Practically every list of the best original Xbox games has some combination of Halo, Halo 2, and Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic as it's top 3 games.    That's a fantastic "top tier" of games, and for my money it stands against any consoles all-star lineup. We talked Halo back on episode 43, and Halo 2 will be popping by for episode 100. So today I figured we'd touch on the game most consider to be the best Xbox title NOT starring Master Chief; Star Wars: KOTOR. (Plus, it won the Patreon Poll for May, so a deal's a deal).    I'm new to the Star Wars universe, and this is actually the first Star Wars game I've ever played. And it was absolutely delightful! I'm worried the rest of the games based on the franchise won't live up to the standard KOTOR set for them. Which I guess is kind of like watching the movies after New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, but that's a discussion for a different podcast.    My buddy and RPG nerd Miklos is back on the show this week, and we had a great time talking about our adventures with Bastilla, HK-47, and stupid Carth. If that's all you're here for, skip to 16:00.    Or be a completionist and listen to the whole thing, because before we get into KOTOR, I talk about:   - Our episode 100 Switch Lite giveaway! Sign up for our Patreon to be entered automatically, or send your entries to the email address - [email protected] (deadline is June 8th, 2020)    - It's a great time to pick up a PS4 or an Xbox One, if you don't have one.   - I (quickly) rank the Star Wars movies, now that I'm a Star Wars guy.    Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've waited long enough. It's time to talk about the iconic Metal Gear Solid. We covered the sequel back on episode 73, and the last 6 months people have been asking me "when are you covering the original?" Well, here it is. Yes, it's a better game, and yes, we probably should have covered it first, and yes it's awesome and yes we waited too long and, well, you get it.    Bradley McCue of The Movie Epidemic Podcast and I broke down the original Metal Gear Solid this week. And when I say we broke it down, I mean it. We cover the whole game, talk plot details, bosses, surprises, game mechanics. If you haven't played this game and still want to someday, maybe skip the second part of the show this week, because SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!   On the other hand, if that's why you're here, skip to 11:20.    And before we get into the Playstation One gem that is MGS, I touch on a couple things. We're getting a new Paper Mario, and that's awesome! I think we're gonna get a smorgasbord of game announcements this Summer, and I can't wait. And speaking of this Summer, there are awesome games coming out every month from June - September! Who needs to go outside anyway??   And speaking of awesome, we're giving away a Nintendo Switch Lite! June 10th will be our 100th episode, and as a thank you for all the support, we're giving one listener a brand new Nintendo Switch Lite. And it's FREE TO ENTER!!    Listen to this week's intro for details, and send your answer to the trivia question (along with your name) to:    [email protected]   Deadline is June 8th! And one entry per person, please. Don't be a douche.    Good luck and enjoy the podcast!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's 2 for 1 week here at Remember The Game industries! This time around, we're going back to the world of Link, boring talking owls and golden triangles. It's The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons & Oracle of Ages on the Game Boy Color!   If you never played these games, you're not alone (sadly). I feel like these are two of the most overlooked games in the Legend of Zelda's iconic catalog, and that's really too bad. They're both really, really good. The same basic engine as Link's Awakening, but there's colour, different characters, and there's TWO of them! They're linked (no pun intended) together, and it's a really cool concept.    My pal - resident Zelda superfan and former podcast Hall of Famer - Mark McCue is my guest this week, and we had a lot of fun breaking down how awesome the Oracle games are. If that's all you're here for, skip to 16:00.    Or don't be a Warp Whistles kid and listen to the whole podcast! Before we get into the ageless seasons, I talk about a bunch of stuff! Microsoft held their first Inside Xbox presentation last week, and everyone is mad at them (but they shouldn't be). Sony is launching Playstation Studios with the Playstation 5, and I think it's a great idea. And Tony Hawk Pro Skater is back!!!! *Insert Kermit freaking out GIF*   Plus I weigh in on what I've been playing, how bad I am at Twitch streaming, and lots more. Enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We haven't shown the Game Boy Advance nearly enough love on this show. That's because I barely played mine back in it's prime, unfortunately. But one of the few GBA games I DID play (and love) is Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.    If that's all you're here for, skip to 14:40.   This bad boy launched the "Mario & Luigi Handheld RPG" series, and along with the Paper Mario games, is the spiritual successor to legendary Super Mario RPG. It's full of charm, fun battle mechanics, overworked puzzle solving, and of course, Mario & Luigi.    