Hi everyone, Jeremy here with an earlier-than-usual advance episode. I'm working Portland Retro Gaming Expo all weekend and will be on a plane all day Monday, so I wanted to be sure this made it up on time.
This episode takes an angle I've been wanting to use for a long time. And we have, occasionally, but I want to make more of A Thing of it: Covering new releases with an eye for their history and heritage. Given Nintendo's emphasis on Breath of the Wild's connections to and inspirat...
2017-10-21 15:05:53 +0000 UTC
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30 years ago, Lucasfilm Games gave us Maniac Mansion: an unassuming little adventure created by people who never dabbled in the genre before. But this lack of conventional wisdom caused Maniac Mansion to be an adventure game unlike anything else in existence—and one that would shape the future of Lucas' game division for years to come. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Mikel Reparaz, and Phil Kollar as the crew ponders the joys of Ron Gilbert's B&E simulator.
2017-10-16 19:02:19 +0000 UTC
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Video games! Am I right?
This episode is spillover from the full Sunshine episode, because we received far too many letters to fit into a 90-minute show. Consider this equal time to alternate opinions, as mandated by the FAA. The Sunshine episode cast rolls on into this one, and many perspectives are offered.
2017-10-13 21:39:10 +0000 UTC
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I've been a little overzealous putting together Retronauts Micros, and I ended up with a backlog of episodes with no room in the schedule to post them. Whoops! Rather than holding onto these for four or five months, I decided to combine two of them into a single double-feature.
Two Micro episodes combine powers to become a full episode! First, Kurt and Rob of Hardcore Gaming 101 join to discuss King of Fighters. Then, Ben and Benj follow up with a home gaming-focused counterpart to o...
2017-10-09 13:04:57 +0000 UTC
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Hi all, I'm recovering from both a weekend of podcast recording AND a flu that hit me at the same time we went into the studio. Please pardon my terseness and enjoy this critical examination of Super Mario Sunshine, just in time for its sequel (more or less), Super Mario Odyssey. — Jeremy
2017-10-02 23:58:31 +0000 UTC
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Thanks to some industrious hackers, we've recently learned that a digital version of Golf for the NES has been secretly implanted into the firmware of every Nintendo Switch as a tribute to Satoru Iwata. But how was it discovered, how can you play it, and why did Nintendo choose Golf of all games? On this disturbingly relevant episode of Retronauts Micro, host Bob Mackey and guest Henry Gilbert answer all these questions and more.
2017-09-29 18:52:47 +0000 UTC
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Well, it looks like we crossed some wires on episode numbering, so uh here's episode 118 to follow up last week's episode 119. Eh heh, heh.
This latest Retronauts East entry sees us once again going over SEGA's arcade output in second gear. We've previously tackled their works up through 1985 in one episode and 1986-87 in a second; this time we take one step forward and explore their arcade releases through the end of the ’80s. (Yeah, 1990 was technically the ’80s. It's a goofy semantic th...
2017-09-25 15:54:17 +0000 UTC
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Yoshi's Island hasn't been re-released in its original, unadulterated form since its 1995 debut, but the upcoming launch of the SNES Classic promises to make this platforming legend slightly more available (while supplies last). And to mark the recirculation of Nintendo's last hurrah for the Super Nintendo, we sat down for an episode-length discussion all about Yoshi's gorgeous, inventive, and somewhat polarizing adventure. On this installment of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry...
2017-09-18 21:54:16 +0000 UTC
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For this week's Micro episode, I managed to line up an interview with David Craddock about his new book on the history of video games on the Apple II, Break Out. You might recall I referenced Break Out back in our dedicated Apple II episode; I read through an early draft of the book last year, and I found it to be absolutely jam-packed with information, anecdotes, and historical perspective. I know David from having worked with him on Retro magazine — despite that pu...
2017-09-15 21:31:39 +0000 UTC
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I'm really proud of how this latest episode turned out! We can pin much of its success on the presence of the one and only Black Dragon: Jeff Green, former editor in chief of Computer Gaming World and Games For Windows magazines. He brings an easygoing familiarity with our topic du jour (Infocom's original Zork trilogy) as well as a comfortable chemistry. I often worry when tackling a topic of Zork's vintage that we won't do the subject matter justice, but thi...
