Retro Ridoctopus

This week, down in the dank and the dark of that den of madness we call the BRIG… we've got the wicked cool Renee S. DeCamillis! Renee is a talented writer and editor of all types of horror, the author of numerous published short stories and her recently released debut novel, Chisel The Bone. And as if that wasn’t enough, she’s also the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the band Scars Aligned !...

Is it Duck Season? Wabbit Season?! With over one thousand episodes of Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies you never have to choose! Before the pig pops out of the drum... we'll build blocks of episode-picks around 4 of the most legendary characters! We'll talk some history, personal memories and fun facts about these screwball heroes of the Golden Age of Cartoon Animation! ----------------------------...

In the 90s was when the anime floodgates opened in America, when programs like FOX KIDS started playing blocks of Japanese cartoons! But did we really need to catch 'em all? Shows like Shaman King, Yu-Gi-Oh, Digimon, Monster Rancher and even (the best left forgotten) Fighting Foodons were trying to cash in on the enormous Pokemon craze. But there were others too. A few diamonds in the rough, as it...

When it comes to classic RPG series, Final Fantasy is always in the conversation. This long running series has achieved LEGENDARY status with 16 main titles and a Bahamut-sized hoard of sequels and spin-offs. This week, with the help of our Retroid Bobby MacGibbon, we'll spotlight our favorite games, characters and even summon monsters in the series. So gear up that Buster Sword with all your best...

This episode is dedicated to someone who has been my second Mother since I was ten years old, Parasite Steve and 8 Bit Alchemy's Mom Nancy. Please check out Crow's Nest: Our Mom's Favorite Games first as I play the music from the games mentioned in that episode plus some of the music that reminds me of her. I also share some personal memories and stories I have with Mom (or as I always called her,...

Parasite Steve leads a sprawling discussion between two true-blooded fans, who unabashedly gush over both movies and books in the horror genre! Not every kid learns to read with Salem's Lot, but our guest this week is exactly that cool! When journalist Michael Miller isn't writing an article or interviewing one of horror's top stars, you can bet he's injecting the genre he loves direct into his ve...

Even before the internet, rumors about weird stuff in video games were always swirling around the playground. Sometimes it was how to get a new character or access to part of a stage. Other times it would be a code for more lives, a secret boss fight or even just some crazy glitch. But how many of those tantalizing tricks and tidbits ended up being true in the end? Some? Most? NONE? One things for...

Xardion isn't exactly a classic of the SNES, but 8-Bit Alchemy & Parasite Steve recently discussed it as one of the games their mother used to love and was actually able to beat. Well, thanks to much perseverance and level grinding, when if comes to this bizarre Run and Gun RPG Platformer, the boys are now (almost) as cool as she was! This game is weird in a dozen ways, but if you can stick wi...

With host 8-Bit Alchemy at the wheel, the crew hits the road. We've got plenty of snacks, a trunk full of AA batteries and our favorite classic portable video game systems! Our companions are the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, the DS, the Game Gear, the PSP and on this long and lonesome highway, we're gonna play 'em all! Oh did we mention that Nintenjoe hopped in at the last minute? Later on we'll do...

Noy Jitat! Pirates of Dark Water is a pirate fantasy adventure series by Hanna Barbera, which originally aired between 1991 and 1993. And since our very own Coopster Gold happens to be a HUGE fan of the show, he's at the helm with one eye set on ADVENTURE in the land of Mer! So grab your nearest monkey-bird and settle into the CROW'S NEST for a comprehensive ride through this fantastic series! ---...

Dedicated to the only person we know who could beat Xardion, our mom Nancy. This is a Crow's Nest that's not only totally on brand, but functions as a bit of therapy for the hosts. As tribute to the mother of Parasite Steve and 8-Bit Alchemy, the boys endeavor to spotlight all the random video games she loved over the years. Expect NES, SNES, TurboGrafX 16, Genesis, N64 and beyond! We guarantee yo...

With the Green Witch of the Shire (AKA Greenie) on deck, our new host Coopster Gold takes the helm for the first time, setting his spyglass on those swashbuckling, scallywags that once sailed the seven seas. YARRR, of course we be talking pirates! After some basic history on the real deal, we begin building our own personal crews (fantasy football style)... choosing a ship, animal mascot, 2 crew m...

