Game/Life Balance U.S.

Is Super Metroid a perfect video game? Cody poses the question and Jon tries to come up with answers, as they review the classic Nintendo title on the SNES Classic — 24 years after it was first released. Show Notes: * Cody asks the hard question: is Super Metroid a perfect video game? * Jon reveals why he has SO MUCH HAIR on his head right now, and it’s actually a pretty good reason * Cody’s first impressions of Stellaris, which is a very confusing game * Jon gives an update on his quest to play through every Final Fantasy game this year, now that he’s on Final Fantasy V, which is definitely one of his favorite games in the series (if not favorite games in general) * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Can optional content determine the playability and fun factor of a video game? Cody discusses how this happened as he and Jon review Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island for the SNES Classic, arguably the best platformer ever made. Show Notes: * Cody explains that he has upgraded to “gigabyte internet” but has no idea what that actually means (and plugs the Portal WiFi Router, basically the best router in the history of the world ever) * Jon explains why he thinks Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island might be the best platformer of all time, and he and Cody discuss the importance of optional content in video games. How do you “handle” optional content? When is there too much, when is there not enough, and what happens when a game’s difficulty is more attuned to completionists than it is to casual players who simply want to beat a game? * To wrap up the episode, Cody talks about why he’s more or less done playing Dissidia Final Fantasy NT on his PlayStation 4, a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and published by Square Enix * Jon gives an update on his quest to play through every Final Fantasy game this year, having just completed FFII and FFIII for the first time * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon delve into the history of Nintendo’s unique collaboration with Square-Enix (Squaresoft, at the time) and review Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES Classic. Show Notes: * Cody and Jon discuss the incredibly unique circumstances of Nintendo and Squaresoft (known today as Square-Enix) working together to create a game that combines the best of many worlds * To wrap up the episode, Cody gives his first impressions of the recently released PlayStation 4 port of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, a fighting game with action role-playing elements developed by Koei Tecmo’s Team Ninja and published by Square Enix * Jon also discusses Star Wars: Imperial Assault, a strategy board game by Fantasy Flight Games with a companion app that brings a board game experience to life without the need for human players to be around * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon review the run and gun game Contra III: The Alien Wars on the SNES Classic. Show Notes: * Cody and Jon discuss whether the game is too difficult or they just don’t like playing games that hard! Plus: why is 2-player mode completely broken and literally unplayable? * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon review Super Castlevania IV, one of many remakes of the original Castlevania, on the SNES Classic. Plus: first impressions of the board game Sid Meier’s Civilization: A New Dawn! Show Notes: * Hear how Cody was gilded on Reddit with an unlikely comment related to Triple H’s entrance music. * Cody and Jon set the stage for their discussion by talking about their history with the Castlevania series, including Cody’s extremely old Let’s Play Castlevania: Symphony of the Night VHS Tape, which is now on YouTube. * Cody and Jon debate the merits and pitfalls of Super Castlevania IV: is the platforming any good? Is it too hard? Why is the music so terrible? And most importantly, does it hold up? * Super Castlevania IV trivia from SNES Classic: The Ultimate Guide To Castlevania IV by BlackNES Guy * First impressions of Fantasy Flight Games’ Civilization: A New Dawn strategy board game, from Cody’s first play session (highly recommended!) * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon review both Star Fox and Star Fox 2 on the SNES Classic, then discuss the history of the Star Fox franchise. Plus: trivia! Show Notes: * Somehow, both Cody and Jon got their hands on an SNES Classic Mini, and they’re going to review a game on every episode of the podcast for the next 20 episodes! * Hear about the history of the Star Fox franchise and whether Star Fox holds up as a good game more than 20 years after its initial release. * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jonathan Martin reviews the original Final Fantasy for the Nintendo Entertainment System as part of his ongoing RETROspective retro video game review series. Show Notes: * Share your thoughts about this review with Jonathan Martin on Twitter at @eatplaygame * Connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, our YouTube channel, and more! * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody and Jon return from a 6-month hiatus to talk weddings, classic Star Trek, the Extra Life video game marathon, Super Mario Odyssey, retro gaming, and their SNES Classic plans for the future of the podcast! Show Notes: * After a 6-month hiatus, Cody and Jon discuss what they’ve been up to and why they’ve resurrected their podcast * Cody raves about his new job with Curiosity.com, then rants about LinkedIn for being a really awful social media network * They recap Cody’s wedding at Promontory Point in Chicago, including the reception at the Congress Plaza Hotel, the most haunted hotel in the city * Google tells Cody how to convert Fahrenheit to centigrade, with hilarious results * Cody is watching the original Star Trek series with his wife, and it’s like a weird crazy blast from the past for him * Hear how Game/Life Balance and friends raised more than $600 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals during Extra Life 2017 – and feel free to donate here: https://www.extra-life.org/team/game-life-balance * Cody gives a mini-review of Super Mario Odyssey, then Jon gives a quick recap on the games he’s been playing, including his plan to beat every Final Fantasy game and whey he’s going to stick to retro gaming almost exclusively over the next year * Somehow, both Cody and Jon got their hands on an SNES Classic Mini, and they’re going to review a game on every episode of the podcast for the next 20 episodes! * To nominate an SNES Classic game for them to review on their next episode, email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com or tweet at Cody @ProducerCody and/or Jon @eatplaygame * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Cody gives one more quick update as the 2017 Game/Life Balance U.S. Podcast Hiatus continues. Show Notes: * You can find Cody’s new podcast, the Curiosity Podcast, on iTunes or Stitcher, or add the RSS feed to any podcast player. Please leave a review if you have a minute! * While you’re waiting for new episodes, check out our hilarious and still active sister show, Game/Life Balance Australia, on their official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Following a prolonged absence, Cody gives an update on the mostly-dormant state of Game/Life Balance U.S. Show Notes: * No show notes. I ain’t got time for that!

