Retrovaniacs

Episode 80 : Wild Guns (SNES)

YEEHAW! To be honest, much like everyone else we assumed we'd have been too busy with Red Dead Redemption 2 to play something that wasn't western and / or was a really long game.  So -- we're covering Natsume's Wild Guns on the SNES, a game that is short and western-ish.  Does this game still provide a rootin'-tootin' good time, or should this one be put out to pasture?
We also take a listener question regarding ROM hacks, talk about the PS Classic lineup, and the surprise Amico announcement and what we think it will be.
Want to skip right to the run-and-gun action?  Set your pocketwatch to the 8:55 mark, partner.
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If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from? It's easy, and helps people find us by accident. Find everything Retrovaniacs at http://www.retrovania.net
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 79 : Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street (NES)

It's Halloween 2018!  We're celebrating this year by covering maybe the most iconic horror monsters, at least of the 80s - Freddy and Jason, and the most 80s games possible on the LJN-made games for the NES.
Sure, they've already duked it out on the big screen, but which of these slashers will have the better NES game?
Want to skip around what else we've been doing?  Start at that 9 minute mark!
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If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from? It's easy, and helps people find us by accident. Find everything Retrovaniacs at http://www.retrovania.net
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.
 

Episode 78 : Castlevania Symphony of the Night

It's the first Halloween episode of 2018, and we've decided to take a closer look at Symphony of the Night before the new HD re-release comes out at the end of the month with Castlevania : Requiem.  Does this game still have fangs, or is it a miserable pile (of secrets)? 
We also covered the 16-bit Castlevanias previously, in Episode 35, way back in Halloween 2016.
We also answer a listener question about bootlegs, and Billy has a terrifying memory that resurfaces...
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If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from? It's easy, and helps people find us by accident. Find everything Retrovaniacs at http://www.retrovania.net
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 77 : Shenmue (Dreamcast / remakes)

We broke from our own set of guidelines for this one, we're looking at Shenmue in honor of the HD re-releases of Shenmue 1 and 2, and the probable upcoming 3rd game in the series in 2019 (maybe).   We dive into the first game in the saga of Ryo Hazuki, who is sent around Yokosuka, Japan to find information on black cars, Chinese people, and of course sailors, as he hunts down Lan Di to get revenge for his father's death.  Does this game hold up at all in 2018, or was a game that was pretty clunky by 1999 standards even moreso now?
We also answer a listener question on our favorite Halloween films, which kicks things off for the remainder of October as we celebrate #31DaysofHalloween across this podcast, Youtube channel, our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages... and also in our hearts?
Want to skip past what we've been playing? Shift to that 9:00 mark.
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If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from? It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.  Find everything Retrovaniacs at http://www.retrovania.net
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.
 

Episode 76 : Chakan the Forever Man (Genesis)

Grab your favorite pair of swords and join the Retrovanics crew as we dive into the elemental planes of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as we play Chakan the Forever Man for the Sega Genesis.
We also talk about the new Switch onlien service with NES library, the Mega Man 11 demo, and we answer a listener question from "Seph" who asks us what sort of game we personally would make.
Want to skip hearing about what we've been playing (and our thoughts on Mega Man 11)? Skip to 14:20!
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If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from? It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 75 : Startropics (NES)

Billy is back this week, as we take a look at a game that is included on the NES Classic that 2/3 of us had never played - Startropics! Join us as we help Mike find his lost Uncle, Dr. Jones, and find out why a parrot tells you to Do Me So Far Do Me.
As a reminder, Kyle VonKubik's t-shirt Kickstarter ends in less than a week, however it's been fully funded!  There's still a little bit of time to order an exclusive retro-design shirt!  Check it out here! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/946048492/arkado-returns-vintage-arcade-inspired-limited-edi
Want to skip hearing about non-retro games we've been playing?  Skip to 8:15!
__________________________
If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from?  It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.
 

Episode 74 : Bonk's Adventure (TurboGrafx-16)

We revisit the TurboGrafx-16 yet again, as we cover what became the mascot of the system in the US, Bonk, in his first outing. Did the little caveman with a giant noggin have what it takes to hold up to Sonic and Mario and make the TG-16 a force in the market again? Well, obviously not-- but Bonk still had a lot of promise.
As a reminder, Kyle VonKubik's t-shirt Kickstarter still has a few weeks left, it's almost fully funded, but there's still a little bit of time to order an exclusive retro-design shirt!  Check it out here! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/946048492/arkado-returns-vintage-arcade-inspired-limited-edi
Want to skip hearing about non-retro games we've been playing?  Skip to 12:40!
__________________________
If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from?  It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 73 : Shadowrun (SNES / Genesis)

A listener request from Kyle VonKubik (see more below), this episode we definitely bit off more than we could chew, covering 2 completely different RPGs on the same source material, the pen and paper FASA RPG, Shadowrun.  Do either of these versions do the cyberpunk classic justice, and what makes them different?  We try to cover a lot in this hour+, and it probably got a little messy.
Kyle VonKubik is also doing a Kickstarter for an amazing t-shirt design, Arkado Returns, which ends September 12th, and at the time this was posting is already over halfway there!  It's a pretty rad set of designs based on iconic arcade classics including QBert, Frogger, Pac-Land, KLAX, and loads more.  Check it out here, and consider backing it-- We did! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/946048492/arkado-returns-vintage-arcade-inspired-limited-edi
Want to skip hearing about non-retro games we've been playing?  Skip to 12:20!
__________________________
If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from?  It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 72 : Top Hunter Roddy and Cathy (Neo Geo)

SURPRISE!  We weren't sure what we were covering this episode when you last heard from us, but due to Jeremy's broken leg situation, we had to make it something you could play on Switch-- and the re-release of Top Hunter: Roddy and Cathy (originally on the Neo Geo) seemed like a solid choice.  None of us played this before, so we went into this with no pre-conceived notions!  Does this one hold up, or is it another case of "this may have been fun 25 years ago, but what is this?"
We also push a neat retro-gaming t-shirt Arkado Returns by listener Kyle VonKubik, who also recommends our next game-- Shadowrun!   Check out his Kickstarter here : https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/946048492/arkado-returns-vintage-arcade-inspired-limited-edi/description
Want to skip hearing about non-retro games we've been playing?  Skip to 10:48!
__________________________
If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from?  It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.

Episode 71 : Super Metroid (SNES)

This time we take a look at Super Metroid for the Super Nintendo, a game that is highly regarded as a classic game.  Instead of seeing if it's a good or bad game, we instead focus on what makes this game so good-- And does it still play well in 2018?
We also take a listener question about our most nostalgic game purchase, and that leads us down memory road as we say goodbye to a retail icon and it's wonderfully mysterious game cage in the 80s/90s.
Want to skip hearing about what else we've been playing?  Start at 9:37!
__________________________
If you enjoy this podcast, why not write a review wherever you download it from?  It's easy, and helps people find us by accident.
Intro song is "8-Bitter" by Subtastics, and is used with permission, mainly because Jeremy P is in that band.