Archive for the ‘RetroActive’ Category
RetroActive Episode 4: Star Wars: Obi-Wan (2001)
RetroActive Podcast Feed
The RetroActive podcast returns with Fred going solo to discuss the Xbox launch title Star Wars: Obi-Wan. Released at a time where the brand of Star Wars was wavering after Episode I and Microsoft’s new PC as a console concept was a big risk, it seems almost fitting that this title has remained exclusive to its original platform. Fred discusses the culture context, development history, and elements of this lackluster title that was a curiosity he couldn’t pass up.
RetroActive Episode 3: Mega Man X (1993)
Mega Man (or Rockman as he’s known in Japan) was a significant franchise for Capcom in the NES era spanning 6 titles and just about as many on the Game Boy. On the Super NES, however, things were shaken up with the arrival of Mega Man X. Fred and Chase (from Learned From Gaming) team up to discuss a refreshing update to the classic formula. Also included is the announcement of the show going weekly and a breakdown of the heavy similarities between Sega’s Master System and Game Gear. Cover art from Rockman X, all songs from Mega Man X.
0:00 – Intro (Title)
0:30 – Editorial: RetroActive goes weekly
9:15 – Opening Stage (Highway)
9:45 – Mega Man X (1993)
1:38:50 – Stage Select
1:39:19 – Tech: Sega Master System vs. Sega Game Gear
2:03:43 – Ending
2:04:13 – Outro/Next Time
2:05:15 – Cast Roll
RetroActive Episode 2: Half-Life (1998)
For the second episode of RetroActive, we decided to tackle something light: Half-Life. Quite possibly one of the biggest and most influential first-person shooters ever released, Valve not only used the franchise to evolve the genre, but the sequel is also how they made the service Steam a household name. Jamalais (yes, Jam!) returns to discuss this powerhouse title. Also on this episode: hardware guide to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and the real deal on framerate analysis. All songs featured in this episode are from the official Half-Life soundtrack.
0:00 – Intro – Closing Theme
0:54 – Editorial: Toxic Behavior
5:52 – Klaxton Beat
6:50 – Hardware: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
32:10 – Diabolical Adrenaline Guitar
33:10 – Half-Life (1998) Discussion with Guest Jamalais
2:03:03 – Traveling Through Limbo
2:04:03 – Framerate Analysis and Next Episode
2:15:14 – Valve Theme
Follow RetroActive Podcast at: anchor.fm/retroactivepod
Official Feed URL: https://anchor.fm/s/5878ceec/podcast/rss
RetroActive Episode 1: Ys III
Introducing my new retro podcast on the culture behind games of the past: RetroActive. Each episode we delve into a main topic (often a specific game) and dig into its place in history. There are also smaller sections covering all kinds of topics in the world of retro. Think of this as the audio form of a mid 90s gaming magazine.
This first episode features guest Chase from Learned from Gaming who joins to examine Ys III: Wanderer’s From Ys. Despite being the third game in the series, it was the first to get a widespread North American release despite being a somewhat dated action RPG for the time. In addition Fred discusses what RetroActive is all about, retro gaming hardware options, and how best to handle PSN’s uncertain future on PS3 and Vita.
Gaming History 101 