I haven't played this game in probably fifteen years, and I still have a great fondness for it. It had a lasting affect on me, and it's generally considered one of the best games in the historic GBA library - for good reason. My guest this week is Bradley McCue from The Movie Epidemic podcast, and we had a great time talking about Mario & Luigi's quest to rescue Princess Peach's voice.    And before we get into this week's game, I have to ramble, of course. This month's Patreon poll is live, and you have a chance to pick one of the games we'll cover in an upcoming episode! Also, more news has come out regarding the Last of Us Part 2 leaks, and I get mad about all you spoiler asshats again.    I also rant about stupid kids on Reddit, and what life would have been like if social media had existed during the SNES/Sega Genesis wars. And Microsoft is giving us more info about the Series X this week! Where the hell is Sony???   Wash your hands, clean your controllers, look out for giant hornets, and enjoy this week's show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I say it every time I play a game I like for the first time, but one of the coolest things about this podcast is discover new games that I missed when they originally released. Shining Force, Shinobi 3 and Banjo-Kazooie have been my favourites so far, and you can add Spyro the Dragon to that list. This game is awesome! If that's all you're here for, skip to 18:00.    3D platformers have always been very hit and miss for me, but the crew at Insomniac deserve a ton of credit for making a game that's fun, charming, and just the right level of difficulty. Growing up, I skipped this game because I thought Spyro was for babies. It might start out pretty easy, but the final few levels of this game really crank up the difficulty, particularly if you're collecting everything (which you should be). I enjoyed this game so much I 120% completed it, and I hardly ever 100% games.   Spyro won our March Patreon Poll, and as promised, here's an episode about it. My buddy and fellow comedian Darren joins me to talk about one of his favourite games of all-time; Spyro the freaking Dragon.    And before we get into the little purple dragon that could, there's other stuff to talk about! I weigh in Expansion Pass returning to it's normal schedule after a shaky April. I'm trying to spend a *little* less time playing video games during these crazy times. And The Last of Us 2 has a new release date (YAY), because someone leaked the entire story and it's being spoiled all over the internet (Boo....).    Thanks for listening, clean your controllers, and enjoy the episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another Pokemon game. Kind of.    Every time we talk the monsters of pockets and their games, I get a little nervous. I know how passionate the die-hard pokeheads out there are, and one little mix-up or slip of the tongue can result in days of "actuallllllly" tweets and messages.    Mark McCue is my guest this week, and we decided to talk about the Nintendo 64 behemoth that was Pokemon Stadium. This game blew minds back in 1998, and it took those little blobs of pixels we called pets on Game Boy and made them giant blobs of pixels on TV. This game actually looked pretty fucking good for it's time, and I didn't realize just how many copies of Stadium had sold until I started working on this episode. We all played this game one way or another, and it damned well deserves it's moment in the Remember The Game spotlight.    If that's all you're here for, skip to 14:10.    Or listen to the whole thing (what else do you have to do?) and hear me share my thoughts on stuff like the losers out there using computer programs to buy up the world's Nintendo Switch reserves and the Mario Maker 2 update and whether or not it'll convince me to buy a copy of the game. I also touch on the upcoming PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X news that's allegedly coming, our Patreon is back, and I'll tell you about all the games I've been playing between naps over the last week!   Stay safe, clean your controllers, and enjoy this week's podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As you all know, I'm a former SEGA hater. I grew up on the SNES side of the 90's console wars, and missed out on most of the best games that were exclusive to Sega's little black box. In the last year or so, I've played Shining Force, Shinobi, Ecco the Dolphin; I'm trying to make up for lost time. One of the games that constantly pops up on the "best of" lists when it comes to the Genesis is Phantasy Star IV. So I finally got around to giving it a shot. And while I think calling it "Sega's Final Fantasy VI" is a little extreme, it's pretty good!    My buddy Chris is a Sega kid, and we had a good time breaking down the good, the bad, and the ugly about Chaz and friends. If that's all you're here for, skip to 15:00.   Before we get into Phantasy Star, I rambled like the old man that I am. I quickly touched on the sheer amount of sales going on in the gaming world right now, and whether or not physical game buyers are finally joining the digital team.    Sony is following in Ubisoft's footsteps and giving away games for free to try and get people to stay home, and publicity move or not, I think they deserve some love. Apparently Capcom is remaking Resident Evil 4, and I'll jump on any excuse to sing that game's praises. And finally, I'm playing a lot of video games right now, and I talk about them for a couple minutes.    