Bullet Time

On this episode of Bullet Time, special guest Sam Webster returns to bond with James over James Bond with Eurocom’s 2012 shooter 007 Legends. A playable celebration of the super spy’s 50 years film history, retold in the style of a COD: Modern Warfare inspired FPS starring Daniel Craig. The two talk setpieces, awkward stealth, slippery ice and unfortunate casting choices.

On this episode of Coyote Time, Wyatt and James take a trip to Vibe Island with Tose’s 2005 game Super Princess Peach. This game marked the first star-turn from video games’ perennial damsel-in-distress ahead of her return to the spotlight in this year’s Princess Peach: Showtime! The pair discuss how this early experiment compares, changes made to the platforming formula for a less game-savvy audience, and the unknown developer behind this interesting entry to the Mario canon.

On this episode of Bullet Time, we venture into bio-mechanical nightmares with Ebb Software’s 2022 adventure game Scorn. Special guest Sputnik34 joins James and guest host Kevin from PixelLit to chop it up on HR Giger, awkward combat, and handsome squidwards.

Sputnik on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Sputnik34

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

On this brand new series Coyote Time, video maker Wyatt Joseph joins James on an exploration of the platformers that missed their marks. In this inaugural episode, the two join forces to tackle Traveller’s Tales 2004 game Crash Twinsanity. An ambitious rework of Naughty Dog’s famous franchise, how does the game hold-up in light of Crash’s recent reinventions?

On this episode of Bullet Time, we take a zero-tolerance approach to crime in Rocksteady Studios’ 2006 shooter Urban Chaos: Riot Response. Special guest Sam Webster and returning guest host Tehsnakerer join James to look at the oft-forgotten first game from the developers behind the Batman Arkham series. Is it good satire? Is it a good shooter? Was it the 15th best game published by Eidos that year? Listen to find out answers to all that and more!

On this episode of Bullet Time, Returning guest Mitch Cramer from YouTube channel HeavyEyed, and returning guest host Tehsnakerer join James to liberate mars in 2001’s Red Faction. The three talk about destructibility, the game’s rapid pace, and the state of written video game reviews at the turn of the millennium.

Mitch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/heavyeyed

Mitch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/heavyxeyed

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

In this special series finale, James and Tehsnakerer present their Free Radical Design Ltd power rankings. Once and for all, they’ll decide which game covered in the mini-series deserves to be remembered by future generations.

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

Our Free Radical Design mini-series comes to a close with 2016’s Homefront: The Revolution.  James and guest host TehSnakerer dissect this open-world reboot that passed from THQ to Crytek before landing in the hands of a now rebranded Dambuster Studio. The pair rank its place in the pantheon of Ubisoft collectathons, the state of AAA shooters, and answer what if any TimeSplitters DNA exists in the title (outside of its well-known easter egg).

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

Our Free Radical Design mini-series reaches its first major casualty with 2008’s Haze. Special guest AboveUp joins James and guest host TehSnakerer to dissect what went wrong with the supposed Halo Killer that ended up killing its developers. Listen to hear a mild-mannered podcast host get radicalised into a gamer, thanks to Haze’s tortured development, charmless gameplay asides, and a lost era of games development.

AboveUp on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Aboveup

AboveUp on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AboveUp

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/@Tehsnakerer

Our Free Radical Design mini-series reaches its titular game with 2005’s TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. Special guest Charlie from YouTube channel Purposeless Rabbitholes joins James and guest host TehSnakerer to go long on this end to the TS Trilogy. The three cover everything from their favourite MP characters, Future Perfect’s many mechanical flourishes, how EA mucked up Free Radical’s chances to go mainstream, and hopes for a potential fourth game in the series.

“We must ignore black face in order to get TimeSplitters 4” - TehSnakerer, 2023

Charlie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCK0_aNgcZI_PrJIUiqedHA

Charlie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PRabbitholes

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

Our Free Radical Design mini-series goes deep into a psychic conspiracy with 2004’s Second Sight. Special guest Minimme joins James and guest host TehSnakerer to chat about this title’s narrative ambitions, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy, and main character John Vattic’s sheer nerd power. A spoiler warning that the game’s very neat plot twist will be spoiled after the 1:15:00 mark.

