Main Quest Podcast

After six years, hundreds of episodes, and more conversations about retro games than anyone asked for, the Main Quest has hit another milestone! On this Side Quest episode I take a step back to reflect on my journey from the early days of the program, its return, to the incredible year of growth, guest, and community support that followed.  But I'm not only looking back...I'm also looking ahead. M...

The Final Fantasy everyone forgot takes center stage! This week I'm joined by Chris Coplien and Marc "Try4ce" Duddleson to dive into the experimental, often overlooked, Final Fantasy V! We break down the mechanics, do a deep dive on the story, and why this one is often overshadowed by its SNES siblings. Is this really the best Final Fantasy of the 16-bit era?? THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my gues...

Do you remember Super Adventure Island ? Maybe I'm the only one... This week I'm joined by Ashton Ruby to revisit one of Hudson Soft's most successful franchises. Are flashy graphics and a bumpin' soundtrack enough to carry cookie cutter game play? It might be a good game but "Super" doesn't always guarantee a classic. WARP ZONES (0:22) Intro (2:50) Ashton & Gaming (13:54) Previous Histories (19:3...

This week we are talking about one of the most striking and divisive games of the early 90's, Out of This World! Coury Carlson and I dive into the cinematic presentation, trial and error game design, and the challenges of porting the game to the Super Nintendo. Whether you consider the game a masterpiece or a miserable experience, we certainly hammer down why it remains unforgettable. WARP ZONES (...

Original Air Date January 16th, 2026 for Patrons With Resident Evil Requiem just a week away, I'm returning to Capcom's survival horror juggernaut for a predictions episode! I reflect on where Resident Evil has been since Village , what I hope the next mainline entry prioritizes, and why atmosphere, restraint, and identity matter more than spectacle or fan service. I also touch on the series' shif...

This week I'm talking about off-brand Mario, Mario Is Missing! What began as an earnest attempt at broadening the Mario brand turns into a case study of confused design that has no interest in valuing your time. I break down why this game fails as both a learning tool and as a video game and how the marketing doomed it before it even hit store shelves. WARP ZONES NFS Most Wanted (4:16) Radiant His...

One of the foundations of the "beat em up" genre, I'm tackling Capcom's Final Fight ! Not the arcade but the ambitious yet deeply compromised Super Nintendo port. I breakdown its beginnings as a Street Fighter sequel, and whether or not flashy enemy AI and a punishing grind are all worth playing...single player?? WARP ZONES (2:54) Intro & Plugs (6:34) Games I'm Playing (13:00) Previous History (15...

2025 comes to a close with my Top 10 Game of the Year breakdown. I revisit my mid year rankings and reflect on how my tastes shifted over the course of the year. From surprise indie standouts and retro revisits to one all consuming obsession, it is a year that certainly defined me as a "Gamer". I also look ahead at what's waiting in the backlog next and what's in store for the podcast in 2026! THE...

It's Game of the Year season once again, and the panel from last year's Symposium returns to finish what we started. Matt Storm, Eric Gess, Kade Call, and Phil Morgan join me for a 2.5 hour deep dive into how GOTY conversations have (or haven't) changed over the past year. We dig into the flood of new releases, the strange rules around what "counts," and the ongoing dominance of exclusives. It's a...

BIG MONEY! BIG PRIZES! I LOVE IT! In this episode of The Main Quest , I team up once again with SeekYeWisdom to dive into Super Smash TV , Williams' hyper violent, game show inspired twin-stick shooter that set the tone for arcade excess in the early '90s. We unpack how Smash TV connects to the DNA of Mortal Kombat and Robotron 2084 , and how its mix of satire, capitalism, and gore made it a cult...

What's left to say about Super Mario World? I'm finally doing the damn thing with returning guest Eric Gess (The Unlockables, 9 To 5 Bears). Instead of regurgitating the same analysis, we break the game down by "worlds", exploring its timeless design, hidden secrets, and why it still feels perfect decades later. We're heavy on the nostalgia, dumb jokes, and a few spicy takes on why Mario 3 might n...

In this Ghoulcade finale, I am joined by Matt Storm and Chris Dominguez to dissect Nintendo's 1994 masterpiece, Super Metroid . From development hurdles and poor sales to speedrunning innovations and the infamous Meridia, my crew debates whether Super Metroid truly deserves its legendary status. Along the way, we share personal histories, hot takes, and community recollections that cover everythin...

