The Cane and Rinse videogame podcast

Our Darren rightfully and righteously nominated the venerable Bomberman (also known by several other names) series for inclusion in our 2025 roster. Blasting off as a single-player only affair way back in 1983, this Hudson franchise saw no fewer than 80, mostly local multiplayer focused, entries released over the subsequent 40 years. So it's high time (High-10?) that Leon, Darren himself, Karl and...

In 1989, the vision of Shigesato Itoi brought about the creation of Mother, a subversion and a pastiche of the incredibly popular Dragon Quest series, and birthed the Mother trilogy containing the cult classic Earthbound. Rich, Leah and Jon discuss the creator of the series and the impact Mother had on the gaming landscape of Japan, and the near 20 years that passed before the game made it’s way t...

Perhaps the archetypal 'cult classic', SEGA Smilebit's Jet Set Radio (aka Jet Grind Radio) made a splash when it landed on Dreamcast in the year 2000. Quarter of a century on, Leon, Dan, Michiel and Tony - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse listeners - get inline to rattle on about the game's striking visual aesthetic, iconic music and, also, yes, the gameplay. This podcast also touc...

Somehow Cane and Rinse returned. We dawn our blasters and lightsabers once more as we venture once more to the precipice of the Dark Side (Electronic Arts) to discuss the acclaimed sequel STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor. Ryan, Chris and Jon follow Cal's ongoing adventures and anticipate how the forthcoming trilogy-capper might end his story.

Somewhere between the Australian bushfires of 2019 and the Covid breakout, Umurangi Generation was born. Tauranga, New Zealand is the setting for Veselekov’s retro-futuristic photography simulator; James, Jesse, and Thomas are our budding photographers, chronicling the end of the world.

If you ever felt like playing along with the Cane and Rinse podcast but couldn't find the time, this is a good show to start. Leon, Leah and Tony pick their way through the characters and choices of Aevee Bee and Max Schwartz's short but impactful visual novel. We examine the arcs of Venus, Jupiter and Neptune from their uncertain summer camp openings to cabin in the woods exorcism or self-accepta...

Syberia and Syberia II were originally planned as a single release (and podcast), instead we got two games (and two podcasts) - that decision plays into how these games are viewed today. Will Hans reach the fabled island of Syberia? Join Chris Worthington, James, Michiel and Tony to find out.

From simple beginnings as one of around 100 pitches to Sony seniors, turning into a flagship Sony series selling upwards and above 90 million copies. These games have their origins in early-90s cartoon kart genre, and now boast to be the self proclaimed, "greatest racing game of all time". In this issue, host Rich and his co-drivers Karl, Tom and Tony start at the beginning of Sony's Gran Turismo...

We realised there haven't been enough Cane and Rinse podcasts dedicated to Resident Evil 4, so here we are. Leon, Brian, Leah and Sean once again invade the mysterious Spanish (?) village of the so-called Ganados, to once again rescue 'Baby Eagle' THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER. Along with a broad spread of opinions from the Patreon and forum, the panelists endeavour to convey their experiences with thi...

Behold the Bitterman, in id Software's archetypal 'boomer shooter' sequel, Quake II. Strogg-blasting vets Leon, Chris O'Regan, Darren and Karl - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse community - recount their bloody campaigns through the 1997 PC original, the somewhat miraculous console ports to N64 and PS1, as well as the much more recent Nightdive remaster package, including DLC episo...

Perhaps not the most pressing candidate for the remake treatment, nevertheless, EA Motive found itself remaking 2008's sci-fi horror shooter Dead Space for 'current gen' in 2023. Leon and Jon - along with contributors for the Cane and Rinse community - consider the changes and differences from the original to the all-singing, all-dancing update. Was the whole project worthwhile? Listen in and find...

Star Wars + DOOM = awesome success. A simple enough equation for mid-90s LucasArts, but is there more to Dark Forces than that? Leon, Chris Worthington, Darren and Tony blast and puzzle their way through this first-person shooter adventure, with missives from Cane and Rinse's community alliance along the way. From the MS-DOS original to the recent Nightdive remaster, we have all planet-destroying...

