Homebrew Game Club
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 13 ratingsA podcast about new games for old consoles. We're three friends exploring brand-new, original, aftermarket games for retro systems, as well as the quirky communities that create them. Each month we pick a game to play and discuss our experiences with it, on consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, and more. Play along with us and discover these great new old games for yourself!
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Episodes
Episode 17: Full Quiet
February 29, 2024 12:00 - 2 hours - 121 MBSpecial guest host Chris (aka Deadeye) joins Conor and Nick for a deep dive into Retrotainment Games’ brilliant but baffling Full Quiet for NES. Conor reveals his new game design concept (the F.A.R.T.W.A.L.K.), Nick dusts off his memories of Russian literature, and Chris… probably isn’t used to this amount of profanity in a homebrew podcast. Still need to play Full Quiet? Find it on Steam, Nintendo e-Shop, or Xbox, or get the cartridge here. Our next Game Club picks will be Flea! and Tape...
HBGC Answers Your Questions!
February 22, 2024 17:37 - 1 hour - 83.9 MBIn this extra special bonus episode, Conor, Bart, and Nick scour the "Ask the Podcast" channel from the HBGC Discord server to catch up on unanswered questions over the last year. Questions like: How long should a homebrew game be? What's your favorite video game movie? Is Atari still Atari? And what's your desert island laundry detergent? The gang even employs artificial intelligence to answer the most pressing question of our day: What is the Frogger frog's job? Nick also offers his exten...
Courier for NES - Now on Kickstarter!
January 09, 2024 19:13 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBThe Game Club whets their appetites for cyberpunk cool with the demo for Courier, a hackeriffic new adventure for NES from Khan Games. Courier is available on Kickstarter until January 31, 2024. Grab your copy here.
Episode 16: Shmups!
December 25, 2023 14:33 - 1 hour - 108 MBThe gang takes on three very short but action-packed shoot 'em ups: Omega Blast for the Mega Drive, Dangan GB2 for the Game Boy Color, and Flight of Pigarus for the Master System. We also reveal the winners of our 2023 shoot 'em ups high score competition! Still need to play the games? All are available as free downloads here: Omega Blast Dangan GB2 Flight of Pigarus Our next game will be Full Quiet for the NES. Find it on Steam, Nintendo e-Shop, or Xbox, or get the cartridge here. We ...
Episode 15: Doodle World and Kubo 3
November 19, 2023 21:08 - 1 hour - 80.1 MBThe Game Club takes on Doodle World and Kubo 3, two NESmaker games created with contributions from children. But are we the right audience for this type of game? We invite some guest experts on the show to discuss. Still need to play the games? Find Doodle World here. And here’s the link to Kubo 3. Our next Game Club picks will be shoot ‘em ups Flight of Pigarus, Omega Blast, and Dangan GB2. Join the high score tournament on our Disc ord server to win one of two very cool prizes. Entries ...
Episode 14: Anguna
September 30, 2023 14:27 - 1 hour - 88.5 MBThe Game Club takes on three iterations of Nathan Tolbert's Zelda-inspired Anguna series on the Game Boy Advance, Atari 2600, and Nintendo Entertainment System. Conor attempts to define the "walkie-pokey" genre, Nick has a question about where those arrows are coming from, and Bart shares a wholesome story about George Clooney and a litter box. Still need to play Anguna? Find links to all versions here: https://www.bitethechili.com/ The next Game Club picks will be Doodle World and Kubo 3 ...
With Twitter's Decline, What's Next for Indie Game Developers?
August 27, 2023 16:09 - 1 hour - 76.5 MBTwitter, now rebranded "X," has been an important avenue for homebrewers and other indie game developers to connect with each other and promote their work. Tech industry veterans Conor and Nick discuss the decline of the app under Elon Musk, the rise of alternative platforms, and what it might all mean for the homebrew community. This is an update of a similar episode from December 2022. Find that one in our feed, or listen here. You can find links to ALL of our social media accounts (re...
