Retronauts

The Retronauts East crew concludes their journey through the Indiana Jones films with a look back at the final entry in the saga: 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Plus the games! (Except the LucasArt game, which deserves its own episode.)

Jeremy Parish, Kurt Kalata, Kevin Bunch, and John Hurst put on their red slippers and punch arcade machines to pay tribute to the game that launched the most important fighting series ever: 1987's Street Fighter. And, for some reason, Street Fighter 2010.

Certain conditions have made time mostly meaningless, so it may shock and alarm you that 2001 happened 20 years ago. Yes, it's true. And while it was a monumental year in terms of events that shook the world, 2001 was also home to huge, industry-changing games, console launches, and so many other delightfully dated gaming moments worth remembering. This week, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Axe of the Blood God's Kat Bailey as the crew jumps back to an era where they were shockingly all adults. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

Jeremy Parish sloooowly loads input from Chris Kohler and Kurt Kalata to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Nintendo's Famicom Disk System, the most important console expansion never to have made its way to America. 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 358: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. 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.

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, and Diamond Feit look back at the Nintendo 3DS on the occasion of its 10th birthday. The li'l fella may have had a rough early childhood, but we explore how it eventually grew into the elegant swan we all knew and loved. Cover artwork by Step Sybydlo.

The Retronauts East team gets together to continue their conversation about the games of a few decades ago. This time, Jeremy Parish, Benj Edwards, Chris Sims, and Ben Elgin focus specifically on the year 1991, when a bit of video game history was made. Cover illustration by Shaan Khan.

Jeremy Parish and patron Matthew Salisbury band together with Andrew Vestal to bare their fangs at God by reconsidering Squaresoft's epic Xenogears. Listen to the full episode (and dozens more!) at patreon.com/retronauts

This week on Retronauts, we're easing off on the heavy-duty research for the sake of responding to your questions and comments from our recent round of episodes. And because a little thing called "the pandemic" drastically transformed the way we all live for nearly a year now, we'll also cover just how COVID-19 has affected Retronauts, and read some responses from listeners about how the new normal changed their retro gaming habits. Since we recorded this one on Election Day, it's delightfully dated instead of just being dated! Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

By patron request, Jeremy Parish sends an emergency broadcast to Nadia Oxford and Mohammed Taher to discuss the Space Pirate activities taking place on Tallon IV and what ace bounty hunter Samus Aran is doing to stop them. Equip your podcast visor! Art by Greg Melo.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 352: Looney Tunes 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.

Jeremy Parish, Matt Alt, and Bill Mudron conclude their discussion of the life and times of Gunpei Yokoi (and the larger history of video games) by looking back at the inventions he helped spearhead, from Nintendo's Game & Watch to Bandai's WonderSwan.

Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and John Linneman of Digital Foundry smash, bash, dash, and splash their way through the jungles of video game history to excavate the history behind Sony's most beloved mascot hero. No, not Blasto. We're talking' Crash! Cover art by Shaan Khan.

By patron request, Jeremy Parish rings in 2021 with the best physical releases for classic game music of the year gone by. Selections include Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a whole lot of Mega Man X, Vib Ribbon, Ys, Life Force, Ikaruga, and more!

With the movie series (seemingly) finished, LucasArts capitalized on the public's slowly fading love for Indiana Jones with a brand-new adventure game. And instead of adapting one of his previous adventures, the developer instead developed a wholly unique story for the intrepid archaeologist—one players had to trek through three different times if they wanted to see everything. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey and Duckfeed.tv's Kole Ross as the two explore this adventure game that straddles the two eras of LucasArts and innovates in ways the publisher's future games wouldn't. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

Because you demanded it! The Retronauts East team reconvenes (virtually) after a long time apart for the New Year's tradition of looking back across the decades. Despite our best-laid plans, we only get halfway through. In short, a classic episode. Cover art by Shaan Khan.

Happy holidays! As a special Christmas treat, we're giving you one of this month's Patreon-exclusive extra episodes! To hear two full-length bonus episodes like this every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts. It's the yuletide season, which means it's time to head to the Retronauts Holiday Cabin in Parts Unknown yet again for another look at a Christmas-related video game thing. And even thought this is our tenth (!) holiday special, we haven't hit the bottom of the barrel just yet! This time around, we'll be looking at the Christmas (and final) episode of Earthworm Jim, the short-lived Kids' WB cartoon that, 25 years later, stands as one of the better games-to-animation adaptations out there. So smear on some wolf repellant and get ready for the only holiday travel not prohibited by law as host Bob Mackey and guest Henry Gilbert discuss this cartoon relic of the mid-90s. Groovy!