We've done this 92 times, you guys know what to expect. Stay safe and enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even if you haven't played Megaman X3, you should still absolutely listen to this episode. Everyone has a played a MM game, so it's easy to follow along, and the music alone makes this worth your time.    That said, I love Megaman. But I don't love Megaman X3. It feels like a frustrating (VERY frustrating) incomplete MM game. My guest this week is the Movie Epidemic podcast's Bradley McCue, and we go over the good, the bad, and the ugly of X's third adventure. Angry Adam pops up a couple times too, if you like him. Skip to 23:05 if you're just here for that.    Or listen to the whole thing and hear me talk about:   - Final Fantasy VII Remake comes out this week!!!! - Last of Us 2 isn't. In fact, we won't see it for a while... - The Messenger is getting a prequel, and it looks like Chrono Trigger! - People are scalping Nintendo Switches again!?   And more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've wanted to talk about this movie for a 'spin-off' type episode of the show for a long time. But then we did. And I remembered how terrible it really is. I'm not a film buff, I don't pretend to know anything about movies. And if this movie wasn't called Super Mario Bros, it might have been a weird sci-fi flick that people didn't think was that bad.    But it was called Super Mario Bros. And it was that bad. As a kid, I loved it. I think most of us did. Mario and Luigi were real humans. And so was King Koopa! And...wait, what?   If you like the episodes of the podcast where I get angry and wound up, this one is for you. My pal Tyler is back this week, and we had a good time trying to figure out the plot to this stupid cash grab of a movie. If that's all you care about, skip to 24:08.    Or listen to the whole thing, because there's lots to talk about!    We're launching 'Remember The Game: Expansion Pass' this Sunday, and I tell you what the first episode will be about. I also give a quick shout-out to the show Video & Arcade Top 10, that apparently everyone remembers as fondly as I do!   Ubisoft is giving away free games to people that stay inside, which is cool. Nintendo rolled out a Mini-Direct last week, which is really cool. And I spend some time breaking down the rumours that Mario 64, Mario Sunshine and Mario Galaxy are coming to the Nintendo Switch, which is INSANELY COOL!!!!   This week is a roller coaster of emotions. Curl up on the couch and come for a ride with me.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people skip episodes about games they don't know. I get that, but don't skip this one! You can play it online for free, so this is like a commercial for it. Plus, what else do you have to do these days??   The Lost Vikings is a platformer/puzzle game, originally released on the SNES and developed by Blizzard (the little known game developer behind World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch). Before anyone knew who they were, they made a game about three vikings and their adventures through spaceships, jungles and pyramids, and it was awesome.    This game isn't perfect, but it's fun, and it's charming as all hell. I used to play with my friend Daniel when we were kids, and we had a great time breaking down the good, the bad, and the ugly about Erik, Baleog, and Olaf (the vikings) adventure. If that's all you're here for, skip to 24:15.    Before we get into Lost Vikings, I get some stuff off my chest. I weigh in on the Corona situation quickly. I'm glad this show is helping some of you get through it, because you're all helping me more than you know.    Video games are helping us pass time too, and there's an INSANE run of new releases right now! I break down some of the top scoring games that have come out over the past few weeks. I also talk about all the games I've been playing while I'm locked down (including the return of my let's play series 'Adam Sucks at Video Games'!)    And finally, I rant about EB Games/Gamestop again, because their management team is hot garbage.    Enjoy the podcast, wash your hands (and your controllers), and stay safe.    OH YEAH! We're gonna try running another Mario Kart tourney Saturday night. Follow us on Twitter or Instagram for the tournament ID (we follow back!)   Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm considering revoking Mark McCue's Hall of Fame status for suggesting we talk about this piece of crap.   Also, this episode contains more adult language than most episodes. You've been warned.   This week's episode is all about the "educational"- "Mario" - "video game" (imagine that was said with air quotes) that is Mario is Missing. What should have been a sequel to Super Mario World starring the often overlooked Luigi is really nothing more than a crappy history lesson. It was designed to fool parents (like mine) into buying their kids a game that looked like the one they've been playing since they got their SNES. I hate it.   If you only want to hear me yell about this dumb game, skip to 14:50.   Before I get into Mario Is Missing, I obviously address the Coronavirus that's taking over the world right now. There's a new perk for Patreons of the show, and I tell you all about it! And Xbox revealed some Series X specs that I don't understand.   Thanks for listening, enjoy the podcast, and wash your controllers.    Also, follow us on Instagram & Twitter @memberthegame  - We follow back! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It took us 87 episodes of the show to talk about Naughty Dog's apple collecting, box smashing, shirt not-wearing Bandicoot, and for that I apologize. But the day has finally come. We're talking Crash Bandicoot on the show this week, specifically Crash Bandicoot: Warped (3), and I'm damned excited. If you want to skip over my rambling and get right to Crash, skip to 17:20.   Also on this week's show:    - I give the second round of shout-outs to our Patreons for March.    - Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo fame has joined the video game nWo and is working with GameStop now. I don't want to see them go out of business, but is this too little, too late?   - Happy Mar10 day! Let's talk a little Mario.   And more! And once we're done with all that, my buddy Andre and I talk about Crash Bandicoot's third adventure on the original Playstation; Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Enjoy the show!   And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back!   Twitter - @memberthegame   Instagram - @memberthegame   And as always, $2/month will get you bonus podcasts, a shout-out on the show, and a chance to win 25% of our Patreon! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, this episode has a much, much more positive vibe than last week's adventures with Ecco the stupid fish. We're talking about one of the best games on the NES, and frankly maybe the best Kirby game ever made; Kirby's Adventure. If you want to skip over the rambling and get right to Kirby, skip to 22:12. Before we go on Kirby's Excellent Adventure, I give some shout-outs to our Patreons. I also explain why I think the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo is a GREAT thing, even though I'm not gonna play it. I actually take a pretty long look at that game as a whole. Despite all of the things I don't like about the Remake, it's one of my most anticipated games of the year. I weigh in on the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X again, because how can you not? Sony isn't saying ANYTHING. Is it because they're getting ready to strike? Or is it because they're looking for something to use as a weapon? And a sealed copy of Megaman sold for $40,000 and I don't get it. All that before Bradley McCue and I have a great chat about one of the NES's crown jewels; Kirby's Adventure. Enjoy the show! And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fuck. This. Game. This episode contains a little more profanity than your standard episode of the show, so be warned. We also only cover the first world of the game, but chances are that's as far as you've ever gotten, too. If all you want to hear about is the steaming pile of fish feces that is Ecco The Dolphin, skip to 20:25. Before I start losing on my mind on Sega's giant tuna, I explain why March's Patreon giveaway prize will be bigger than normal, and I lay out some plans I have for the future. I also just bought a PS4 for the second time, and I'm looking for your game suggestions! And I explain why console wars made sense for kids in the '90s, but if you're an adult and you think someone is stupid because of the console they play on, you're a fucking idiot. Once all that is done, my buddy Andre and I talk about the steaming pile of fish feces that is Ecco The Dolphin.  And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every once and a while, shows have to do something different. Christmas specials, clip shows, Treehouse of Horrors, etc. Well, this week it's a "very special" episode of Remember The Game? I'm solo, and instead of looking at a game we played back in the day, I'm looking at a movie. About a game we played back in the day.    The Sonic the Hedgehog movie is out, and as a life-long Nintendo fanboy, I really liked it. Enough to dedicate an episode of my podcast to a movie about my childhood arch-nemesis. It's not a super in-depth movie review, it's just me explaining why you should (or shouldn't) go see this flick.    The rambling intro is longer than normal this week. I announce the official game of the podcast (unofficially). I also take a long look at the Nintendo Playstation thats up for auction right now, and share my thoughts on what gaming would look like today if Nintendo and Sony had formed the MegaPowers. And finally, my stupid joy-cons are finally becoming an issue I can't ignore. Has Nintendo handled this drifting fiasco properly?   We'll be back next week with a regular episode of the podcast about an old video game. Enjoy the break this week, and go see Sonic!!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I think the term "hero" is thrown around too loosely these days, but this week on the show I'm shouting out our Patreons, because they're God damned heroes. I also explain why I don't cover games older than the NES on here (Atari, ColecoVision, etc). I talk about how nostalgia can drastically impact your opinion of an old video game. And finally, I rant about how a game should worry about being fun before it worries about it's frame rate, resolution, blah blah blah. Just make your game fun, nothing else matters!!!! And after all that, my buddy Chris and I talk about Super Punch Out for the Super Nintendo, the (slightly) superior sequel to the legendary Mike Tyson's Punch Out on the NES. If you just want to hear about that, skip to 17:40. And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame Super Punch Out!! is one of the games I owned as a kid. And dare I say, it's the first game I