HBGC Interview: Ben Jelter
July 09, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 95.9 MBGame Boy developer Ben Jelter joins the gang for a wide-ranging discussion on… Lots of things. Things like: Game design, GB Studio, his favorite homebrews, how to stay productive as a creative professional, hacker movies, the illusion of choice, Just World Theory, and what retro console he’s interested in developing for next (you won’t guess what it is). Oh, and we also talk about his excellent game The Machine, covered in depth on Episode 13 of our podcast. It’s a good time! Find all of Be...
Episode 13: The Machine
May 26, 2023 17:08 - 1 hour - 95.5 MBThe Game Club takes on The Machine, a dystopian sci-fi dark comedy for the Game Boy Color with surprising depth. Conor theorizes on how to keep hippies from turning into cannibals, Bart clarifies that we’re not watching a completely unrelated movie, and Nick embraces ethically compromised decision making. Still need to play the game? Get it here: https://incube8games.com/collections/the-machine Or check out a free demo here: https://www.themachinegame.com/ Our next game is Anguna for the ...
HBGC Interview: Kevin Hanley
May 14, 2023 23:21 - 1 hour - 78.8 MBKevin Hanley, creator of NEScape! and co-host of the Assembly Line podcast, joins the Game Club to talk about his history as a developer, what he’s working on next, and why he thinks we’re in a “golden age” for NES homebrew. Our NEScape! livestream from March 2022: https://youtu.be/xnHryQBMcyE Kevin Hanley's website, where you can download many of his games for free: https://www.khangames.com/ Get NEScape! here (not the $999.99 version): https://khangames.itch.io/nescape As always, find ...
Episode 12: The Cursed Knight
April 30, 2023 14:00 - 1 hour - 79.7 MBThe Game Club takes on The Cursed Knight, a well-made Mega Drive game that really wants to give you a wedgie and stuff you into a locker. Bart defends his Nintendo bias, Nick rages about passwords, and Conor tries to stay positive. Bonus topic: What's your favorite food item in a video game? Here's our full livestream playthrough of the game: https://youtu.be/H8eVlIJ7A1g Still need to play The Cursed Knight? Find it on Steam or get a physical copy here: https://www.brokestudio.fr/product/t...
HBGC Interview: Francesco Bacchelli (Studio Loading)
March 27, 2023 12:00 - 45 minutes - 42 MBNick talks to Francesco Bacchelli, the creative mind behind Game Boy developer Studio Loading. They discuss his inspirations, his approach to retro game development, and the positive aspects of working with a limited platform like the Game Boy. Hot on the heels of his first game Flying Arrows, Francesco is already moving forward with its sequel, Flying Arrows 2, and this time for a good cause: A portion of the funds raised for this game will go to help save Bologna Nerd, a retro gaming commu...
Episode 11: What Remains
March 10, 2023 15:14 - 1 hour - 61 MBGrab your tweeter and channel your inner pirate radio broadcaster as the gang covers What Remains, a walkie-talkie* adventure game for the NES. Conor digs the 1980s vibes, Bart gets duped by a false ending, and Nick brings back the beeps... or, at least, one big one. *Copyright 2023, Homebrew Game Club (yes we are owning this) Still need to play the game? Get it here: https://iodinedynamics.itch.io/whatremains Our next game will be The Cursed Knight for Mega Drive / Genesis. Get the Steam...
What Else We're Playing (2022 Recap)
March 01, 2023 20:08 - 2 hours - 122 MBConor seizes control of the host mic to send the Game Club on a long, rambling, lightly edited conversation about several titles we played in 2022 that deserve more attention. Old games, new games, indie games, mobile games, AAA games – everything is up for discussion. (We even throw some homebrew games in there.) Other topics include game preservation, preorders, a debate about Patreon, online gaming with kids, and... lots of other stuff we'd usually cut. Mentioned in this episode: Elden ...
