Old Gamer’s Almanac
The definitive ranking of all every video game, every week at a time. If you work in the gaming industry, please stop making games while we catch up.
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Episodes
Tuesday May 09, 2023
Tuesday May 09, 2023
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)
Tuesday May 02, 2023
Tuesday May 02, 2023
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)
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
Tuesday Apr 25, 2023
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.
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
Tuesday Apr 18, 2023
It's time to hug your friends with your fists, swords, and guns. Hunter is taking another journey into the work of Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza), this time with OGA veteran Sun Sanders! This game is like a side quest inside the world of the side questiest games we know of. Does that mean it feels right at home, or is this a bit TOO far to the side?
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.
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Back into the 90s PC project and this week is our first dip into the RTS genre, that's the one we called the definitive PC gaming genre. We've had a number of strategy games we've wanted to play over the course of the show, and the first proper RTS on our list is Command & Conquer. In many ways, it was a major leap forward, but it is trapped in a genre that did a lot of evolving beyond it. Can we ever forgive it for being old?
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.
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
Tuesday Apr 04, 2023
It's our first Off-Topic episode of our 90s PC Game season, as well as our first game from the Every Wheel of this season. Whitebush has generously suggested to us Crystalis for the NES, and I think they're on to something! This is an action RPG that feels like Zelda meets Dragon Quest with a delightful little story and a wonderful use of color and art. It's such a good NES game, Matt even liked it!
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.
Tuesday Mar 28, 2023
Tuesday Mar 28, 2023
90's game #2 is another week spent in 1993 with the much slower paced puzzle classic, Myst. This is one of the most well-known PC games of all time as it managed to break into a mostly untapped demographic for the time. And how convenient is it that that demographic was OLDER PEOPLE. This is the Old Gamer's Almanac, so sounds like this one's for the home team.
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.
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
We finally get to kick off this new season in earnest and we decided to start with a behemoth. Doom is one of if not the most important first person shooter ever made and it's legacy covers both level design and perfectly optimized system design. It almost seems like an insult to try and cover it in just a little over an hour, but we'll do our best!
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.