My Favourite Game

And so here we are, the final episode of My Favourite Game - Season 6, the All-Ireland Season. And we pick up where we left off last week with Jordan Bradley of Amber Isle developer Ambertail Games talking of Neopets as her favourite game.Tonight, the final episode of Season 6 delves into other creature character games like Pokemon, Tomogatchi, Spore and more; the black market economy of Neopets and more. We also delve a little more into Ambertail's upcoming life-sim Amber Isle - a lot of which has been covered already here, but there are a few other nuggets here too - and wholesome as a movement.And that is Season 6 of My Favourite Game. As always, thank you so much for listening to this season and any other episode of My Favourite Game. You're all awesome.Look after yourselves and take care. <3Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@TalunsArt

And so we come to the beginning of the end. The All-Ireland themed Season 6 of My Favourite Game hits its last game with Neopets and kicks off a two-part finale that has roots tied back to the start of 2020.As I said announcing the full guest lineup back in January, the initial inspiration about doing a season of the show based on the Irish games industry harkens back to Ambertail Games co-founder Jordan Bradley and an interview with her for a Press Play episode that year, recorded before the start of the pandemic at the pan-Irish games event Run for the Border.“I know we have talks and networking, but what if we had mini game jams where North and South came together or workshops or even having this event more often?,” she said when I asked about potential collaborations between the games industries in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. “I know that’s a whole lot of work with organisation, but the reward is far greater, I find.“There are many ways I can see it changing. Even just online – let’s make a Discord server where we all come together because there’s one for North, one for South. Why not have an [All-Ireland] one? That would be cool.”Two years on from that interview in Co Dundalk that gave the idea of doing an All Ireland season of the show, Bradley wraps up Season 6 with an in-person episode in Belfast talking of Neopets as her favourite game.In the first of a two-part finale, we talk of the duality of a person such as with Jordan and how Neopets shaped that for her, the community built up around it, how the end of service of Flash has cratered the game as it is and a lot, lot more.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@TalunsArt

For the first time in seven-and-a-half years since the show's inception, we finally have a Dark Souls game!This isn't My Favourite Game's first rodeo with a From Software game - you have to go back to 2016 and Season 4 with Bloodborne and ex-Naughty Dog artist and current freelance concept artist Alex Neonakis - but tonight marks the first time a Souls game has been talked of as someone's favourite game.Tonight, in the penultimate game of Season 6, Sumo Digital associate art director Denman Rooke (note: Denman was art director at Romero Games on Empire of Sin when this was recorded) talks of the original Dark Souls as his favourite game.Here, we talk of its art direction and influence, having to fight skeletons over several hours, its legacy in the ten years since its release, the somewhat toxic mentality of get gud the games throw up and a particular instance of his mother being aghast at seeing Goldeneye being played in a non-violent household.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@DenmanRooke 

Talking of Petz, or any pet simulation game as someone's favourite game, is a bit of a jarring experience (nor, with three episodes and two guests to go, will it be the last time this season - spoiler, it's not next week either).But tonight's My Favourite Game sees Whitepot Studios co-founder Vicky Potts talk of Petz as her favourite game. Among the key selling points: getting into games and finding a lot of time playing them on PC than PS2, the sense of community and being established by Petz, Maple Story (and playing it one time in a 24-hour stint) and more.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@NinjaPotts

We're starting to hit the beginning of the end of the All-Ireland themed Season 6 of My Favourite Game, but before we do, we're talking of one of the most beloved arcade racing series of all time.Tonight, Shane McCafferty of Love: A Puzzle Shaped Box developer Rocketship Park talks of Burnout 2 as his favourite game. We talk of it, first getting to games as a youngin' in Waterford - he now resides in Toronto, Canada - a golden era of the arcade racing genre (especially between 2007 and 2011) and Criterion Games' output on both Burnout and Need for Speed.We also talk of the religious experiences of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus (and they are religious experiences, frankly) and more.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@EGVroom

For the first time since Season 2’s Majora’s Mask episode with Molly Carroll of Larian Studios (then of Chucklefish) in 2015, we have representation within The Legend of Zelda on My Favourite Game again.Tonight, in a special St Patrick’s Day episode drop to reflect the All-Ireland theme of the season, “jack of all trades” writer and designer Ellen Cunningham provides the fourth unique episode on the series – there would have been a fifth by now for what was the original Season 5 back in 2018/what became The Lost Tapes involving Ocarina of Time were it not for a hard drive failure – with 2006’s The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess on Wii and GameCube.We talk of the somewhat horror vibes within Ocarina that got them down the path of horror, the dark themes surrounding The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess, ‘that Nintendo magic’ within it and other Zelda games and a lot more.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@ephemerellen 

