Archive for the ‘Gaming History 101’ Category
Podcast: Top 10 Super NES Games
After months of people begging us to finally do it, the announcement of the SNES Classic Edition was the final straw. We can’t very well let Nintendo be more punctual than we are. Fred, Jam, and guest Andy get together to debate the top 10 SNES games in a very tough debate of games that takes almost 3 hours. In the end, 10 final contestants are chosen and ranked.
Podcast: Groovy!
This week is the first part of our series on video game mascots. Whether or not you feel games are made for kids, there’s no denying that in the 80s and 90s the key to marketing to kids was with mascots, and video games used a ton of them. In this first part Fred and Jam take the bigger companies that have a series of mascots and talk about their effectiveness and the games attached to them.
Podcast: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Game Club
Fred is joined by Austin and guest John Learned to discuss what most consider to be the best game in the Castlevania franchise. As usual the discussion begins with the development, then onto the main castle, the inverted castle, and final impressions. After the end of the show there are also special announcements involving RetroActive Magazine, live shows, and June on the site.
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Podcast: The Writer (Alan Wake)
Ram Jam Ep. 1: Retro Game Hunter
Jam goes solo in his own series, Ram Jam. In this premiere episode he discusses Car Boots and hunting down retro titles.
Podcast: Arcade Top 10
This week we have a special announcement as well as special guests Eric and Austin to help us debate the top 10 arcade games. Contrary to what Fred says, send in those community top 10s, we want them all.
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Podcast: The Mystery of Wonder Boy
Wonder Boy is one of those franchises that is probably better known in Europe than anywhere else. It’s odd to think that a Japanese-developed game that was given wide distribution find a home there of all places. Fred and Jam delve into the development, crazy naming conventions, and evolution of one of the most versatile franchises ever.
Podcast: Beyond Oasis/Story of Thor Game Club
One of the latest Sega Genesis/Mega Drive releases is a top down action RPG and brawler from Ancient, the team also responsible for Streets of Rage 2. It was known as Beyond Oasis in North America and The Story of Thor in all other regions, and it tells the tale of Prince Ali as he recruits elementals to assist him in defeating an ancient evil. Jam and Fred delve deep into the development, gameplay elements, and main campaign of this late, but great, 16-bit Sega game.
Podcast: Navigating Retro Gaming
Jam has officially returned and this week he and Fred are getting into the basics of retro gaming. It all starts with the best televisions, cables, and ways to hook up your retro consoles along with a good explanation as to why old systems look rough on HDTVs. Then the discussion moves on to hunting down games before concluding with questions from the community.
Podcast: The History of JRPGs Coming to the West
This week Fred is again solo, but fear not because he will have his faithful companion Jam back for the next episode. This week he’s discussing the origins of the Japanese Role Playing Game or JRPG and the genre’s eventual journey to the West. From humble roots in the early 80s to the powerhouse genres of the 90s, it’s a wild and crazy road.
Gaming History 101 