision. They released an expansion. Joining me to talk about the first expansion in WoW's long history is friend of the show Mick Arcade! We talk about our thoughts on the new races added, the new zones, flying and much more. Make sure you com…

World of Warcraft is 20 years old! It's hard to believe Blizzard's wildly successful MMO has been around for that long but here we are. In this first episode of a 3 part celebration of World of Warcraft, I am joined by friends of the show Jamie and Tristan! Tristan is the one who got me into WoW so I am so happy to have him back on the show after a…