Phobos Militia Hobbycast – Terrifier 1 and 2

Welcome to the Phobos Militia Hobbycast! In this inaugural episode, hosts Jeff and Andrea delve into the chilling world of horror movies with a focus on the slasher film Terrifier and its sequel Terrifier 2. With a blend of analysis and speculation, they dissect the films’ narratives, characters, and themes, offering intriguing theories and insights along the way. From discussing the evolution of the slasher genre to unraveling the mysteries behind the terrifying antagonists, Jeff and Andrea provide a captivating exploration of these bone-chilling movies that will leave listeners on the edge of their seats.

The original “13” episodes will be released as Phobos Militia Classics throughout the first Season, so stay tuned!

VGBS 141 – Tetris Plus + 2D vs 3D Retro Charm

In this episode of VGBS Gaming Podcast, Tristan and Jeff dive deep into the timeless classic Tetris Plus, exploring its enduring appeal and discussing what sets it apart in the realm of puzzle games. They engage in a thought-provoking conversation about the essence of retro charm, particularly contrasting the nostalgic allure of 2D games with the evolving landscape of 3D gaming experiences. Additionally, they ponder the idea of game re-releases, prompting listeners to reflect on which beloved titles they’d most like to see revitalized for modern platforms. This episode is a captivating blend of gaming nostalgia and insightful analysis, emblematic of the engaging discussions that define VGBS.

What I’ve been up to!

It’s been about 4 years since I’ve update the blog and transferred all my efforts over to the Hagen’s Alley Shopify store. While that will still be the store where all the books and projects will be for sale, I wanted to still use this as a place to keep track of everything I have going on as it’s been crazy!

Here is what I’ve had going on and what I have coming up:

Premium Edition Games – Preserving Physical Gaming!

In mid-2020 I created a licensed game publishing company! We focus on high quality physical releases with a heavy lean toward retro. Fast forward 4 years and we have over 15 physical Nintendo Switch, a half dozen NES aftermarket, three PS4 and a PS5 title released, with many more announced and on the way! While I am still a founding member, I have transferred the CEO responsibilities and remain on as the Chief Creative Officer of the company, supervising all the physical packaging design and creating hardcover strategy guides! I’ve going to document the history of Premium Edition as a book and use this blog to create a section to chronicle the releases.

VGBS Gaming Podcast – The Next Generation of Video Game Bullshit!

VGBS Gaming Podcast was always about Kyle and I reminiscing about the good ol’ days and going in depth on some of our favorite video games. In 2023 Kyle suddenly passed away, leaving me with a huge unfilled purpose in my life. We had not recorded since the Castlevania II: Reimagined episode and Kyle had talked about wanting to continue things. Putting the Switchmania/Premium Playcast on hold, I had a talk with fellow Author and Designer Tristan Ibarra and we decided to carry on the podcast in Kyle’s name, focusing on both old and new along with the stories and tall tales we experience as members of the Community. Please Join us and subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, and even our YouTube channel!

Hagen’s Alley Books – Tons of new Releases!

Finally, I’ve been releasing tons of new books throughout the years. From the Switch Collector Series that was just starting in 2020, finishing the Black Box Challenge novel, revamping the Complete NES, and helping other authors publish their books, like Tristan with the Video Game Collector’s Field Guides, I’ve been extremely busy and it’s been great! I’ll do a separate post with what books I’m working on soon and will be updating the sections of this website to include newer releases.

What’s Next!?

Blog Page Updates – There are a ton of sections on this blog website that have not been updated in many years. I’ll take some time and ensure that everything is documented as accurately as possible. I’m going to create sections for Premium Edition and Book Series, as well as update the VGBS and Playcast pages to include all released episodes. This will take some time, but will be fun to catalog everything that’s been going on.

Convention Tales – Over the past two years, my main job has kept me busy so I haven’t had much time to attend conventions. The idea when I travel as a guest to shows is that I want to start documenting my travels outside of talking about it on the podcast. The plan is for a combination of footage and a voice over and see how it turns out!

Written Blog Reviews and Articles – There is a book project I’ve been wanting to do and I’m going to use this blog as a way to capture my thoughts for the games I’ll be including. This will be over the course of a couple years while I work on other book projects, but will be fun to see things unfold…

Phobos Militia Hobbycast – Just like with VGBS, the Phobos Militia was for Kyle and I to talk unfiltered about anything and everything we enjoyed. It’ll be on the same feeds as VGBS and the first planned episode is for my wife Andrea and I to talk about the Terrifier movies. After that I have a game developer buddy who is into horror flicks almost as much as I am! Remember Hagen’s Horror Haven!?

