Built to Play 37: HomeBound from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.565509

We venture into the history of the beloved Super Nintendo role playing game, EarthBound and the whole Mother series in North America. 

As part of our localization month, we're going to ...

Built to Play 40: Why Bother? from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.553708

Built to Play is amping up the disappointment, as we take on failure. That's a failure to play and a failure to learn, starting with why play video games in the first place. 

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Built to Play 41: Ghost Sounds from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.548913

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Built to Play 45: Sleepy from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.536856

It's all news and reviews as we talk FFXV road trips, laughing about Windows 10, Smash Bros, and Persona 4 Ultimax

Built to Play 48: Best Friends from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.527572

We travel to Gamercamp to walk on walls, battle in tent warfare, and defuse bombs. 

The annual indie game festival Gamercamp came to Toronto back in October, and then after three days p...

Built to Play 51: Our Objective is to Win the War from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.518082

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Built to Play Special: Metal Gear Solid 2 from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.506418

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For those just joining us, this is Part 2 of a series about the history of Metal Gear Solid, from the MSX to the PS4. If you haven't listened to Listen

Bit of Play: Majora's Mask 3DS from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.498523

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Built to Play Special: Metal Gear Solid 3 - 4 from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.493666

We wrap up the main four Metal Gear Solid game with an in-depth look at 3 and 4

Built to Play 53: Jazz from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.488624

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Built to Play 55: Interface the Machine from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.477722

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Bit of Play: PAX EAST START from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.472739

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Bit of Play: PAX EAST OVER from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.468034

We wrap up our second day of PAX to chat about procedural generation and visual novels.

Built to Play 57: Soyuz Clear from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.459778

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Bit of Play: Cinema from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.434711

Dan and Arman look at Ninja Gaiden, Shenmue and Heavy Rain, and what they bring to cinematic gameplay

Built to Play 63: Change the Reel from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.421642

Cult cinema, changing aesthetics and the year of 1972 are all on the forefront of our minds in an episode all about film and aesthetics. 

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Built to Play 64: Fragments of Time from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.416147

Breaking down full motion video, non-existent game consoles, plus we follow a level design marriage and the end of a company.

Bit of Play: Full of Play from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.402783

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Built to Play 67: Around the World from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.388872

Built to Play looks at moving from one place to another and fail at Mario Maker

Built in Review 2: New Friends from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.378941

We talk about 30 years of Mario, an award ceremony, game literacy, and Fate Tectonics

Built to Play Awards 2015: The Curse Continues from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.373098

The curse continues with the ghost of Yamaguchi

Built to Play 70: Handmade from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.355064

We talk handcrafted games, program detectives and memories

Built to Play 71: Master of their Domain from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.348403

Robert Gagno, a pinball master, and escape room puzzle designers reveal what makes them tick

Boys Over Swords w/Nina Freeman from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.334458

We talk to Nina Freeman about growing up online, her game Cibele, and digital ephemera. Plus, we hear about a woman's experience in high school playing World of Warcraft.

Bits - No Man in Any Sky from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.329190

Daniel and Arman talk about why harassment and death threats are never the answer, the nature of game delays and why you should always listen to your Uncle Jackie.

The Boxer w/ Hungrybox + Crunch + Armada from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.317432

In 2015, a top Super Smash Bros Melee player was ready to give up his character to preserve his legacy. Instead he did something weirder

Worth the Ride w/ImTheBlueRanger, LuluSoccer, Nilo Studios from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.302829

George starts a game he hadn't heard of, and then falls down the rabbit hole.

BITS - We Played the Switch w/ Jonathan Ore from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.288429

Jonathan Ore from the CBC joins us again to talk about Nintendo news and the future of the industry

Bad Dreams from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.257756

By suing two media organizations, Quantic Dream has done something unprecedented. When it comes to their work environment though, it's distressingly average -- with sexual misconduct, shady cont...

