Cocktail Mode: Retro Games, Cocktails and Banter

This week, Andy and Dave are taking a trip back to 1987, the golden age of radness, with a look at the pixelated paradise of California Games. They'll reminisce about the highs and the lows all the totally tubular events that made this game a classic. But the real challenge begins after the playthrough: can they find the perfect cocktail to capture the spirit of sun, surf, and digitized sports? Wi...

This week on Cocktail Mode, Andy and Dave are serving up some ace discussions as they step onto the court with the legendary Virtua Tennis! They'll be reminiscing about its ground-breaking arcade gameplay, incredibly fluid controls, and how it dominated the tennis game genre, bringing accessible fun to courts everywhere. From power shots to drop shots, they'll cover what made Virtua Tennis a true...

This week on Cocktail Mode, Andy and Dave are putting on their racing helmets for a special F1-themed episode. They're hitting the accelerator on Sega's groundbreaking classic, Virtua Racing, diving deep into its revolutionary graphics, iconic arcade experience, and how it laid the groundwork for countless racing games that followed. Get ready for a full-throttle discussion about the thrill of the...

Access Granted. Prepare for a mind-bending journey! This episode on Cocktail Mode, Andy and Dave are joined by special guest Rich to hack into the darkly atmospheric world of System Shock. From the groundbreaking original that redefined immersive sims to the terrifying psychological horror of System Shock 2, they'll discuss every iteration, bug, and brilliant design choice that makes these games l...

Slap shot into nostalgia! This week, Andy and Dave are inspired by the king of 16-bit hockey, NHL '94! They'll be reliving the glory days of one-timers, goalie fights, and that iconic organ music, while also exploring the evolution of ice hockey video games through the years. From early pixelated puck battles to modern-day simulations, they're covering all the major league hits and cult classics....

Kick, punch, it's all in the mind! This week, Andy and Dave are dropping the beat and getting groovy with the one and only PaRappa the Rapper! They'll be exploring the game's unique style, unforgettable tunes, and lasting legacy, while also charting the evolution of the entire rhythm action genre through the years. And what's a rhythm session without a refreshing drink? They've mixed up a cocktail...

Have you ever dreamed of leading your favourite football club to glory? This week, Andy and Dave are joined by the tactical mastermind James to delve deep into the addictive world of Championship Manager! They'll be charting the evolution of this iconic series, reminiscing about late nights scouting wonderkids and agonizing over transfer decisions. Plus, they'll be exploring the wider landscape of...

Leap into the bizarre world of the Nth Dimension with Andy and Dave as they revisit the iconic Amiga platformer, Zool. This week, Andy and Dave are taking a deep dive into the legacy of this unique Amiga platformer, from its lightning-fast gameplay to its ingenious level design. They'll also be venturing into the world of Zool 2 along with other games that tried to push random products into our ad...

Are you ready to bodyslam into nostalgia? This week, Andy and Dave are joined by the tag team champion himself, Chris from the 'Once Upon a Turnstile' podcast, for a deep dive into the pixelated power of WrestleFest! They'll be reminiscing about their favourite arcade moments, discussing other classic wrestling games that graced our screens, and trading stories about the larger-than-life world of...

Get ready to question everything! This episode, Andy and Dave dive headfirst into the chaotic world of April Fools' Day pranks in the realm of retro video games. But the fun doesn't stop there! We're also shaking up some delightfully deceptive cocktails, concocted with a mischievous twist to celebrate the spirit of April Fools'. Prepare for a blend of pixelated pandemonium and boozy bamboozlement...

Dive into the pixelated mayhem of classic 'Worms' with Andy and Dave! They'll be revisiting their favourite moments from this artillery strategy gem, reminiscing about holy hand grenades and errant sheep. But that's not all! They'll also be on a quest to find the perfect cocktail pairing for the chaotic, hilarious gameplay. Tune in to for gaming nostalgia, cocktail concoctions, and plenty of frien...