mastered. I was 255-0 on my save file (the game maxes out there). I had the top times and scores for every boxer/circuit (including beating everyone in under 1:00). I knew this game like the back of my hand. And I never got sick of it. I don't know if it's the graphics, the fact that I owned it, maybe the lower difficulty, whatever the reason, I like Super Punch Out!! better than Mike Tyson's Punch Out! on the NES. It's the better game, and I'll die on that hill. And even if you think the original game is better, you still have to admit the 16-bit adaption is pretty awesome. My buddy Chris agrees, and he's here this week to tell you all about it. Also, fuck you, Super Macho Man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I touch on the Nintendo Switch surpassing the iconic Super Nintendo in console sales totals. The Wii is Nintendo's top-selling home console of all-time, can the Switch catch it? (Yes, it can). I also send my best wishes to MariKar, the Tokyo based go-kart tour company that was recently sued by Nintendo. They aren't allowed to let their clients dress up as Nintendo characters anymore, and it's sad. My girlfriend and I got to give it a shot back in 2018, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.  And on the heels of the Final Fantasy VII remake delay, I take a quick look at some of the upcoming games in 2020, too. Two new consoles, some incredibly heavy hitting games, the Switch is rolling along; this is shaping up to be one of the biggest years in gaming history! All that (and more!) before my pal Tyler and I take you back to 1993 and talk about a Fox helping a frog fight a gorilla in space. If you just want to hear about that, skip to 21:30. And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame StarFox is tricky. I played it as a kid, just like you probably did. Skippy the stupid frog would fly around and beg me for help, and I'd save him every time. We thought the graphics were revolutionary. Nintendo was taking gaming into exciting new places! And they had a trillion dollar franchise on their hands! Right?? Wrong. Well, kinda right...I don't know.  StarFox is still around. Primarily in Smash Bros, but I think we'll see another mainline game eventually. And when we do, I hope it ages better than the first one did. Replaying this game to prepare for the podcast hurt my heart a little, because this game just isn't as good as I thought it was.  Have a listen to this week's show and I'll tell ya all about it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I share my thoughts on Byleth being announced as the final Smash Bros DLC character (for now at least), touch on the greatness that is Witcher 3 on the Switch, and I'm finally playing Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. Oh yeah, and Mark McCue and I talk about a bear that keeps a bird trapped in his backpack. If you just want to hear about that, skip to 14:50. And toss us a follow, pleeeease? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame I missed out on Banjo-Kazooie back in the Nintendo 64 days. As I've (infamously) made clear on the show, I'm not a huge fan of old-school 3D platformers, and it just never jumped out at me back in the day. I always thought it looks colourful and nice, but I never really had a crazy urge to play it. Luckily, I have a friend named Mark McCue that wouldn't stop badgering me to give Banjo a shot, and for the sake of this show, I finally did. And it was absolutely delightful. I can't even explain how impressed I was with Banjo-Kazooie, although I'll give it a shot on the podcast this week. To be fair, I did play the Xbox Arcade remastered version and not the original Nintendo 64 release, but from what I've been told, that's the way to go. The game SCREAMS retro gaming, from the graphics, to the music, to the gameplay, it took everything Mario 64 did and did it better. And that's from a life long Mario fanboy. This game is fucking awesome, and if you haven't played it, you really should. We'll tell you why on the show this week. Mark McCue is a Banjo-Kazooie super fan, and I'm a junkie in training, and if you're not already one of those things, we're gonna change your mind over the next hour or so. Enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, I touch on the upcoming PS5/XBox wars, how can the Switch stay relevant, Final Fantasy VII remake has been delayed, and I let you know what I've been playing. Then we shift into Rock Band! If you just want to hear about that, skip to 20:10. And toss us a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back! Twitter - @memberthegame Instagram - @memberthegame "Well technically, I don't think Rock Band is considered a 'retro' video game..."  I know. I don't care. It's my show and you can listen to this for free. If you don't like it, go watch cartoons. It'll be thirteen years old this year, and I mean, who DOESN'T "remember" playing Rock Band back in the day? See what I did there? This game was the shiiiiit. Music games EXPLODED in the 2000's. Guitar Hero lit the fuse, and Rock Band was the dynamite that boomed. I remember going to parties where the centre of the festivities was arguing about who's turn it was to play next. Get a big TV, turn the volume up, and it was better than air-drumming in your car. It was the ultimate party game. And if you had someone that didn't really know how to play, you just stuck them on the bass like a real band would.  