Enjoy this free preview of a Patreon exclusive episode! THE SHOW NOTES Find & support my guest over at: Toby VonDoom and Secret Levels Shane and Retro Hangover Phil and Deleted Saves | BlueSky All of the music contained in the full episode can be enjoyed on Spotify The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfe...

Springfield deserves better. Bart chases his homework through a janky hub world, awkward mini-games, and one of Acclaim's messiest licensed efforts. Leatcho returns to break down why this game feels more Shelbyville than Springfield, from the chaotic design to the surprising development story of Bill Williams. Plus: community retro recollections and plenty of Simpsons references along the way. WAR...

The Ghoulcade returns! Phil and I sink our fangs into Super Castlevania IV ! Konami resurrects their spooky NES franchise and refines what Castlevania actually plays like. Refining controls, messing up timelines and dividing fans. Remake? Reboot? Or just one of the weirdest Castlevania games out there? WARP ZONES AI Movies & RPG's (4:39) Previous History's (20:25) Development (30:29) Retro Recolle...

On today's Patron selected episode I'm discussing one of the most beloved Game Boy Advance titles. Golden Sun has a lot going for it and is Camelot Software's golden child but is it everything it's cracked up to be? Should it have been a Gamecube game? Does it need a remake? And is this possibly the best soundtrack in the entire GBA catalog? Come on in as I talk about all of this and a ton more on...

Cecil may have a redemption arc, but the rest of the party is completely irredeemable... Matt Storm is back, and we're talking about the first 16-bit Final Fantasy! From its conception and "spoony" localization, to a cast of characters so dumb they nearly hand the planet over to the bad guys but still fall backwards into saving it. WARP ZONES Previous History's (5:12) Development (20:35) Game Desi...

We're officially off to the.... races ! Matt Storm (Fun & Games/Reignite) returns for the start of SNES coverage as we take a high-speed dive into F-Zero , Nintendo's flashy, futuristic racer. We break down its roots as a Mode 7 tech demo, the absence of two-player, and why it still kind of rules despite being brutally unfair. We dig into Captain Falcon's bounty hunting origins, a quick dunk on Fi...

Before diving into the Super Nintendo library, I'm taking a moment to reflect on what the console meant to me growing up. From moving into a new home and finding my first real friends, to renting games based on box art and falling in love with RPG's. I'm sharing those early memories, how the SNES shaped the way I play, and a few predictions for what my Top 10 might look like by the end of this jou...

After two years of playing through Sega's 16-bit library, I'm closing the book with my personal top 10 picks. Genesis, Sega CD, 32X. The games I loved, the ones that surprised me, and the weird ones I probably like too much. It's a laid-back sendoff to an era that meant more than I expected. THE SHOW NOTES The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien -...

In this episode I dive into Sega's history - from postwar Japan to the Master System's global impact, through the highs of the Genesis and the chaos of the Sega CD and 32X. It's a story of ambition, innovation, and how Sega ultimately undermined its own success. THE SHOW NOTES Streets of Rage 2 Commercial Night Trap: 25 Years Later / My Life In Gaming The Main Quest is brought to you by the suppor...

This week I team up with Ginger and Willie from Grand Rapidians Play Video Games for a chaotic Power Hour sendoff to the Sega Genesis. What starts as an earnest look at Sonic Spinball quickly spirals into stories about mail trucks, vaginal fortresses, buttholes with teeth. and pinball physics that absolutely do not work. And yet, there's actual insight into why this game turned out the way it did....

In the premiere episode of "Quest Givers," I sit down with game developer Chris Anderson of Newt Industries—creators of Risk System , Garbinge , and the upcoming Bangle & Maggie . We discuss how a chance playground meet-up sparked a development partnership, how Chris's early PC tinkering turned into indie game passion, and the major challenges of the gaming industry. THE SHOW NOTES Find & support...

I am joined once again by Raging Demon from the mighty Kommand List podcast to take on the doughy mess that is ClayFighter . Together we dig into the game's baffling legacy, its claymation presentation, the questionable gameplay, and why it somehow got sequels despite nobody actually liking it. WARP ZONES Fighting Game Round-Up (3:43) Previous History's (15:26) Development (21:58) Retro Recollecti...

THE SHOW NOTES The Main Quest is brought to you by the supporters on Patreon SeekYeWisdom - Chris Coplien - Eric Gess - XeroSam - LowFiveAlex - Vanfernal - Leathco - RyanPlayerOne - Poppy The Masked Keaton - B-Ross - Aiden Bisco - Raging Demon - Subscribe: RSS | YouTube | Apple | Spotify | and More