The second half of Season 6 of My Favourite Game gets underway by delving into a well-loved franchise and the hilarity it provides.TechRadar’s Vic Hood talks of TimeSplitters Future Perfect as her favourite game and delves into the sort of humour it has, the different kinds of humour in games like it, Fable and others as well as a lot more.We also delve into mental health depiction in games and why if you have to go to an Irish bar that isn’t in Ireland, your best bet is to go to one in Germany.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@hood_vic

Tonight, the first half of Season 6 of My Favourite Game comes to an end. And it ends with a debuting franchise!Here, Colm Larkin of Cardpolcalypse and Guild of Dungeoneering developer Gambrinious talks of Baldur's Gate as his favourite game.Here, we talk of his early days playing games on the ZX Spectrum, how he played RPGs like Baldur's Gate as a chaotic good and the characters he'd craft in them, Baldur's Gate 3 and how Larian is a perfect fit for it, why he feels the first few hours of an RPG are more meaningful to him and a lot more.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@gambrinous

Tonight’s episode of My Favourite Game is not the first episode released from a face-to-face recording of the show – that was last week with Outsider Games’ Stephen Downey on The Witcher 3 – but it is the first face-to-face episode to ever be recorded (to say of it being the first episode of Season 6 to be recorded).Tonight, Bellular Studios (nee Coffeebox Games) art director Jess Campbell talks of Ratchet and Clank as her favourite game (if you even see her Twitter, this doesn’t come as the biggest shock in the world, but still!).Here, we talk of the character building, writing across the series, the 2016 remake (based on the film coming out at the same time that is based on the original game), halcyon days of playing Resistance 2 co-op with her brother, Sunset Overdrive and provide a little context to the party that basically solidified what this season of My Favourite Game was going to be about plus more!Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@jessanight 

Another week, another My Favourite Game.Tonight, we delve into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt with Stephen Downey, founder of Outsider Games, who are putting the finishing touches to upcoming point-and-click adventure Jennifer Wilde: Unlikely Revolutionaries.Seems like only yesterday it was the first game in the first annual Game of the Year special of My Favourite Game back in 2015.Anyway, we talk of how Triss is a forbidden term in the Downey household, the fears of The Witcher 3 being an overwhelming game and a lot, lot more (including the Netflix TV show and, to a much less extent, Cyberpunk 2077).Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@OutsiderGames

For a debuting series for My Favourite Game, this is an incredible entry to begin with.Ridge Racer Type-4 is for my money one of the best racing games ever, let alone the best game in the Ridge Racer series. So who better to talk of it as his favourite game than Michael O'Kane, game director at Level 91 Entertainment on 2020 racing game Inertial Drift.Here, we talk of the sophistication and style of Ridge Racer Type-4 as a whole, racing in games as a whole and Ratchet and Clank (that is coming as an episode in a few weeks. And without naming names, you'll get a pretty big hint on who's fronting it in this episode too - spoilers!).Also, yes, the mix is not a bit great, I know. I'm going to work on a better mix to upload within the next week or so (which is why no YT version for now), but I'm also in the middle of our Critical Analysis of Horizon Forbidden West and a few other trinkets so it's going to be a little hard to do that this week.But the hope is it'll be out sometime before next week's episode on both YT, podcast platforms and Play Diaries.Anyway, listen to O'Kane on Ridge Racer Type-4 below as well as on all good podcast services.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@FlaxenFlash

When you think of Pikmin 3, you think of being, for the most part anyway, a relaxing adventure game where you try to save the planet from a famine? Maybe it’s the cutesy nature of it that makes seem appealing and relaxing, right?“Oh I don’t play these games to relax,” says Toadhouse Games CEO Alanna Linayre, as she talks of the 2013 Wii U game (re-released in 2020 for Nintendo Switch as Pikmin 3 Deluxe) as her favourite game.Tonight, we delve into Pikmin 3, the series, why despite its cutesy and somewhat relaxing charm on paper is actually stressful and potentially equally as stressful as Dark Souls and a lot, lot more.Oh, and if you’re wondering what the context is for the end bit with the ice in the tea, our fireside chat from last May will give you all the context for it.You can find it below and on all good podcast services.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @JohnnyCullen|@Tybawai

Season 6 of My Favourite Game rolls on with the second and final part of our season premiere. Last week, Ubisoft Massive narrative designer and writer Aoife O'Friel got into Mass Effect, the character and world-building within Mass Effect 3 and more.Tonight, part two delves into the incredibly contentious ending of Mass Effect 3 as it approaches the tenth anniversary of the game's release and the original reaction to the ending as well as how making them is very hard plus reflecting on the brilliant Citadel - released after the ending brouhaha and the release of the Extended Cut.Plus, we delve into last year's release of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition and what we hope to expect with the next game in the series.And I somehow end up mixing up Hitman: Silent Assassin with Hitman: Blood Money.And keep listening to the end to get a taste of what's to come this coming season!Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @aoifeofriel | @JohnnyCullen