True to the spirit of the franchise, it's a Doctor Who Christmas Special for Retronauts as Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and Diamond Feit touch on the impact and influence of the long-running sci-fi series—and horrible, terrible, no-good games it's inspired.

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, and Henry Gilbert celebrate the ho-ho-holidays at Nakatomi Plaza—a machine gun in hand, feet clenched into fists—by looking back at the film and video game legacy of John McTiernan's seasonal classic Die Hard. Hit it, Argyle! Art by Nick Wanserski. Edits by Greg Leahy.

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Kyle Orland take advantage of social distancing, devouring tons of garlic—just like this week's subject: Anti-Mario antihero Wario, and his monochrome adventures Super Mario Land 3 and Virtual Boy Wario Land

Our non-chronological exploration of LucasArts adventure games continues with an episode all about the legendary developer's final entry in the genre: Escape from Monkey Island. Unfortunately, EMI ended this era of LucasArts with a whimper, as the clunky 3D interface and questionable puzzles make Guybrush Threepwood's Y2K adventure feel more like a voodoo curse than a barrel of monkeys. On this episode, join Bob Mackey and Nina Matsumoto (Thimbleweed Park cover artist and designer at Fangamer) as the two examine this unloved entry in the Monkey Island series to find out what went wrong. 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.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 337: Lunar. 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.

Jeremy Parish speaks to Bill Mudron and Matt Alt about the work of Nintendo legend Gunpei Yokoi and how his innovative pre-video game creations reflect the post-war culture and industrial boom Japan experienced during the ’60s and ’70s.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 340: Final Fantasy IX. 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.

Earlier this year, we discussed the original 16-bit version of Trials of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 3). Now, Jeremy Parish, Chris Kohler, and Nadia Oxford dig into the 3D remake: What it does right, where it falls short, and pwaces it's vewy iwwitating. Cover illustration by Shaan Khan.

From the live archive: Jeremy Parish chats with Frank Cifaldi and Kelsey Lewin of the Video Game History Foundation about the evolution of their organization and how it's working to preserve the medium's past. Cover art by John Pading.

We're going back to the Back to the Future trilogy for a podcast discussion about what could be the most interesting sequel of all time! When Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale put together the original Back to the Future in 1985, they had no idea they would have such a massive hit on their hands—or that their joke ending would set the second movie's plot in stone. But by working against adversity, the two crafted a highly satisfying sequel that doubled down on time travel antics, and even added alternate universes into the mix. (And might have even predicted the future with 1985-A...) On this episode, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Dave Rudden as the crew talks so much about Back to the Future Part II they have to save the video game discussion for the next episode. So listen now—unless you're chicken! Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

A double-request topic as we follow up our Final Fantasy VII coverage by looking back at its PSP-exclusive prequel Crisis Core. Bill Nielsen joins Jeremy Parish & Nadia Oxford as they fire up the Digital Mind Wave for some fond rememberies. Art: Greg Melo

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts 334: Cowboy Games Part 2. 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.

Jeremy Parish chats one-on-one with an arcade gaming legend: George Gomez, who discusses the critical creative role he played in bringing classic arcade works like Spy Hunter and Tron to market and designing their iconic cabinets. Art by Nick Wanserski.

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, and Henry Gilbert grab a laser rifle and angrily scream each other's names in celebration of one of the all-time great animated movies—Akira—as well as the manga it was based on, and the games it inspired. TETSUOOOO!

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, and Art of Nintendo Power (twitter.com/artofnp) curator Stephan Reese take a trip back through gaming's greatest propaganda rag: Nintendo Power. For the full episode, subscribe to the show at: patreon.com/retronauts

After more than a decade in game development, enigmatic creator Suda 51 had his American debut with Killer 7, but 2007 would bring about his first mainstream splash with No More Heroes. This series launched on the Wii when it was still white hot, and managed to distill the off-the-wall and often alienating ideas of Suda into a personality-driven action game. Nearly 13 years after we first met Travis Touchdown, just where has the series been, and where is it headed with its upcoming third game? On this episode, join Bob Mackey, Maddie Copp, and Matt McMuscles as the crew delves deep into the Garden of Madness to discover what makes this offbeat series so compelling. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

Jeremy Parish takes a trip back 20-odd years to the early days of the World Wide Web to revisit the era's online culture with two pioneers of the games internet: Andrew Vestal (The Unofficial Squaresoft Homepage) and Brandon Teel (Zany Video Game Quotes). Cover art by John Pading.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 328: Batman: Arkham Asylum. 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.