Why E3 is a Mess from 2023-12-14T09:37:37.225666

Gaming's annual grand exhibition, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is only a few more days away. But why does it look like a shadow of its former self?

Brian Crecente at Variety Gam...

The Cloning Engine from 2019-08-23T15:29:10

** In June 2018, Ben Esposito was on his way to a game conference when he received a email that said his game had been stolen. **

The idea he had been working on for six years was already...

Spider-Crossover from 2019-07-26T18:48:10

It's summer crossover time! Here's a special episode with CJRU 1280 AM's comic book show Radio Free Krypton! Justin Chandler joins us as A...

The Future (2019) from 2019-07-18T23:26:21

E3 this year gave us a window into gaming's future. What's beyond it?

Phoenix Simms joins us for a conversation about game streaming, political discourse and the raddest ...

VGBR 2: Kingdom Hearts Edition from 2019-04-22T17:28:26

We're ranking every video game ever made, and we're clearing out as much of Kingdom Hearts as we can:

• The Uncle who Works for Nintendo - 2014 - Michael Lutz (Matt Ishii)
• Wo...
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Nostalgic Hearts from 2019-03-21T18:00:06

We've been fascinated by Kingdom Hearts since childhood. But is a series worth going back to? We investigate the value of a long derided series by talking to fans who grew up with the series, an...

2018 Yamauchi Awards from 2019-01-31T18:00

We continued to be haunted by a gamified spirit, as we recount the best and worst games of 2018.

Worst Game We Didn't Play

• Red Dead Redemption 2
• The...
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Video Game Battle Royale I from 2018-11-23T13:46

We have a new terrible idea: Rank every video game ever made.

We like video games. We like them a lot. So now, we decided to rank them all from best to worst. We're sta...

A Legacy of Harm from 2018-10-25T19:00

So everything is broken: What do we do to fix the world we love?

Dr. Kishonna Gray tells us how to identify the legacy of issue facing the gamin...

Crisis of Toxic Nerds - Comics from 2018-09-28T02:22

And heeeeere's part 2 of "Crisis of Toxic Nerds," a multi-part documentary investigating where the toxicity in geek culture comes from, and what we can do about it.

In this part...

Crisis of Toxic Nerds - Gamers from 2018-09-27T19:01

In partnership with Radio Free Krypton we're doing two (three) episodes on toxicity in nerdom. Our episode focuses on toxic masculinity in gaming specifically. We talk to talk to Laine Listen

E3 2018: We Nailed It? from 2018-06-21T18:00

Phoenix Sims of Third Person Space joins us to talk about spec work, women in games, and politics. Plus, everything we actually liked from this year's show.

Here's the games we might r...

Kingdoms Gone from 2018-04-23T18:00

This episode contains the following segments:

• Our understanding of history can change how we depict it, and who gets to play the hero. We look at Kingdom Come: Deliverance as a ca...
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Yamauchi Awards 2017 from 2017-12-31T23:40:53

A ghost returns and we look at the most important games of the year

Built in Review 2017: Make Bread, Pay Rent from 2017-12-31T23:11:56

We look back on a great year for video games in what happened to be a terrible year overall. Janine Hawkins, David Wolinsky, Yifat Shaik, Taylor Bai-Woo, Gabriel Zoltan-Johan, and Jonathan Ore join...

Perfect Lists w/Matthew Gault from 2017-12-22T00:54:40

Matthew Gault tells us about a time in his life where Fallout 3 became his second job. And we look at a very very long list.

Messy Spooks w/ Sophia Park from 2017-10-27T13:47:27

We talk about what to call imperfection and we play some co-operative storytelling karaoke.

Orange Sky from 2017-10-13T03:14:52

We look back at one of the most influential anthology of games - how its creating new ways to make money.

The Skin You Work In from 2017-09-29T04:09:05

Games writer Walt Williams likes to crunch, but the rest of the industry may not have a choice.