As of this year, My Favourite Game will have been running for eight years. And in that time, a particular series was always a regular bridesmaid - that is to say an honourable mention in half a dozen episodes - but never the bride, getting their own episode.And for years, I'd been lamenting the fact the show never had this series even once as its own episode. And now, over the course of nearly a year, there's three of them.Last May, we finally had an episode on Mass Effect 2 featuring Annapurna Interactive's Kelsey Hansen as part of Season 5. And now less than a year later, a two-parter on the finale of the Shepard trilogy.Season 6 of My Favourite Game, the first themed season ever, kicks off with Mass Effect 3, celebrating its tenth anniversary in March. Which also means we're approaching the tenth anniversary of the brouhaha that kicked off in regards to the game's ending and how it was received. But that's for part two next week.Until then, part one of the Season 6 premiere sees Aoife O'Friel, writer and narrative designer on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora at Ubisoft Massive, talk of Mass Effect 3 as her favourite game as well as how the Tomb Raider series was her first love in games and more.You can listen to it here. Part two drops next week.Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|PatreonTwitter: @aoifeofriel|@JohnnyCullen

Hello! We're delighted to tell you at last Season 6 of My Favourite Game - the first-themed season in the show's history as an All-Ireland podcast - will premiere starting Wednesday, January 19. For more details, visit playdiaries.com.We'll see you for the two-part season premiere with Ubisoft Massive's Aofie O'Friel talking of the final chapter in The Shepard Trilogy, Mass Effect 3. Until then, here's a small slither of who to expect this season.(In order of appearance):- Jess Campbell (Art Director, Bellular Gaming - The Pale Beyond)- Shane McCafferty (Co-Founder, Rocketship Park - Love)- Jordan Bradley (Co-Founder, Ambertail Games - Amber Isle)- Stephen Downey (Founder, Outsider Games - Jennifer Wilde)- Alanna Linayre (Founder, Toadhouse Games - Call Me Cera)- Michael O'Kane (Founder, Level 91 Entertainment - Intertial Drift)- Aoife O'Friel (Narrative Designer/Writer, Ubisoft Massive - Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora)- Ellen Cunningham (Writer, Gambrinious - Guild of Dungeoneering/Cardpocalypse)- Colm Larkin (Founder, Gambrinious - Guild of Dungeoneering/Cardpocalypse)- Vicky Potts (Co-Founder, Whitepot Studios - Ho-Ho-Home Invasion/Stargazing)- Vic Hood (Gaming Editor, TechRadar)- Denman Rooke (Art Director, Romero Games - Empire of Sin) 

So here we are at the end of another year, the end of another year in the pandemic and the end of the first full year of the new consoles.And here we are with the first Game of the Year special episode of My Favourite Game in four years. We’ve not done one of these for four years! But doing these specials, personally speaking, was immensely fun back in the day. And with Season 5 of My Favourite Game finally released near the start of this year – and Season 6 on the horizon doot doot doot – doing a GOTY episode of My Favourite Game is pretty much a no-brainer.So we’re back again doing one of these.In case this is your first GOTY special of My Favourite Game and you’ve not heard one of these before – here’s 2015, 2016 and 2017, if you need a catchup – guests from Seasons 1, 2, 3 and 4 as well as now Season 5 and The Lost Tapes come to talk of their favourite game of the year – in this instance, 2021.You can find a full list of participants and games they’ll talk of below, but with 15 guests across 17 games, you’re looking at quite a chunky episode of My Favourite Game.We’ll see you very soon for Season 6 of My Favourite Game when it premieres in the New Year (there may be some news on that front in this episode 👀).Until then, I hope you’ve had a fantastic Christmas and that you all have a brilliant 2022. Here’s to you, friend.Find the full guestlist and games in this GOTY special of My Favourite Game below:-----Kid A Mnesia ExhibitionJohnny Cullen (Creative Producer/Host, My Favourite Game and Editor of Play Diaries – The Last of Us (Special))Destiny 2Tom Bramwell (Freelance games writer, consultant and former Editor in Chief of Eurogamer – Quake (Season 1, Episode 10))ToemChristian Donlan (Features Editor, Eurogamer – Robotron 2084 (Season 2, Episode 9))Disco Elysium: The Final CutNels Anderson (Founder and Creative Director, Sunderlust Games – Thief: The Dark Project (The Lost Tapes, Episode 4))Last StopKaitlin Tremblay (Lead Narrative Designer, Capy Games – Shining Force (Season 2, Episode 4))Apex LegendsKelsey Hansen (Producer, Annapurna Interactive – Mass Effect 2 (Season 5, Episode 6))NEO: The World Ends with YouDan Seto (International Social Media Communications Manager, Warner Bros Games – Final Fantasy 7 (Season 3, Episode 8))It Takes TwoHollie Emery (Co-Founder and Production Director, Bonsai Collective – Fable (Season 5, Episode 4))[EDITOR’S NOTE: As part of their contribution, Hollie has asked me to ask you to please consider providing a donation to Mermaids. For those who don’t know or are outside of the UK, Mermaids is a gender identity charity in the UK that helps provide support for trans and non-binary queer folks in the UK. You can find their website and donate to Mermaids here, but a donation would be greatly appreciated at this time of year.]Dungeon EncountersSam Barlow (CEO and Creative Director, Half Mermaid Productions – A Mind Forever Voyaging (Season 3, Episode 10))UnpackingCatherine Woolley (Senior Designer, Media Molecule – Shenmue (Season 4, Episode 10 and Episode 11))Ed Stern (Senior Narrative Designer and Writer, Splash Damage – Half-Life (Season 2, Episode 7))Kitty Crawford (Freelance Games Producer – Undertale (Season 5, Episode 9))Psychonauts 2Alex Kanaris-Sotiriou (Co-Founder and Art Director, Polygon Treehouse – The Secret of Monkey Island (Season 5, Episode 5)InscryptionAndrew Smith (Founder and CEO, Spilt Milk Studios – The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (Season 2, Episode 2))Resident Evil VillageDan Pearce (Co-Founder and Director, Four Circle Interactive – Klonoa 2: Lunatea’s Veil (Season 3, Episode 2))Against the StormFernando Rizo (CEO, Modern Wolf – X-COM: Enemy Unknown (Season 5, Episode 7))Forza Horizon 5Dan Teasdale (Co-Founder, No Goblin – World Games (Season 4, Episode 5))|Links: Play Diaries|Twitter|Facebook|Patreon

