With the recent release of Mario + Raving Rabbids, and with Super Mario Odyssey's launch lurking just a few months away, we're currently undergoing a sort of Mario Madnessmuch like the same outbreak that attacked several million children back in '88. To celebrate this resurgence in all things Mario, join Retronauts' own Bob Mackey and special guest/Mushroom Kingdom expert Henry Gilbert as the two field questions and comments from Retronauts listeners about games involving Nintendo's mustachioed ...
Sep 08, 2017•1 hr 12 min
Not long ago, corporations employed colorful cartoon characters to lure hungry and impressionable children into their dens of corn-based products. And, since this time period happened to overlap with the rise of video games, several food mascots ended up starring in their very own interactive experiences. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert, and Chris Antista as the crew chases the chuck wagon, avoids various Noids, and asks if Chester Cheetah really IS t...
Sep 04, 2017•1 hr 55 min
Kurt Kalata and Rob Russo join us from Hardcore Gaming 101 to delve into the history of Konami's legendary Gradius series. From its prequel (Scramble) to its most recent spinoff (Otomedius), we blast our way through the span of the entire series!
Aug 28, 2017•2 hr 1 min
Fresh from Long Island Retro Gaming Expo, Jeremy and Bob yield the floor to Kurt Kalata and Rob Russo from Hardcore Gaming 101 to explain the history of Falcom's Dragon Slayer series. Just in time for the PS4 debut of the latest spinoff, Tokyo Xanadu!
Aug 25, 2017•1 hr
Jeremy, Bob, and Chris hunker down to discuss the entirety of Square Enix's Mana series but only make it through the first two games: Final Fantasy Adventure for Game Boy and Secret of Mana for SNES. (Whoops, we accidentally went extremely in-depth.)
Aug 21, 2017•1 hr 55 min
Jeremy speaks with legendary developer Tetsuya Mizuguchi on his start in games, the genesis of Space Channel 5 and Rez, and face-mounted Game Gears. Later, Kishi and Kim Justice join to discuss Metal Gear's anniversary and Fire Pro World, respectively.
Aug 14, 2017•2 hr 10 min
We NES kids know Little Nemo best from his classic Capcom platformer, but what about the character's role in a revolutionary newspaper comic from the early 20th century? And what of Little Nemo's extraordinarily expensive and fairly obscure box office flop that spawned two different video games? On this episode of Retronauts Micro join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Mikel Reparaz as the gang traces the history of Winsor McCay's sleepy hero across three different forms of media.
Aug 11, 2017•50 min
Following up on the first Metroidvania episode from a few months back, we collect the jump boots and circle back around to take a look at the next stage of the genre's evolution: The NES era.
Aug 07, 2017•1 hr 54 min
Ah, Super Mario Bros. 3. What more can be said about Nintendo R&D4's grand finale for the 8-bit era? Well, we managed to fill 90 minutes discussing this timeless game, so the answer is "a whole lot." On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Ray Barnholt, and Henry Gilbert as the crew takes a closer look at one of Nintendo's greatest creations, and find it's still worth beaming about.
Jul 31, 2017•1 hr 45 min
Chris Sims and Benj Edwards help Jeremy field a patron request to explore the Game Gear version of Batman... along with a bunch of other handheld titles we gave short shrift in our recent classic Batman games survey.
Jul 28, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Ray Barnholt and Henry Gilbert join Bob and Jeremy to discuss gaming's original expanded universe: Namco's Dig Dug, which turns out to be a part of the same lineage (literally) as Mr. Driller and Baraduke.
Jul 24, 2017•1 hr 55 min
Jeremy, Ben, and Benj talk about Bungie FPS classic Marathon in a Micro-sized conversation that balloons out of control into a full-length episode. Then, Retronauts bloggers Kishi and Kim Justice drop in to discuss the Super NES Classic Edition & Final Fantasy VIII (in that order).
Jul 17, 2017•2 hr 10 min
Chris Kohler and Jose Otero join Jeremy and Bob to mark the impending retirement of Nintendo veteran Genyo Takeda, one of the most tenured game creators still working. From EVR Racer to StarTropics to MMC tech, a freeform discussion of a gaming legacy.
Jul 14, 2017•43 min
Jeremy, Ben, and Benj convene again to continue their discussion of SEGA's chronology of arcade classics. This time, we take aim at the years 1986 & 87, with greats like Out Run, After Burner, Quartet, Alien Syndrome, and more!
