Episode 141 - Distended and Flabby - Space Station Silicon Valley

That’s a hit podcast for groovy cats. You just don’t dig it.
Welcome back to the podcast and to the final month of the year!
Today, we’re going to be talking about Space Station Silicon
Valley, a fairly strange puzzle platforming game from 1998 from a
developer that would go on to become Rockstar North. When I say
“fairly strange,” I’m predominately talking about its concept: you
play as a robot’s CPU and are able to jump into and control a
variety of robot animals which you then use to accomplish different
tasks. That rules. That’s just an objectively cool idea on paper.
Unfortunately, whether it’s an inexperience with the medium,
pressure to release a game that fits in with other bestselling
titles of the time, or just plain bad decision making, the final
product just does not do service to the idea behind it. The game is
bloated, overlong and full of tasks and missions that don’t take
advantage of the mechanics the game sets up. Some other strange
decisions include the games tone, writing and music, but these are
all things that need a bit more set up we get into in the episode.
The game still holds some nostalgia value, and the concept alone is
worth at least looking into it, but the strongest lesson you’ll
probably take from this title is how to squander a very good idea.
We’re going to be talking about early 3D game frustrations this
game does not succeed in avoiding, level and mission design in a
game where theoretically anything is possible, and we debate on
what the main characters’ names are (and do actually get it
right!). The way our preparation works, we usually have games
planned for October and November well in advance, October due to
the Halloween theming and November holding the games we were
excited to do earlier in the year and needed to find space for.
Because of this, December usually ends up being a pretty wild time
where we end up choosing games that are either recent suggestions
or, like Space Station Silicon Valley, distant memories of games we
have had in the back our minds for one reason or another and just
never got around to. Does this game still hold nostalgia value for
you? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Next time,
we’re closing out the year with a similarly long lost childhood
title, Snowboard Kids 2, and then we’re preparing for the NOCLIP
Awards at the end of the year, so we hope you’ll stick with us for
that!