Time Travel and Bananas: A NOCKAT Review
What do bananas, Reno, The Jerky Boys, and alternate universe weather reports have in common?
They're all subjects of deep inquiry in a strange and wonderful podcast about playing Final Fantasy.
But No One Can Know About This is more than just a podcast about playing video games.
Is there a better banana?
No One Can Know About This (NOCKAT) is not a review podcast or a let's play. It is, as its hosts often say, a journey. A journey that chronicles the awe, wonder, and confusion, joy and frustration, anger and triumph of playing video games.
NOCKAT is the ultimate video game podcast, taking as its subject matter the ultimate video game series, at least if you trust the eponymous declaration of Final Fantasy.
Hosts Jeff and Ryan take the storytelling aspects of their show very seriously, both in terms of their discussion of the games' plots and in how they structure each episode. At times, Jeff and Ryan's real-world experiences of video game worlds mirror the events of the games themselves or the arcs of the characters. NOCKAT is about discovering, or rediscovering these revered classic games, trying to make sense of why even the earliest entries in the series continue to resonate with gamers.
The story Jeff and Ryan are living through is familiar to many of us; it's the path JRPG nerds have trekked all their lives, getting to know beloved characters and the bizarre, often nonsensical paths carved out for them by the game designers. Jeff and Ryan have taken the gameplay that many of us experienced over many years and condensed it into hours-long sessions, and then have drawn these experiences out again by releasing them in weekly instalments.
Unlike other review podcasts where the hosts consume media privately and then discuss their thoughts on mic, Jeff and Ryan record every step of the gaming process, from purchase, to snack breaks, to actual gameplay. This alone would be enough to lend this podcast its signature charm of simulating the nostalgic gaming experiences of sharing new discoveries with a friend or relative—I'm often taken back to the many hours my little brother and I have spent playing RPGs and discussing our thoughts about them.
In real time, we hear Jeff and Ryan marvel at the beautiful storytelling and the baffling design choices. We hear genuine rage at the sadistic, punishing gameplay, and pure joy when a game does something unexpected and beautiful. We also hear them get bored and discuss other matters, cook meals, and talk about their lives. It's simply a documentation of what gaming with a friend is like. This alone would be enough to make NOCKAT great.
The podcast's deeper worth, though, and the true labour of love from its creators, is in the creative editing process. Jeff and Ryan painstakingly listen to every moment of their recordings, and then intercut their own reactions to those recordings, creating a time distorting effect where past and future Jeff and Ryan leave messages for each other. We hear the months-older and wiser versions of the hosts lament the poor choices of their younger selves, and at times note their inability even now to deviate from them.
And, since each season (one game per season) is edited together before the release of the first episode, we'll occasionally get an even later version of Jeff and Ryan adding new commentary and updates based on information gathered closer to the time of an episode's release.
The layers of time-dilating commentary are multiplied in the listening; I frequently find myself berating both past and future hosts for missing something obvious—obvious to me as a Final Fantasy veteran at least. I'm sure many of my fellow listeners have experienced the same.
I've been meaning to publish my review of NOCKAT since I started listening nearly two years ago when it immediately became my favourite podcast. And I had hoped to include as many in-jokes and references as possible. But to do that justice, I'd have to document my own listen-through of the episodes, chronicling my reactions both in the moment and when reviewing my notes, and then things would get so meta and convoluted that no one but existing fans would have any idea of what was happening.
No One Who Loves Final Fantasy Cannot Not Know About This
The point is that NOCKAT is an incredibly deep listening experience that goes far beyond a couple friends playing old video games. Jeff and Ryan's love of what they do, even in the most agitating moments, comes through in their attention to every detail and their commitment, after 4 seasons, to keep on putting out this hilarious, thoughtful, and ingenious show.
If you've ever played a Final Fantasy game, or any video game, or want to know what the fuss is about, I can think of no better listening experience.
Want to listen for yourself? Follow the link to get the podcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-one-can-know-about-this-podcast-where-we-play-every/id1325750806
Or, visit the Patreon page to access bonus content and really show your appreciation: https://www.patreon.com/nockat/posts