Jeremy connects with the minds behind Numskull's ever-expanding collection of classic arcade mini-cabinets, then tags in Chris Sims to discuss the history and wonders of Spike Chun Soft's Fire Pro Wrestling franchise. Cover art: Greg Melo.

Jeremy Parish, Stuart Gipp, and Digital Foundry's John Linneman master the art of counting to four as they deliver a video game history beatdown in the form of a comprehensive retrospective on Sega's Streets of Rage franchise. Cover illustration by Leeann Hamilton.

Our final "Before Times" recording! Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, Nadia Oxford, and Jared Petty convene in (mostly) the same physical space to discuss the history and highlights of Coleco's almost-successful bid at console gaming fame, the ColecoVision. Art by Amanda Pruitt.

Whether or not you know her name, you've definitely heard Jennifer Hale's voice if you played a video game in the past 25 years. Named "the most prolific video game voice actor" by The Guinness Book of World Records, Jennifer has an IMDB page that stretches on into infinity, with hundreds of roles in both video games in animation. On this episode, join us as we chat with Jennifer about her long career in video games, how her roles and voice acting technology have changed in the passing decades, and how voice acting is adapting to a COVID-19 world. And be sure to check out Jennifer's role as the narrator for the audiobook version of Christopher Paolini's To Sleep in a Sea of Stars! Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Stuart Gipp hop in their telephone booths to discuss the classic Bill & Ted films and their not-so-classic game tie-ins. Then Jeremy chats with Henrique Olifiers about the ZX Spectrum's return via Kickstarter. Cover art by John Pading.

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 322: Dragon Quest: Your Story. 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.

Matt Alt, author of Pure Invention, joins Jeremy to discuss his research into the impact of technological innovation on the growth of Japanese society in the 20th century, and how it shaped video gaming. Cover art by Nick Wanserski.

Jeremy Parish, Shane Bettenhausen, and Nadia Oxford break quarantine to return to Transylvania for an in-depth look at the original Castlevania for NES and its many, many alternate versions and remakes through the years. Art: Greg Melo

Come sail away with Jeremy Parish, Bob Mackey, and Henry Gilbert as we turn back the hands of time more than a decade, somehow, to revisit Mario's most cosmic journey of all time: Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2 for Nintendo Wii.

Believe it or not, there are topics we've never covered in the past 14 years of Retronauts, so it's always a treat to shine the podcasting spotlight on a subject that's gone untouched. And this week, we're talking all about cowboy games: the genre that traces its roots back to the very beginning of the medium, and only recently came back into vogue thanks to the wildly popular Red Dead Redemption series. On this episode, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Nina Matsumoto as the crew looks at the rootinest, shootinest Western games made between 1975 and 1991. And stay tuned for part two, ya varmint! Be sure to read Nina's newest book: Sparks! Double Dog Dare. Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.

Jeremy Parish crosses realities to recruit Nadia Oxford and Jared Petty for an in-depth discussion of controversial Squaresoft RPG classic Chrono Cross on the occasion of its 20th anniversary in the U.S. (No weird accents or speech quirks… we pwomise.) Artwork by Leeann Hamilton. Retronauts is a listener-supported show. Please help keep things running and get early access/exclusive backer-only episodes/other goodies by subscribing at https://patreon.com/retronauts!

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 316: Nintendo Leaks. 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.

Jeremy Parish and Diamond Feit set the wayback machine for feudal Japan to learn about the secrets of the Samurai Shodown series from Brandon Sheffield, who trawled the SNK archives to research and write the Samurai Shodown Collection. Art: Shaan Khan.

A diverse double-header this week as Jeremy Parish fields a patron request from Joseph Wawzonek to discuss Sony's Ape Escape before a chat with game archivist Leonard Herman about the history of chronicling game history. Art: John Pading.

The exciting conclusion to the saga we began back in... episode 283?! We talk about—yes—more really bizarre and nonsensical gaming input devices. For the full episode, go to patreon.com/retronauts