In this special bumper two-hour bastard of a podcast, I’m finally joined again by the brilliant Kate Gray, who returns due to popular demand. Engage ear canals: https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-046/tired-old-hack-podcast-046.mp3 In episode 46 Kate and I discuss the backlash to Pokémon Legends: Arceus’s graphics and generally chat about what it’s like when you review a triple-A game and are eventually subjected to a backlash. It’s basically a big moan to make us feel better. Don’t worry though, we also find time to make jokes about Shigeru Miyamoto smothering people in their sleep. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or by following this link if you have the appropriate app installed. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Now that normal service has resumed in yer man Scullion’s life, that means you can expect a regular helping of audio goodness in your ears again. And what do you know, here’s some now: https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-045/tired-old-hack-podcast-045.mp3 In episode 45 I’m joined by my wife Louise for the first time in around 3 years, to discuss how our three-year-old daughter is already better than her at Forza Horizon 5. We also discuss NFTs (ugh), console wars (ugh) and what we’re most looking forward to in 2022. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or by following this link if you have the appropriate app installed. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

The Tired Old Hack Podcast is back, and it may just be the most exciting one yet. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-044/tired-old-hack-podcast-044.mp3 I’m joined by none other than the legendary Dominik Diamond, the host of the greatest video game TV show ever made, GamesMaster. Dominik is involved in a massive new book called GamesMaster: An Oral History, which currently has an ongoing Kickstarter campaign. Brilliantly, it met its target in just one day, so if you pledge you will definitely get it. Dominik very kindly sat down with yer man for a full hour to talk not just about the book, but such other random topics as: • how many celebrities who were on GamesMaster have now died • the best thing about his hometown of Arbroath • his views on the current state of Celtic football club • his favourite province in Canada • finally, the five games that have meant the most to him in his life I’m so grateful to have had Dominik on the show – I’ve been a fan of his ever since a nine-year-old me first saw GamesMaster back in 1992, so I really hope you enjoy this episode. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Ha

The Tired Old Hack Podcast returns with a very special interview episode. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-043/tired-old-hack-podcast-043.mp3 I’m joined by Tommy Tallarico, long-time video game music composer and now the president of Intellivision Entertainment, as we chat about his upcoming console, the Amico. Because the interview took place over Zoom, I’ve also made this episode available as a video podcast. Here it is if you fancy watching us chat instead of just listening to it. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or by following this link if you have the appropriate app installed. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access

After much waiting and hype, we’ve finally got our first look at some next-gen game footage. Well, sort of. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-042_202005/tired-old-hack-podcast-042.mp3 Microsoft has just shown off what it called the first ‘gameplay’ for Xbox Series X, and while the majority of it of it doesn’t quite count as gameplay it still gave us an idea of what sort of graphical quality to expect. I’ve taken all 13 games and broken them down for you so you can find out more about them and hear what I have to think. This podcast has also been designed to be played alongside the actual video, if you want to see what I’m talking about too.  I’ll have a YouTube version up shortly but until then you can watch the official video here: pause it when the countdown ends and play it when I do my own countdown on the podcast. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or by following this link if you have the appropriate app installed. Or, if you’d rather use your own podca

I’m on the mend from an unknown illness that may or may not have been ‘that’ one, so let’s have a brief podcast to celebrate. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-041_202004/tired-old-hack-podcast-041.mp3 I’m not yet able to ramble on for an hour like I usually do without going out of breath and my throat getting really sore, so this one’s a little shorter than usual. Still, it doesn’t stop me discussing the latest news and answering some listeners’ questions. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Alternatively, the Tired Old Hack Podcast is now on Spotify! You can listen to it by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or by following this link if you have the appropriate app installed. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

The return of Tired Old Hack also means the return of the Tired Old Hack podcast! https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-040/tired-old-hack-podcast-040.mp3 After a little recap on what I’ve been up over the past six months of downtime, yer man takes a look at today’s claim that Nintendo is planning to port two more Wii U games over to the Switch in 2020. I then take on a bunch of listener questions, covering topics as diverse as the all-digital future of gaming, whether Nintendo will have a quiet first six months of 2020 and where the WWE 2K series can go now after its latest shambolic effort. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Another E3 has come and gone, but what did yer man Scullion think of it?  https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-039/tired-old-hack-podcast-039.mp3 Because I was covering this year’s E3 for VGC, I haven’t yet been able to give my own opinion on everything that went down this year. This, then, is your first chance to hear my verdicts on the presentations by Google, EA, Microsoft, Bethesda, Devolver, Ubisoft, Square Enix and Nintendo. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

My book is finally out in the wild, so it’s time to tell the story behind it. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-038/tired-old-hack-podcast-038.mp3 Podcast 38 covers the entire process behind the NES Encyclopedia, from the initial concept all the way up to the book’s release and what’s coming next. I also answer a heap of reader questions about the book: how hard it was to research, what order I wrote it in, whether I discovered any hidden gems or hated writing any of it, and plenty more. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Finally, after years of speculation, Google has thrown its hat into the gaming ring. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-037/tired-old-hack-podcast-037.mp3 Podcast 37 looks at today’s reveal of Stadia, Google’s upcoming streaming service. Does it sound like everything it’s cracked up to be, or are there still some concerns that have to be addressed before I can start getting excited? Well, you’ll obviously have to bloody listen to find out, innit. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Back by popular demand, yer man Scullion’s better half Louise returns to the Tired Old Hack podcast. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-036/tired-old-hack-podcast-036.mp3 Podcast 36 looks at the revelation that Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime will soon be retiring, before moving onto that hefty rumour doing the rounds that Microsoft is planning to bring its games to the Switch. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