Episode 10: L'Abbaye des Morts
January 23, 2023 14:31 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBBart, Conor, and Nick head to 13th Century France in this deceptively compact tribute to ZX Spectrum platformers. We check out the original PC game as well as ports to the Spectrum, Mega Drive, NES, and Commodore 64. Sorry, Amiga and Ouya fans -- we tried. Still need to play the game? Find the original (free) PC version and links to all ports here: https://locomalito.com/abbaye_des_morts.php Our next game is What Remains for the NES. Get it here: https://iodinedynamics.itch.io/whatremains ...
HBGC Extra: We Played 67 NES Demos and Now We Are Tired
December 26, 2022 22:03 - 1 hour - 96.7 MBIt’s a NES demo extravaganza as Nick, Conor, and Bart check out all sixty-seven 2022 NESDev and NESmaker Byte Off III competition entries. Assuming they were able to figure out the spreadsheet first. NESDev Competition results (with links to demos): https://itch.io/jam/nesdev-2022/results NESmaker Byte-Off III competition main page: https://www.thenew8bitheroes.com/byte-off-iii Byte-Off III game demos: https://theretroverse.com/special-events/byte-off-2022/ Music break #1: Stage 1 theme ...
HBGC Extra: A Rant About Twitter
December 16, 2022 16:50 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBDoes Elon Musk have entrepreneurial brain worms? Tech industry veterans Conor and Nick discuss.
Episode 9: Traumatarium and Phobos Dere
October 27, 2022 18:45 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBThe Game Club gets spooky with two GB Studio titles for Game Boy: bite-size dungeon-crawler Traumatarium and glitchtastic platformer Phobos Dere. Still need to play the games? Get Traumatarium here: https://horatiunyc.itch.io/traumatarium And here’s Phobos Dere: https://appsir.itch.io/phobos-dere-gb Our next Game Club pick is L’Abbaye des Morts for ZX Spectrum and other platforms. Find out more about the game here: https://locomalito.com/abbaye_des_morts.php Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike a...
We're Doing a Giveaway! (Two, Actually)
October 25, 2022 19:48 - 3 minutes - 3.45 MBHappy birthday to us!
Episode 8: Dungeons & DoomKnights
September 28, 2022 11:32 - 1 hour - 73.5 MBNick and Bart crush some undead 8-bit skulls in Dungeons & DoomKnights, a "Zeldavania" action adventure for the NES. There's also a conversation about barbecue on the menu, and Nick finally reveals the origins of his cryptic internet handle, Dvertov. Still need to play the game? Grab it here: https://www.heromart.com/collections/dungeons-doomknights-collection Our next games are Traumatarium and Phobos Dere.gb for Game Boy. Get 'em here: Traumatarium: https://horatiunyc.itch.io/traumatari...
HBGC Interview: Jordan “Raftronaut” Davis
September 15, 2022 22:42 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBNick and Bart talk with Jordan Davis about adapting his NES game Space Raft for an arcade setting, and what it’s like to get a homebrew game published on the Nintendo Switch. This interview was recorded live at the Midwest Gaming Classic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on May 1, 2022. Raftronaut on Twitter: https://twitter.com/0000jordan Get Space Raft for NES: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes Or play it for free in your browser here: http://nes.dustymedical.com Keep an eye out for tha...
Episode 7: Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure
August 26, 2022 13:39 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBBart, Conor, and Nick head to the tundra with Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure, a puzzle platformer for the NES. There’s also a lengthy debate about the ethics of using save states on emulated games, and an even longer, highly skippable (but hopefully entertaining) examination of the regional cuisine of Saint Louis, Missouri and its notoriously divisive pizza. Haven’t played the game yet? Get it here: https://www.spoonybard.ca/nes-games/alfonzos-arctic-adventure Our next game is Dungeons and Doo...
HBGC Extra: Ruby & Rusty Save the Crows
August 13, 2022 17:24 - 29 minutes - 26.7 MBConor and Nick discuss Ruby & Rusty Save the Crows, a charming platformer for the Game Boy Color that may or may not concern workplace discrimination and chronically traumatized birds (it doesn’t). Get the full game here: https://www.bitmapsoft.co.uk/product/ruby-rusty-save-the-crows/ Play the demo here: https://maxoakland.itch.io/ruby-rusty-save-the-crows Max Oakland on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WinkWinkerson The next game club pick is Alfonzo’s Arctic Adventure. Get it here: https:/...
