Podouken

ACTION! We put the pedal to the metal in our light gun miniseries with Namco's Time Crisis. Seek cover as we explore the entire series starting with V.S.S.E. agent Richard Miller and ending with whatever Time Crisis 5 was. Did Namco's attempt to top Sega's Virtua Cop succeed? Is Time Crisis 2 the most complete light gun game experience? What are the most addictive roguelikes? Does Wild Dog, leader...

Welcome to the hardboiled streets of 90s Chicago where a crime wave is at an all time high. It's up to you, officer Don Marshall, and you, Unnamed Female, to fight crime with as many bullets as possible. Then travel to the Wild West to also fight crime with as many bullets as possible. This is Konami's Lethal Enforcers arcade series. How was a knee-burning, motion-sensing game responsible for addi...

Step into the rotting halls of Curien Mansion, where bullets fly and the undead just won't stay down. With cinematic flair, branching paths, and enemies that lurch ever closer, this horror-themed arcade shooter became one of the best in the light gun genre. Welcome to Sega's The House of the Dead. How did a broom help bring a terrifying boss to life? What are the worst words used in place of "zomb...

We draw on a new miniseries that is all about light gun games. And we start with getting to the truth behind the biggest conspiracy of them all: Area 51. How did this game save Atari Games (at least temporarily)? Was every CiCi's Pizza contractually obligated to have an Area 51 game in their arcade? How did a bodybuilder from a theme park and a model next door neighbor become arcade icons? What do...

It's the end to our longest miniseries ever as we put our last quarter in the Four Player Beat 'Em Up miniseries (sniffle) with an Arcade Obscura. Each host brings their choice for a 4 player brawler that we think is obscure or underrated. Jarrod brings us a Sega arcade game with a hot 90s topic that may not be the best player but sure is a looker. Rob gets cheeky with his obscure pick that is pro...

In the year 20XX, a battle for world domination now begins!! The last featured episode of the 4 Player Beat 'Em Up miniseries aptly finishes with Capcom's last 2D arcade beat 'em up, Battle Circuit. Is this the closest we'll ever get to a Cowboy Bebop arcade game? How did an eight-player racing game turn into this four-player beat 'em up? Who has the worst Elvis impression? Which Capcom system had...

Welcome to the D&D world! We're expanding the lore with not one, but two Dungeons & Dragons arcade games made by Capcom! Tuck in for an in-depth episode about the Known World, why the Record of Lodoss War is more than an anime, and the rare example of how a consultant can actually help a company as we talk about Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and its superb sequel, Shadow Over Mystara. Why aren...

Let's go BEAST MODE with Konami's Metamorphic Force! It's the best X-Men meets Altered Beast arcade beat 'em up that takes place on the island of Dr. Moreau where everyone is made out of water balloons that you'll ever play. Guaranteed. What were the working conditions for copywriters at Konami USA's headquarters? How much snow does it take to shut down a Florida city for multiple days? Why should...

A barbarian, halfling, dwarf riding a giant, and centauress walk into a bar. It's not just the setup for a joke but also a fantastic beat 'em up that Sega has criminally done very little with. Let's delve into the history of Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder! Do we have a reverse Splash situation happening in this game? What was the name of that one event on American Gladiators where they put tha...

Return to Metro City in the distant future of… 2026 to fight crime with a video game mascot, his ninja friend, an alien mummy, and a reincarnated supergenius baby. No, this isn't some crazy fever dream, it's one of Capcom's most popular 90s beat 'em ups - Captain Commando! Is Captain Commando a true sequel to Final Fight? What arcade board system grossed the most? Will Rob get cancelled for his op...

Are you tough enough to take on the sleaziest underground characters imaginable in order to rescue several beautiful girls? That's not us asking. That's Konami trying to entice arcade goers to play their first four-player beat 'em up (and largely failing). We take the humanic weapons out for a spin in the largely forgotten Crime Fighters and its vastly improved sequel Vendetta. How did Crime Fight...

Welcome to Podouken - formerly an arcade history podcast, now rebranded as one of the vast multitudes of D&D podcasts. Let's roll a d20, hope that our history modifiers are high, and talk about Atari Games' four player hack 'n slash, Gauntlet. How did a game about Dungeons & Dragons inspire this game about Dungeons & Dragons? Is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (or M.O.M.) a good movie?...

