Old Gamer’s Almanac

Half-Life (1998)

We're knee deep in our 90's PC Game season: Now That's What I Call PC Games, but today also feels like a sort of conclusion of a trilogy. You can draw a direct line from Doom, through Quake, and end up at Half-Life and tell a complete story, and today we finish that story. Valve changed the way many people think about story in games and "immersion," but how does it feel to return to that sense of mind 25 years later? Also why aren't Valve games good on Valve's Steam Deck??
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Tchia (2023)

An episode we promised for this season was an undetermined "Indie Game of the Moment," which was our way of waiting around until one of those Indie Games shows up that no one can stop talking about. Tchia isn't really that game, but it IS the indie game Matt most wanted to play and talk about. So come learn about New Caledonia with us and just chill out for a while, mmkay?
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Roller Coaster Tycoon (1999) [/w EJ Sanders]

Hunter has the week off while we bring in EJ to talk about the family friendly murder simulator Roller Coaster Tycoon. This game has it all: Windows '95 window layouts, Excel spreadsheets, 2d graphics, and theme park patrons drowning to death! Is it the greatest simulation game ever made?
Why Roller Coaster Tycoon is a Game Development Masterpiece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESGHKtrlMzs
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Resident Evil 4: Remake (2023)[w/ Jenna Stoeber]

It's back to back remake weeks! Capcom blessed us with a remake of it's highly regarded classic Resident Evil 4, prompting many people to ask how can you make one of the best games of all time better? To answer this, we employed the help of resident expert in all evil media, Jenna Stoeber! Is Resident Evil 4 even horror? Is it funny on purpose? If you need these questions answered, we've got somethin' that might interest ya'!
For more of Jenna, visit her on
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@the_jenna
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/the_jenna
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thejenna
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejenna
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Final Fantasy 7: Remake (2020)

We've returned again to the fertile ground of Final Fantasy 7. In the past, we have covered the original with mixed feelings between our hosts, but today we offer a unite front. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a good video game, a cool idea, and an important thing. At least for now, until they make it's sequel and completely botch the whole idea...
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)
 

Descent (1995)

One of the challenges of this season is getting old PC games to run on modern hardware. It's interesting that as emulation has improved, it seems our ability to play some old PC games has fallen by the wayside. But today's game was a surprise. Not only does it run well on modern devices, but it is perhaps the best it has ever been on the most modern of devices, the Steam Deck. Let's talk about how this old game can possibly feel wholly new again!
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)

Grim Fandango (1998) [feat. Tim Schafer] [w/ Ezra Fox]

It's high time we returned to the wonderful world of LucasArts and classic PC adventure games. Grim Fandango marked both the ending of an era while also ushering in 3D graphics for the genre. But it's too hard for us to unpack the weight of this game without consulting some of the people who were there. First, friend of the show Ezra Fox is here to share his experience growing up with this game and spending a lot of time with his dad, David Fox, at LucasArts. And Ezra was kind enough to call in industry legend and Grim Fandango writer and director Tim Schafer to join us for a quick chat and a chance for the two of them to stroll down memory lane.
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. (https://www.patreon.com/oldgamersalmanac) Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord. (https://discord.gg/ASG2YpyfPx)
 

Another World (1991)

This is one of the earliest games we'll be exploring in our 90's PC season, and yet Another World is perhaps the most timeless and important game we have to discuss. It is a game that in many ways feels like a modern indie gem made by one person, but instead it's an early 90's indie gem made by one person. It is also one of the most commonly cited inspirations for game designers, and yet it's a game that is still criminally under-talked about. So here we are, doing are part to talk about this behemoth of video game history.
To see the most up to version of the list and this season's schedule, visit https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/194Zs7HY9o2y4dgOQLsQXT0Q0cBW_Q1WZzkwqG-ALqi0/edit?usp=sharing. THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO OLDER EPISODES.
Music by nightcorey. https://soundcloud.com/nightcorey
Consider contributing to our show on Patreon. Email us your thoughts on the ongoing list at oldgamersalmanac(at)gmail(dot)com. Or come talk to us on our Discord.