This week, Cody Gough of Game/Life Balance U.S. is joined by special guests Andrew “AC” Yoshimura of Game/Life Balance Australia and Chris Ferrell of the All Things Good and Nerdy and Official GonnaGeek.com Podcasts for a VERY SPECIAL REVIEW of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Nintendo Switch. Will you like this game even if you aren’t a long-time Zelda fan? And how does the Nintendo Switch hold up? Tune in to find out! Show Notes: * Nintendo Switch Review: * AC talks about why he bought a Nintendo Switch in Japan and not in Australia * Chris discusses screen protectors, Pro Controllers, and Joy-Con connectivity * Cody covers the portability factor, including what happens when you fight Ganon on a literal airplane * Breath of the Wild Review: * Learn how this Legend of Zelda game has a completely different structure than every other Zelda game since The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past * Everyone drops some knowledge about how the logic and physics of the open world in the game function exactly as they should, and why that makes the game so much fun * Cody does take one specific issue with the game: the voice acting. And he has a LOT to say about it * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com * All Things Good And Nerdy official web site: http://allthingsgoodandnerdy.podbean.com/

Cody reviews his experience playing The Legend of Zelda themed Real Escape Game “Defenders of the Triforce,” and Jon explains why his birthday meal at Trevail Kitchen was one of the most unique dining experiences he’s ever had. Plus: a SPECIAL SURPRISE ENDING! Show Notes: * Cody has accepted a new position as the director of the FBI, and is legally changing his name to “FBI Director James Codey” * Life Stuff * Cody went to The Legend of Zelda themed Real Escape Game “Defenders of the Triforce” in Chicago, and recounts his experience * Cody discusses Gen Con’s True Dungeon and a few “escape room” type games, describing the puzzles and play style they typically feature * Jon grills Cody about props, specific puzzles, “production value,” and other details of the escape game, including SPOILERS with puzzle solutions and an explanation of why the game was thematically extremely well-done as it relates to the lore of The Legend of Zelda games * Cody announces the next Real Escape Game, which he is insanely excited about * Jon went to a place called Trevail Kitchen in Robbinsdale, Minnesota, for his birthday, and it was one of the best dining experiences he’s ever had * The restaurant was a Kickstarter (!) and is like a weird hybrid food showmanship / surprise menu / crazy entrepreneurial chef incubator, and it was totally worth the crazy $150+ per person price, even though it completely confuses Cody * After attempting to explain the restaurant for several minutes, Jon finally compares it to Hideo Kojima’s relationship with the Metal Gear Solid series, which is literally the only way to make Cody understand what he’s talking about * With all this talk about food, Cody SEAMLESSLY TRANSITIONS into talking about the tasting he just attended for his wedding reception, and he and Jon swap wedding tasting and reception stories while continuing to tease a future story about weddings gone awry * For once, both Cody and Jon agree on something: not many people remember good food at weddings, but everyone remembers if food at a wedding is bad * SURPRISE WEDDING PARTY ENDING! Jon and Cody have a legitimate moment * Plus: “Twitter replies are the new YouTube comments” * Email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com and tell us what you thought of today’s podcast! * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon explains why he will never risk flying with a layover while in the company of a small child ever again, and Cody shares his weight loss success story and the secret to how he lost 18 pounds in 6 weeks. Show Notes: * Jon tells a tender heartwarming story about singing an Australian lullaby to his kid, because the only American lullaby he can think of is by Kid Rock * Cody and Jon haven’t recorded a new episode in quite some time, so prepare for a lot of excessive exposition! Fortunately, Jon plans on presenting this in essay form, and Cody loves conclusions * Life Stuff * Jon went to Florida and stayed at a house with a lanai screen enclosure in the back, which was fascinating to him because he didn’t know that was a thing * On the way back from Florida, Jon’s wife literally ran into DMX at the airport, and the ensuing story was completely ridiculous… not to mention the layover issues getting to New Jersey * A bunch of New Jersey bars don’t have actual human servers… so how do you figure out how much to tip? Or… do you tip? Jon speculates on how that even works * Jon explains why he will literally never accept a layover when flying with his kid ever again * Cody talks about how he lost 18 pounds in about 6 weeks by doing a lot of DDP Yoga and going on the Whole30 diet for a month * Jon tells a dumb story about how to grow almonds, which is probably made up and quite frankly just makes Cody angry * They get into a whole thing about boiling eggs… email unqualifiedpodcast@gmail.com with your egg boiling methods and recipes pls thx * Current News * A guy got to level 99 in Final Fantasy VII without cheating while still in the Midgar Reactor at the beginning of the game… and both Cody and Jon find that incredibly stupid and hate everything about it UNLESS HE WAS DOING KEGELS THE WHOLE TIME * EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: you can tweet clips of a fully transcribed episode of Game/Life Balance U.S. using the brand-new podcast platform Signl.fm: https://share.signl.fm/gamelife36 * Balancing Act * Cody has been playing the new Hearthstone expansion, Journey to Un’Goro, and it has not made the game any more fun than it used to be * Cody explains the new “quest” mechanic and explains that deck experimentation is literally the only good thing about the game right now * Jon hasn’t actually played the recent Steam release of Bayonetta, but he still has a lot to say about how awesome the game is; however, Jon has actually been playing Kingdom Rush * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

