Retronauts

Two halves of the same shell, as Stuart Gipp speaks to Limited Run's Joe Modzeleski about TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. Afterwards, an interview with the game's lead designer Frédéric Gémus! Turtle power! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

The Triforce of Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and Diamond Feit Courageously commune to share their deep Wisdom of the 2D-style Legend of Zelda games by ranking a dozen games according to the Power of their design and appeal. Which Zelda reigns eternally?! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Text adventures: what are they, and where did they hide all the graphics? Until now, these questions have gone unanswered. But this week, we'll be looking at the world of games that existed before any kind of mandatory visual component—and continue to exist to this very day. And we have a real expert on hand: Aaron Reed, author of the upcoming comprehensive text adventure respective, 50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to A.I. Dungeon. So listen in as host Bob Mackey helps steer the Retronauts podcast ship through these formerly uncharted waters. (By us, anyway.) Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and Shane Bettenhausen emerge from their caves, blinking and frightened, to face the ferocious fury of the sun as they lift their GBA solar sensors skyward and discuss the Metal Gear offshoot that gave nerds suntans: Boktai. Edits by Greg Leahy. Art by John Pading. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 466: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

MISSION START! By patron request, three brave soldiers (Diamond Feit, Stuart Gipp, and arcade expert Lord BBH) battle their way through the history of the NEO GEO's premier run-and-gun series, METAL SLUG. Cover art by Shaan Khan, edits by Greg Leahy. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

The early aughts were all about 3D games on consoles, but the humble 2D platformer didn't vanish: it merely migrated, and 2002 gave us Mega Man Zero. Stuart Gipp and Brian "Protodude" Austrian dissect this action classic and lament its bananas difficulty. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish, Ray Barnholt, and Brandon Sheffield explore the second era of Taito's history: The late 1980s. From arcade all-timers like Bubble Bobble and Arkanoid to a major push to home consoles, it's two hours of wall-to-wall classics! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more and enjoy this full episode (and 100+ others) at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts!

After taking off during the go-go '90s, Kirby had a bit of an identity crisis in the 2000s. With HAL hard at work on the resource-intensive Smash Bros. games, they barely had time to work on their once-signature series, outside of a few remakes—leaving them with no choice but to leave their pink puffball in the hands of other developers. And all of this was happening as Kirby's hit 100-episode anime hit the airwaves! So what did this terrible decade have in store for HAL's famous food monster? On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Stuart Gipp, Kallie Plagge, and patron Andrew Oliveira (who generously sponsored this episode) as the crew continues their Kirby journey. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Live from MGC! Jeremy Parish, Nadia Oxford, Kevin Bunch, and Brian Clark explore the 8-bit games that shaped Japanese design tastes. Plus: Kelsey Lewin and Norman Caruso share their thoughts on documenting the history of games. Recorded by Jason Gares. Art by John Pading. Edits by Greg Leahy. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 460: Beavis and Butt-Head Games. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

You know Sonic from his video games, but did you know he has also appeared in the most debased medium known to mankind: Comic books? In the interest of science, Stuart Gipp assembles a crack team of Sonic comic experts (Bobby Schroeder and Dave Bulmer). Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