Episode 6: Xeno Crisis
July 17, 2022 16:46 - 1 hour - 87 MBThe Homebrew Game Club takes on Xeno Crisis, a twin-stick shooter for the Sega Mega Drive. And loses, spectacularly. Get the game here, or on your platform of choice: https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/ The next game club pick is Alfonzo's Arctic Adventure for the NES. Get it here: https://www.spoonybard.ca/nes-games/alfonzos-arctic-adventure Music break: "Nest (Area 4)" by Savaged Regime. Free Xeno Crisis OST download available via Bitmap Bureau here: https://twitter.com/BitmapBureau/status/1...
HBGC Extra: Diamond Thieves
June 10, 2022 17:13 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBConor returns to the podcast as the gang takes a look at Diamond Thieves, a new game for the Mega Drive and Genesis. Developed by Mangangá Team, Diamond Thieves is available through a joint collaboration between Mega Cat Studios and Video Game Sage. View the Diamond Thieves Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sks9sfC5atQ Order your copy of the game here: https://megacatstudios.com/collections/16-bit/products/diamond-thieves Here's a deep dive on the game by Scrobins on VGS, ...
Episode 5: Space Raft
May 25, 2022 23:04 - 1 hour - 68.6 MBNick and Bart discuss Space Raft for NES and its remixed semi-sequel, Space Raft Arcade. Bart has no regrets about taking over the Discord with Atari 7800 talk, and Nick builds a badass flight simulator. Also: Hey, did those Beanie Baby collectors ever make money?? Still need to play Space Raft? Get it here: https://raftronaut.itch.io/space-raft-nes The next game club pick is Xeno Crisis for the Sega Mega Drive. Get it here, among other places: https://shop.bitmapbureau.com/ Music break: ...
Midwest Gaming Classic 2022 Recap
May 03, 2022 18:14 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBThe 2022 Midwest Gaming Classic is over, and Nick and Bart are tired. For more on the Midwest Gaming Classic: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/ Hair of the Dogcast: https://hairofthedogcast.libsyn.com/ Warren Davis' Q*Bert Book: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Bert-Other-Classic-Arcade/dp/1595801057 Premium Edition Games Series 4 Direct (NES homebrew 10-in-1 announcement): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlA6m5zEDmg Video Game Sage: https://www.videogamesage.com/forums/ Space Raft,...
Episode 4: NEScape!
April 01, 2022 00:57 - 1 hour - 58.8 MBThe Game Club talks NEScape!, an escape room game for the NES. Conor makes the point-and-click connection, Bart is happy he finally figured out Morse Code, and Nick's just glad to have had help on this one. View the HBGC full livestream playthrough on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/xnHryQBMcyE Still need to play NEScape? Get it here: https://khangames.itch.io/nescape Music break: "Final Escape (Scene 4)" by Travis Nelson: https://famitrackerbits.bandcamp.com/album/nescape-original-...
HBGC Interview: Matt Hughson
March 22, 2022 06:11 - 1 hour - 74.7 MBThe Game Club talks with Matt Hughson, developer of NES homebrew games Witch n' Wiz and From Below, as well as the upcoming From Below Pocket for Game Boy. While the discussion focuses on previous Game Club pick Witch n' Wiz, this is a great conversation for anyone interested in creating and marketing homebrew games, regardless of console. Matt Hughson's website: https://www.matthughson.com/ Matt Hughson's games: https://mhughson.itch.io/ Blog Post: How to Start Making NES Games: https://...