We all have our own stories about how we broke our drum pedal, and what we did to fix it. You see the plastic instruments laying around people's houses, at garage sales and flea markets. They're everywhere. And you know why they're everywhere? Because everyone played Rock Band.  My buddy Andre did. He's my guest this week, and we had a hell of a time looking back on life in a band. I hope this episode hits the nostalgia button for you a hard as it did for me! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 16:05** Few games are as sure fire slam-dunk first ballot hall of famers as DOOM. It's just one of those series that everybody's played. It's on everything. Everyone knows it. I mean, it's DOOM. Admittedly, I don't have a ton of experience with it. I remember some of my friends playing it when I was a kid, but I didn't spend a ton of time with it until I started playing it on the Super Nintendo. And as much as I was enjoying it then, I had people telling me that was one of the worst versions of it. I couldn't believe it. From the online play, to modding the bad guys, to the pop-culture references, DOOM did it all, it was everywhere, and it had something for everyone.  This is one of those games and franchises that has such a loyal and hardcore fanbase, I got a little nervous about covering it on the show. I don't know it that well, and I'm completely PC illiterate, and the last thing I need is a bunch of angry emails and tweet from you damned "PC Master Race"ers yelling at me because I didn't do you stupid gun game justice. Luckily, my guest this week picks up the slack.  My pal and returning guest to the show Patrick (Resident Evil 4, Super Mario Land) is back this week, and he loves him some DOOM. By the end of the episode, I loved DOOM. You'll love DOOM, too.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 16:55** When a majority of people think of first-person shooters and the Nintendo 64, Goldeneye 007 probably comes to mind. And while it's unquestionably an iconic video game (we covered it all the way back on episode 11!), Perfect Dark is better. At everything.  From the additional weapons, to the insane multi-player options, to the great story telling (Elvis for the win), Perfect Dark was a masterpiece. I'm not sure how well the Nintendo 64 version has aged - that controller is such a monstrosity - but the fantastic Microsoft-centric port is absolutely the definitive way to play anyways. And it's still worth firing up all these years later. I'll be honest, I don't have a ton of memories when it comes to Perfect Dark. I wasn't a huge shooter fan, and after Goldeneye I moved on from the genre until Halo got it's claws in me. But after playing it on my 360 a few years ago, I regretted that choice whole-heartedly. This game was one of the swan song titles for the Nintendo 64, and it really pushed the console to it's absolute limit. Rare and everyone involved should be proud of this game, and its about damned time we gave it a chance to step out James Bond's shadow and shine. My pal David Rae is my first guest of 2020, and we're looking back at the iconic Perfect Dark. It's a *perfect* way to start the year! See what I did there?? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk starts at 10:50**   This is what 'Remember The Game?' is all about. Old cartoons, old video games, old video games about old cartoons. So much nostalgic goodness this week. (And the entire 8-bit version of the theme song makes this episode worth downloading on it's own!)   So many video games that are based on a popular franchise turn out to be hot garbage (exhibit A: Episode 70 of this show; Ghostbusters), but luckily for all of us 80's kids, Capcom decided to swim against the current and buck that trend. DuckTales isn't just a decent video game adaption of it's cartoon counterpart, it's a great one.    This game is crazy fun, and while it has a challenge to it, it's not soul crushing like so many of it's NES brothers and sisters. You play the role of Scrooge McDuck, and the game sees you travel all over the planet solar-system in search of treasure. You can play the levels in (almost) any order, and there's a ton of exploration involved. It's not linear at all, and it pushes you to search every nook and cranny of each level if you want to go for a high score. Or worth, in this case.    DuckTales also features cameos by so many great characters from the show, including Scrooge's nephews; Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Launchpad the pilot, that cranky old Scottish duck that raced Scrooge to the lamp in the intro, and the vampire lady duck. (I'm not caught up on my DuckTales characters).    It also introduced the cane/pogo stick mechanic, which was so popular it still pops up in games today. Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze and the iconic Shovel Knight both borrow it with great success.    Mark McCue and I gush about one of the best damned games the NES has to offer this week. Not ponytails or captain tales, no...DuckTales! Whoo-oo! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk begins at 18:30** I'll never get tired of talking about wrestling video games. The only issue with talking wrestling video games is the fact that there's probably more bad titles than good ones. Lucky for all of us, this is one of the good ones. In fact, it's one of the great ones.  