Retrovaniacs

SURPRISE!  We weren't sure what we were covering this episode when you last heard from us, but due to Jeremy's broken leg situation, we had to make it something you could play on Switch-- and the re-release of Top Hunter: Roddy and Cathy (originally on the Neo Geo) seemed like a solid choice.  None of us played this before, so we went into this with no pre-conceived notions!  Does this one hold up...

This time we take a look at Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo, a game that is highly regarded as a classic game.  Instead of seeing if it's a good or bad game, we instead focus on what makes this game so good-- And does it still play well in 2018? We also take a listener question about our most nostalgic game purchase, and that leads us down memory road as we say goodbye to a retail icon and it...

This time we revisit the Sega Master System, to look at a forgotten mascot of a major gaming powerhouse -- Sega's Alex Kidd, in his first adventure!  How effective is a game where Paper-Rock-Scissors is the method for combat? Listen to find out! We also discuss the other games in the Alex Kidd series, including his foray into the Genesis, before Alex got sent to the rest home for former mascot cha...

It's a pocket-sized episode of Retrovaniacs, this time looking at the first handheld Zelda game -- Link's Awakening (and the color re-release that came out a few years later)!  Does this game hold up to the best the series has to offer, or will this wallow with the later DS entries in the area of "this was a better idea than reality"?  We also discuss the new Atari VCS Indiegogo success (?) and Je...

To celebrate the Mega Man X collections, coming out this summer, we decided it was time to look at the first game in the second major Mega Man series-- Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo.  Also discussed, "go to" classic arcade games, in the arcades of our dreams. Want to skip right to Mega Man X?  Start listening at 9:24! __________________________   If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a revi...

This time we take a look at the original Road Rash for the Sega Genesis.  Road Rash is another series that spawned a series of sequels and then just sort of faded away.  We have our thoughts on why that may have happened. Do you want to skip over Jeremy P talk about Persona 4 Golden (again)?  Then skip right to 8:50! __________ If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you downloa...

This episode, we try a game none of us have played before - Sub Terrania on the Sega Genesis! Based on the box, this looked to be a fairly standard top down shooter, but don't judge this game by it's box... We also discuss some of the new retro announcements by Sega (Shenmue remakes and Mini-Genesis), and... the Rampage movie? Want to skip hearing about things that aren't Sub Terrania?  Skip to 8:...

Jeremy P makes another valiant effort to find a TurboGrafx-16 game that everyone will enjoy, as we take a look at 1991's Silent Debuggers! Does he succeed? Also, is it possible to use the word "Slog" and have it mean something good?  How mad was Billy that we waited for him to cover this game? We also answer a listener question, regarding the good and bad of Sega and Nintendo's early efforts in th...

In honor of the release of Kirby Star Allies (and in no way because we just picked a game at random and Jeremy P was slow to edit the show), we're posting our look at Kirby Super Star for the Super NES.  This game, which is also on the SNES Classic, is different from the previous Kirby releases, but how different?  This was our first look at Kirby as a whole, so did we love it, or did we determine...

We return to the Neo Geo for the 2nd time, this time for launch title Magician Lord.  Will a game we all remember for "not getting past the first level" end up any less frustrating when being played on a home console? Listen to find out! Don't want to hear about what else we've been up to?  Skip to the 6:00 mark! Magician Lord is available on the original Neo Geo, but thankfully can also be purcha...

Have you ever helplessly wandered around in a casino, talking to everyone just to figure out where to play Draw Poker?  If so, have we got the game for you this week.  We're playing Casino Kid for the NES! We also talk way too long about Monster Hunter World, but thankfully we waited until the end of the episode. Next episode, we return to the Neo Geo for some Magician Lord! _____   Do you like us...

Stick and Move! Stick and Move! It's about time we take a look at another sports-ish title, and so we've gotten into the ring with a legend -- Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! for the NES.  We talk about all the games in the Punch Out series a little, but we go the full three rounds with the NES classic.  Next week: We're visiting the Golden Crumbs Casino to meet our destiny...