A Profound Waste of Time from 2017-04-13T22:12:01

We look at a Profound Waste of Time, a U.K. gaming magazine,

Yamauchi Awards 2016 from 2016-12-30T01:16:15

Built to Play gives our year end awards to the best games we did and did not play

Built in Review 2016: Grow Up from 2016-12-22T18:00

Built to Play brings together the Hand Eye Society, Gabby DaRienzo, David Wolinsky, Ried McCarter and Nadia Oxford to talk 2016

BITS - No Man's Switch from 2016-11-11T05:01:51

We talk about the ongoing contraversy around No Man's Sky and the Nintendo Switch

Built to Play: LIVE - Perfection from 2016-10-20T18:34:39

In support of CJRU's fund drive, we did a live episode of Built to Play!

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Built to Play Live? from 2016-10-17T02:51:59

Join us live on Oct 17 for our very first live version of Built to Play. We'll be starting at 1 p.m. ET on CJRU.ca or if you live in Toronto, 1280 AM.

Bits - Phoenix Wright, Right? from 2016-10-13T17:00

We recap the Phoenix Wright series so far

Bits - Gwent, Death Stranding and Change at E3 2016 from 2016-06-23T04:42:01

We talk about the Electronic Entertainment Expo floor and card games

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Greg Stolze Full Interview from 2016-06-16T23:35:20

We're busy with E3, so here's our full interview with Greg Stolze on Unknown Armies and its history.

BUILT TO PLAY IS A PRODUCT OF CJRU IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO. IT WAS PR...

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Blood will have Blood w/ Greg Stolze from 2016-05-24T22:34:59

Greg Stolze tells us about why Unknown Armies isn't afraid to make you weaker as you get stronger

Bits - End of the Wii U from 2016-05-17T17:55:51

We brought Jonathan Ore from the CBC to discuss the coming end of the Wii U

Bit to Play 21/03/16 from 2016-03-21T03:04:58

We talk about Leland Yee, and Rami Ismail talks airports

Built to Play 69: Legitimacy from 2016-03-14T06:50:48

A system with a design flaw, an industry that may be on drugs and a localization that took out some surprising creep

Built to Play 68: Map to the Future from 2016-02-17T02:10:48

We talk about Mini Metro, the future of virtual reality and narrative experiences for your eyeballs

Built in Review 1: Old Stories from 2015-12-31T15:00

Built to Play chats with Patrick O'Rouke and David Wolinsky about VR, the word Indie and the best games of 2015

Built to Play 66: Bad Luck from 2015-10-20T21:26:49

We explore a man's love affair with Galaga, a post-apocalyptic Kingdom Hearts future, and Monopolists discuss one of the most popular board games of all time.

Built to Play 65c/d: Sold Out from 2015-09-21T05:34:22

We visit a Malaysian theme park and discuss Internet Ethics

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Built to Play 65b: Sales Burn from 2015-08-25T04:15:04

We analyse worker's rights, being reassigned as a janitor, Amazon, kickstarter, and the world of Kingdom Hearts 3. Plus we replay an old interview in full. David Craddock tells us about the orig...

Built to Play 65a: Death of a Salesman from 2015-08-18T02:29:49

We do a belated farewell to Nintendo's long passed president and catch up with some WiiU and 3DS games

Built to Play 62: E3 GD-ROMs from 2015-06-22T17:01:49

It's out E3 special, as we recap our feelings on the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo. With special guest Patrick O'Rouke, we discuss virtual reality, Shenmue (again) and diverse protagonists....

Built to Play 61: Cyber Life from 2015-06-16T03:27:10

Graveyards, cyber brains, and beautiful flora make us think about the relationship between stories, cinema and the way we view games.

Built for E3 2015 from 2015-06-15T01:04:57

We go through what we know and what`s to come this E3, dialing through all the conferences

Built to Play 60: Wins and Losses from 2015-05-26T06:36:58

We're all about the things we lose and the things we win when we play games, including Kiva Bay on Papo and Yo, Tom 7 on how artificial intelligence can be a sore loser, and David Wolinsky on th...