WWF Wrestlefest is everything video games should be. It's bright and colourful, the gameplay is addictive, and it's an arcade game. As much as I love vegging out on my couch playing video games on my TV, there's just something special about standing at an arcade cabinet. Holding that greasy, germ covered joystick in your hand while you mash those giant buttons...you can barely hear the game you're playing because there's so many other games around you. It's video game euphoria... I don't even know if anyone reads these stupid things, so we're just gonna get to the show. My buddy Brad is back this week, and it's our first episode recorded by phone, so if the sound quality is off, I apologize. I hope you can trudge through it and enjoy this week's episode, because it's a gooder. It's Hulk Hogan. It's Sgt. Slaughter. It's Demoilition. It's WWF WrestleFest!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 17:40** Back in the late 80's, everything the Ninja Turtles touched turned to gold. TV, cereal, toys, movies, music, and of course, video games. The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the NES (covered on episode 18 of this show!) was pretty good, but the sequel is the one everyone still loves and plays today.  Originally released as an arcade game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II blew the first Ninja Turtles game away. Gone was the "puzzle solving/platforming" single game, and in it's place was a classic side scrolling, beat 'em up that we didn't know we wanted. And it was multi-player!!!! In the arcade version, you and three friends could pump your parents' quarters into a cabinet and stand side by side, pounding on foot soldiers and classic Turtles villains like Bebop, Rocksteady, and of course, Shredder. I remember going to Chuck 'E' Cheese for my birthday as a kid and literally pumping every single token I had into this game.  Then it released on the NES. Apparently, the graphics and other specs were dialled back so it could run on the NES, but none of us noticed. They also reduced the number of people that could play at once from 4 to 2, but again, we didn't care. Every kid I knew loved this game. Some of my fondest memories are going to sleepovers with my friends when we were young and taking turns playing TMNT 2. And when it wasn't your turn to play the game, you were watching one of the movies or playing with the action figures.   This game is fantastic. Sure, Turtles in Time on the SNES did everything it did better (frankly, so did the often overlooked TMNT 3 on the NES), but everyone loved this game. I can't believe it took us 75 episodes to talk about it. But it's here now, and you should be as excited as I am.  My buddy Miklos returns to the show this week, and man oh man did we have a great time talking Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts around 18:45**   I love Mario. And while it hasn't aged all that well, I'm pretty fond of the original Game Boy too. We could play video games anywhere!! So Mario on the Game Boy should have been a match made in heaven. And eventually it was; Super Mario Land 2 is incredible. But Mario's first road trip, Super Mario Land, wasn't quite as good.    That's not to say it was bad. Mario is like pizza; even when it's not great, it's still pretty great.    This game felt more like a demo for what the Game Boy was capable of. It was also overshadowed by a little known Game Boy launch title called Tetris. They introduced a bunch of new stuff, like different enemies, a new world, they replaced fireballs with rubber....balls? You don't save Princess Toadstool, you save that weirdo, Daisy. The only real thing that makes this a Mario game is Mario himself. But dammit, that's all it takes.    My buddy Patrick returns to the show this week, you may remember him from such episodes as "Game Collecting" and "Resident Evil 4". Patrick loves the Game Boy, loves Super Mario Land, and I loved talking with him. Come feel the love on this week's episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're on Twitter and Instagram (And we follow back!) @memberthegame We're also on stupid Facebook: facebook.com/RememberTheGame And most importantly, we're on Patreon. Please consider supporting our show. For $2/month, we give you tons of stuff! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame **Game Talk starts around 18:40** I have no idea where Metal Gear Solid 2 sits in the history books of gaming. Is a Playstation 2 classic? Forgotten gem? Is it the worst game in the Metal Gear series? The best? Overrated? Underrated? If you look it up online, you'll find every single one of these opinion floating around.  What do I think? You'll have to listen to the show to find out. Nice try.  I associate this game almost as much as any other with the PS2. It was one of the first games I remember buying for the second Sony console, and man oh man was I excited to get my hands on it. After playing (and quite enjoying) the original Metal Gear Solid, I couldn't wait to play more. The hype was real, but what was one of the most anticipated games of all-time became one of the most controversial once it got released into the wild. People would debate the creative decisions Kojima and friends made for years to come.  What couldn't be debated was the games sales numbers. MGS 2 ended up selling over 7 MILLION copies. We got Metal Gear Solid V recently, and the Metal Gear games have sold a combined 49 million units. So the Metal Gear series is alive and well. But there are gamers out there that abandoned the series at this title. Was I one of them? Was my guest Bradley McCue? Did we like Raiden? What about Snake? Does this game suck?? No, it doesn't. But do we like it? Have a listen and find out.