Our short unintended hiatus is over, and the first episode of 2018 is here!  This time, we take a look at Super Star Wars, and it's sequels Super Empire Strikes Back and Super Return of the Jedi!  This topic was supposed to hit right around the release of The Last Jedi, but, well, it didn't.  But, that gave us more time to play three separate games to discuss. Want to skip right to the game?  Star...

"What could PAWSsibly go wrong?"  Bubsy asks you that question at the start of his first game, and we take some time to really take a deep look at not only Bubsy, but the sequels to determine the answer to that question. We also answer a listener question, about admitting when you may have been wrong about not liking a game. Next episode we celebrate the release of The Last Jedi with a look at a m...

We're taking on another listener request, from George (@captaingodbody on Twitter), who asked us to cover "any classic Alien game".  So, we chose the Super Nintendo game based on the third best movie in the Alien franchise, Alien 3. We also take a few minutes to talk with George on his thoughts on the game, and compare it a little to the Genesis version of this game, which was the first game made...

For Halloween 2017, we've decided to look back at one of the defining games in survival horror, the original Resident Evil for PlayStation!  We look back, from an era where some of the shortcomings of this game are undeniable-- but does it still hold up now?  Does this game actually work better with it's original limitations, or is this another case of a game that time has not treated too kindly?

Halloween 2017 starts off with a SPLAT as we look at the video game based on the cartoon based on the sequel to the 1978 "classic", Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.   Want to skip the intro where we bare our souls to you (or more accurately just say what we've been playing lately)?  Skip to 9:26.   Also discussed, some retro and not-so-retro selections for your Halloween gaming month!   Next week, w...

Everybody knows Michael Jackson's hits, but have you played Michael Jackson's video game?  We certainly did, and this week we're looking at Michael Jackson's Moonwalker for the Sega Genesis.  Based on the movie of the same name, we're going to help MJ save children from the evil Mr. Big, and probably pull of some incredible dance moves on the way-- but is this a case of "Can't Stop Til You Get Eno...

Mega Man made that 32 bit jump many classic games made, the leap into 3d.   Would this be a Super Mario 64-esque success, or a Bubsy 3D abomination?   Or would it be something wholly different... We also take a listener question about classic games we are afraid to play now because they won't meet our expectations. Next episode : We all learn how to Moonwalk.

Labor day and summer vacations are over, and the Retrovaniacs are here to ease you out of vacation with a relaxing review of Super Black Bass for the Super Nintendo.  Calmly float around in a lake, catching fish and winning tournaments in a pure state of relaxation -- or if you are Jeremy P, this could be the most frustrating game you've played for this podcast.  Also, we take a look at a recent r...

This week we again did not review a fishing game, but instead take on a multi-platform sci-fi action adventure game, Flashback.  The follow up game to Another World, Flashback merged PC adventure puzzle games and 2d action platformers, and wrapped it in a neat story that's part Total Recall, part They Live, part The Running Man-- really how could that go wrong? Also discussed this week, the newest...

THIS ISN'T SUPER BLACK BASS!?  No, as Billy was unavailable this week, the Jeremy's instead delayed that episode and instead took this chance to talk about where Final Fantasy VIII went wrong.  We apologize in advance for a very negative episode about FFVIII, but we do go into detail about what specifically we don't like, and it's not just that the characters are hateable and the story is awful. *...

It's our 50th episode, and we wanted to cover a classic game series that wasn't one of the major characters, so we chose Earthworm Jim!  We take close looks at the first two games in the series, and a glancing look at the regrettable 3D entry.  Next episode... Fishing? If you want to skip straight to Jim talk, start off at 8:40!

This week, the Retrovaniacs take a (spoiler filled) look at an NES port of a Macventure title, Uninvited!  Was anyone able to complete this graphic point-and-click adventure without looking up some hints?  Did any of us finish this game at all?   Listen to find out!  Spoilers abound here though, so if you somehow are in the middle of this game and don't want to figure out what the tomato monster i...

(Edit 1/3/23 - This episode stopped loading, so we re-uploaded this one.  Hope it's not showing up as new in your feeds-- if so, sorry!) This episode we take a look not only at the Sega Master System game Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, but also discuss the recent remake for modern consoles.  How does the remake hold up, but more importantly, is this the sort of game that needed a remake at all...