If you don't know what the difference between EXTREME HORROR and SPLATTERPUNK is, author Thomas R. Clark is here with the low down! For about two hour hours, we chat about the craft, what he digs about the extreme stuff and his newest Splatterpunk collection, Immoral Dilemmas! And later on, we dive headfirst into a sprawling discussion about that beloved sci-fi franchise mega-hit from the 70s and...

Sometimes, bad movies are the most fun you'll have in front of a small screen. All you gotta do is grab some like-minded friends and good times can be had by all. And while your personal mileage may vary, is there a science to the phenomenon? A credible explanation as to what separates the Good-Bad from the downright awful? Eh, who cares. In the spirit of liking what you like, we're gonna shout ou...

Down in the eldritch unknown of the BRIG… we have a writer, monster hunter and lover of staring too long into the abyss! Rey Nichols is the author of the Apollo Grant books and is here to talk all about the newly released third in that series GRANT NO QUARTER! And if you stick around to the end, you'll find out how she got to be 2 degrees from Kevin Bacon and what her and Parasite Steve's top Baco...

It's season 6 and the start of a whole new era of Ridoctopus with our new host Justin Cooper (AKA Coopster Gold)! Our man from Shytown wastes no time settling in as we celebrate some mean pinball video games. But there's no need to drive to your nearest amusement hall because these games can be played on such home platforms as the original Nintendo, various Game Boys, the TurboGrafx-16 and even MS...

What can we say? We just didn't want this season to end... After copious amounts of reminiscing over another amazing year, we dive into our annual final topic. Like every year, we asked you for voice mails, giving your quick reviews of a classic movie you watched for the first time this year. Every single year, this block gets longer and longer and season 5 was no exception. Thank you for coming o...

To celebrate the release of Godzilla Minus One and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, we've got an episode so full of kaiju mayhem, we had to split it into two parts! Back for the conclusion of this epic journey is our buddy Aldo, who continues to flex his superfan knowledge along the way. This time, Nintenjoe and Parasite Steve deliver the goods on the Millennium and MonsterVerse eras respectively, bef...

To celebrate the release of Godzilla Minus One and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, we've got an episode so full of kaiju mayhem, we had to split it into two parts! Along for this epic journey is our pal Aldo, who takes us through the first 15 Godzilla movies (which comprise what is known as the Showa period) starting with the original Gojira in 1954, and ending with 1975's Terror of Mechagodzilla. Th...

For our last BRIG of season 5, Parasite Steve welcomes an old & dear friend who just happens to be another insanely talented writer! Morgan Sylvia is an author from Maine with numerous published works including novels, short stories, poetry collections and everything in between. Whether she's writing long or short form, one thing is clear, the quality of the prose itself is always top of mind....

The bummer is we have to bid farewell to our brother Nintenjoe , as this is his final time hosting the show. But being the totally radical dude that he is, he straps on the blue mask to lead us one final time into the land of nostalgia, as we celebrate the cinematic films of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ! Bringing the pizzas is our very good friend, Justin Cooper (from the Epic Tales From The...

For this episode of THE BRIG, we chat with the incredibly cool Kasey Lansdale! You might have seen her name on numerous anthologies, in the credits for Shudder's Creepshow or on one of her acclaimed country music albums. For this episode, we learn how she built an expansive career by never saying no to anything new! A little later on we'll chat about some retro horror movies, but first, Kasey thro...

Special effects titan Ray Harryhausen is rightfully renowned for pushing the medium of stop motion animation and single-handedly creating some of the most memorable on-screen monsters ever captured on screen. For this epic journey, we welcome back Scott Clevenger (from the Slumgullion podcast) to celebrate the mythic life and career of this legendary artist. After starting with a little history on...

Here it is, horror fans... the second half of our first (maybe only) two part episode! 8-Bit Alchemy and "All Hallows" Steve aren't done screaming out obscure horror games, in fact, this episode covers four more! Some are more obscure than others but all are worth celebrating. We even drop some honorable mentions along the way, so strap back on your chainsaw hands and buckle up, because...

Our first ever two part episode starts with a massive tribute to the Grandfather of all Gaming Gore, SPLATTERHOUSE! We'll take you game by game, room by viscera-painted room, through Rick's red-knuckled journey as he takes up the TERRORMASK to save his beloved Jennifer from the forces of EVIL! After that, we'll each drop one OBSCURE horror game that we think deserves to have more eyeballs on it be...