Minimme on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/minimme

Minimme on Twitter: https://twitter.com/minimme

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

Our Free Radical Design mini-series continues with TimeSplitters’ immediate sequel, aptly titled TimeSplitters 2. Special guest MrHammers joins James and guest host TehSnakerer to discuss multiplayer map memories, who’d win in a hypothetical deathmatch, the games of 2002, and James makes a case for why this title should be the Tetris of FPS games.

Hammers on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MrHammers

Hammers on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrHammersYT

Chris Chapman (Retrohistories): https://www.youtube.com/@retrohistories

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

For this new mini-series, we take a look at the work of Nottingham based Free Radical Design Ltd. Formed by ex-Rare staffers responsible for the groundbreaking GoldenEye 007, we travel back in time to their very first solo release: 2000’s Timesplitters. James and guest host Tehsnakerer do their best to avoid comparing this game to its successor, debate its credentials as a boomer shooter, celebrate its flair of user-generated content, and talk about school trips of years gone by.

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

On this episode of Bullet Time, we go to war on vicious cultists with 1997’s Blood, the first (person) shooter from Monolith Productions. Special guest Chris Franklin from the YouTube channel Errant Signal joins James and guest host Kevin to dig into the game’s horror influences, Blood’s place in the shooter canon, its Nightdive remaster, and whether Blood is better than Duke Nukem 3D.

Chris on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ErrantSignal

Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Campster

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

On this episode of Bullet Time, special guest and horror expert* Pim from YouTube channel PimsCrypt joins James and guest host HeyItMeBen to venture into the horror of MercurySteam’s 2007 shooter Clive Barker’s Jericho. As the three explore the terrifying realm of the box, they discuss Miyamoto’s toilet design, the Xbox 360 era, and Ben grades James on his metacritic score retention.

*in relation to our two hosts.

Pim on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@pimscrypt/featured

Pim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PimsCrypt

HeyItMeBen: https://twitter.com/HeyItMeBen

On this episode of Bullet Time, special guest Mitch Cramer from YouTube channel HeavyEyed forms a new G-Unit with James and guest host TehSnakerer to discuss Swordfish Studio’s 2009 shooter 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Along the way, the three celebrate the game’s arcade sensibilities, NBA2K16 Livin' da Dream, and what prestige shooters could have benefited from Fiddy's inclusion. James also promotes the 2018 crime film Den of Thieves.

Mitch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/heavyeyed

Mitch on Twitter: https://twitter.com/heavyxeyed

WREPS2GOG: https://www.youtube.com/c/WREPS2GOG

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

In this special series finale, James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) present their Raven Software power rankings. Once and for all, they’ll decide which game covered in the mini-series really sums up what is So Raven.

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Our Raven Software mini-series comes to a close with their final original title: the time-bending FPS Singularity. Special guest Jesse Guarascia of the NoClip Podcast joins James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) to dissect the games overly ambitious origins, demand Phil Spencer bring back the prototyped Baby Gun, and feel a sense of ennui at the state of the video game charts in 2010.

NoClip Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSHBlPhuCd1sDOdNANCwjrA

Jesse on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Guarascia

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Get Psyched! Our Raven Software mini-series finally tackles one of the biggest names in video games: Wolfenstein! No, not Wolfenstein 3D, or Return to Castle Wolfenstein, or the games in the New Order series, but the now legally unavailable 2009’s Wolfenstein. Special guest Jacob Geller joins James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) to talk about this supernatural adventure game. The three fail the “Don’t talk about better Wolfenstein games challenge 2022” almost immediately.

Jacob on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JacobGeller

Jacob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yacobg42

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Our Raven Software mini-series trundles on as we hit their first big misfire: 2005’s Quake 4. James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) do their best to put a positive spin on a game that stars mash potato Billy Corgan in Chocolate Hell, and debate whether this fourth outing in the groundbreaking Quake series is actually a work of subversive genius (spoilers: not quite). Episode features a spirited discussion about the DOOM film starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Welcome to the party, pal! On this festive edition of Bullet Time, James and co-hosts Kevin (from PixelLit) and TehSnakerer take an extensive look at Bits Studio's 2002 licensed shooter Die Hard: Vendetta (featuring Reginald VelJohnson as Sgt. Al Powell). The three do their best Alan Rickman impressions, their worst Arnold Schwarzenegger impressions, and make a case for what Nintendophiles called the worst FPS on GameCube.

