Season 1 Episode 16A - 2020 Game of the Year Discussion

Season 1 Episode 16A - 2020 Game of the Year Discussion

Author: Franchise Festival December 15, 2020 Duration: 1:28:57
Christian, Hamilton, Jasmine, and Spencer discuss the three best games they played in 2020 before looking ahead to 2021 and what it might bring. Be aware that this conversation has more adult language than typical episodes, so it may not be suitable for all ages. In the order they appear, song samples include: “Theme of Adol” – Ys I & II“Wretched Shades” – Hades“Blessings (Bamboo)” – Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin“Hummingberg” – Spiritfarer“Picnic Road” – Paper Mario: The Origami King Tell us about your favorite games of 2020 by following/tagging @franchise_fest on Twitter or by writing us directly at franchisefestival@gmail.com.

Franchise Festival digs into the stories behind the video game series that shaped a medium. Each season is a deep, chronological exploration of a single franchise, tracing its creative and technical evolution from often-humble 1980s origins through to its latest installments. You’ll hear about the design breakthroughs, the business decisions that changed course, and the cultural moments that turned pixels into lasting legends. This isn’t just a review show; it’s about understanding how these interconnected worlds were built, year by year and sometimes crisis by crisis. The podcast favors depth over breadth, spending multiple episodes to fully unpack the development history of noteworthy series like Castlevania, SimCity, or Mega Man. The narrative focuses on the people and processes behind the games-the how and why, not just the what. It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered about the connective tissue between their favorite sequels or the forgotten prototypes that paved the way. Tune in for a thoughtfully researched and structured audio documentary experience, one franchise at a time.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 86

Franchise Festival
Podcast Episodes
Season 4 Episode 5 - Mega Man 8 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:17
Hamilton and Chris go in-depth with Capcom's first 32-bit Mega Man game: Mega Man 8! Along the way, your hosts give a primer on the series' extended sidekick roster, offer their thoughts on the (in)famous auto-scroll sta…
Season 4 Episode 4 - Mega Man X [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:04
Chris and Hamilton are joined by special guest Nadia Oxford, author of the Maverick Hunter's Field Guide, to talk about Mega Man X (1993). Along the way, they learn about Capcom's difficulty growing Mega Man past its 8-b…
Season 4 Episode 3 - Mega Man 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:27
Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer talk about the first Mega Man game developed after the departure of creator Akira Kitamura: Mega Man 3! Along the way, your hosts discuss yet another troubled development period, a bewilderin…
Season 4 Episode 2 - Mega Man 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:53
Chris, Hamilton, Spencer and special guest Eddie V (@thatretrocode) discuss the development, gameplay, and stage design of Capcom's Mega Man 2. Don't miss Eddie's work over on The Boss Rush Network!
Season 4 Episode 1 - Mega Man 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:18
Chris, Hamilton, and Spencer embark on a new season covering Capcom's 11 classic Mega Man side-scrollers. Unfortunately, in order to appreciate the heights which the series would later reach, this requires taking a criti…
Season 3 Bonus Episode - Resident Evil: Death Island [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:24
Hosts Chris, Spencer, and Hamilton got into the eggnog and decided to cover the Resident Evil: Death Island CG movie as a Christmas bonus show. It may not have been a great film, but we all had a great time talking about…
Announcement - December 2023 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55
Hello listeners, this is your Franchise Festival host Chris. We just wanted to provide a few quick announcements: (1) There is no new episode on the public feed this month, as we’re taking a short break between seasons t…
Season 3 Episode 10 - Supergiant & Sonic Wrap-Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:24
Hamilton, Spencer, and Chris offer their final thoughts on the topics covered in Season 3. Along the way, they recount their favorite and least favorite games in these franchises, whether there are any similarities betwe…
Season 3 Episode 9 - Sonic Frontiers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:29
Hamilton and Chris explore Sonic the Hedgehog's first "open zone" adventure, Sonic Frontiers (2022). Along the way, they discuss the game's development, its peculiar minigames, and how well it succeeds at shifting the fr…
Season 3 Episode 8 - Hades [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:52
Spencer and Chris get downright crunchy with Supergiant's Hades (2020), working through the finer details of how its gameplay systems interact with one another to produce one of the best roguelikes of the last decade. Al…