The Grid Snaps Podcast

In 2010, Monolith Soft reinvigorated the JRPG genre with Xenoblade Chronicles, an instant classic on the Nintendo Wii. In late 2017, the third game in the series was released (yes, the third, not the second, I know it is confusing…), Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Rob discusses the unique level and game design properties of the game, and why it stands out from other RPGs. Contact Rob at rthoward2@gmail.com, rohogames.com, rohoGames on twitter, rohoGames80 on instagram, and rohoGames on facebook. Contact Kip Carbone at nervouspixels@gmail.com, nervousPixels on twitter, and nervousPixels on artstation.com! Shout outs: Under The Card Board Box Podcast Game Dev Club Podcast  

Rob and Patrick discuss the unique Hyperdimension Neptunia series: its quirky history, colorful environments, and refined battle system. This is contrasted to other JRPG games. The environments and dungeons eschew realism for color and whimsy, and this is again contrasted with the current trend towards verisimillitude in game worlds. Also Rob and Patrick agree: the Playstation TV is a cool little console that you should grab while you can! Stay tuned for a bonus conversation about the cult classic movie The Room! Games Mentioned: Hyperdimension Neptunia (series)Final Fantasy VIFinal Fantasy XVEarthboundDragon’s DogmaLost Odyssey NOTE: Starting with this episode, we’re dropping the “mini” classification from the shows. The original idea was that mini podcasts would be short, 10-20 minute discussions, while the full episodes are over a half hour minimum. However, most episodes are hitting 30-50 minutes no matte [...]

The coin operated game industry remains a vital part of interactive entertainment, and ArcadeHeroes.com’s Adam Pratt is in the trenches, both as a blogger and as an owner operator, running the Game Grid Arcade in the Salt Lake City Utah area. Rob discusses various aspects of the arcade business, including topics such as: 1. Why does most arcade game designs limit themselves to light gun shooters and racing games? 2. Do arcade game designers shun skill in their designs, and if so, why? 3. What impact does the recent expansion of Round1 arcades from Japan have in the American arcade industry? 4. How are the “arcade indies” doing? 5. What cool stuff might be coming in 2018 for arcades? Rob Howard can be reached at rthoward2@gmail.com, @rohoGames on twitter, rohoGames80 on instagram, and rohoGames on facebook. His website is www.rohogames.com. [...]

Everyone knows about Battlefront, Knights of the Old Republic, and maybe classics like Dark Forces, but did you know LucasArts produced a first person shooter set in the Clone Wars that was ahead of its time? That game was the brilliant Star Wars Republic Commando, and Rob talks about its design! Find Rob at rthoward2@gmail.com, @rohoGames on twitter, rohoGames80 on instagram, and rohoGames on facebook. Kip Carbone can be found at nervouspixels@gmail.com, @nervousPixels on twitter, and nervouspixels on artstation.com.

With the release of The Last Jedi coming, we thought it would be cool to analyze the latest Star Wars Battlefront game! And yes, we do talk just a bit about microtransactions, but fortunately we also dig into the level design, especially of the game’s single player campaign. Contact Rob at rthoward2@gmail.com, rohogames.com, @rohoGames on twitter, rohoGames on facebook, and rohoGames80 on Instagram. Contact Kip at nervouspixels@gmail.com, @nervousPixels on twitter, and at nervous pixels on artstation.com.

The latest Death Stranding trailer dropped, and Rob and Kip have a conversation about Hideo Kojima’s ability to create mystery, his influences from John Carpenter, and his individual artistic vision.

Rob and Kip debut their new podcast with a discussion about Koei Tecmo’s Nioh, a Dark Souls style action RPG. The Grid Snaps Podcast is a deep dive into the craft of video game design and art, from the perspective of Senior World Designer Rob Howard, and Senior Environment Artist Kip Carbone.

Rob has a great discussion about Cuphead with Ken Hogan, Art Director for Nerd Kingdom. Rob is available at rthoward2@gmail.com, @rohoGames on twitter, rohoGames on facebook, and rohoGames80 on Instagram. Kip Carbone can be reached at nervouspixels@gmail.com, and nervouspixels on artstation.com. Ken Hogan can be found on artstation.com as inkmech.

Rob and Kip discuss their favorite 8 and 16 bit games. They focus on what makes these classic games tick from a design perspective. Contact Rob at: rthoward2@gmail.com rohogames.com @rohoGames on Twitter rohoGames on Facebook - Music notes about the episode are exclusive to Facebook! rohoGames80 on instagram

In this mini episode, Rob discusses Mario Odyssey, focusing on the unique aspects of its level design. Contact Rob at: rthoward2@gmail.com rohogames.com @rohoGames on Twitter rohoGames on Facebook rohoGames80 on instagram. Contact Kip Carbone at: nervouspixels@gmail.com nervouspixels on Artstation.com @nervousPixels on Twitter.

In this episode, Rob and Kip discuss the amazing Uncharted series, and specifically Uncharted 4. Rob discusses how Naughty Dog’s designers play with player expectation with the layouts in the game, while Kip mentions the incredible amount of work and detail that goes into making game environments of this scope. The guys also talk about single player gaming in general, while getting a little help from their friend Siri! Contact Rob at rthoward2@gmail.com, and visit his website at www.rohogames.com. He’s also on twitter as @rohoGames, instagram as rohoGames80, and facebook as rohoGames. Find Kip at nervouspixels@gmail.com, @nervousPixels on twitter and nervous pixels on artstation!

Welcome to the Grid Snaps Podcast Mini edition, featuring shorter conversations than our regular series. These episodes allow us to create quick episodes to cover topical game releases as they happen. They also let us have some fun with topics that might be tangential to the normal show. In this mini podcast, Rob chats with Patrick, who he calls (jokingly!) “Mr. Musou,” for his deep knowledge of the genre. Rob and Patrick talk about the recently released Fire Emblem Warriors and Musou games in general.