Lost Joystick Network

Episode number two in our backlog remediation plan (and number 57 in our hearts) centers around one of the most famous on-rails FPS FMV games for the SegaCD. Yep.. you guessed it.. Sewer Shark. Also, it's in the title of the episode so we're really not that impressed that you guessed it. Unless you're under forty years old.. then it's impressive that you've even taken the time...

Well well well.. what do we have here? Looks like a "new" episode of our show. Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is there's a backlog that we will be posting over the course of the next few days. The bad news is there was a backlog that needs to get posted over the new few days. Now with that out of the way, let's get to what we're all here for: FULL FRONTAL N...

Do you like running fast, jumping hurdles or competing in family fun and fitness?.... Yeah, we don't either, but if you think you are fast and you want to talk about the proverbial "great white whale" of the NES (ironically he lost his leg and we are talking about a running game...Ahab lost the leg, Mike and Jay are talking games) then you are in luck. Buckle up it's a wild ride,...

Let's whisk away to Yuria. A land where the reptile fiend Death Adder has invaded every village and massacred thousands. Doesn't sound very appealing does it? Well, what if we told you that when you get there you're going to assume control of one of three powerful heroes who's only mission is to overthrow Death Adder and bring peace to Yuria, using a combination of melee and magic...

Well, this is it. Are you ready to step into the world of high-risk video game investing? If so, THIS is your chance. Chase Peridot, AKA the "Retro Gem Miner" has agreed to waive his standard appearance fee in the hopes that he can enlighten unsophisticated collectors. -- That's right.. RGM is willing to teach you everything you need to know about video game investments, including an...

The boys are back (finally) and this time they're discussing another certified banger: Illusion of Gaia for the Super Nintendo. -- If you've ever thought "I'd like to listen to some old guys talk about a game where a pig sacrifices himself for the betterment of humanity" then do we have good news for you. So tune in and find out what drove Hamlet to this lowly state. -- Thank...

Town and Country Surf Designs: Wood and Water Rage. The name just rolls off the tongue. Developed by Atlas and published by the clowns at LJN, this is a simple game that reminds us of a simpler time. A time where cats in tuxedos avoid seagulls while surfing. So we hope you'll take a few minutes out of your busy day to listen to our thoughts on one of the most 80's games in the NES library....

Well.. here we are.. Episode 50. And man.. did we come correct. Quake for the PC is the subject. When people talk about the bangeriest of bangers, Quake is in that discussion. -- So tune in and see what the crew thinks of the game that helped do things like create online deathmatches, popularize eSports, and prevent thousands of nerds from ever kissing a girl. -- Thank you for tuning in. We apprec...

Yars' Revenge.. sounds ominous and, come to find out, it is. The LJN squad dug into the story of this 1982 classic from Atari and man.. there's a lot to unpack. To us, the most impressive part of the backstory of Yars' Revenge is that the primary antagonist was able to destroy an invincible cannon. That could not have been an easy task to take on, but it's true. So tune in to the l...

It's time to get gritty.. but with some legit electro music pumping in the background. Streets of Rage 2 a certified banger, as well as Yuzo Koshiro's aural masterpiece. So tune in and give us a listen. The whole crew chimes in on what many consider to be one of the must-haves for the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive. - Thank you all for listening! We appreciate every single one of you. If it wasn...

Spring is in the air, which means it's time for baseball. Well.. it used to mean that, back when people cared about baseball. The good news is that people still care about Baseball Stars for the NES. Well.. at least a few of them, who all happen to be on this show. - It also means that it's time for the Midwest Gaming Classic! Come find our booth at the vendor hall. And if you are reading...

Now we know that a lot of people are going to complain and say "Oh wow.. the LJN guys are doing another NES game. *YAWN*".  Well that's just not true.  We played the Famicom version of Parodius Da! and the Famicom is NOT the NES.  And before you get all uppity about how we also played the PAL version of the game, remember that it's generally regarded as the "nes" in Europe.  To...

The year in 1988 and you're Bill Rizer AKA Mad Dog, one of America's two most cunning, courageous, and ruthless soldiers from the Special Forces elite commando squad.   Also, you look almost exactly like Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Predator", other than your perfect flat-top haircut.  Your partner, Lance Bean, goes by Scorpion and also resembles someone from "Predator".  You have...

