Over the years, we've covered plenty of games based on animated TV shows, from The Simpsons to Tiny Toon Adventures to Animaniacs. But this week's episode of Retronauts focuses on a much rarer specimen: video games based on live-action TV shows. And, given that live-action shows are usually constrained by some sort of mundane reality, they don't always make for the best adaptations. But they're still fun to talk about! On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Henry Gilbert,...
Feb 19, 2018•2 hr 51 min
Jeremy speaks to Aaron Hamel about Ship to Shore's efforts to bring classic video game soundtracks like Lagrange Point, Darius, and Bayou Billy to the U.S. Then, Joe Granato shares the inside track on his successful Kickstarter project, the do-it-yourself 8-bit game creation kit NES Maker.
Feb 12, 2018•2 hr 50 min
Jeremy, Benj, and Chris explore the mid-’90s doldrums of the metroidvania genre, with a lengthy sidebar on the era's lone high point amidst industry-wide disinterest: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Feb 05, 2018•2 hr 42 min
Jeremy, Chris, and Benj have only 13 hours in which to discuss 1986's Jim Henson/George Lucas/David Bowie Muppet-style cult classic movie musical Labyrinth… oh, and also, the games based on it.
Feb 02, 2018•1 hr 6 min
As part of our ongoing developer interview series, Shantae creator Matt Bozon recounts the history and challenges involved in designing indie darling Shantae. From the game's Super NES prototype to the recent Half-Genie Hero add-on Friends to the End, that's almost three decades of exploratory belly-dancing!
Jan 29, 2018•2 hr 37 min
Spider-Man has been starring in video games for 35 years, but outside of a few rare instances, his digital adventures didn't receive much praise before Neversoft brought him into the world of polygons. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Gary Butterfield, and Spider-Man superfan Henry Gilbert as the crew pores over the many, many Spidey games released from 1982 to 2000. Anybody call for a web-slinger?
Jan 22, 2018•2 hr 45 min
Hulu just announced a two-season reboot of the classic '90s 'toon Animaniacs, so there's never been a better time to look back at the many games starring the Warner Brothers and their Warner sister, Dot. On this episode of Retronauts Micro, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Chris Antista as the crew looks back on this wildly popular, smart, and expensive TV series and the many games that tried their best to dive as deep into pop culture references as the source material did.
Jan 19, 2018•1 hr 8 min
USgamer's Kat Bailey and Capcom's Brett Elston join Bob and Jeremy to take a deep dive into what might be the single finest entry in the entire Mega Man series: Mega Man X for Super NES. A nonlinear podcast adventure!
Jan 15, 2018•2 hr 51 min
Jeremy takes to Skype this week for conversations with the men behind two of last year's best retro-inspired projects: Brjann Sigurgeirsson of Image & Form (Steamworld Dig 2), and legendary Metroid/EarthBound composer Hirokazu "Chip" Tanaka (Django).
Jan 08, 2018•1 hr 19 min
Ah, yes, Squaresoft… the company that only made RPGs. Right? Well. During the PlayStation era, the company's output was all over the place — and that includes the FIVE fighting games it published. All good, all unique! Just in time for their newest fighter, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT, Jeremy Parish & Ben Elgin look back at them all.
Jan 05, 2018•56 min
We dust off an ancient Retronauts tradition, kicking off a new year by looking 10, 20, 30, and even 40 years into the past to explore the evolution of video games through landmark events and releases of bygone decades. Jeff Green and Ray Barnholt join us!
Jan 01, 2018•2 hr 52 min
Jeremy Parish, Ben Elgin, and Benj Edwards convene to discuss SEGA's arcade legacy one last time. But they fail! SEGA created so many groundbreaking classics in the ’90s that this episode only covers about half of them! Oh no!
Dec 25, 2017•2 hr 57 min
As another year winds down, it's time to return once again to the Retronauts holiday cabin in Parts Unknown. And for 2017's celebration, we've dug up one of the few remaining video game cartoon Christmas specials left for our annual festive discussion: Donkey Kong Country's "The Kongo Bongo Festival of Lights." So, boil up a boozy batch of bog nog, cozy up by the fire, and listen in as Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, Chris Antista, and Matthew Jay explore the winter solstice customs of hideous CGI ap...
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 7 min
In a generation where games strove to be gritty, photorealistic, and more "mature," The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker dared to be boldly cartoony, and suffered greatly at the hands of console warriors. Yet, close to 15 years later—and with the help of an HD remake—Link's seafaring GameCube adventure is remembered quite fondly. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Kat Bailey, and Matthew Jay as the crew explores just how this GameCube game went from reviled to treasure...
Dec 18, 2017•2 hr 44 min
Live from Super FamiCon, Jeremy Parish and Chris Sims talk about Nintendo's finest cinematic achievement, The Wizard, with the actor who played the film's title character: Luke Edwards.