2017-09-11 20:01:31 +0000 UTC
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Hello! I hate to post and run, but I'm sneaking in work between family affairs on a holiday. Please don't tell; everyone would be so terribly cross with me if they knew. This episode is another somewhat unconventional format from the usual, but I think you'll find it enjoyable — thanks especially to the many great listener comments submitted for the extended mailbag portion!
Description: Jeremy, Ben, and Benj reminisce about the experience of living through the golden age of arcades, wit...
2017-09-04 19:34:03 +0000 UTC
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With the recent release of Mario + Raving Rabbids, and with Super Mario Odyssey's launch lurking just a few months away, we're currently undergoing a sort of Mario Madness—much like the same outbreak that attacked several million children back in '88. To celebrate this resurgence in all things Mario, join Retronauts' own Bob Mackey and special guest/Mushroom Kingdom expert Henry Gilbert as the two field questions and comments from Retronauts listeners about games involvi...
2017-09-01 15:10:31 +0000 UTC
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(Quick note: This episode was previously posted to the Retronauts Patreon, but was mislabeled number 113 and, for whatever reason, didn't kick over to the RSS feed like it's supposed to. We don't have any control over the latter issue, but hopefully this re-upload will do the trick! - Bob)
Not long ago, corporations employed colorful cartoon characters to lure hungry and impressionable children into their dens of corn-based products. And, since this time period happened to overlap with t...
2017-08-29 17:09:16 +0000 UTC
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Hello, all. Apologies for the mild tardiness on this advance posting — we had some minor scheduling confusion… but that's what content backlogs are for. We recorded this Gradius episode with the HG101 crew the day before our Long Island live panel (which you've already heard by now), and it turned out quite well! I do apologize for the slightly percussive audio quality in places... since I had to transport recording gear for four, I didn't have room for pop guards, and so those darn...
2017-08-22 21:13:21 +0000 UTC
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We tried the patience of a live audience this past weekend with a lecture on the history of the incredibly influential yet extremely obscure (in the U.S.) role-playing series Dragon Slayer, created by Ys developer Nihon Falcom. In fact, Dragon Slayer is more relevant than ever, with two spinoff titles having arrived in the U.S. within the past year (Legend of Heroes and Tokyo Xanadu). But you don't need to worry about being patient, since we've put to...
2017-08-18 18:57:27 +0000 UTC
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Hi! Have this week's podcast a little early, why don'tcha.
I apologize in advance for the audio distortion that appears constantly throughout the first half of this episode. We're completely baffled by the way it shows up in random episodes, does not appear on the recording levels histogram, and makes a complete mess of our conversations. We'll be replacing a bunch of our gear before the next recording session in hopes that we can squash this nuisance... fingers crossed, please.
Anyway, ...
2017-08-13 14:23:14 +0000 UTC
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Something a bit different this week!
I had the good fortune to visit with Tetsuya Mizuguchi at Enhance Games last time I visited Tokyo, and he was totally open to the idea of turning the conversation into a podcast. The result is a great listen, despite the slightly janky on-site audio quality (his favorite interpreter was out of town that day and had to Skype in). I credit Mr. Mizuguchi entirely for the excellence of the interview; he's the kind of person who will spin thoughtful, unexp...
2017-08-08 00:44:36 +0000 UTC
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Sorry for the brief delay on this one, but I think it's worth the wait. On our latest advance Micro, listen in as we talk about all things Little Nemo: Windsor McCay's legendary, influential comic strip, the 1989 box-office bomb it inspired, and the two Capcom games spun off from that movie.
2017-08-07 16:46:41 +0000 UTC
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Hey folks,
Due to some scheduling problems, I wasn't able to record today's Retronauts Micro during the week—instead, I'm recording it this weekend. That said, this delay gives me the chance to ask you kind patrons for comments on the subject at hand: Little Nemo. (The NES game, the arcade game, the movie that spawned both and... I guess the ancient comic strip. Why not.) So please leave your comments below and look forward to hearing this episode when it launches on Monday! Thanks for under...
2017-08-04 15:59:12 +0000 UTC
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Like clockwork (and hopefully not like the stopped clock that's right twice a day), here is your advance episode for the week. It's the follow-up to our Metroidvania episode from a couple months back, and it is about... other Metroidvania games. Yep. Kinda predictable, when you stop and think about it. Enjoy and thanks for your support!
Description: Following up on the first Metroidvania episode from a few months back, we collect the jump boots and circle back around to take a loo...