The twin-stick shooter never fully caught on in the arcade's golden age, and yet, some years after the beloved Robotron 2084, Eugene Jarvis and his team returned to that particular mechanical interface wellspring for another go round, with 1990's spiritual successor Smash TV. Leon, Jesse, Michiel and community contributors scream bloody murder at Smash TV's ultraviolent, loud, frenetic, brutal and...

In this issue of Cane and Rinse, Chris, Jon, Leah and Sean discuss 2024's Minishoot' Adventures. A notable PC/Mac exclusive (at the time of recording), made by SoulGame Studio. This top-down action adventure borrows heavily from The Legend of Zelda and mixes it with bullet-dodging, dexterity-based gameplay normally found in bullet hell shoot 'em ups.

The oft-cited standard bearer of VR gaming.  Half-Life: Alyx offered gamers near total immersion in the Half-Life universe when many were experiencing the first Covid-19 lockdown.  The game carried the weight of being the first Half-Life game in 13 years and the reason to purchase a Valve Index headset. Did it bear up under that weight?

Our Tony's nomination for the 14th year of podcasts is 2007's first-person survival horror,  S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl. Leon, Jon and James join him in immersing themselves in this notoriously demanding and spiky - if ultimately rewarding - FPS. We also hear tales from The Zone via our trusty community contributors.

Lead developer Andrew Shouldice stuffed every single corner of Tunic's world with secrets and mysteries, and created a wonderfully faithful, detailed and devious retro-style game manual to help and/or baffle players. Tom, Brian and Chris delve deep into the indie adventure, assessing its controversial combat and widely beloved soundtrack.

Presented explicitly as the world's first "stupid game" or "baka game", Segare Ijiri is a pretty well known cultural touchstone in Japan, but virtually unknown outside of it, even among fans of Japanese gaming obscura. Michiel, Brian, Leah and Sean attempt to cross language and cultural barriers to delve into this strange piece of software... and surprisingly discover meaning in what was purposefu...

A vintage game about an anachronistic job delivering a dying medium. Atari's arcade hit Paperboy is 40! Leon, Brian, Chris Worthington, Dan and community contributors grip tasselled BMX handlebars and brave the gamut of suburban challenges faced daily by our intrepid news disseminator. As is the custom for these type of shows, we also hear of its many conversions, ports, spin-offs and sequels for...

This week, Cane and Rinse is on strike! It is your choice whether you will salt or scab. Follow Ryan, Chris, James and Jon into the perplexing but provocative pillar of the modern videogame avant-garde, David Kanaga's enigmatic Oikospiel Book I. They discuss abstraction, labour rights, plunderludics, and whether or not it is ethical to make dogs write operas. It's an unusual podcast for an unusual...

Back for a fourteenth year of deep-dive videogame review podcasts, and the first subject for 2025 is SEGA's Panzer Dragoon. Leon, Chris O'Regan, Chris Worthington and Michiel - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse community - look back at the Saturn CD that spawned a four-game series of dragonborn blasters (and one RPG). Here we focus on the 30-year-old original, as well as its various...

We conclude our thirteenth year of podcasts by covering the all-conquering, 2023 game of the year awards-sweeping, Baldur's Gate 3. Leon, Jay, Leah and Rich - along with contributions from the mighty Cane and Rinse community attempt to do justice to - and even pick a few holes in - this cosmically well-regarded RPG. From our relationships with the characters, to our relationships with each other i...

In the aftermath of the golden age of graphic adventure games, the early 2000s offered plenty of ammunition for those who declared the genre to be dead. Microids was intent on changing the narrative when it released spiritual successor to cult-hit Amerzone, Syberia.  Chris Worthington, James, Michiel and Tony ask themselves if it was successful. 

Team Ancient turned its attention from the urban grime of Streets of Rage 2 to the lush meadows, dry deserts and atmospheric caverns of Oasis for its Mega Drive follow-up, The Story of Thor. Leon, Chris Worthington, Michiel and community contributors quest for the four spirits is on! As usual we discuss the art, the audio and the mashed-up mechanics of this action/RPG hybrid. 

This week's destination is the Last Resort hotel. Luxury, decadence, and packed to the rafters with happy haunts. Ryan Zhao, Leah Haydu, and James Carter brave the halls of the haunted hotel in Luigi's Mansion 3.