Episode 3: Witch n' Wiz
March 06, 2022 15:56 - 1 hour - 95.7 MBThe gang talks about Witch n' Wiz, a puzzle platformer for the NES. Nick tries in vain not to swear, Conor confesses to a terrible mistake, and Bart has a particular room in mind where he'd like to play this one. There's also a bit about Reddit movies. Finally, Nick has a cautionary tale about giving your childhood stuffed animals away to high school filmmakers. Still need to play Witch n' Wiz? Get the full game here: https://mhughson.itch.io/witch-n-wiz Or play it for free on Piepacker: ...
HBGC Extra: Retro-Inspired Indie Games
February 07, 2022 05:43 - 1 hour - 56 MBNick has a story about losing his car keys. It's long, sorry. Eventually, Nick and Conor talk about some of their favorite retro-inspired indie games. Let us know which ones we missed by yelling at us on social media or emailing [email protected]. Games mentioned in this episode: Streets of Rage 4 Fight'n Rage River City Girls Cave Story VVVVVV Super Hexagon Celeste Bionic Commando Rearmed Undertale GG Aleste 3 (Aleste Collection) Super Meat Boy Binding of Issac Shov...
Episode 2: Deadeus
January 21, 2022 02:37 - 1 hour - 93.7 MBThe Game Club takes on handheld homebrew horror with Deadeus for the Game Boy, a great Halloween title we're talking about in January for some reason. Warning: Spoilers abound. The guys wrap up with a discussion of their favorite non-homebrew games of 2021. Got a different take? Share your experience with us at homebrewgameclub (at) gmail.com. Play Deadeus here if you haven't already: https://izma.itch.io/deadeus Break music: Day 2 Overworld Theme by Stoo Busby: https://stoobusby.bandcamp....
HBGC Extra: The [Retracted] List of NES Homebrew Games
January 07, 2022 13:54 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBIn this totally bonus, eminently skippable episode, Nick and Conor address a couple of wild days in the NES homebrew scene. Do you devour internet drama like it's hot popcorn? This episode is for you. Seth Abramson's Top 100 NES Homebrews (archived version): https://archive.is/QCi8s Response to the list from Sole Goose (Beau Holland): https://www.solegooseproductions.com/?page_id=816
Episode 1: Lizard
December 03, 2021 20:44 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBThe Game Club kicks off with enigmatic platformer Lizard for the NES, and contentious takes abound. Conor is perplexed by the soundtrack, Bart is scared and confused, and Nick wonders if his favorite homebrew game is an existential crisis simulator in disguise. Got a different take? Share your experience with us at homebrewgameclub (at) gmail.com. The next game club pick is Deadeus for Game Boy. Check it out here: https://izma.itch.io/deadeus 2A03 Puritans on Bandcamp: https://bitpuritans....
HBGC Extra: Bart Elfrink on Drinksgiving
November 24, 2021 23:02 - 7 minutes - 6.61 MBTomorrow is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and the Game Club's own Bart Elfrink made a movie about it! Here's a short, totally-extra bonus segment featuring Bart and Nick talking about Drinksgiving, a film Bart co-directed back in 2016, now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+. IMDB page for Drinksgiving (with poster art): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4773854/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Drinksgiving on Prime Video: https://tinyurl.com/3rkjz3pv
Episode 0: Introductions
November 02, 2021 00:00 - 1 hour - 59 MBMeet your podcasters! The gang discusses what they mean by “homebrew games” and why they’re different from “hacks” before outlining plans for the podcast. Bart examines what he looks for in a game, Conor reminisces on video games in 1990s Ireland, and Nick reveals behind-the-scenes tales from a family-operated video rental chain. The conversation turns oddly philosophical before wrapping up with a reveal of the first Game Club pick. It's all downhill from here, folks. Get Lizard here: http:...
Trailer: Homebrew Game Club Podcast
October 26, 2021 17:00 - 47 seconds - 838 KBWelcome to the Homebrew Game Club podcast! Did you know that brand new, original games are still being made for retro video game consoles like the NES, Sega Genesis, Game Boy, Atari 2600 and more? Join us as we explore these games and the communities that make them. Find links to show notes, our Discord server, and other social media at https://linktr.ee/homebrewgameclub