Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast - Arcade Castle - Episode 16 - Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Double Feature!

Arcade Castle - Episode 16 - Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Double Feature!

10/31/18 • 75 min

In Episode 16, Arcade Castle takes a look at another giant in the Edutainment industry: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? A facts based learning game at heart, WitWiCS has players tracking V.I.L.E. henchmen across the planet and, later, both time and space, as they attempt to stop these henchmen from stealing iconic cultural icons, items, concepts, buildings, geographic locations, and more by gathering clues, answering questions, and following the trail of the V.I.L.E. henchmen until they are captured and placed behind bars. If you are a good enough A.C.M.E. Detective you may find yourself on the trail of Carmen Sandiego herself and finally answer, once and for all, just Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, issue a warrant for her arrest, and place her in jail and stop her crime syndicate for good.

Additionally, Arcade Castle takes a look at a series of bookends, or sorts, for the Edutaiment franchise, by looking at the earliest and the most recent entries in the Carmen Sandiego board game adaptations library by playing and examining the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Board Game from 1992 and the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Card Game from 2017. Can 25 years make a difference in game design and how a company adapts a video game icon to the tabletop?

In Episode 16, Arcade Castle sits down to discuss the Carmen Sandiego franchise, its time and place in Edutainment history, and their ow connections with it as they play these two games to see how you can adapt an Edutainment video game franchise into cardboard and dice and, if after 25 years, whether all our knowledge paid off in the form of a better game in 2017 than in 2018 or if, as they say, history repeats itself...

********************************** Webpage: www.arcadecastle.com Additionally, you can find us on Itunes (and a number of podcast services), Twitter, Facebook, BoardGameGeek, and Instagram! Check out our videos on Youtube! You can contact us at: [email protected] Also, if you like the new theme song, check out Tony Robot at: www.facebook.com/louisvilletonyrobot/ ***********************************

Episode Outline:

00:00 - 35:00 - Arcade Castle talks for length about the Carmen Sandiego franchise; from video games and a game show to the numerous board games and animated series, they discuss Carmen Sandiego's impact not only in the video game industry, but culture at large. Arcade Castle also discusses the fate of Carmen Sandiego since the turn of the new millennium and its status as of 2018.

35:00-50:00 - Arcade Castle sits down and plays the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Board Game from 1992 and looks at how University Games interpreted the Edutainment title, how to play it, what strategies you can bring to the table when playing it, and how well it captures the franchise.

50:00-75:00 - After a quick break, Arcade Castle plays the latest entry in the series via the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Card Game from 2017 by Pressman Games. By playing it and comparing it to the board game from 1992, it is Arcade Castle's hopes that they will see a difference in not only board game design, but how designers approach a video game franchise in 2017 and whether or not it is different than that of designers in the late 80s and early 90s.

Episode Outline:

Previous Episode

Arcade Castle - Episode 15 - The Oregon Trail Board Game - Journey to Willamette Valley

In Episode 15 of the podcast, The Arcade Castle finds itself, once again, on a journey through another oregon trail licensed board game by Pressman in the form of The Oregon Trail Board Game: Journey to Willamette Valley. Having played The Oregon Trail Card Game and The Oregon Trail Hunt For Food Card Game in prior years (and on Episode 04 and Episode 08, respectively), The Arcade Castle has mixed expectations when bringing this game to the table.

In The Oregon Trail Board Game, players are uncovering the trail from Independence, MO to Willamette Valley, OR. As they traverse the wilderness of 1800s America, players will find hunting grounds, ford rivers, locate forts and towns, and brave the elements as they attempt to successfully reach Oregon. However, the trail is full of hazards and, as supplies dwindle in their covered wagons, will they best the calamities that befall them, or end their trip in a shallow grave on the roadside?

As players play the Oregon Trail Game they will place trail tiles onto the board as they attempt to get to Willamette Valley, OR. As they proceed along the trail, they will need to hunt, trade, buy, sell, and more as they attempt to ensure their family has the supplies it needs to make the journey, but also survive the calamities they encounter upon it.