Run! Go! Get to the choppa! Then load up some hostages in your helicopter and take them to the nearest USPS for express priority shipping back home. In the final Listeners' Choice 5 miniseries episode we're flying the unfriendly skies of the Brøderbund and Sega classic game Choplifter! How did this game make its way from the Apple II to the arcade? What simple foreign puzzle game did Brøderbund pa...

Are you the best tennist? Well then, slap on your Citizen watch, drink a fresh bottle of Evian, and prove it on Sega's virtua carpet courts against tennis legends like Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Mark Phillipoussis. Lets Power Smash it with Virtua Tennis! Wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world? Should we have a Real Arcade Wives of Podouken episode? What are our controversial takes on Pickleba...

It was the best Batman game in arcades. It may have been the best baseball game in the arcades. It wasn't the best Ninja game in arcades but two out of three ain't bad. For the first episode of our Listeners' Choice (part 5) miniseries (and our 5th year anniversary episode) we're going to discuss the most known unknown game out there - Irem's Ninja Baseball Bat Man. How did this intoxicating combi...

It's time to power down the LaserTimeDisc miniseries before it starts overheating with an Arcade Obscura. The hosts each pick a LaserDisc arcade game that they feel is either obscure or underrated (or both)! None of the hosts know what the other person's picks are so it always causes some interesting… situations. Did it finally happen? Did we all pick the same game? Why is "An Occurrence at Owl Cr...

Defender of justice, truth, and the planet Earth. Ace is being attacked by the evil Commander Borf. Struggle with Dexter to regain his manhood. Destroy the Infanto-Ray. Defeat the evil Borf. Be valiant, space warrior, the fate of Earth is in your hands in the Don Bluth animated, RDI programmed, and Cinematronics produced Space Ace! Is Space Ace the best laserdisc arcade game? What The Simpsons voi...

So you're telling me there was a LaserDisc arcade game… made by popular pinball manufacturer Stern… in 1983… featuring the film directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki… based on the popular Lupin the III anime… called Cliff Hanger … that is not related to the Sylvester Stallone movie? Yes we are, and we're going to talk all about it in this episode. Will Count Dreyco strike the first blow? Will the pr...

Well howdy, Stranger. Do you think you're tough enough to take on the Mad Dog? Why don't you take a seat over yonder as I tell the tale of a hit LaserDisc full motion video game that took the arcades hostage in the early 90s. This is the tale of Mad Dog McCree. How did a law enforcement simulator company in New Mexico end up being the new sharpshooter of the arcade? Did Jarrod find the perfect spe...

Time to spin up a new arcade miniseries with the Laser(Time)Disc! The first game is a fantasy adventure where we become a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. Sure, it's a tired formula, but this one has animation from Don Bluth! We are entering the Dragon's Lair. Hey kids, do you want to hear about the history of the analog optical disc format...

We finish our second round of the Neo Geo 4 Slot miniseries with the ultimate retrospective on the MVS Metal Slug series which include Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, and Metal Slug 5. Will Jarrod be able to keep it together with the conclusion of this Neo Geo miniseries? What were our thoughts on the first season of X-Men 97 (contains high-le...

Let's be honest, 1997 wasn't our favorite year due to a trio of horrible deaths, songs like "MMMBop" ruling the radio, and George Lucas unleashing Greedo shooting first upon the theater-going public. But that doesn't mean the Neo Geo games of that year weren't awesome! We assemble our 4 slot with a duo of puzzle games in Money Puzzle Exchanger and Magical Drop 3, the return of another samurai figh...

It's 1996 - maybe the best year ever - where we got the Macarena (plus some actual good music), "draw me like one of your French girls'' entered the popular vernacular, and the worst console controller was released. It also might have also been the best Neo Geo release year as we show with our 4 slot selections of Neo Mr. Do!, Neo Drift Out: New Technology, Twinkle Star Sprites, and Ghostlop (AKA...

Travel back to the year 1995 when we all found out who shot Mr. Burns, Apollo 13 came out so that all future movie trailers can use James Horner's music for their dramatic themes, and Calvin & Hobbes sled off into the snow one final time. Reminisce as the Podouken crew assembles their Neo Geo 4 slot with their picks of 1995 with Savage Reign, Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash, Pulstar, and Puzzle de...

Welcome to the year 1994 where the White House launched a website with unintended results, the Mandela effect kicked into high gear, and the most-watched car race ever was televised. Let's dust off an old miniseries, clean out the slots, and assemble the Neo Geo 4 slot with the Podouken picks for 1994 with Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy, Windjammers, Aero Fighters 2, and Zed Blade. What beloved childho...