After a lengthy delay, the Tired Old Hack podcast is finally back! https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-035/tired-old-hack-podcast-035.mp3 Podcast 35 looks at the recent Nintendo Direct presentation: yer man Scullion breaks down all 29 games that featured, including the surprise announcements of Super Mario Maker 2 and The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening among others. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

I’m currently recovering from a hedge-trimming accident in which I severed a tendon in my finger, but the old vocal cords are still working a treat. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-034/tired-old-hack-podcast-034.mp3 In podcast 34, I give my thoughts on the Wall Street Journal’s rumours that Nintendo is planning a new version of the Switch hardware. I then take a look at the Telltale Games closure, before covering some listeners’ questions, including which games are good to play one-handed and which dormant Nintendo series I’d like to see on the Switch. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Some very silly hings have been said in the world of video gaming this week, so let’s talk about just how silly they were. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-033/tired-old-hack-podcast-033.mp3 First up, I comment on a 2K exec’s claim that microtransactions are an “unfortunate reality of modern gaming”, as if they’re some sort of given that can’t be stopped. After that, it’s onto the Sony CEO’s latest bizarre reason for shunning cross-platform play for PS4-owning Fortnite players. Finally, I take on a bunch of listeners’ questions, including my top tips for which games to play when you’ve got a newborn baby like I currently do. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

This week, someone at IGN stole someone else’s review, and was fired for it. Fun fact: he also stole one of mine! Let’s podcast the piss out of it. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-032/tired-old-hack-podcast-032.mp3 First up, I take a look at yesterdays’ Smash Bros Ultimate Direct, and break down all the major announcements. After that, it’s onto a mini-rant about the (now former) IGN writer’s plagiarism scandal, as well as my own personal thoughts on him also stealing my own work. A warning in advance: this episode’s a bit swearer than usual, for obvious reasons. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Time for Nintendo to show us what’s in its locker. And this year, it’s Smash Bros. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-031/tired-old-hack-podcast-031.mp3 This is the fifth part in a series covering the major conferences at E3 2018, following EA, Microsoft, Ubisoft and Sony. As has been the case in previous years, Nintendo’s E3 presentation was a pre-recorded video lasting roughly half an hour. However, this time there was a far larger focus on a single game, in this case Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Keep your ears out for a final sixth podcast at the end of the week, recapping E3 in general. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as t

Sony’s just had its E3 conference, and it’s fair to say it was a bit of a divisive one. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-030/tired-old-hack-podcast-030.mp3 This is the fourth part in a five-part series covering the major conferences at E3 2018, following EA, Microsoft and Ubisoft. Sony’s conference consisted of two distinct halves, and it was the first that drew the most ire from fans. Was its odd structure enough to ruin the entire show though? Have a listen to hear my take on it. The final podcast will came later today, when Nintendo’s E3 showcase gets the same critical eye. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Day three of E3 is now among us, and Ubisoft’s just finished its conference, so let’s break that sucker down. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-029/tired-old-hack-podcast-029.mp3 This is the third part in a five-part series covering the major conferences at E3 2018, following EA and Microsoft. Ubisoft had an interesting conference, with a number of highs and lows. Did the former outweigh the latter though? Have a listen and find out. The next podcast will come later tonight, when I break down Sony’s conference. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

It’s day two of E3, and the first of the Big Three conferences has just ended. Time to talk Xbox. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-028/tired-old-hack-podcast-028.mp3 This is the second part in a five-part series covering the major conferences at E3 2018. Following last night’s EA conference, up next is Microsoft’s Xbox conference, which offered no fewer than 50 games. Did the content match the ambition? Have a listen and see what I thought. Come back tomorrow night for the next podcast, which will be looking at Ubisoft’s conference. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/

Crack open an Irn Bru and close the curtains, because every gamer’s favourite week of the year is back. Naturally, that means yer man Scullion’s E3 podcast series is back too. https://archive.org/download/tired-old-hack-podcast-027/tired-old-hack-podcast-027.mp3 This is the first part in a five-part series covering the major conferences at E3 2018. First up is EA with its usual EA Play event. As well as the likes of Battlefield V, FIFA 19 and Anthem, the publisher also threw up a couple fo surprises in the shape of Unravel Two, Sea Of Solitude and the return of Command & Conquer. Was it enough though? Yer man Scullion is joined by Louise to discuss. Come back tomorrow night for the next podcast, which will be looking at Microsoft’s Xbox conference. How to listen If you’re just listening while browsing, the podcast was at the top of this article. Click play and you’re off and running. If you’d rather have the MP3 as a downloadable file so you can stick it on your media player of choice, right-click and save this link. If you’ve got iTunes, you can find the podcast there by searching for ‘Tired Old Hack’ or just following this link. Please subscribe if you enjoy it, and write up a wee review. Or, if you’d rather use your own podcast app, use this feed URL to subscribe to the podcast and get access to new episodes as they’re added: https://tiredoldhackdotcom.wordpress.com/category/podcast/feed/