Wife Sims Project – My wife is planning on creating some content with the Sims where it’s like a reality TV show where they are doing crazy stuff. I’ll post episodes once she started releasing them!

Continue Top Tens – I always liked doing the yearly Top Ten blog posts, but I also want to create some new ones for everything out there that I haven’t yet. There are tons of opportunities out there!

VGBS 140 – Super Mario World 2 Yoshi’s Island + Fallout

In this episode of the VGBS Gaming Podcast, hosts Tristan and Jeff delve into a nostalgic journey through Super Mario World 2, reminiscing about the classic gameplay, memorable levels, and timeless charm of this beloved title.

They also discuss the latest updates to the Analogue Pocket, exploring the features, improvements, and new FPGA additions of the Commodore 64 and Neo Geo Pocket, along with new arcade games.

But the conversation doesn’t stop there! Tristan and Jeff also dive into the Fallout TV show, sharing their thoughts on how they thought the show compared to the iconic video game franchise. Additionally, they explore the world of Fallout 4 with mods, discussing the endless possibilities, enhancements, and community creations that make this game a standout experience for fans.

We would love to hear your favorite moments from Super Mario World 2. This is VGBS!

Listen on Spotify and leave us a voice message!

Rolling Gunner & Xenoblade Chronicles First Thoughts | Switchmania Playcast Episode 52

This week we all try out the bullet hell shoot’em up Rolling Gunner. How did we all fare in this maniac-style spaceship shooter? We also talk about our first week with Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition. Plus we continue the Under a Dollar Challenge!

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night | Switchmania Playcast Episode 51

With a crazy intro this week, there is a ton of news to chat about this week! We go down the Igavania pathway and talk about the amazing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, but did JP actually play it? We also continue our $1 Challenge and we will see who wins! Does JP cheat again this week?

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon | Switchmania Playcast Episode 50

For our epic episode 50 we are covering the amazing Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon. Created by Inti Creates as part of the Igavania Kickstarter as a simple “bonus game”, the similarities to Castlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse, along with lots of other retro inspirations, go very deep. We also are doing our first $1 Challenge and we will see who wins and if JP messes it up!

Stone – Full Movies on the Switch? | Switchmania Playcast Episode 49

Stone is called a Hip-Hop Stoner Noir and rumor has it that you can watch full classic films on the game. With a huge download size, will this walking-simulator connect with everyone? We also go over what else we have been playing out of our backlogs plus the madness of all the new games available for preorder.

Lonely Mountains: Downhill – The Crash-a-sode! | Switchmania Playcast Episode 48

Lonely Mountains: Downhill is a physics-based BMX game where you ride and drift your way down vast mountain paths trying not to collide with everything along your way. But you know that we will crash, and crash some more! We also go over what else we have been playing out of our backlogs plus the madness of all the new games available for preorder.

Damaged in Transit – Can both of Sides of our Brain Work Together? | Switchmania Playcast Episode 47

The game of the week is Damaged in Transit, a indie puzzle game that has some unique aspects to it. How far did we all get? We also go over what else we have been playing out of our backlogs plus the madness of all the new games available for preorder!

Wunderling – An Epic Auto-Runner? | Switchmania Playcast Episode 46

The game of the week is Wunderling, a digital-only auto-running indie platforming game. What did we all think of it? We also go over the Switch Collector since the advanced copies arrived plus the madness of all the new games available for preorder!

Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection | Switchmania Playcast Episode 45

Switchopedia Saturdays are every week on Facebook at 9pm EST. Come play along with the Switchmania Playcast as they tackle this week’s game.

This week we go over the Capcom compilation Mega Man Zero / ZX Legacy Collection. Did JP play the game? Did Jeff get to ZX Advent? Will we ever get to talking about it? There is a ton to talk about this week!

Panzer Dragoon Remake & Bravely Default II Demo | Switchmania Playcast Episode 44

There is a remake of Panzer Dragoon originally released on the Sega Saturn. How does it look graphically and do the controls hold up? Barry also got Jeffrey and JP to try the Bravely Default II demo to try to get them interested in the series. Will it work?

Animal Crossing New Horizons | Switchmania Playcast Episode 43

Animal Crossing New Horizons has hit the world by storm and it’s time to talk about it here on the playcast. However, this time it’s our wives that will be talking about it as they have hundreds of hours combined playing this madness! Plus, will JP and Barry finally talk about Blood Breed or will JP continue to be stalked by this game?

Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe & the Nintendo Direct Mini | Switchmania Playcast Episode 42

Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe is a beat’em up with classic gaming roots, but with permadeath! How did everyone fare? Also, Nintendo dropped a Direct Mini this past week, which we talk about. Time to get Barry fired up!