8-4 Play

What's this? An episode of 8-4 Play where the crew actually talks about what they do all day: game translatin'? Believe it, spoony bard! Localization legend Richard Honeywood, he of such Square Enix favorites as Xenogears, Chrono Cross, and Dragon Quest VIII, joins us to talk shop, 64DD development, and being best buds (well, buds) with Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata. And speaking of Nintendo -- did someone say Project Cafe? Tune in for idle speculation on the big N's rumored Wii successor system, along with thoughts on Capcom's Captivate games, Sonic Generations, and plenty more.

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_017_110422.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:27am EDT

In this very special episode of 8-4 Play, we recap our live-to-tape hosting of the Grasstream2 Japanese tsunami relief charity event, put on by the good people at famed developer Grasshopper Manufacture. You will (hopefully) laugh, you will (probably) cry, and in the end, you might just learn something -- about Pandora's Tower, Hip Tanaka, Yakuza of the End, and how you (yes, you!) can help Japan recover via gaming. Let's listening!

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_016_110408.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 6:54am EDT

A lot has happened in the four weeks since our last episode. The Game Developer's Conference came and went, Charlie Sheen jumped the tiger-shark (-blood...or whatever), Winter gave way to Spring, and the largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history rocked our tiny island home. But the show must go on, as they say, and so the 8-4 five are back in action with personal quake stories, first-month 3DS reflections, early thoughts on Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, the month in news, and more.

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_015_110325.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 5:05am EDT

The Nintendo 3DS is out in Japan, and the 8-4 crew is back from launch morning chaos with a pile of brand new 3DS gear and a bevy of special guests ready to give hands-on impressions, including Brad Douglas of Sony (shock!) and Che Chou of Microsoft (awe!). Tune in for first thoughts on the hardware, the games, the 3D camera, the AR cards, and much, much more.

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_014_110226.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:57am EDT

Pop quiz: What do Cave Story, Catherine, Dead Space, Dead Island, Hard Corps, Dark Souls, Butt-head, Tactics Ogre, Super Bowl Monday, Ys, the 1979 Iranian revolution, Dragon Quest, Haruki "Peppy" Epperson, Billy Mitchell, and Voltron have in common? Give up? ...Nothing! Except that they're all topics discussed during this super random episode of 8-4 Play. Enjoy!

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_013_110218.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:17am EDT

PSP2...NGP...whatever you want to call it, Sony's new handheld has the gaming world in a tizzy, and we've got just the thing to satisfy your next-generation portable cravings: two hours of hardcore, hands-on impressions fresh from Sony's PlayStation Meeting 2011 in Tokyo. Matt Leone of 1UP, Phil Kollar from Game Informer, and podcast phenom Shane "El Shaddai" Bettenhausen join the 8-4 crew for a heated rundown of the games, the hardware, predictions for the future, and much, much more.

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_012_110128.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:12am EDT

Live in Tokyo, do you? And you attended Nintendo's recent 3DS event? ...So you know everything there is to know about the upcoming glasses-free 3D handheld? Fine then, don't listen to this podcast. The rest of us will tune in to hear the 8-4 crew's full report on Nintendo World 2011, including first-hand impressions of playable games like Kid Icarus, Pilotwings, Resident Evil, etc. and thoughts on the launch lineup, bundled software, battery life, stage shows, ceiling Miyamoto, glory holes -- even the friggin' Virtual Boy fer cryin' out loud.

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_011_110113.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:29am EDT

After an extended holiday break filled with snow, sake, and SASUKE! (look it up), the 8-4-some is back and they got some 'splainin' to do! (:LAUGHTER:) Good thing former EGM and Turn 10 hipster Che "China Warrior" Chou joins in to talk iPhone game shame, his personal wall of give a s*** -- basically ANYTHING but his current workplace (Microsoft's 343 Industries) and their shadowy Halo project. Come for the New Year's cards, stay to hear what a former Forza guy thinks of Gran Turismo 5 (oh no he de-ent!). (:LAUGHTER:)

Direct download: 8-4PLAY_010_110106.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 4:51am EDT