Classic Gaming Today: A Retro Gaming Podcast
Every week, we look at the gaming experiences of the past, through the eyes of the present! We’ll discuss each game’s historical context, as well as provide a verdict as to whether a given game is worth your time to visit, or revisit, today.
Episodes
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
Those memorable words precede the start of Star Wars, one of the most well-known franchises in cinema history, a series of films that has been translated into countless games over the years. Today, we're going to tackle the very first 16-bit iteration of that classic film series, entitled simply, Super Star Wars.
Learn how the game was made, discover why it took so long for LucasArts t...
Original show notes from Patreon episode:
Over the holiday break, I played a bunch of different games, but none really captured my attention as much as Terminator 2D: No Fate, a new, old, 16-bit experience featuring the Terminator 2 film license. We've talked about Terminator titles before, and for the most part, none of them truly impressed me. Could this latest Terminator title change the franchise's video game fortunes? You'll h...
Are you ninja enough to explore a 3D world and defeat any enemies that stand in your way? If so, you may be tough enough for Ninja Gaiden Black! Learn about the history of the Ninja Gaiden series, discover why the jump to 3D was such a big deal for the franchise, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to slash and wall jump your way to victory, even today.
Join me on a trip back to the 80s and the dawn of Windows, as we discuss one of the earliest Windows 3.1 rogue-like dungeon crawlers, Castle of the Winds! Learn how the game was made, discover why it acted as a gateway to the more complex dungeon crawling experiences of later years, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to grab your sword and slash monsters repeatedly in a number of procedurally generated ...
Join me for only our second Nostalgia Trip episode as I reminisce about visiting the arcades of the 80s and 90s. Learn where I ended up spending the majority of my time when I was younger, discover which arcade games left a lasting impression on me, and listen in as we collectively take a trip down memory lane to re-discover the arcades...of the 80s and 90s.
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It's time to lace up your boxing gloves and attempt to win a championship, as we discuss the Super Nintendo classic, Super Punch-Out! Learn about the origins of the Punch-Out series, discover why the SNES version differed from the arcade original, and listen in as we determine whether it's still worth your time to knock out all of your opponents en route to a championship, even today.
It's time to explore the life of an elementary school troublemaker, as we dive deep into the point and click classic, The Adventures of Willy Beamish! Learn about the founding of development studio Dynamix, discover how Willy Beamish's adventure was created, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to conquer the trials and tribulations of an almost-teenager, even today.
What do you get when you combine full motion video with one-on-one street ball? Obviously, the answer to that question is Slam City with Scottie Pippen, one of the guiltiest pleasure Sega CD games around! Learn how the game was made, discover why putting Scottie Pippen in an FMV basketball title made good business sense in the early 90s, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to attempt to drive to the bas...
For me, music is one of the core components that contributes to the enjoyment, and engagement, of a video game title, and this episode is our second deep dive into some of the classic soundtracks from Nintendo's 8-bit powerhouse, the NES. Listen in as I pick some of my favorite, and most personally significant, tracks from that particular console - it's guaranteed to be a good time!
Full...Motion...Video. Those three words bring me back to a time when I thought FMV in gaming was going to be the future of the entire industry. While FMV would end up being more of a fad overall, it still holds a special place in my heart, and today, we're going to tackle one of the lesser known FMV titles out there, A Fork in the Tale starring Rob Schneider! Learn about the history of FMV in gaming, discover how the game was m...
It's time to use your head...literally...to solve every problem in your way, as we tackle the Sega Genesis action platforming classic, Dynamite Headdy! Learn about the history behind game development studio Treasure, discover how Dynamite Headdy was made, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to bash your head against everything in your path, even today.
What do you get when you take the gameplay stylings of Metroid, and make it even...super'er? The answer to that question is, of course, Super Metroid! Learn about the lineage of the Metroid franchise in general, discover how Super Metroid in particular was made, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to lace up your space bounty hunting boots to go on a classic action-platforming adventure, even today.
It's time to compete with your rivals while cruising the highways of Tokyo, as we explore the classic Dreamcast racing title, Tokyo Xtreme Racer! Learn how the game was made, discover the history behind its creator, Genki, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to race around the streets of Tokyo at very illegal speeds, even today.
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What do you get when you combine an advanced flight simulation engine with a film studio-themed creative sandbox? Well, if you answered Stunt Island, you'd be correct! Learn how the game was made, discover why Disney decided to branch off from licensing deals to try their hand at creating their own, original games, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to perform a ton of death defying stunts for the enjo...
It's time to once again dive into the wonderful world of Twinsun...starring Twinsen...as we explore the classic action-platform-adventure-puzzle experience, Little Big Adventure 2! Learn how the game was made, discover how Little Big Adventure 2 improved upon its predecessor, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to play this particular little...big...adventure, even today.
It's time to have some fun with economics...no, really....as we dive into the real time strategy economic simulation, The Settlers II! Learn how the game was made, discover why The Settlers II was designed to be so different than the majority of real time strategy games, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to construct a sprawling settlement of interconnected roads, production nodes, and military outpo...
Listen up, soldier! It's time to make your way through five voxel-driven campaigns of military action, as we explore the first person perspective, tactical shooting title, Delta Force! Learn how the game was made, discover why NovaLogic struck gold with the creation of its voxel-based gaming engine, and listen in as we discuss whether it's still worth your time to pick off enemy snipers at a distance while attempting to keep your...
Happy Holidays everyone!
In the spirit of the holidays, I thought it might be fun to "gift" everyone with an episode of the podcast that was previously only available to our Patreon members. I hope you all enjoy!
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Original Patreon show notes below:
Did you ever play a game and realize that you simply loved nearly everything about it? Well, I recently did, and this episode is all about celebrating the game that most recently...
Twas the holiday season, and all through the server, the listeners were scheming, with all kinds of fervor. They listened to old episodes they loved and cared, but turned that love, into destruction and despair. One by one they shared their plight, of episodes they would plunder with delight They submitted their recordings with glee, as Iso wrapped them and put them under the tree. Now Sam! Now Ricky! Now Bay! On Maarekelets...
For me, music is one of the core components that contributes to the enjoyment, and engagement, of a video game title, and this episode is another of our deep dives into some of the classic soundtracks from those games. In today's episode, we'll look at a selection of games and songs submitted by all of you, along with your own personal comments and memories about these titles!
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