The Unofficial PopCap PopCast

Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Video Games

Former PopCappers Isaac Aubrey and Stephen Notley chat about the Golden Age of classic indie game studio PopCap Games.

  1. 4d ago

    Pop Plays: Peggle - 02 Kat Tut & Splork

    Unofficial PopCap Popcast co-host and former PopCap Games writer/designer Steve Notley plays some PopCap Games he worked on.  This week we continue with Peggle Adventure mode, exploring the Egyptian mysteries of yarn-obsessed Kat Tut and the head-scratching spacial utterances of that oddest of aliens, Splork Sporkan. The Peggle gameplay and background chitchat doesn't get hotter or more enthralling than here on Pop Plays, so do yourself a favor and check it out!

  2. Aug 26 ·  Bonus

    Pop Plays: Peggle - 01 Bjorn & Jimmy Lightning

    Former PopCap writer/designer Steve Notley plays some PopCap Games he worked on over the years, narratin' all the while. First up: Peggle, one of the great games of all time. OF ALL TIME. Thrill along with Steve as he plays through the first two sections of Peggle's Adventure mode, introducing us to Headmaster Bjorn Unicorn and the irrepressible Jimmy Lightning.  It's white-hot Peggle action with loads of commentary, chit-chat, and inaudible mumbling. Hooray!

  3. Aug 19

    PvZ2 Secrets: Art Director Monte Michaelis - Part 2

    Isaac and Steve continue their conversation with Monte Michaelis, Art Director on Plants vs. Zombies 2.  Monte shares his unique perspective on the complex processes that led to the followup to the classic original PvZ, discussing ups, downs, frustrations, triumphs, plus all sorts of stuff in between and besides. Revel in the reveals, PvZ fans! CHAPTERS 00:00  The Unofficial PopCap PopCast00:19  Hello Greetings Bonjour01:13  Previously on...01:52  Planet vs. Zombies04:02  Flash Facebook PvZ11:26  Everything Around Us Is Shifting13:28  Desirability, Viability, Feasibility17:03  Vague Target, Vague Solution19:39  Lionizing Suffering20:34  Worthwhile Experiences22:04  Surviving as a Creative30:51  It's About Time37:13  Premium to Freemium42:32  PvZ2 Is Trying To Do a Really Difficult Thing44:02  Still Dealing With the Consequences45:29  The Winchester House47:41  Peak Joy and Rough Trenches50:19  Spintop52:33  I Remember My Emotions54:21  The Best Version of Myself58:45  Just Keep Moving1:00:09  Where Is My Happiness In This? LINKS badpennygoods.comhttps://www.badpennygoods.com/(real physical goods) ADPListhttps://adplist.org/mentors/montye-michaelis(mentoring) thisismonte.comhttps://www.thisismonte.com/(Monte stuff!) LinkedIn Monte Michaelishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/montemichaelis/(Monte has been extremely busy since his PopCap days. So many talents and experiences!)

  4. Aug 12

    PvZ2 Secrets: Art Director Monte Michaelis - Part 1

    Isaac and Steve get into it with Monte Michaelis, Art Director on Plants vs. Zombies 2.  Being one of the few people who worked through much of PvZ2's early development, Monte has a unique perspective on the forces that shaped the follow-up to the classic original.  Game Jams, unicycles, cat cutouts and the all-important art of distiguishing between what's clever and what's clear are just a tiny fraction of the mysteries these three old-school PopCappers discuss. Chow down, PopCap and PvZ fans! CHAPTERS 00:00  The Unofficial PopCap PopCast00:19  Hello Greetings Bonjour00:58  Welcoming Monte Michaelis02:53  Biggs Darklighter03:13  Semi-rural Alaska04:18  Animation11:22  First Introduction to PopCap12:44  "Where's My Art?"16:40  Working on Blitz18:17  Commercial Value of Attention22:50  Game Jams23:20  Michael Jackson Unicycle Daredevil27:37  Disco Zombie31:48  Being Clever vs. Being Clear34:03  Snackers35:05  Moving Into Plants vs Zombies 238:49  Vector Rather Than Pixel42:06  Plant Food43:47  Farmageddon46:32  "PvZ2 is cancell bed."46:59  Higher Fidelity49:49  New Peashooter & Sunflower Animations58:32  PvZ2 Design: Mohan Rajagopalan59:28  Exponentially Better1:00:35  And On That... LINKS badpennygoods.comhttps://www.badpennygoods.com/(real physical goods) ADPListhttps://adplist.org/mentors/montye-michaelis(mentoring) thisismonte.comhttps://www.thisismonte.com/(Monte stuff!) LinkedIn Monte Michaelishttps://www.linkedin.com/in/montemichaelis/(Monte has been extremely busy since his PopCap days. So many talents and experiences!)