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

Our Raven Software mini-series returns to a galaxy far, far away with 2003’s Jedi Knight III: Jedi Academy. Special guest Aranock joins Jedi Padawan James and guest sith Kevin (from PixelLit) to crush on this successor to Jedi Outcast. We ask: did Jedi Academy lay the groundwork for Superhero Games? Did this game inspire the Call of Duty devs to make Titanfall? And what does Emperor Palpatine taste like?

Aranock on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz29LD_ExrtRS-Wj-dRL3iw

Aranock on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aranock1

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Our Raven Software mini-series goes into hyperdrive with 2002’s Dark Forces III: Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Special guest Willow from the Youtube channel Questing Refuge join James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) to talk about the greatness of its lightsabre, the not so greatness of its shooting and platforming, and bemoan not making any Outkast jokes the entire episode.

Willow on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/QuestingRefuge

Our Raven Software mini-series boldly goes where no podcast has gone before(?) with 2000’s Star Trek Voyager: Elite Forces. Evelynn from the Youtube channel IamError once again joins James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) to help them find a positive word to say about the game.

Collector John: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChmiUboO0fmvJZYhjmv2W2Q

IamError on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/iamerror

Our Raven Software mini-series heads into dangerous territory with 2000’s Soldier of Fortune. James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) take aim at the controversy surrounding this release, but mostly poke fun at the exploits of the game’s real-world mercenary John Mullins.

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

Our Raven Software mini-series continues with 1997’s sequel to Hexen, aptly titled Hexen II. James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) play Devil and Angel respectively to this ambitious but awkward follow-on, talk about how the box-art calls to mind a terrible promotional shot, the rockstar power of John Romero, and an American explains to a British person the award winning musical Hamilton.

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/

On this episode of Bullet Time, we’re out for frontier justice with LucasArts’ 1997 shooter Outlaws. James is joined by special guests ZacFraizer and ChariotRider to talk about this fond favourite of yesteryear. Thes cowboys also discuss orangutan proportions, remaking nuketown in other FPS games, and postcard 3D, whilst James officiates who'll be co-host for the episode.

ChariotRider on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRpDbrcXS-giiD0PkZLC5Kw

ChariotRider on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChariotRiderYT

ZacFrazier on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZacFrazier

ZacFrazier on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZC_FRZR

On this Halloween appropriate episode of Bullet Time, we exorcise N-Space and Nintendo’s 2005 shooter Geist. Special guest Razbuten joins James and guest host Ben to ask whether Nintendo will ever attempt a mature leaning FPS title again. The boys also learn how enormously popular Cricket videogames were in the month of August 2005.

Razbuten on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/razbuten

Razbuten on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theRazbuten

HeyItMeBen: https://twitter.com/HeyItMeBen

On this episode of Bullet Time, we take aim at Criterion Games’ 2006 shooter BLACK. Aptly named special guest Hamish Black from the YouTube channel Writing on Games joins James and guest host TehSnakerer to discuss the game that was to do for the FPS what Burnout did for Racing Games. Along the way, the three discuss Hideo Kojima's Breaking Bad, misfit soundtracks, copious debris, and Hamish’s new Gunpla.

Hamish on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/writingongames

Hamish on Twitter: https://twitter.com/writingongames

TehSnakerer: https://www.youtube.com/user/tehsnakerer

On this episode of Bullet Time, we open Pandora’s box to unleash SparkUnlimited’s 2008 shooter Legendary. Special guest Nevyn Holmes joins James and guest host Kevin (from PixelLit) to explain how the podcast was inspired by this middling release, turning cogs, the missed potential of this cool set up, and the joy of bad games.

Dinoberry Press: https://www.dinoberrypress.com/

Nevyn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ForkTwenty

PixelLit: https://www.pixellitpod.com/