Midwest Gaming Classic Podcast

This episode features a panel discussion recorded live at the 2018 Midwest Gaming Classic in the Guys, Games, and Beers room, with members representing the Cartridge Club community — one of the most enduring and welcoming online communities in gaming. For more than a decade, Cartridge Club has brought together gamers and collectors of all ages through their monthly Game of the Month discussions, l...

In this episode, we revisit one of gaming’s most infamous moments: the North American video game crash of 1983. Was Atari really to blame, or is the story more complicated? Recorded live at the 2018 Midwest Gaming Classic , this special segment features the Retronauts Podcast team of Jeremy Parish and Bob Mackey , alongside Atari historians Martin Goldberg and Kevin Bunch . Together, they challeng...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into what it means when your career — and your life — become forever tied to an iconic video game character. We’re joined by two legends from opposite sides of game culture. Jon St. John, one of gaming’s first true rock-star voice actors, is best known as the unmistakable voice of Duke Nukem, a role he’s defined since the 1990s. Sonic fans will also recognize h...

In this episode, we sit down with one of the most dynamic creators in the tabletop scene: writer, game designer, and longtime RPG veteran Rob Wieland. Rob leads us on an energetic journey through the realm of role-playing games — covering updates in the newest edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and exploring the many legendary franchises he’s contributed to, from Star Wars to Firefly and beyond. W...

Last week we wrapped up our final 2017 panels—now it’s time to jump into 2018. In this week's podcast episode, author and historian Dr. Ken Horowitz (founder of Sega-16.com) explores the rise, legacy, and lasting impact of SEGA. From its 1960s arcade roots to the Genesis/Mega Drive boom and experimental hardware like the Sega CD, 32X, Game Gear, and Dreamcast, SEGA’s history is packed with inn...

In the season five premiere episode, we kick things off with a true milestone in gaming history. In 2016, Terry and Dan Diebold unveiled the legendary Nintendo PlayStation prototype at the Midwest Gaming Classic — the first time it was ever shown publicly in the United States. The following year, they returned with hardware wizard Ben Heck to update us on the prototype’s travels, discoveries, and...

In the last podcast episode of the season, the Nostalgia Critic Crew returns to the Midwest Gaming Classic to discuss the good, bad, and ugly of arcade game film and series adaptations! What makes an adaptation good or bad? Which ones are the Crew’s favorites and why? Which ones are their least favorite? And why did the movie ‘Mean Girls’ get a video game adaptation? (Seriously, they might not be...

Join the man known as the “Father of Adventure Games” Scott Adams, as well as David A. Rodriguez, an associate narrative director for one of today’s biggest adventure games, Diablo IV! Historian Martin Goldberg will moderate this journey exploring the differences in how early games were made compared to the games of today. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 20...

Your voice is more than a sound you make, and no one can share that message better than actors Carolina Ravassa (Sombra in Overwatch) and Christopher Sean (Ultraman/Ken Sato in Netflix’s Ultraman: Rising). Join them as they talk about how they got their roles, as well as how to juggle personal health and well-being. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 2026 WHER...

Think you’ve got what it takes to become a voice actor? Enter the mines with the people behind the voices of Zane, Kim, and Pierce the Sheep from the Aphmau channel on YouTube! Select audience members will read scripts, and this awesome voice acting crew will provide fun feedback! TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 2026 WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave...

In this special hour-and-a-half episode, John Parrish (Jax in Mortal Kombat 3) and Lia Montelongo (Sindel in Mortal Kombat 3) join us to talk fitness! Picked to be digitized for their athleticism 30 years ago, they’ll share tips and tricks to stay in Kombat-ready shape for life! After the panel, step into the arena with John and Lia for the ultimate 45-minute Mortal Kombat Warrior Workout! As lege...

When Atari refused to give developers credit for their game designs, a number of programmers, including David Crane, broke away and started the first third party video game company: Activision. Widely considered to have made some of the best 2600 games, join programmers David Crane, Dan Kitchen and Garry Kitchen as they discuss with Atari historian Marty Goldberg what it was like in the early days...

Join us for an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Stern Pinball’s latest title, Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant's Eye. Featuring lead game designer Brian Eddy, lead software designer Dwight Sullivan, lead artist Vince Proce, and script writer Zack Proce. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 2026 WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 5320...