Will this latest entry in the Oregon Trail franchise deliver like a delicious pizza? Or end up being only peperony and chease?

Episode Outline:

00:00-20:00: Arcade Castle talks about the Oregon Trail franchise as developed by Pressman over the years and how that can inform the player on how this latest entry was developed and published.

20:00-40:00: Arcade Castle talks about the gameplay of the Oregon Trail, and its contents.

40:00-60:00: Arcade Castle takes an in-depth look at the strategies inherent to the Oregon Trail Board Game, what the players can bring to the table to have a better chance at winning the game.

60:00-72:00: Arcade Castle compares this third entry in the franchise to the first two to see how the success, or failure, of them defined how the third game was developed and how the strategies reflect that development.

Apollo Approved!

Next Episode

Arcade Castle - Episode 17 - Kirby Double Feature!

In Episode 17 of the Arcade Castle Podcast, Arcade Castle learned to be wary of having guests on the show when their star guest, Kirby, decides that John and Patrick are more suited for consumption than communication and, after surviving the expansive void that is the fluffy interior of Kirby, Arcade Castle finds itself stranded in Dream Land as Kirby collapses from the powers he absorbed from John and Patrick.

Stranded in the Whispy Woods, Arcade Castle decides the best way to pass the time while Kirby recovers is to play two Kirby themed card games by playing Kirby No Copitoru! (aka the Kirby Copy Abilities Battle! Card Game) from 2015 and the Kirby Sweets Party Board Game from 2017, both of which were published by Ensky in conjunction with HAL Laboratories and Nintendo.

In Kirby No Copitoru! Players start off as a basic Kirby character in this mini-deck building game. As players defeat enemies from the different colored suits (Green, Red, Blue, Yellow) shuffled together into the main enemy deck, players are able to obtain new Kirby abilities for their deck matching the suit(s) of the enemy(ies) they defeated. In subsequent rounds, players will be able to play these new cards to enact powerful abilities that will allow them to defeat some of the most powerful enemies in the game, including King Dedede. As players collect Kirby ability cards and defeat enemies, they will slowly collect victory points and, by the end of round 7, the player with the most victory points is the winner!

The second card game Arcade Castle played while waiting for Kirby to come out of his coma was the Kirby Sweets Party board game. In this game, players are collecting ingredients to complete sweets in preparation for the Sweets Party. However, if they don't complete their sweets or invite the wrong guests they may find victory hard to achieve!

In this unexpected 'On the Road' episode, Arcade Castle looks at the history and impact of the Kirby franchise from its inception to the most recent titles in the franchise on the Nintendo Switch. They talk about the evolution of the pink puffball as well as look at the wide variety of games Kirby has been in and how, appropriately enough, Kirby is able to absorb whatever game genre throws at him and use it to great success.

Episode Outline:

00:00-25:00 - Arcade Castle takes an in-depth look at Kirby the character, and Kirby the franchise as they take a look at the videogame franchse from past to present as well as look at the other cultural offerings Kirby has to offer. In addition, another segment of Once Upon a Powerup discusses how Kirby got his name.

25:00-50:00 - Arcade Castle looks at the first card game of the day by playing and discussing the Kirby No Copitoru! card game. Explaining the rules, its strengths, its weaknesses, and how to improve it (if possible).

50:00 - 75:00 - Arcade Castle turns its attentions to the second title played today: The Kirby Sweets Board Game. In addition to playing and critiquing the board game, Arcade Castle invites one of the members of Board Game Blitz onto the podcast to talk about their love for Kirby as well as their thoughts on the Kirby Sweets Party Board Game in a new segment called Fuzzy Memories. After giving their final recommendations, Arcade Castle attempts to find a way to leave the Whispy Woods and get back to Arcade Castle in time for Episode 18.