We were joined by the one and only Michael Chiaramonte, NES programmer extraordinaire, to discuss a game that many people regard as one of the best of all-time: "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" for the Super Nintendo.   -- Come listen and find out what the crew thought of this classic.  Also, you can find Mr. Chiaramonte hanging in The Collector's Quest patreon-only Discord or o...

When you do research about classic video games, you learn things.  Take Double Dragon III, for example. We learned that Bimmy Lee may be the most loyal partner in the world.  His girlfriend has been kidnapped (AGAIN) so he and his brother, Jimmy set out on a mission.  A mission to KICK ASS all over the world, in an attempt to find Marion and rescue her.   - Or maybe it's Jimmy...

So you think you're radical, huh?  Yeah?  HOW radical?  Because we've got news for you JACK.. you will NEVER be as radical as Casey.  Oh, you don't know who Casey is?  Your Radical Meter just dipped into oblivion, poser.  Casey is KID CHAMELEON and he's the toughest, coolest head in town.  He REFUSES to be beaten.   Yeah, that's right.  So come join the...

"Mega Man 2."  What else do you need to say?  If you have a podcast like we do, the answer is "quite a bit, actually".  Mega Man 2 makes us wonder:  are there people that DON'T like this game?  We here at LJN like to imagine there aren't.   And lets be honest.. even if they do exist, are those really the kind of people you'd want to be associated with?  The...

The crew is lucky to be joined by friend of the show and co-host of The Collector's Quest podcast, Tyler Wilkin.   We used our time wisely and discussed one of the bangeriest Atari 2600 bangers of all-time:  Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns.      We are here answering the tough questions like "what's the deal with this stupid rat" and "does Quickclaw have some sort o...

The squad is back to talk about one of the best-selling launch titles for the original PlayStation: Ridge Racer.  Look, we get it.. early PlayStation is a tough sell.  Couple that with the game being an arcade-style racer and it's easy to see why the first iteration of the Ridge Racer series may leave a bit to be desired for some.    Tune in to find out what the boys think...

Pit-Fighter.  The name alone evokes such lucid imagery; shurikens, combatants in sweat pants and a tank top throwing motorcycles on a freeway overpass, and sticks.   If you have the time, sit back and allow Jay and Mike to whisk you away to a 16-bit wonderland.  A wonderland of digitized graphics and post-fight celebrations where defeating Sidewalk Jim gets you raised on a fork...

Here's the deal.. Splatterhouse is cool.  There's no way around that.  It's a cool game with a gory overarching theme.  So if you're interested in hearing about a cool game where you can waste gruesome creatures with a two-by-four or meat cleaver, then yeah.. tune in.  If not, then why are you reading this?  You know we talk about Splatterhouse.  It's right there in t...

The boys from LJN are back and this time it's serious.  Since it is now October, we are contractually obligated to discuss scary or horror-themed games.  To fulfill this requirement, Mike and Jay break down a game that could definitely be considered horrendous: Dr. Chaos for the Nintendo Entertainment System.  Tune and and find out why this game exists and who is responsible so they...

Jay and Mike are joined in-studio by our good friend Kelan AKA milwaukeeretrogamer to discuss another certified banger of a game: Arkanoid.   That's right..  Johnny hasn't killed the show.. yet.  Tune in to hear our thoughts on the highest-grossing table arcade table cabinet in Japan in 1987.  Oh, did we mention it was ALSO the highest-grossing arcade conversion kit in the...

The squad is back.  This time they are joined by the one and only Johnny Iucci from The Collector's Quest Podcast and we are all here to discuss another certified banger:  Super Castlevania IV for the Super Nintendo.  Please pardon any fidelity issues, as we did record this remotely and there seemed to be some slight issues from time to time.  We did our best, which usually isn...

The Godzilla games for the NES.  Man.. trying to play these games is akin to trying to stay awake until 2:30AM on a Wednesday night to watch a Godzilla movie back in the old days when you had to watch what THE MAN told you to watch.  Those days are over and your entertainment medium choices in the modern world are almost limitless, which just makes the fact that you choose to listen to u...