Natalie Neill on the History of the Gothic from 2015-05-18T15:30:14

In this clip from Built to Play 58, Natalie Neill tells us about the history of the gothic fiction. We enjoyed the interview so much, we thought we'd give you the rest.

Built to Play 59: Film Grain from 2015-05-12T15:51:08

Daniel and Arman examine the relationship between the gun and the gunslinger in Westerado. We talk about Konami and the decaying world of Japanese games. We chat with Nick Montfort about his Tro...

Built to Play 58: Dead and Dinosaurs from 2015-04-28T04:15:19

Built to Play explores the legal realities of games preservation, the utter nonsense around Metal Gear Solid V and why we love to feel vulnerable.

Not to Play from 2015-04-21T03:42:16

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Bit of Play: Western Role Play from 2015-04-13T04:51:31

We examine the modern role playing game as they come out in Bloodborne and Pillars of Eternity and how the games compare

Built to Play 56: The Procedural from 2015-03-17T18:31:51

At PAX East we found expert space explorers, monster hunters, attack musicians, and mood setters.

Bit of Play: Space from 2015-02-23T00:01:47

We discuss a litany of space themed games, including Mass Effect, Eve Online, Asteroids, and FTL

Built to Play 54: The Beyond from 2015-02-16T16:15:17

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Built to Play 52: Winter Escape from 2015-01-19T02:44:57

Built to Play ventures into the harsh outside world to find games that take our mind off the cold. We manage with this with laser tag at Battlegrounds, an ancient English treasure hunt, and the ...

Built to Play Special: Metal Gear Solid from 2014-12-22T01:44:59

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Built to Play Besties Radio Contest Award Scholarship 2014 For Eternity from 2014-12-15T03:58:22

Our end of the year celebrations as we talk about games we didn't play and ones we played a little too much

Built to Play 51: Addendum from 2014-12-14T21:43:34

We talk about Mr. T, World of Warcraft, the Ninendo DS and Bob Tarantino tells us whether it's a good thing there aren't many Canadian copyright suits.

Built to Play 50: Learning from 2014-11-23T22:55:36

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Built to Play 49: Monsters from 2014-11-12T15:16:47

On a spectacularly late episode of Built to Play, we talk about the things that keep us up at night, like taxes, lies, and harassment.*

In out post-Halloween episode we decided to touch...

Built to Play 47: Poor Assumptions from 2014-10-28T19:03:57

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Built to Play 46: Very Real from 2014-10-13T01:57:50

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Built to Play 44: Harmonic Stuff from 2014-09-30T19:32:39

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Built to Play 43: Trapped in Space from 2014-09-23T14:29:24

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Built to Play 42: After School Special from 2014-09-15T01:21:57

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Built to Play 39b: USA USA USA from 2014-07-16T17:24:54

Our last episode had no news because this episode has all of the news. Join us as we talk about the fates, fortunes and foibles of the everyone from the province of Quebec to Nintendo's shareho...

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Built to Play 39a: Roger That from 2014-07-14T20:39:20

Built to Play sacrifices the news for another day! We're talking to our guests about Phoenix Wright, ZZT, and the future of E3.

If you played something Japanese in the 2000s, chances ar...

Built to Play 38: Delayed to 2015 from 2014-06-16T18:56:49

Built to Play visits E3 from our living room. We talk about Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, EA and Ubisoft. Plus we discuss our favourite games, like No Man's Sky, Valiant Hearts, Bloodborne, and The...

Built to Play 36: The Underdog from 2014-05-25T23:48:31

We visited Toryuken last week to chat with Justin Wong about the role of small fighting game tournaments. We finish off the Bit Bazaar with N++ and famed narcissist Jon Remedios. And our localiz...