KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

From 1999 through 2007, The Sopranos aired on HBO. Indeed, it was only HBO's second scripted series ever (kinda crazy when you think about that through today's lens, huh?). The story of Tony Soprano and his two families -- his actual family and his crime family -- is considered some of the finest storytelling to ever grace television, and is more than worthy of a meaty episode of KnockBack. Allow...

In the late '80s and early '90s, few (if any) electronics companies were more respected than Sony. Eager to get into gaming, Sony partnered with Nintendo on a project called Play Station (with the space!), but Nintendo pulled out of the deal, leaving Sony embarrassed and bruised. But Sony sought retribution, and in 1994, it launched PlayStation (intercapped!), and changed gaming forever. Today's e...

We all have movies that stick with us as we move through life. Some films inspire us and make us happy; others provoke thought or make us sad. And some are movies we had no business watching as children, and stuck with us simply because of how terrified they made us. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to just that: The movies our parents shouldn't have let us see, movies that have lingered...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has had exceptional staying power. It's enjoyed ebbs and flows in its relevance and success, of course, but it's been in the nerd consciousness for more than 30 years, and there's a reason for that: TMNT is awesome. Today's KnockBack is dedicated to the Turtles, with much of the conversation focusing on the classic 1990 film. But obviously, we touch on the cartoons, to...

In the pre-Internet days, few things distracted children as much as Nickelodeon, one of the earliest and most successful cable television channels ever created. With humble origins in the late '70s (when it was known as Pinwheel), Nickelodeon hit its stride during the Reagan Administration and never looked back. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to Nickelodeon during the '80s; Dagan and I...

In 1991, a game came out that changed the Moriarty Brothers' lives: Street Fighter II. SF2 took the world by storm, and changed the way we looked at, played, and experienced games forever. Indeed, when it comes to sheer hours played, there are few games we dumped more time into, whether then or now. This episode is dedicated to our many memories playing Street Fighter II (and its offshoots), remin...

War is hell. But on the big screen, it's sure as hell fun to watch. On this week's episode of KnockBack, Dagan and I take a long, hard look at our favorite war movies -- from the obvious to the obscure -- and discuss why movies that show such heinous acts of violence can also uplift us all with equally amazing acts of heroism and valor. So suit up, grab your M1 Garand, and get listening!       Lea...

On today's episode of KnockBack, Dagan and I veer back into the realm of video games, and reach back toward one of our absolute favorite consoles: The NES. With a ton of games in its library, it makes sense that some titles would go underappreciated, unnoticed, or underrated. This podcast is dedicated to the latter, specifically: Underrated NES games -- well-known or otherwise -- that don't get th...

In the late '80s, Dagan and his friend would venture to a monthly comic book convention at a Long Island Holiday Inn, where a lone merchant would sell mysterious video tapes from Japan for $30 apiece. These tapes were full of cartoons that he'd never seen or heard of before, and it was at this point -- earlier than all but the best-connected and absolute nerdiest westerners -- that Dagan was intro...

From 1982 through 1994, G.I. Joe took the toy world by storm, introducing an extensive line of action figures, a never-ending comic book run, multiple TV series (and a full-length movie), and much more into the lives of kids the world over. It just so happens that Dagan and I share a deep affinity for all things G.I. Joe, and wanted to dedicate an episode of KnockBack not only to the Joe toys, com...

There are few properties in nerdom Dagan and I love more than The Twilight Zone, the classic late '50s-early '60s television show that spawned generations of televised sci-fi, including the beloved Black Mirror. Today's episode starts with the Twilight Zone, but it doesn't end there. Instead, we walk you through our favorite episodes of the show before pivoting to other fiction -- from Ray Bradbur...

On this week's episode of CLS: KnockBack, Dagan and I discuss the ever-growing retro game collecting scene. Dagan is an avid and dedicated collector of old games (particularly NES, SNES, Famicom, and Super Famicom), and has tons of insight and lots of interesting stories about what it's like being a collector these days. This is a really fun and lively episode, and I hope you enjoy it.        Lear...

Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to Nintendo, the great video game company that has brought all of us so much joy over the decades. Question is, which of their products is best? To figure that out, we take the time to discuss every console and handheld released by Nintendo, from NES through Wii U, and then put them in our preferred orders. We hope you enjoy!        Learn more about your a...

Welcome to the inaugural episode of KnockBack, the all-new podcast series co-hosted by brothers Colin and Dagan Moriarty! KnockBack is a series dedicated to the nerdy things we love from our past, from movies, TV, and video games, to books, toys, and comics, and much more. We dedicated our first episode to a topic we know and love: The Empire Strikes Back. We hope you enjoy our chat.     Learn mor...

CLS: KnockBack is an all-new podcast series co-hosted by brothers Colin and Dagan Moriarty. Each week, the show delves into a nostalgic, memory-driven topic from the World of Nerdom, whether that's a video game, a movie, a TV show, a toy, or something else entirely. New episodes go live each Wednesday, but you can get each show six days early -- plus lots of other perks -- but financially support...