Happy Game Family Go! Podcast:

The Happy Game Family Go! Podcast is a show about video games, that happens to come from a family. We will represent our perception of the games we play, our experiences with them, and our opinions of them. Without the pressure of demystifying ESRB ratings or making content recommendations for all families, we hope to simply represent the various viewpoints our family members have on all the games they play. You'll find game reviews, gaming memories (especially from Dad), and unique viewpoints from the parents and the kids on electronic entertainment.

Podcast Episode #007

EPISODE #007 - The Resurrection - Jan 29, 2013

Two and a half years in the making, this podcast becomes a travelogue of our gaming, and our lives. Dad played the entire Mass Effect trilogy, Dead Space 1 and 2, lots of different Calls of Duty, and paid for a number of MMOs without playing them. Noah built his own gaming PC, and became a part of the PC master race. We cover E3 2011, and really do a poor job of remembering what happened in E3 2012. As a family we get to attend the WiiU Experience, and then find ourselves not experiencing an actual WiiU. Oh and Vita came out. And Mom played WOW--as did Noah--and Sabrina and Dad enjoyed Resident Evil 6, so forget the haters. Sporadic Game Family! (Noah made two songs for this episode using Garageband.)

Game Music Samples:
  1. "My Song 2", (Noah, Son of the HappyGameFamily);
  2. "My Song 5", (Noah, Son of the HappyGameFamily);
  3. "Longing for Home 2", Tomb Raider, Core/Eidos (Nathan McCree);
  4. "Main Theme", Pokemon Red/Blue, Game Freak/Nintendo (Junichi Masuda);
  5. "Smuggler Theme", Star Wars: The Old Republic, Bioware/EA (Mark Griskey, Gordy Haab, Lennie Moore and Wilbert Roget);
  6. "Invincible", World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard (Russell Brower, Jason Hayes, Neal Acree, Derek Duke);
  7. "Daytime Theme", Terraria, Re-Logic (Scott Lloyd Shelly);
  8. "Snow Overworld (Baby Yoshi Melody) ", New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo (Shiho Fujii, Mahito Yokota);
  9. "Main Theme", Black Ops 2, Treyarch/Activision (Trent Reznor);
  10. "Main Title Theme", World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Blizzard (Russell Brower, Neal Acree, S.Cardon, E.Guidotti, J.Soule);
  11. "Pharmacy Theme", Walking Dead, Telltale Games (Jared Emerson-Johnson);
  12. "BGM A", Shanghai, Activision/Atari (Alex Rudis, Bruce Coleman);
Podcast Episode #006

EPISODE #006 - Endless Summer - Aug 31, 2010

The longest production schedule ever produces a podcast that becomes a travelogue of Our Gamin' throughout the summer. Catching up with 360 greats he has missed, Dad tackles Gears of War 1 and 2, while Noah goes late-night nuts with Steam shooters like Team Fortress 2 and Garry's Mod. Sabrina enjoys the latest Sims 3 expansion pack, Ambitions. We give a few E3 impressions waaaaay after the fact, too. Unbound by a set topic, a casual family WOW Pow-wow wanders all over the realms of Azeroth. Finally, Mom and Dad ponder some real-life as Dad accepts a new job.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "High Score Track", California Games, Epyx/Atari (Robert Vieira, Alex Rudis);
  2. "Shadow Theme", Eternal Champions Challenge from the Dark Side, Sega (Tristan Des Pres);
  3. "Guile Stage Theme", Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Capcom (Yoo Shimomura, Isao Abe);
  4. "Zone Clear", Sonic CD, Sega (Spencer Nilsen);
  5. "BMX Track", California Games, Epyx/Atari (Robert Vieira, Alex Rudis);
  6. "Peace of Mind", Resident Evil, Capcom (Makoto Tomozawa);
  7. "Gelato Beach", Super Mario Sunshine, Nintendo (Koji Kondo, Shinobu Tanaka);
  8. "Click Clock Wood", Banjo Kazooie, Rare/Nintendo (Grant Kirkhope);
  9. "Friendship", Mortal Kombat 3, Midway (Dan Forden);
  10. "Maya Theme", Killer Instinct 2, Rare/Nintendo (Robin Beanland);
  11. "Tavern Theme", World of Warcraft, Blizzard (Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford);
  12. "Beach Theme", Pokemon Snap!, HAL Laboratory/Nintendo (Ikuko Mimori);
  13. "Sunny Flight", Spyro the Dragon, Insomniac (Stewart Copeland);
  14. "Title Track", California Games, Epyx/Atari (Robert Vieira, Alex Rudis);
Podcast Episode #005

EPISODE #005 - Backseat Gaming - Apr 18, 2010

This episode, succinct yet forever in the making, covers a whole lot of Our Gamin'! Dad and Son get to be current for once, describing their impressions of both Heavy Rain and God of War 3. Then Dad, Noah, Sabrina, and Hannah tackle the thorny topic of Backseat Gaming, having a spectator give you "help" on what to play and how to play it. Calvin joins in with the others for another hysterical attempt at a Kid's Bedtime segment on the topic. The Family Wow Pow-wow finds the Backseat Gaming in Azeroth, and some more Our Gamin' celebrates our newest family platform, the X-Box 360!