2017-08-01 02:05:24 +0000 UTC
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We've finally put together an episode on one of the greatest 8-bit games of all time! Join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Ray Barnholt as the crew digs into the wonder and wisdom of Super Mario Bros. 3.
2017-07-24 18:05:10 +0000 UTC
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I apologize for the lie inherent in this episode's title. This was meant to be a Micro episode, but it clocks in at a full hour — which isn't really Micro, honestly. I hope you don't mind that we have scandalously provided more content than you signed up for.
Anyway, this episode was supposed to be a Patron request, but it isn't quite what was requested. So consider it a partial request fulfillment, with the remainder to be provided at some point in the somewhat near future.&nbs...
2017-07-21 22:04:54 +0000 UTC
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Greetings, everyone. This week's advance podcast is now present within the construct known as "da house." It's a pretty fun one, so I hope you enjoy it. And the music is stunningly good, as one might expect from this particular franchise: Dig Dug and Mr. Driller. Yes, they're the same thing. Sort of.
Description: Ray Barnholt and Henry Gilbert join Bob and Jeremy to discuss gaming's original expanded universe: Namco's Dig Dug, which turns out to be a part of the same line...
2017-07-17 22:13:15 +0000 UTC
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Well, hope you don't mind something a little different this week. This episode started out as a Micro episode about Marathon, as a tie-in to our Apple gaming episodes... but Ben and I got a little carried away, and the conversation ballooned into something too large to fit into the Micro format. So I invited our Retronauts bloggers — Kishi and Kim Justice — to call in and record segments on topics of recent interest (namely, the Super NES Classic Edition and Kim's Final Fantasy ...
2017-07-11 02:36:14 +0000 UTC
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The latest Micro is here, and it's a bit of a loose episode. When Nintendo announced the upcoming retirement of executive Genyo Takeda, I felt we should take a moment to discuss why his decision to step down is a pretty big deal. So, we summoned the biggest Nintendo experts we know — Kotaku's Chris Kohler and former IGN editor (and presently a Nintendo Treehouse member) Jose Otero — to share their thoughts.
Description: Chris Kohler and Jose Otero join Jeremy and Bob to mark the ...
2017-07-07 20:25:18 +0000 UTC
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Hello, all — here is this week's advance episode, stealthily submitted in between bursts of patriotic fireworks. It's a follow-up to an episode from a few months ago. Enjoy!
Description: Jeremy, Ben, and Benj convene again to continue their discussion of SEGA's chronology of arcade classics. This time, we take aim at the years 1986 & ’87, with greats like Out Run, After Burner, Quartet, Alien Syndrome, and more!
2017-07-04 03:01:49 +0000 UTC
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Another really great episode this week! Although... I kinda feel like I say that just about every time I post these days. I guess that means I'm happy with the way the show's going or something.
Anyway, this resumes the Final Fantasy deep-dive series we started last year, following on from March's Final Fantasy IV episode. Next up, of course, is Final Fantasy V; Square may have passed over it back in the day, but this game is way too good for us to skip. And we've ca...
2017-06-26 17:22:17 +0000 UTC
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Hi friends, it's, uh, a Kabuki Quantum Fighter episode. Yes, we realize no one asked for this. We did it anyway, because... well, who else was going to?
Description: Jeremy, Benj, and Chris convene again to discuss that all-time classic... no, wait. To discuss weirdo niche NES action game Kabuki Quantum Fighter. Aimless digressions, collective confusion, and unflattering Batman comparisons abound!
2017-06-23 19:54:51 +0000 UTC
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This week's advance episode is all about the vast, vast world of cancelled games! We could only pick a dozen out of the hundreds (if not thousands) of possible choices out there, so let us know if we missed any notable ones.
Oh, and this episode will have an official cover by Nick Daniel by the time it hits the main feed. I just had to put a temporary cover together for the sake of this Patreon post. Enjoy the episode!
2017-06-19 16:53:34 +0000 UTC
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Good morning and happy E3 week to you. In celebration of all the indie games likely to be demoed at the show over the next few days, we've put together a timely little episode on what inspired most of them in the first place: 8-bit metroidvania games.
Well, sort of. This is one of those cases where I had put together a ton of notes for the show, but we covered only about half of the material. This is perhaps the most digressive episode I've ever hosted. Everything is on-topic, but not necessar...
2017-06-12 12:02:51 +0000 UTC
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