Blowing Cartridges

Join the Blowing Cartridges Podcast for an episode featuring Brian Costelloe, aka Sincespacies, as he takes listeners on a nostalgic journey through the world of Sega gaming in Australia. From his time working at the iconic Sega Hotline to sharing anecdotes about classic Sega titles and hardware, Brian offers firsthand insights into the unique experiences and challenges faced by Australian gamers during the Sega era. This episode p...

In this episode of the Blowing Cartridges Podcast, we were thrilled to be joined by Nick Cellini, to talk all about his Australian indie studio Turtle Flip Studio and their upcoming game 'Which Way Up.' Join us as we discuss all things related to indie game development in Australia. Nick details his journey in the games industry, shares his design approach and philosophy as well as the challenges he has faced in the development jou...

In this episode of Blowing Cartridges, hosts Zach and Brendan, complete neophytes when it comes to all things cosplay, invite Ria and Mes, two experienced cosplayers, to explore the world of cosplay, which has increasingly become a vital part of not only gaming culture, but broader entertainment culture, establishing itself as the outward face of the majority of pop culture and gaming conventions.

The discussion spans various asp...

In our first recorded episode of 2024, we were excited to be joined by another first-time guest, Buddy Watson, a veteran of Australian video game podcasts, to discuss the year in gaming that was 2023. Addressing issues and topics such as record-level layoffs, film adaptations of video games, the increasing digitalisation of gaming media and our favourite games of the year, we finish with some wild predictions of what some of the hi...

This year we are mixing it up! We are back again for our annual VGM special, but this time with a twist. Zach has devised a new format where each of the three participants were tasked with drafted four composers in a snake draft, each assembling a dream team of composers. 

So sit back and listen as the trio discuss a wide range of composers from the last 30+ years of video game composition. Additionally, let us know who you think...

Joined by special guest Ben from Qualbert.com, this episode Zach and Brendan dive into a discussion regarding the past, present and future of the video game journalism landscape in Australia. How different is the media we consume (and how we consume) compared to when this trio were growing up in the late 90s/early 2000s? How do these experiences shape the media we consume and produce? 

Ben shares his insight and experience of bui...

First launching in mid-2020 during the height of the pandemic, Blowing Cartridges has hit its 50th episode! We would like to thank all our listeners for supporting our journey, tuning in to each episode and suggesting to your friends to listen to our podcast!

To celebrate, Brendan and Zach decided to invite friends of the show and semi-regular guests Drew from the House of Mario and Josh from Nintenvania to discuss their podcast ...

Game development in contemporary Australia is a vibrant and ever-growing industry, led by a strong and innovative indie developer scene. Yet the sector has a long and turbulent history of periodic rapid growth and subsequent decline.

Taking a step back to the mid-to-late 2000s, on this episode Andrew Hung joined Zach and Brendan to discuss his journey as a game developer that saw him credited on 8 games between 2005-2009. Working...

Roleplaying games (RPGs) have a rich history as a genre in video games, with some of the earliest and most influential video games being RPGs. Directly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons, games such as Ultima and Wizardry, to more modern games like Baldurs Gate 3, Skyrim, the Witcher Starfield and the ever-present World of Warcraft dominate much of the discourse surrounding video games. 

While previously, Zach and Brendan have disc...

Since its inception in 2013, Pax Australia has become an established pillar of the Australian video game landscape. Every year, tens of thousands flock to Melbourne to celebrate all things gaming and gaming culture, from the latest blockbuster video games, to the offerings of the ever-growing Australian Indie scene, to cosplay, industry and enthusiast panels, boardgames and more.

But what does PAX mean to us, and why do we contin...

In the late 2000s rhythm games were everywhere. Spurred on by the Guitar Hero & Rock Band craze it seems that nearly all games had a plastic instrument or two awkwardly propped up in their cupboards or surrounding their gaming setups.

While this craze is long dead, alongside Guitar Hero and a much-diminished Rock Band, rhythm games still exist in a variety of forms. In this genre-specific episode, Brendan and Zach are joined ...

Shigeru Miyamoto's favourite oddly shaped leaf creatures are once again back in Pikmin 4, release in July 2023. But what exactly is a 'Pikmin' and why has the franchise continued over the past two decades? What makes it a unique and compelling experience that attracts a small but seemingly growing fanbase?

As Brendan is a Pikmin neophyte, joining the regular crew this episode is Josh from Nintenvania, whose passion for Pikmin riv...

With the popularity of Baldur's Gate 3, the topic of 'save scumming', resetting a game to get an optimal outcome and whether its the 'right thing to do' has come to the forefront. 

Thus Zach and Brendan dive into an in-depth discussion about save scumming, describing the different dynamics and situations in which it appears in gaming, and whether they themselves are save scummers. 

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line...

Last month in July 2023, the Video Game History Foundation released a report that suggests 87% of games released pre-2010 in the US are unplayable. 

Thus, Brendan dons his history hat and alongside his Zach, dives into discussing whether this matters, what are the dynamics at play relating to making games available to play for future generations and ultimately what are the respective roles of industry and non-industry actors in t...

And we are back after an almost 6 month unplanned hiatus! Please let us know if we have been missed!

On this episode, Zach and Brendan join the discussion that was kicked off just prior to the release of Baldur's Gate 3 - is it 'fair' to judge other RPGs/CRPGs to Baldur's Gate 3 given the resources and status of Larian Studios, the developer and publisher of the game? Based on a series of tweets by indie dev Xalavier Nelson Jr th...

On this episode, Zach and Brendan are joined by friend of the show Drew Agnew from the House of Mario to discuss the year that was 2022. Tune in to hear the trio's experiences with gaming over the past year, their gaming highlights, why Vladimir Putin is a fan of Shantae and what they are looking forward to in 2023.

Have any comments? Feel free to drop us a line via twitter @blowcartpod or email at blowingcartridge@gmail.com

Br...

As has become a yearly tradition for Blowing Cartridges, special guest and friend of the show John Dewis once again joins Zach & Brendan to once again discuss video game music.

On this episode, the trio have drawn from the hallowed vaults of video game music their favourite battle music tracks from 2022 and beyond. So tune in to find out what they believe makes a good battle track, why all their picks aren't from turn based JRPGs...

11 Years ago, in March 2011 the Nintendo 3DS was launched. After selling over 75 million consoles, 11 years later the 3DS is no longer found in stores, and the console's online store, the Nintendo eShop will be taken offline on March 27, 2023.

On this episode, Brendan and Zach are joined by friend of the show Luke to discuss their respective thoughts and experiences with the 3DS. Topics discuss include Nintendo's announcement of ...

Remember fond memories of pushing your older brother off a couch as he was about to beat you for the fifteenth time on Rainbow Road on the N64? Recall forcing your friends to use the third-party controller of dubious quality when they came over to play games with you?

Joined by Josh from the Podcast Nintenvania, this episode revolves around co-operative gaming, specifically that of local, 'couch' multiplayer experiences that is a...