We awaited your return, warrior! Continuing our series on Capcom's famous fighting franchise, Diamond Feit, Shivam Bhatt, and John Learned parry an innumerable amount of blows in order to cover the entire saga that is Street Fighter III. Art by Greg Melo. Edits by Greg Leahy. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish, Nadia Oxford, Kevin Bunch, and Brian Clark shrink to visit an arcade for ants and discuss the highs, lows, and history of the mini-console trend: From the early days of Jakks Pacific to the NES Classic to the teensy Game Gear Micro. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Thanks to the generous patronage of Andrew Oliveira, we're continuing our Kirby journey right where we left off in episode 401. This time around, we see the passing of the torch, as series creator Masahiro Sakurai completes his Kirby trilogy and begins working on the Smash Bros. series for the rest of his natural life. The next iteration of Kirby may be a little slower and puzzle-based, but it brings to an end an era of HAL-crafted games before the developer puts the series on the back burner for nearly a decade. On this episode, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, Stuart Gipp, and Andrew Olivera as the crew continues their examination of a series that's closer to an EGOT than ever before! Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, Jared Petty, and Kat Bailey look deep inside their hearts and find that there is indeed room enough for love, even for crummy games that don't deserve it. This week, we discuss the lousy ol' games we love despite themselves. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 454: Jurassic Park Games. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Fanfiction has long been associated with theft, creative bankruptcy, poor writing, and Cloud and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy 7 entangled in a forever-embrace. Join Nadia Oxford and authors Laura Mauro and Sarah Blair as they explain its benefits, too. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Stuart Gipp and Dave Bulmer unite to discuss that most esoteric and exciting of computers, the Amiga. History is revealed, many excellent and emotionally powerful games are discussed, and Gilbert Gottfried sadly passes away—almost derailing the podcast. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish "chacks'n" with Brandon Sheffield and Ray Barnholt on the "front lines" of history to learn more about how Taito "invaded" gaming's "space" back in the late 1970s and early ’80s, with "action" that "elevates" our discourse to new levels. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content—include this full episode (and hundreds more). Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

In 1993, Hollywood did the seemingly impossible by releasing the first true video game adaptation: Super Mario Bros. And to put it simply, things didn't exactly go as planned. Thanks to studio meddling, fired directors, injured actors, and compromised visions, Super Mario Bros. lurched into theaters in May of 1993, and quickly retreated in shame when the general public didn't know what to make of it. But are there hidden gems lurking underneath this film's fungus-covered exterior? On this episode, join Bob Mackey, Ray Barnholt, and Ryan Hoss and Steven Applebaum of Super Mario Bros. The Movie Archive as the crew explores this fascinating mess of a motion picture. Listen in, and learn to embrace mustache-free Luigi! Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Chris Kohler, and Tiny Cartridge's Eric Caoili circle like vultures over the warm corpses of Nintendo's last-generation systems, Wii U and 3D, sharing their recommendations for the games everyone should snag before their eShops die as well. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 448: Super Mario Bros. (The 1993 Movie) Commentary. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Wanna feel mortal? Midway's infamous blood-soaked fighting game turns 30 this year, so Diamond Feit, Stuart Gipp, and author David L. Craddock crank the techno and tell tales of Mortal Kombat. Edits this week by Greg Leahy; cover art by Nick Wanserski. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Nadia Oxford time-skips through the history of gaming with Jeremy Parish, Jared Petty, and Ash Paulsen to discuss one of Squaresoft's most curious experiments: Secret of Evermore, their attempt to create a game in America, by Americans, for Americans. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Diamond Feit, Nadia Oxford, and Stuart Gipp band together to debate the relative merits of Mario games (the 2D ones, that is) with former professional game-ranker and universally reviled Mario-opinion heretic Jeremy Parish. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Unfortunately, Nintendo just delayed Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp indefinitely due to real-life circumstances. But this week, in the spirit of American sticktoitiveness (and because we didn't want to change the schedule), we're looking back at Intelligent Systems' surprisingly long-lived turn-based war strategy series. Over the course of 20 years, Advance Wars boiled down the incredibly complex design of PC war strategy games into a colorful, console-friendly experience that could still be surprisingly difficult. So join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Chris Daniel as the crew looks back at the lighter side of inhumanity. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

The Retronauts East team finally finishes what they started at the beginning of the year by talking about the rest of 1982's gaming milestones before moving ahead a decade and very nearly not finishing a discussion of 1992. Like you're SO surprised. Edits by Greg Leahy, and cover art by John Pading. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 442: Jurassic Park. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