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Track 17", Pac-Man World, Namco (Tommy Tallarico);
  2. "Money", Moon 8, https://rainwarrior.thenoos.net (Pink Floyd / Brad Smith);
  3. "Track 17", MDK, Shiny/Playmates (Tommy Tallarico);
  4. "Track 11", Jurassic Park (Sega CD), Sega (David Javelosa, Barry Blum, Brian Coburn, Tom Miley, Spencer Nilsen);
  5. "Main Theme", Gates of Zendocon, Epyx/Atari (M. Peter Engelbrite);
  6. "Blanka Stage Theme", Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Capcom (Yoo Shimomura, Isao Abe);
  7. "Elwynn Forest", World of Warcraft, Blizzard (Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford);
  8. "Tidal Tempest: Bad Future", Sonic CD, Sega (Spencer Nilsen);
  9. "Track 17", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  10. "Compass Rose", Myst, Cyan Worlds/Broderbund (Robyn Miller);
  11. "Time", Moon 8, https://rainwarrior.thenoos.net (Pink Floyd / Brad Smith);
Podcast Episode #004

EPISODE #004 - Old Vs. New - Mar 9, 2010

Dad gives it the old college try, getting the kids to play some classic arcade and Atari games like Pinball, Tempest, Asteroids, and Outlaw. We then discuss the merits of buying games used versus buying them new, and dad teaches the kids about some of the tactics publishers are using to discourage the buying of used games. Then it's NEW Bedtime as the kids try the segment by themselves, with fun results. Mom and Dad talk about buying used during OLD Bedtime, and Dad runs through some news and thoughts about upcoming Old is New game projects like Goldeneye: Source and Microsoft Game Room.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Main Title", Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Nintendo (Yuichi Ozaki, Masami Yone);
  2. "Da Pipes", Super Mario Bros. OC Remix, Nintendo/www.ocremix.com (Franz Keller / Shigeru Miyamoto);
  3. "I've Got 5 Skateboards Right Here", Skate Or Die OC Remix, EA/www.ocremix.com (norg / Rob Hubbard);
  4. "Track 36", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  5. "Rave in the Mirror Maze", Pac-Man OC Remix, Namco/www.ocremix.com (Toshio Kai / Franz Keller);
  6. "Intermission 1", Ms. Pac-Man, Namco/Midway (Doug Macrae, Kevin Curran);
  7. "Game Start", Galaga, Namco (Nobuyuki Ohnogi);
  8. "Got the Humanoid", Berzerk, Stern (Alan McNiel);
  9. "Attract Mode", Dragon's Lair, Cinematronics (Chris Stone);
  10. "Jam Stompbox", Frogger OC Remix, Konami/www.ocremix.com (Scott);
  11. "Time to Run", Tomb Raider, Core/Eidos (Nathan McCree);
  12. "Living Forest", Mortal Kombat 2, Midway (Dan Forden);
Podcast Episode #003

EPISODE #003 - Scary Game Family - Feb 22, 2010

Our exploration of scary games starts with Noah and his friend Calvin taking on the Half-Life series. Then Hannah, Sabrina, and Noah dive into deep, spoiler-filled discussions of Silent Hill 2, SH: Shattered Memories, and SH: Homecoming. Everyone gets a chance to weigh on on other recent scary conquests like Juon for the Wii and House of the Dead: Overkill, too. The family WOW Pow-wow covers anything scary in the MMORPG, and Mom and Dad talk about when horror games are best introduced to kids at Bedtime. Finally, Dad gripes about the trials of being a survival horror fan in the HD generation.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "The Movie", Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, Capcom (Hijiri Anze, Sanae Kasahara, Takeshi Miura);
  2. "End of Small Sanctuary", Silent Hill 3, Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  3. "Adrenaline Horror", Half-Life, Valve (Kelly Bailey);
  4. "Vacant Flat", Resident Evil, Capcom (Makoto Tomozawa);
  5. "Mayheim I", Silent Hill 4: The Room, Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  6. "Endless Depths", Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Climax/Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  7. "Hungry Audience", Resident Evil: Gun Survivor, Capcom (Shiro Kohmoto);
  8. "Dance With Night Wind", Silent Hill 3, Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  9. "Lurking", World of Warcraft, Blizzard (Jason Hayes, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford);
  10. "Serenity", Resident Evil 4, Capcom (Misao Senbogi, Shusaku Uchiyama);
  11. "The Palace of the Insane", Resident Evil CODE: Veronica, Capcom (Hijiri Anze, Sanae Kasahara, Takeshi Miura);
  12. "The Last Escape", Resident Evil 3, Capcom (Masami Ueda, Saori Maeda);
Podcast Episode #002

EPISODE #002 - Cheating the Systems - Feb 6, 2010

We start with Our Gamin', covering a bit more of Super Mario Bros. Wii, Dad's play with Legendary, Tank Battles, and Magic Ball... wait, Magic Orbz! Noah discusses Spiderman 3, plus iPhone games Angry Birds, Nova, and others, and everyone weighs in on our newest horror-title favorite, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. Then a light discussion of cheating in games gets heavier as it turns to the topic of cheating at GETTING games, game piracy. The family WOW Pow-wow hits on hacking and other questionable stuff, and Mom and Dad dive into the moral concepts of stealing, and relating them to kids, at Bedtime.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Track 37", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  2. "Track 6", Bouncers, Dynamix/Sega (Christopher Stevens, Jan Paul Moorhead, Timothy Steven Clarke, Kenneth Rogers); "Track 20", Tomb Raider, Core/Eidos (Nathan McCree);
  3. "The Balcony", Mortal Kombat 3, Midway (Dan Forden);
  4. "Childish Thoughts", Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, Climax/Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  5. "Main Title: Legends of Azeroth", World of Warcraft, Blizzard (Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford);
  6. "Vertigo - Tomb Raider 2 Theme", Tomb Raider 2, Core/Eidos (Nathan McCree);
  7. "Track 22 ", Pac-Man World, Namco (Tommy Tallarico)
Podcast Episode #001

EPISODE #001 - Multiplay Family - Jan 23, 2010

Our multiplayer-themed episode starts out with Sabrina exploring her surivial-horror co-op experiences with her friend Hannah. We follow it up Noah and Dana running through their various multiplayer game memories and opinions, at which point Dad goes off on a rant about how hard it is managing a multi-user gamer household across a variety of platforms like Steam, the Wii, and the PS3. Monica and Noah continue to school dana in the ways of the World of Warcraft in the Family WOW Pow-wow, with a full survery of The MMO component of the MMORPG. Finally, Mom and Dad discuss their co-op past during Bedtime.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Menu Theme", New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo (Kenta Nagata, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu);
  2. "Track 19", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  3. "Main Theme", Obscure: The Aftermath, Hydravision/Playlogic/Ignition (Olivier Derivière);
  4. "Track 21", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  5. "Main Theme", New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo (Kenta Nagata, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu);
  6. "World 8 Theme", New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo (Kenta Nagata, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu);
  7. "Raven Theme", Eternal Champions Challenge from the Dark Side, Sega (Tristan Des Pres);
  8. "Stormwind", World of Warcraft, Blizzard (Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford);
  9. "Track 32", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  10. "Collision Chaos: Present", Sonic CD, Sega (Spencer Nilsen)
Podcast Episode #001b - Bonus Track

EPISODE #001b - Bonus Track - Jan 23, 2010

Listen in as Dad and Noah let you eavesdrop on one of their Super Mario Bros. Wii sessions, and Sabrina, Dad, and Hannah go about their business after Garageband apparently freezes.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Menu Theme", New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Nintendo (Kenta Nagata, Shiho Fujii, Ryo Nagamatsu);
  2. "Track 21", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani)
Podcast Episode #000

EPISODE #000 - The Prototype - Jan 15, 2010

In our first episode we rough out the format of the Podcast, with an introduction by Dana (Dad) and Noah (Son) about their earliest memories of gaming. Next, Sabrina (Daughter) discusses her most recent experiences with the Sims and Survival Horror Games such as Obscure, with Josh (Nephew) joining in on some Resident Evil fun. Then, Aunt Sarah and Josh talk about the rise of Farmville on Facebook, and Friends: the One With All the Trivia. Dana and Noah cover their recent play, including Noah's new iPod Touch adventures with Jelly Car and Paper Toss: World Tour, the father-son co-op fun of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and the fun of Left 4 Dead 2, which sadly is not co-op in the same room. The Family WOW Pow-wow debuts with Monica (Mom), as does Bedtime, when Dana and Monica discuss the reasoning behind their permissive attitude with game ratings.

Game Music Samples:
  1. "Palm Tree Panic: Present", Sonic CD, Sega (Spencer Nilsen);
  2. "Track 8", Bouncers, Dynamix/Sega (Christopher Stevens, Jan Paul Moorhead, Timothy Steven Clarke, Kenneth Rogers);
  3. "Life", Silent Hill, Konami (Akira Yamaoka);
  4. "Track 4", Battlecorps, Core Design (Martin Iveson);
  5. "Track 8", Panic!, Sega/Data East (Kei Tani);
  6. "Pac Man", Pac-Man, Namco (???-remake);
  7. "Hidden Stage 2", Eternal Champions Challenge from the Dark Side, Sega (Tristan Des Pres);
  8. "Stardust Speedway: Bad Future", Sonic CD, Sega (Spencer Nilsen);
  9. "Shogun", Shogun, Virgin/Mastertronic (Steve Lee/The Crowded Hour-remake);
  10. "Track 4", Bouncers, Dynamix/Sega (Christopher Stevens, Jan Paul Moorhead, Timothy Steven Clarke, Kenneth Rogers)