  5. Aug 5

    PopCap Originals: Jeff W & Tysen H - Part 2

    Isaac and Steve continue the conversation with hyper early PopCap hires Jeff Weinstein (code) and Tysen Henderson (art/design). This time around worms are booked, wishes are made, star police are allied, and indy game studios are quit from after they're bought by titantic multinational billion-dollar corporations. So much stuff! CHAPTERS 00:00  The Unofficial PopCap PopCast00:19  Hello Greetings Bonjour01:20  Previously on...05:40  Original Bookworm08:09  DJ Qbert's Wave Twisters10:07  Let's Follow Up Bookworm15:13  An Overarching Bad Guy16:42  Comical Dialogue18:27  Writing in Games23:11  The Couch25:26  The AAA of Casual Games26:43  Bookworm Adventures 229:11  Robo Dojo36:03  Allied Star Police39:47  Too Loud40:53  Bookworm Heroes45:31  End Up in the Ditch46:13  Time to Split50:42  Shortcut to Riot52:38  A Lot of Nothing53:16  Chrono Dojo54:00  The Last 15 Years55:08  Space Otter Charlie56:03  PopCap Replay System1:00:44  One Good Brian Story1:03:00  Takeaway1:05:12  I Miss Playing Foosball With You1:06:36  And On That... LINKSDJ Q-Bert - Wave Twisters - Animated Film - 2001https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQVRTdRnQiQ

  6. Jul 29

    OG PopCappers: Tysen Henderson & Jeff Weinstein - Part 1

    Isaac and Steve talk to two of the earliest PopCap hires, artist/designer Tysen Henderson and programmer Jeff Weinstein, both of whom were at PopCap years before either of our gracious hosts arrived. Insane aquariums, anti-shark typing and flying pigs erupted soon after, along with one of PopCap's first fully polished action games, Astropop. Come, join us in the weeds with these two PopCap legends! CHAPTERS 00:00  The Unofficial PopCap PopCast00:19  Hello Greetings Bonjour01:02  Realest and Earliest02:14  Quest For Glory05:39  Free Stars07:00  How I Learned How to Program10:49  Insaniquarium12:49  Doing Digital Art17:47  Dinosaur Smut Porn18:45  GDC & George Fan24:46  Terrible Demo Disc27:57  What AMD Stands For29:53  When Pigs Fly35:18  The Only Team in the Office39:23  Typer Shark43:06  Vulgarity Filter47:35  Astropop52:27  Such a Crucial Part of Any Game58:34  Expermiental Stuff1:01:19  And On That...

  7. Jul 22

    Peggle, Valve & Skpow!: Eric Tams - Part 2

    Isaac and Steve continue their deep dive with programming/game design whiz Eric Tams. Topics include a ton of stuff about Peggle, working nights on homebrew projects, moving on when the time is right, accounting for failure as well as success, and a whole spew of other fascinating stuff.  LINKSStar Control: The Ur-Quan Mastershttps://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

  8. Jul 15

    PopWar & Portals: Eric Tams - Part 1

    Isaac and Steve chat with former PopCap, now Valve programmer Eric Tams. Discussion touches on chess, growing up in Utah, figuring out where games go wrong, and the unreleased gem, Prince of Toys! Check it out... if you dare!

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Former PopCappers Isaac Aubrey and Stephen Notley chat about the Golden Age of classic indie game studio PopCap Games.

Information

  • Creator
    Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Isaac Aubrey & Stephen Notley