Did it kill gaming as we knew it? Is it hugely over-rated? Do spoilers have an expiry date? Find out all this and more as we take Snake on his seminal PS1 journey. Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail

You may know it as Hot Shots Golf - but whatever the name it's one of the few games to ever make golf fun! We talk about the whole series, some contemporaries, and Dave even takes the time to explain that whole Tiger Woods, PGA Tour, Masters, EA Sports naming convention mess. We also do a bit of a round up on some games and drinks mentioned in previous episodes and finally choose these two lovely...

To celebrate the launch into Early Access of Tokyo Extreme Racer, Dave and Andy look back at where this series started and play entries all the way from the SNES to the Xbox 360. Obviously you mustn't drink and drive but we did (eventually) find a couple of great cocktails to go along with game for you to try out once you're home safe! Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail

*Apologies for some occasional and very slight crackle on the audio this episode* We take to the streets of Tokyo-to with Beat, Gum, and the rest of the GGs with the iconic granddaddy of cel-shaded games: Jet Set Radiooooooo!!! Also up for discussion is the sequel Jet Set Radio Future, along with several of the newer games released that pay homage to it... such as Bum Rash Cider Punk. Drinks are o...

Welcome to Season 2 of Cocktail mode where 2 old mates continue to struggle to stay on topic aout an old videogame and then try to chose a cocktail that compliments it. This episode is about the the CaRPG that started it all, with mild diversions into Ridge Racer, MSR, Motor Toon GP, and of course Dark Souls... Wait. What? Also, hi to https://martinishot.blog/, who get a mention late in the episod...

Join us for our very agnostic break from the usual format as we discuss the games of Christmas Past and the drinks of Christmas Present. Thanks to ZapSplat for an extra little festive flair this episode Extra special thank you to Smooth-Foot-4688, 'Neil', and the boys of Pig Unit for providing our special Xmas outro: A wonderful gift for you; our lucky listener! Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail

How much fun is 'so much fun'? How attached can you get to a 12 pixel face? How did they squeeze this masterpiece onto the Game Boy Color? We may or may not actually answer these questions, but we have a damn good time while we talk about Cannon Fodder and try and pair it with a cocktail! Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail THAT Intro song

The first person shooter that predates the name 'first person shooter' - Listen to Dave and Andy discus the history, the sequels, the legacy, and of course the fridges. Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail The best song you'll hear today

A double header of blade clashing action courtesy of the first two games in Namco's epic tale of souls and swords, eternally retold! What's our favourite in the series? What's our favourite character? What cocktails will we choose? What... I mean - WHAT - actually is Voldo!? All this and more in this weeks Cocktail Mode! Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail THAT intro cinematic

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah! If it's good enough for Tim Waltz, if good enough for us... We're showing our love to one of the Dreamcast's most iconic games this time out on Cocktail Mode: Crazy Taxi reminds us what it was like before the PlayStation and Xbox turned everything brown and grimy! We'll talk punk, we'll talk sequels, we'll talk law suits, and we'll talk S-Club 7... yes, really! Andy's Coc...

The greatest videogame ever made? The greatest marketing machine that ever existed? The greatest piece of fortuitous episode timing ever? As the new TV series lands, the remastered original trilogy flies high in the charts, and the conversation about 'what's next' gets ever more prevalent - it couldn't be a better time for Andy and Dave to weigh in on what they think of Lara Croft and her various...

Welcome to the party, pal, where the drinks are great and the games are... err... you'll have to listen to find out. Dave and Andy wander off topic (as usual) in this episode and end up discussing every Die Hard videogame ever made and spend no small amount of time chatting about the films too. Cocktails this week: Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail sadly doesn't have a link this week.

Some say "He can't be killed", some say "He drinks blood", I say: This is our longest episode yet so strap for a wild ride back to the eighties when films were great, games were great, and Jim Carrey (thankfully) wasn't famous yet! Drinks this episode: Andy's Cocktail Dave's Cocktail

The seminal Irem shooter R-Type is the seed to start this episodes conversation about all things H-Shmup - from Gradius to Einhander, Defender to Delta - all bases are covered but they are sadly not 'belong to us', as we complete neglect to mention 'Zero Wing' in all it's meme-y glory. Nevermind, eh? For a bonus point, see if you can spot the moment Andy complete ignores Dave's Star Wars pun! Cock...