Jon gives a very thorough Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII review… 3 years after Cody reviewed the game on their old podcast, Unqualified Gamers. Hear how the game withstood the test of time, including Jon’s specific recommendations for the best way to enjoy playing it for the first time. Show Notes: * Cody reviewed Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII 3 years ago on his and Jon’s old podcast,  Unqualified Gamers * Here is Cody explaining the storyline to Lightning Returns to Jon, with hilarious results * Here is Cody fully reviewing the game, in addition to he and Jon using Google Hangouts for the first time ever (!) * BONUS VIDEO: Cody and Jon present a hilarious Lightning Returns UNBOXING VIDEO! * Jon covers the story and setting of the game, explaining why he thinks it’s actually really well done and probably the strongest thing about the game * Learn what the game does right and what it does wrong, especially when it comes to equipment and armor progression and when it comes to the “time limit” imposed throughout the whole game Jon is a married gamer with a 3-year-old, so he has a limited amount of time to play video games. He has been a fan of the Final Fantasy series since childhood and has played every “main entry” in the series, and his co-host Cody has similar feelings towards the series. Hear Jon’s review from the point of view of a guy who is careful with how he spends his free time! * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com

The collector’s edition of Final Fantasy XII has been announced, and the price is STEEP. Cody and Jon debate the value of special edition video games, then give an update on their recent game/life balance. Show Notes: * Current News * FINAL FANTASY® XII THE ZODIAC AGE COLLECTOR’S EDITION is for sale on the Square-Enix store, and… it costs $200, which Jon thinks is offensively overpriced * Jon takes a hard line against collector’s edition and special edition video games, insisting that they just aren’t worth the extra money to him, and Cody debates by helping him understand some of the appeal * Art books? Collectible figurines? Exclusive games/DLC? Hear how they stack up as add-ons, plus hear about the Gears of War 4: Collector’s Edition and learn why it costs $250 * Balancing Act * Cody has been playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on his new Nintendo Switch… but he ran into a little trouble actually getting his hands on a copy of the game, since he refused to get anything other than the coveted and ridiculously rare Master Edition of the game * Jon is replaying through Final Fantasy VII for the first time in a long time, so Cody grills him with the most important question that exists: does he plan on beating Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon? * Learn how to connect with us on the GonnaGeek Network, syndication on WGN Plus, our YouTube channel, and more! * Podcast theme song intro/outro credit: ‘Unity‘ by TheFatRat with permission * Game/Life Balance AUS official web site: http://www.gamelifebalanceaustralia.com