Adam Goodall

Adam Goodall is a freelance writer and playwright with a background in justice sector analysis and legal research. He is the Wellington Theatre Editor for The Pantograph Punch and is bad at video games in his spare time.

Business

Dec 29, 2019

Life as a Kiwi truck driver involves harassment, sexism and 70-hour weeks

Summer reissue: Marsha Pohatu has lost two front teeth and seen friends die while working in the New Zealand trucking sector. The industry’s culture of dangerous practices has to stop, she says.

Gaming

Sep 13, 2019

The game that flew too far from the sun: Fable on its 15th birthday

Fable is best remembered for the disastrous, over-the-top promises made by its designer Peter Molyneux. But maybe, Adam Goodall argues, we’re remembering it all wrong.

Television

Apr 15, 2019

Review: Jordan Peele triumphantly drags The Twilight Zone into 2019

The new Twilight Zone updates the style of the '60s classic while keeping its deeply moral core, Adam Goodall writes.

Gaming

Mar 12, 2019

Is the elusive target in Hitman 2 actually Judith Collins? A Spinoff investigation

Hitman 2 has plundered from our shores before, but now has it taken the story and likeness of our most notorious South Auckland MP, Judith 'Crusher' Collins? Adam Goodall goes down the rabbit hole.

Gaming

Feb 20, 2019

Three Days of the I-Block: a Tetris 99 diary

Last week, the Tetris battle royale game Tetris 99 dropped with no announcement. Adam Goodall spent three days with the game. This is his diary.

Business

Feb 7, 2019

Harassment, sexism and 70-hour weeks: Life as a Kiwi truck driver

Marsha Pohatu has lost two front teeth and seen friends die while working in the New Zealand trucking sector. The industry's culture of dangerous practices has to stop, she says.

Gaming

Oct 17, 2018

Giraffe Town is the perfectly creepy game for Halloween

While fakers are playing so-called big budget horror spectacles like Call of Duty Black Ops 4 Zombie mode, Adam Goodall knows where to find the best and most meaningful scares: a little place called Giraffe Town.

Gaming

Oct 6, 2018

The six month bug that killed PUBG down under

Since its early access release in March last year, PlayersUnknown's Battlegrounds has been a global phenomenon – but events over recent months have nearly killed its Oceania playerbase.

Gaming

Sep 27, 2018

I’m on a boat, motherfucker! Setting sail on World of Warships

He's driven tanks, he's flown planes - now he's ready to sail ships into war. Adam Goodall takes the plunge into World of Warships.

Gaming

Sep 12, 2018

Into the Breach balances small and casual with epic and emotional

Among the slew of indie games dropping on the Nintendo Switch, Into the Breach rises to the top.

Gaming

Aug 20, 2018

World of Warplanes: Microtransactions from the Eastern Front

Intrepid gaming explorer Adam Goodall is dragged back into the world of battle vehicles with World of Warplanes.

Gaming

Aug 9, 2018

How Insomniac is bringing Spider-Man slinging into 2018

Spider-Man is one of 2018's most hotly anticipated titles, from the critically acclaimed studio Insomniac. Adam Goodall talks to Insomniac's community director, James Stevenson.

Gaming

Jul 25, 2018

A journey through the World of Tanks

You've seen the YouTube ads, you've seen the ads on your phone. But what the hell is World of Tanks? Adam Goodall went on an adventure to find out.

Television

Jul 11, 2018

Wellington Paranormal review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Police Ten 7

Wellington Paranormal, the TV spinoff of Taika Waititi's hit movie comedy What We Do In The Shadows, debuts on TVNZ tonight. So what's it like?

Gaming

Jul 5, 2018

The inspirations behind cult Kiwi brawler Grabity

Adam Goodall talks to the developers of Kiwi game Grabity about soccer cars, flailing swords and big honking machines.

Gaming

Jun 23, 2018

Is it just working for free? Ubisoft’s controversial partnership with HitRecord

Ubisoft's partnership with HitRecord on the game Beyond Good and Evil 2 has caused an outcry among freelancers, who argue the game's 'fan engagement strategy' is exploitation, plain and simple.

Gaming

Jun 3, 2018

House Flipper is the renovation simulator for the eternally renting millennial

Born after 1980? Going to be renting your entire life with no end in sight? House Flipper is the game to simulate a renovation future you'll never see.

Gaming

May 9, 2018

Sick of Candy Crush and Hearthstone? Some better games for your commute

If you're tired of crushing candies and playing meaningless virtual card games, we've something else to distract you from the mindless grind that is your commute.

Gaming

May 7, 2018

‘You’re always rolling the dice’: two award-winning developers talk game development in New Zealand

The recipients of the Play By Play International Games Festival’s Te Maunga Kai Kapua Awards Mario Wynands and Niamh Fitzgerald, talk with Adam Goodall about Final Fantasy VII and the future of game development in New Zealand.

Gaming

Apr 20, 2018

16 games, 16 minutes each: We play all the Play by Play Festival awards finalists

The third annual Play By Play International Games Festival is spilling out across Wellington this week. Adam Goodall played all sixteen contenders for awards at the festival... for sixteen minutes each.

Gaming

Apr 15, 2018

The beautiful promise of backwards compatibility – and the sad reality

From April 26, approximately 3% of all original Xbox games will be available in their original form on the Xbox One. That's more than you can play on the Playstation 4 – but still far, far from what we hoped for, writes Adam Goodall.

Gaming

Apr 4, 2018

Chuchel is fun. So what’s up with the blackface?

Chuchel, the new game from Amanita Design, is a fun romp of a game. But why the hell is the title character perpetuating blackface?

Gaming

Mar 19, 2018

Five lessons about being a good team player inspired by Kim Dotcom playing Fortnite with Drake

On Thursday, a now iconic trio came together to play a video game and broadcast it to the world: Popular streamer Ninja, hip hop superstar Drake and New Zealand controversy-magnet Kim Dotcom. Adam Goodall was watching.

Gaming

Feb 16, 2018

Looking for the next Limbo or Braid? Samsara’s got you covered

Samsara is a kicky, inventive platformer from Auckland game studio Marker Games that harkens back to the not-so-long-ago likes of Limbo and Braid. Adam Goodall reviews.

Gaming

Jan 17, 2018

Beware the bears: We play the Turkish video game ‘set in New Zealand’

Turkish developer 2645turqoise has released a game that purports to be a vast survivalist adventure across New Zealand. Adam Goodall finds out how well Ka Mate captures true blue bear-free Aotearoa.

Gaming

Dec 19, 2017

Are lootboxes the slot machines of video gaming?

Lootboxes have embedded themselves in the gaming industry - and audiences are not happy. Adam Goodall discovers why lootboxes were inevitable, and how we can change the direction they're taking the industry.

The Spinoff is made possible by the generous support of the following organisations.
Please help us by supporting them.