Dec 15, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Jeremy chats with Axiom Verge creator Tom Happ and conspirator Dan Adelman to learn more about the origins and inspirations behind one of the greatest retro-inspired games of the past decade.
Dec 11, 2017•2 hr 37 min
High-grade game collectors Chris Kohler and Steve Lin drop by to discuss the wild ride that is the rapid inflation of classic games in the collector's aftermarket. Pine for the days when a Super Mario cartridge cost 25¢ instead of $25!
Dec 05, 2017•2 hr 47 min
We've given you our semi-expert opinions on Metal Gear plenty of times over the years, so it's about time for all of you Retronauts listeners to hear some EXPERT ones. And who better to offer them than people who worked on the actual games? On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey and Jeremy Parish as they grill Camouflaj's Ryan Payton and James Howell about their work on Hideo Kojima's legendary series. Thanks again to everyone who made it out to PRGE! (We'll see you again next year.)
Dec 01, 2017•49 min
Often, our episodes are packed so full of stunning facts and dangerous takes that we rarely have time to give you, the listener, a voice. Hence, our annual listener mail episode: your yearly chance to write in and ask us our semi-expert opinions. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Dave Rudden and Chris Antista as the crew runs down the best Virtual Console releases of 2017, and answers your burningest questions.
Nov 27, 2017•1 hr 10 min
Jeremy Parish and Ben Elgin take a deep dive into the history and concept behind Apple's HyperCard technology and how it became a surprising platform for game development -including the best-selling PC game of the 20th century, Cyan's Myst.
Nov 20, 2017•2 hr 1 min
Words no longer have any meaning as Jeremy, Benj, and Chris record a so-called Micro episode that last more than an hour. But then, there's a lot to say about Metroid II and its remake, Samus Returns.
Nov 17, 2017•1 hr 17 min
By patron request, we continue our Final Fantasy deep dive series by looking at a trilogy of RPGs that aren't part of the series? The Final Fantasy Legend spun off from Final Fantasy II, but they became their own thing almost immediately.
Nov 13, 2017•2 hr 39 min
Chris Sims and Benj Edwards join Jeremy once again to survey the history of exploratory platformers. This time, it's Master System and Super NES games. (Or would be, if the discussion hadn't been sidetracked by Chris' freshman journey into Super Metroid.)
Nov 06, 2017•2 hr 44 min
It might not have been a smash-hit back when it released in 1989, but Monster Party went on to be remembered by NES kids as one of the more memorableif inexplicable8-bit games. Though the (unreleased) Japanese version set out to be a much more direct parody of horror hits, the extant experience skirts close enough to breaking copyright law to make the whole thing worthwhile. On this episode of Retronauts Micro, join host Bob Mackey and guest Henry Gilbert as the two dig into one of the spookiest...
Nov 03, 2017•46 min
It's not an old game, but it has an old soul. Jeremy and Bob chat with Henry Gilbert and (former) IGN editor Jose Otero about the latest Legend of Zelda (Breath of the Wild) and how it connects the series' present to its past.
Oct 30, 2017•2 hr 38 min
30 years ago, Lucasfilm Games gave us Maniac Mansion: an unassuming little adventure created by people who never dabbled in the genre before. But this lack of conventional wisdom caused Maniac Mansion to be an adventure game unlike anything else in existenceand one that would shape the future of Lucas' game division for years to come. On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, Mikel Reparaz, and Phil Kollar as the crew ponders the joys of Ron Gilbert's B&E simulator.
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 29 min
Yeah, it's another Mario mailbag as our Sunshine episode received way too many listener letters to be contained in the main episode. Sam, Henry, Bob, and Jeremy offer equal time to some very different Sunshine opinions than our own
Oct 20, 2017•44 min
Two Micro episodes combine powers to become a full episode! First, Kurt and Rob of Hardcore Gaming 101 join to discuss King of Fighters. Then, Ben and Benj follow up with a home gaming-focused counterpart to our recent arcade memories episode.
Oct 16, 2017•2 hr 3 min
Taking a break from our string of glowing Mario retrospectives, we have a not-so-glowing look at vintage Mario. Yeah, 2002 is vintage now. Henry Gilbert and Sam Claiborn join us to discuss what's great about Super Mario Sunshine... but mostly what's not.
Oct 09, 2017•2 hr 31 min
Thanks to some industrious hackers, we've recently learned that a digital version of Golf for the NES has been secretly implanted into the firmware of every Nintendo Switch as a tribute to Satoru Iwata. But how was it discovered, how can you play it, and why did Nintendo choose Golf of all games? On this disturbingly relevant episode of Retronauts Micro, host Bob Mackey and guest Henry Gilbert answer all these questions and more.
Oct 06, 2017•30 min