Jul 10, 2017•1 hr 57 min
Our 30th anniversary deep-dive series continues with the fifth entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, the 16-bit cult obsession Final Fantasy V. Bob and Jeremy are joined by pop culture pundit Shivam Bhatt and Chris Kohler, who wrote the book on the game.
Jul 03, 2017•1 hr 56 min
Jeremy, Benj, and Chris convene again to discuss that all-time classic... no, wait. To discuss weirdo niche NES action game Kabuki Quantum Fighter. Aimless digressions, collective confusion, and unflattering Batman comparisons abound!
Jun 30, 2017•39 min
Not all games are lucky enough to see a release. Some stew for years in development, only to be cancelled and shoved into storage or, in most cases, discarded entirely. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Dave Rudden, and Chris Antista as the crew examines the most notable games that nearly crossed the finish line.
Jun 26, 2017•1 hr 48 min
Benj Edwards and Chris Sims join Jeremy for what was intended to be a quick overview of 8-bit games that helped define non-linear platforming but ultimately gets bogged down in exploring side paths as in any metroidvania worth its salt, really.
Jun 19, 2017•1 hr 55 min
On this very special episode synergistically (but not cynically) engineered to help launch the brand-new Talking Simpsons Patreon campaign, we take a look at what many people consider the best Simpsons game in the 25 years we've had them: Konami's arcade masterpiece. With its gorgeous graphics, fun Easter eggs, and surprising faithfulness to the source material, this colorful brawler wowed us back in the day, and continues to wow us in the present. Join host Bob Mackey and guests Henry Gilbert a...
Jun 16, 2017•59 min
Game music expert James Eldred shares some helpful advice on finding and building a collection of classic soundtracks. Plus: In-depth with Ship To Shore's Darius and the DataDiscs Gunstar Heroes set.
Jun 12, 2017•1 hr 42 min
Jeremy and Bob wax rhapsodic with Henry Gilbert and Kat Bailey as they harmonize to sing the praises of the first portable Zelda: The iconoclastic and frequently surreal Link's Awakening.
Jun 05, 2017•1 hr 42 min
We circle back to the original Retronauts Micro topic to do it proper justice. Ben, Benj, and Jeremy tackle the TI-99/4A: Its history, its games, and... well, that's about it.
Jun 02, 2017•53 min
Racing series come and go, but, over the last 25 years, Mario Kart has remained the most popular and relevant one out there. But what keeps this wildly unrealistic take on competitive driving so many laps ahead of its contemporaries? Join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, and Henry Gilbert as the crew explores the ups, downs, and various rainbow roads of Nintendo's long-running racer.
May 29, 2017•1 hr 50 min
For our 100th full episode since our crowdfunded relaunch, we complete a long-overdue Kickstarter obligation by inviting backer Daniel Hawks to join us in a discussion of the early days and notable landmarks of CD-ROM gaming.
May 22, 2017•1 hr 32 min
Live from a very noisy Milwaukee stage, Jeremy and Bob are joined by Splatterhouse experts and world record holders Caitlin Oliver and Kevin Bunch to contemplate the complete history of Namco's gross-out brawler franchise.
May 19, 2017•53 min
The latest Retronauts Radio features an extended look at the new soundtrack release of Hideo Kojima's legendary SEGA CD adventure Snatcher, the latest Brass de Bravo Final Fantasy album, Taito on TG16, and more!
May 15, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Retronauts East's journey through the history of Apple-based gaming continues with an in-depth look at the unique world of monochrome Mac gaming. Ben Elgin, Benj Edwards, and Jeremy Parish discuss the miracle of the mouse and the hotness of HyperCard.
May 08, 2017•1 hr 53 min
The Simpsons might have gotten off on the wrong foot with 8-bit consoles, but Our Favorite Family's 16-bit debut was... kinda better? On our latest Talking Simpsons crossover episode, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Chris Antista as the crew gives Bart's Nightmare the Retronauts treatment.
May 06, 2017•53 min
Steve Lin joins Jeremy and Bob to discuss that most primal of video game forces: Manly video games about manly men. We explore the pop social forces behind the rise of rugged 8-bit heroes, and how those beefy classics shaped modern game sensibilities.
May 01, 2017•1 hr 42 min
'80s kids couldn't help but grow up with a Ghostbusters fixation, even if the games based on this popular property were often as fun as drowning in a river of slime. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Kat Bailey, and Mikel Reparaz as the crew digs into every Ghostbusters game to see how well each one captures that essential ghostbusting spirit. And if you think all of these games are good, we're not ready to believe you!
Apr 24, 2017•1 hr 33 min