Are you a fan of Mystery Science Theater-style comedy? If so, you do not want to miss this, as Jonah Ray is on hand to riff the legendarily bad Atari Jaguar infomercial “The Cave” from 1995. Are you ready for 64 bits? We doubt it, but you probably want to watch anyway. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 2026 WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee,...

Jeremy Parish of Retronauts, along with Brian Clark and Kevin Bunch, are on hand to discuss the “Greatest RPG Ever!” just like they did last year with Final Fantasy VI! This year’s “Greatest RPG Ever!” is Chrono Trigger, the time-hopping, Square masterpiece that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year! Don’t miss it, as they’ll explain why this time, they’re right, this is the greatest RPG e...

Legendary arcade designer Eugene Jarvis has been making hit after hit for arcades ever since Defender and Robotron 2084, and his games keep getting better! Last year, he talked about the new Godzilla VR experience, this year he will be joined Stephen Hack and Ray Rosario from Raw Thrills to talk about some of the great things they’re up to. The future of arcade games is bright, and they’ll tell yo...

With over 24 million copies sold over six games, the gritty world of Devil May Cry has been capturing the minds of gamers for over 20 years. Join Dan Southworth, Reuben Langdon, Faye Kingslee and Brian Hanford as they reminisce about their experiences creating the emotion (and actual motions) that drives this award winning game series forward. Original Panel Date: April 5, 2025 TICKETS: https://ww...

Recently, the gaming world was stunned to hear that a new Portal game was about to be unveiled and that game… is a pinball machine?! That’s right, Multimorphic, the company behind awesome games like the Princess Bride and Weird Al has unveiled their next pinball machine, and it’s PORTAL! Join designer Josh Kugler to explore how this game came together. Original Panel Date: April 5, 2025 TICKETS: h...

Join podcast host Jason Gares as he interviews the Co-owner of the Midwest Gaming Classic Dan Loosen, and Entertainment Director Matt Isbill about some of the exciting things that happened at the 2025 convention. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/attend/ WHEN: April 24-26, 2026 WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203 © Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios &...

Podcast host Jason Gares interviews Co-owner of the Midwest Gaming Classic Dan Loosen and Entertainment Director Matt Isbill about some of the exciting things happening at the 2025 convention. TICKETS: https://www.midwestgamingclassic.com/ WHEN: April 4-6, 2025 WHERE: Baird Center, 400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203 © Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic....

Philo Barnhart was an animator for the games Dragon's Lair and Space Ace, and he teamed up with artist Charles D. Moisant on Family Day for Drawing with Philo. From Dirk the Daring and Ace to Ariel the Mermaid and Much More! Philo is perhaps best known for other projects he helped animate - The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Rescuers Down Under, The Secret of NIMH, Happily Ever After, A...

When Nintendo decided to run an updated version of their Nintendo World Championship in 2015, Tim Hanson and Chris Bidwell won the right to represent the Midwest in the competition! Tim and Chris will share stories about winning their respective regional tournaments, share tips on how to achieve high scores on NWC Remix and relive the drama of the finals at E3 in Los Angeles. Original Panel Dates:...

In the first panel presentation, join the guys behind the YouTube gaming channels Grimsie42, Retro Games Vinyl and Beer, The Old Ass Retro Gamer, and The Game Grinder as they discuss how they got into YouTubing, their thoughts on gaming, and take questions form the audience! Then in the second presentation, join Tyler Stacheki & Mike Ryan as they discuss how they make the Cen64 emulator fast w...

Ed Fries covers the history of the game business from the beginning up until the present and mixes in his own involvement at various points including when he led the team to launch the original Xbox. Find out what Ed was doing in 2017, including improving diversity in the game business, video games as works of art, and the importance of documenting the story of the business Original Panel Date: Sa...

Retronauts regulars Bob Mackey and Jeremy Parish break down the history of Namco’s grisly Splatterhouse series with the help of no less than two Splatterhouse world-record competitors: Caitlin Oliver and Kevin Bunch in this splatter-riffic panel. Original Panel Date: Saturday, April 8, 2017 © Jason C. Gares, Dan Loosen, 249 Studios & the Midwest Gaming Classic. All Rights Reserved.