The time for yolking is over. Or, more accurately, has just begun. Stuart Gipp and Dave Bulmer reconvene to discuss the immortal Dizzy series. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Diamond Feit, Stuart Gipp, and Alex Fraioli break out the ink ribbons and travel back to 1998 to investigate bizarre murders outside Raccoon City in this episode about Resident Evil (1996, 2002, and 2002 again) Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish and Kevin Bunch of Atari Archive unleash a cascade of questions to bounce down an isometric pyramid of conversation as they chat with developer Warren Davis about the making of his iconic arcade mascot character action game, Q*Bert. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more and listen to the full episode at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Despite existing for nearly 30 years beforehand, it took until nearly the '90s for the X-Men to find their way into video games. And it should come as no surprise that the IP's Renaissance during that decade coincided with some of the most notable games to ever feature Professor X's collection of special youngsters. (Though the aughts blessed us with a few worth talking about as well.) On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Gary Butterfield as the crew examines the most entertaining adaptations of this group of super-powered freaks who just might be an allegory for something. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 100+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Joe Modzeleski of Limited Run Games, and Porkchop Express of MisterAddOns.com revisit a topic from long ago (episode 62!): The many evolving options for experiencing classic games in top quality. The play field keeps changing... Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 436: GameCube - Game Boy Advance Link Cable Games. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

It's a dramatic battle of conversation as Diamond Feit squares off against Jeremy Parish and Brandon Sheffield to look back at the time Street Fighter counted from II to Zero with 1995's slick (and literally anime-influenced!) Street Fighter Alpha. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Noted ancients Nadia Oxford, Jeremy Parish, and Andrew Vestal recall the many non-RPG titles Square Enix (as the trimmer, bolder Squaresoft) piled onto the 32-bit PlayStation. Fighters! Racers! Bird stuff! God bless the podcast. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish wanders into the tall grass and randomly encounters Kat Bailey, Shivam Bhatt, and Casey DeFrietas for the first episode of a deep dive into Generation 1 of Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon series. Be sure to catch (listen to) 'em all! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

At the dawn of the '80s, director John Carpenter released Escape from New York, an action thriller that went on to be a modest hit. Sometime after this, and halfway around the globe, a man named Hideo Kojima saw this movie, and it lit his brain on fire. What do these two seemingly unrelated facts have to do with each other? Well, if you even touched the Metal Gear video game series, you may have some idea. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Chris Cabin from We Hate Movies as the crew examines this fantastic action flick and its massive influence on video games. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 100+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish chats with retrogaming book authors Richard Moss (The Secret History of Macintosh Gaming) and Evan Amos (The Game Console 2.0) about the processes, predicaments, and perils of producing print publications about classic gaming topics. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 430: Twin Peaks. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts. Cover art by Nina Matsumoto.

What is a Zool? Why is there so much fruit? And why do you tilt "up" to jump? All these questions and more answered in a double-feature podcast featuring a chat with Dave Bulmer and a backup interview with the Zool ReDimensioned team! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Senior Japan correspondent Diamond Feit goes inside Vitei in Kyoto to speak to studio founder Giles Goddard and Chuhai Labs producer Mark Lentz about 1080 Snowboarding, Giles' history with Nintendo, and indie game development. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and Sandeep Rai celebrate 10 years of Sony getting a life. Because that's what Vita means: Life. The history and highs (OK, and lows) of one of the greatest pieces of handheld video game hardware ever. Truly a touching episode. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Let's be honest: things weren't too hot in the year 2002. In between two pointless wars, and in the midst of a huge economic downturn, Americans couldn't even turn to their friend the television for comfort—this was the explosion of reality TV, after all. But in the midst of all this chaos and depression, the video games were pretty dang good! This week on Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Kat Bailey as the crew peers back into the not-too-distant past to see what 2002 meant for gaming. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Ben Elgin, Jared Petty, and Benj Edwards greet 2022 by looking back to the major events of gaming 40 and 50 years ago. (Naturally, this episode only covers about half the planned content as we dive deep into the medium's pivotal events.) Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 424 Preview: Holiday Special 2021 - Totally Pokemon. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

When is a game not just a game? Continuing our series on the fighting game franchise that changed the world, host Diamond Feit and returning guests Shivam Bhatt & Matt McMuscles explore the world of Street Fighter II-related media. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Like dust in the wind, Nadia Oxford leads Jeremy Parish, Anthony John Agnello, and topic-requesting patron Lorenzo Hulzebos across the sands of time to explore (and re-explore) Atlus' cult-classic time-travel RPG, Radiant History. Art by John Pading; edits by Greg Leahy. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Jeremy Parish places a secret message in the classifieds to summon conversational assassins Diamond Feit and Matt Alt to discuss the legacy, history, and video games of the perfect machine of snipe: Golgo-13. Don't stand behind him! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts