So Many Bits

Back home now, Shelby Mongan joins me on this episode to get into the video game portions of my trip. What games did I play on the 25 hours of airline travel? What was Akihabara like? Did I pick up any interesting swag? That plus some tips for planning your own trip to Japan right here!

I was very privileged to take a one week vacation to Japan recently and am back to share some stories from my travels! This week in Part 1 I'll run down the various sights I saw, while next week we'll get into some travel tips and the games I played!

Bit Bash was bigger and better than ever this year, and Luis Badillo and I tell you about the event straight from MSI in Chicago! Many of these games can't be experienced anywhere else so listen here for our impressions!

The games we've been playing! Overwatch, Borderlands 2, Persona Q2, and more!

Dogs. Puppers. Bork Factories. Everyone* loves them, and their care is critical work often handled through shelters across the US and beyond. Little Rock Games is working on a game that goes into the challenges of such an operation right now, and Olivia Dunlap joins me this week to chat about To the Rescue! We also crown the greatest fictional dog of all time after rigorous scientific analysis. Plus, Chris Arneson helps me tackle a classic Simpsons episode during Screenwatching! Screenwatching: The Simpsons (1:10) Interview: Olivia Dunlap (27:12) Bill's Magic Minute (1:02:55) *Cats are not part of everyone

This week Shelby gave me my regular dose of Overwatch news plus we got in deep on a recent release! Games played: Borderlands 2 - Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary DLC, Overwatch, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Aarne Hunziker a.k.a. Meka Skull is my guest on this week's podcast! Aarne's upcoming game Cyber Shadow is inspired by his passion for 8-bit games, and we talk about the process from animation to zdifficulty! Shelby Mongan also stops by for the Screenwatching mouthful The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya episode The Day of Sagittarius! Screenwatching: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (5:25) Interview: Aarne Hunziker / Meka Skull (34:10) Bill's Magic Minute (49:22)

Cliff Murphy joins me once again to talk about a few games that have been taking up quite a bit of his time! Games played: Slay the Spire, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Starbound, Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Ratchet and Clank: Into the Nexus.

200! 200 episodes of So Many Bits, and to celebrate we have two returning guests. Harris Foster of Finji is back to the show to discuss the expanding landscape for indy games, what makes a game "Finji", and the subculture of the gamer performance arts! Meanwhile, my original co-host Cliff Murphy chats with me about the surreal horror of Black Mirror in Screenwatching. It's just like Super Mario Bros.! Screenwatching: Black Mirror (4:21) Interview: Harris Foster (38:50) Bill's Magic Minute (1:24:47)

Brandon Shockney returns on this week's episode to talk about the games we've been playing! Games played: Cuphead, Arms, Final Fantasy VII, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty.

Hype! How do you build it, where does it come from? This week we talk to Sandrine Bédard-Brisson, Community Manger over at Tribute Games about building an audience for your indy title, plus some chat on the Overwatch League! Meanwhile, Brandon Shockney tells us what happens when you do the time warp again.. no not that one... when we chat about Back to the Future Part II! Screenwatching: Back to the Future Part II (1:07) Interview: Sandrine Bédard-Brisson (19:45) Bill's Magic Minute (47:35)

Chris and Bill beat the heat and talk about some games! Games played: Firewach, Celeste, Sea of Thieves, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Shantae Half-Genie Hero: Ultimate Edition, Timespinner

The team at Umaiki Games are hard at work on their upcoming game Skellboy, but they threw me Bill a bone and sat down for a chat about their group's formation, Skellboy's origins, and as per usual, their Pokemon picks. Meanwhile, Chris Arneson rejoins the podcast to cover the film The 40 Year Old Virgin during Screenwatching! Screenwatching: The 40 Year Old Virgin (00:49) Interview: Chris + Sabbi (22:02) Bill's Magic Minute (42:33)

Di Billick and Bill catch up on their recent playtime! Games discussed: New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Lords of Thunder, Ninja Spirit, Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction

Oh what a beautiful morning! Maggie Herskowitz joins me in our little town of Anatevka to talk about writing on the game Monster Prom, the lovely fanbase that has sprouted around the game, and her upcoming project Witch of the Wilderness, a game that's sure to be Wicked! Meanwhile, Di Billick and Bill look at the sitcom classic(?) Friends for this week's Screenwatching! Screenwatching: Friends (1:09) Interview: Maggie Herskowitz (19:54) Bill's Magic Minute (53:45)

Di Billick and I talk about some of our favorite upcoming titles and news from E3 2019!

Luis is back again this week to check in games we've been playing! We cover Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, BattleTech, Elite: Dangerous, and Final Fantasy XIV.

Tom Sharpe of Gossamer Games is this week's guest on So Many Bits! His team's game Sole has progressed from classwork at Drexel University to a full-fledged release and he's here with the trials and tribulations! Plus, Luis Badillo tackles perhaps our most ambitious Screenwatching to date, the Second Life themed episode of CSI: NY! Screenwatching: CSI: NY (1:10) Interview: Tom Sharpe (37:55) Bill's Magic Minute (1:08:50)

Brandon returns this week to talk about Octopath Traveler, Pokemon Let's Go: Eevee, and Steven Universe: Tap Together, while Bill runs down a bunch of mobile games: Pixel Puzzle Collection, Photographs, Knights of the Card Table, and more!

Fellow Chicagoan William Chyr is on this week's So Many Bits to discuss his team's game Manifold Garden. We talk about solo development, streaming progress on Twitch, and the shared metamorphoses of our given names! Brandon Shockney also helps out Screenwatching Regular Show for the first time! Screenwatching: Regular Show (2:15) Interview: William Chyr (19:00) Bill's Magic Minute (43:05)