Codex Rex

Codex Rex: The Video Game History Podcast is a podcast where two friends hang out and tell each other stories about video game history and culture.

Episode 35 – Chex Quest

Tyler tells the story of Chex Quest, a game created as a breakfast cereal promotion that spawned a cult following. We also briefly discuss the strange link between cereal and pseudoscience movements in the late 1800s in the United States. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14ueOvpdYHGPi5GutoJcrCe5DXBuw_IokqYEDVwa7LN0/ Sources for this episode are available at: […]

07-23
01:22:31

Episode 34 – Daikatana

This is the story of Daikatana, John Romero’s first game after leaving id Software, and what would become one of the largest commercial failures in the history of the gaming industry. This is the final episode of our six-part series about the developers at id Software. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1J3ITpqXEkGVX1PlTkK3ZSDVIXtdvBdGv-1TlXtSjCjg/ Sources […]

07-16
04:26:32

Episode 33 – Quake

We tell the story of Quake, the FPS that revolutionized online play, but had a troubled and turbulent development cycle. This is the fifth part in our continuing series about id Software. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LhM82lrs0AGfqC-wKjygbRt0BHF3HUDtcI19oLNggyE/ Sources for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kensnr9yXmavic2k_ckFAE2fQKP416tiAutp0H4Sx18/

07-09
02:59:02

Episode 32 – DOOM

Listen to the tale of DOOM, a demon-filled and gory shooter that fundamentally changed the course of gaming forever. This is the fourth part in our continuing series about id Software. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17q7ONAAR0GNGNIGUAY_GMvEvgQx5Tpuh9o_8ZfixXik/ Sources for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kensnr9yXmavic2k_ckFAE2fQKP416tiAutp0H4Sx18/

07-02
02:47:18

Episode 31: Wolfenstein 3D

In this episode we discuss Wolfenstein 3D, a fast-paced and bloody game that is sometimes called the “grandfather of 3D shooters.” This is the third part in our continuing series about id Software. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UlRGeIfJFMH2TqPrSIelTiWBqpqK9jc1LGS2gBsBvAY Sources for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kensnr9yXmavic2k_ckFAE2fQKP416tiAutp0H4Sx18/

06-25
02:11:40

Episode 30: Commander Keen

In our continuing series about id Software, we speak about the creation of Commander Keen, a side scrolling game about a boy genius that would form the foundation for id’s future projects. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dLI9Fk-2FuSVQf6eHlug-1sqGywr1-FiH1Dj4IJr7BA/ Sources for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kensnr9yXmavic2k_ckFAE2fQKP416tiAutp0H4Sx18/

06-18
02:17:38

Episode 29: id Software – Prologue

In the first episode of a new series, Tyler tells Dachz stories of the people who founded id Software, including tales of industry legends John Romero and John Carmack, and the circumstances that brought them together. Slides for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/112baWGctB-5XTmyIkHZBg74jMWJnOtkCJpyg1HTNxEo/ Sources for this episode are available at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Kensnr9yXmavic2k_ckFAE2fQKP416tiAutp0H4Sx18/

06-11
03:13:00

Episode 28: Katamari Damacy

Tyler tells Dachz the story of Keita Takahashi, and how he created the cult classic Katamari Damacy. Then, the two discuss Takahashi’s career and his unique style of creating games. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g38WaV45gYBmooXl_ViJ3nyRtmZZNCgHSDpN8PurKQI/edit?usp=sharing

02-05
02:33:51

Interview: Louis Castle

Dachz and Tyler interview Louis Castle about his role in co-founding Westwood Studios and his contributions to the Command & Conquer series of real-time strategy games.

01-28
01:33:58

Episode 27: The Founding Fathers of Wargaming

Dachz tells the stories of several people who helped to invent modern wargaming. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRrEh9XB1CyFc8HQ0LCXUVtLSm5np8S0tg9h2cHa3Ytd57od6QzatXMS7-xEbMZNh28E9GJF5KpM6an/pub

12-24
02:21:28

Episode 26: Pokémon

In the second part of this story, Tyler explains how Game Freak created Pokémon, and how the game series became a multi-billion dollar franchise. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1shJgb3WW5DkHkNG6bNbAO0WsEYcJU-JTaEDEOr3mm0A/

05-25
02:32:49

Episode 25: Game Freak

In part one if this story, Tyler tells the tale of Game Freak, a Japanese indie gaming company that would create a cultural phenomenon. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1shJgb3WW5DkHkNG6bNbAO0WsEYcJU-JTaEDEOr3mm0A/

05-17
01:50:50

Episode 24: Adventure and Easter Eggs

Tyler tells a story of how cave exploration, D&D, and the early internet, led to the first adventure games. Then, he discusses how the mistreatment of programmers at Atari led to the popular idea of hiding ‘easter eggs’ in video games. Sources for this episode can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AvbdikRVKNrfb49L8wAiySx71A3W30yG1cJS7F0Wz9M/

08-15
01:43:51

Episode 23: Tetris

Dachz tells the story of Tetris and the legal battles that ensued over the game’s publishing rights. Sources can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f2TM9rqJmEH7DnlI_Jf9SlP4seklSwMnYBKwIYcv5qk/

07-23
01:09:18

Episode 22: Nintendo 64

Tyler tells the story of the Nintendo 64, and how Nintendo tried to reclaim the 90s console market with innovation and brand power.Sources for this episode can be found here:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uANn126Osf3HlOpT1oDlCfX-ZJ8Z0dXj6–IWrliiiI/

06-24
02:25:38

Episode 21: Tamagotchi

Tyler tells a story about the Tamagotchi and the virtual pet craze of the late 1990s. Sources for this episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k-ORUKS02fnsUQa1JhbdhPhWzLLZ_qW6ChktmzJo43Y/edit?usp=sharing

04-05
01:41:46

Episode 20: PlayStation

Tyler discusses the history of the PlayStation and how Sony become a powerful force in the console market. Sources for the episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TTqnvwTaynMetg4kTqQtxlZaeYvI6MFuWFdLYWckXsQ/

12-30
01:38:31

Episode 19: Tennis for Two

Dachz tells a story about the life of physicist William Higinbotham and the creation of the first video game, Tennis for Two.

10-15
01:07:30

Episode 18: Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto

Dachz tells a story about DMA Design, and the events that led to them publishing two popular game series: Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Sources for the episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mAi7mtDnZGMGy2onXzOhh38NOHShC09uBTj5lp8qyo/

09-10
01:39:36

Episode 17: Sega Saturn

Tyler tells a story about the Sega Saturn and the events that led to Sega’s decline in the console market. Sources for the episode can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1voFekloooJbxgq3BBLFpxM7FQktu3LyIe9_9-qsF7BI/

08-10
01:40:21

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