Two months and ten episodes later, we come down to the final episode of Season 5 of My Favourite Game.And we end with a humdinger. Persona 5 Royal, in terms of release to getting its own episode, is the most recent game to get an episode of the show, but when talking of Royal, you have to factor in Persona 5's original release in 2017. And well, as I have written about before, I have some serious issues with that game thanks to its endgame and the length it takes.But Roll7 senior UI/UX designer Anisa Sanusi loves Persona 5 Royal to the point she'd call it her favourite game. So for the next two hours, we talk of the game's immense style in its art and user interface, that boppin' soundtrack, how someone (me) has become immensely jaded with the game as time has gone on and if you could convince someone (again, me) to play Royal as someone who lost a lot of the goodwill towards the original game.We also mention how Kingdom Hearts 2 is basically a harbinger of all of Anisa's bad decisions in her life to date.You can listen to the full two-hour+ episode below or on all good podcast services.(PS: Reader/Listener, I bought Persona 5 Royal last night. God help me)With that, all that is left to be said is, as always, thanks for listening to My Favourite Game. See you later in the year.

The penultimate episode of Season 5 of My Favourite Game sees us delve back into Lucasarts for the second time this season and touch upon a classic of the point and click genre.Wan Hazmer, lead game designer of Final Fantasy 15 and co-founder and game director of No Straight Roads developer Metronomik, talks of Day of the Tentacle as his favourite game and dives into one of the genres that got him on the road to developing games.Amid discussions of Day of the Tentacle, we also discuss the difficulties in buying games Malaysia (both logistically and financially), a realisation from yours truly that honestly makes me more of an idiot than anything and one of Hazmer's other loves in games, rhythm games (particularly the likes of Harmonix, DDR and Tetsuya Mizuguchi).

This week’s My Favourite Game sees the end of our two-part Undertale arc.Tonight, freelance games producer Kitty Crawford talks of why Toby Fox’s game is very much meta in that it tries to kill you with kindness and why it’s a mantra she has carried throughout her life.She also delves into the nostalgia that Undertale invoked in her while growing up that she rediscovered while playing the game, its legacy and discuss Fox’s next game Deltarune.Oh, and because we’re unashamed nerds about it, we go hard on Oxenfree because Oxenfree is the best game (note: this was recorded before Oxenfree 2’s recent announcement).

When Innersloth community director Victoria Tran started discovering games, she did so while under a strict family that didn't see them in a positive light. And when she first started getting into the industry, it was after coming in from a sector that was as far from entertainment, let alone games, that you can get.It was while making this jump over and after finishing university that she was first introduced to a game while watching a Twitch streamer play that would subsequently become her favourite game.In the first of a two-part arc delving into it - the first time two different guests in the same season talk of the same game - Tran talks of Undertale as her favourite game, the subversion of Undertale within its story and gameplay, its music, bullet hell shooters, flash games and more.