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 13:50** I can't believe it took us 72 episodes of the show to cover Mario Kart 64. I mean, it's Mario Kart freaking 64! If you're listening to this show, you've played this game.  I'm a Nintendo fanboy through and through, but the Nintendo 64 is admittedly, not one of my favourite systems. I don't think games from the 64/Playstation era have aged particularly well, and a majority of them just irritate me when I try to play them today. But not this game. The memories I (and I'm sure most of you) have of multi-player MK64 is the stuff gaming nostalgia is made of.  Super Mario Kart was fun, but Mario Kart 64 is the reason this franchise is still so massive over twenty years later. The tracks are bigger, the characters are cooler (Wario!!!!!!), Battle Mode is better, and you could play with four players at once. Just that last fact rocked my socks. This game featured some insane tracks; Toad's Turnpike is still to this day one of my favourites in Mario Kart history. Add in Wario and the fact that you could listen to Toad yell "Wooo hooooo!!", and it was the perfect package.  I legit smile just thinking about all the good times we had playing this game when we were kids. I would (and hopefully will) buy a Nintendo 64 Classic someday just for this game. Forget your Ocarina of Times and Super Mario 64's; Mario Kart 64 is the king. I love this game. So does my pal Miklos. Have a listen and let us remind you why you probably do too.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

** Game talk starts around 14:44** The original NES controller was a brick. It was practically indestructible. Need proof? Ask anyone that played Ninja Gaiden back in the day.  This game was designed to make you want to throw your controller against the wall. You would die and start over, and over, and over, and every time you did, you knew you would inevitably lose and slam your controller against something else. You'd swear (quietly), maybe walk away for a couple hours. But you always came back. And that's the great thing about Ninja Gaiden. Despite it's ridiculous difficulty and rage inducing mechanics, it was always fun to play. It might be the "best bad game" on the NES.  (And to be clear, I don't think it's "bad" necessarily. I just think it's too hard. Call me a bitch, I don't care.) The enemies re-spawn if you so much as think about turning around after you kill them. They come out of nowhere, and quite often they show up where you need to land after a precise jump. They can be impossible to avoid. Which leads into the second problem. Every time they touch you, you bounce back half way across the fucking screen. If there's a pit behind you, landing in it is a guarantee. Or you'll bounce into another that just re-spawned, and they'll bounce you into the pit. And then you'll start over, and you'll know it's coming, but they'll get you again. And then you'll finally get by them only to die because you dropped down to the next screen instead of taking the ladder. And that'll be your final life, and you'll start over and bounce into a pit again and WHAM!!! That was your controller hitting the wall. This game drives me insane. But I can't stop playing it. My buddy and guest Bradley McCue knows the feeling. We'll tell you all about it on this week's podcast. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk starts at 16:05** Oh Ghostbusters... I love this damned franchise. Ghostbusters and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were my life as a kid. I had the action figures, movies, cartoons, clothes, books, toys, halloween costumes, and of course, video games. This was one of the games I rented over and over again. Pretty well every time my brother and I convinced our Mom to let us rent games for the weekend, Ghostbusters found it's way into the pile. We refused to admit it wasn't good.  Well, I'm thirty-five now. And it's time to face the music. The horribly repetitive 8-bit music. Ghostbusters on the NES is not a good video game. I'm sorry, Mr. Aykroyd... (Many people have said that versions of this game on other consoles, such as Atari, Commodore 64 and Master System are a little better. I've never played any of them, so we're sticking to the NES version.) I actually beat this game for the first time this week, prepping for this podcast. No cheat codes, turbo controllers, nothing. Just a little patience. OK, a lot of patience. The entire game is one boring grind to save money to buy gear  to beat a boring level where you do nothing but climb 23 flights of stairs. Then you get one fun boss fight, and then the most infamous end screen in gaming history.  If you just read that and thought, "why the hell would anyone play this??", you get it. We don't know why we played it. But a lot of us did... I wanted to cover a scary game for Halloween, and seeing as this is a nostalgia podcast, I saw this week as a perfect opportunity to review not only a treasured game from my childhood, but a "scary" game as well. The ghosts won't scare you in this game, but it'll still give you nightmares.  I'm solo this week, and I hope enjoy this trip down memory lane as we look back at the Walter Peck of NES games; Ghostbusters.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk starts at 14:10** Over the last 69 (nice) episodes of this podcast, we've stumbled across a couple forgotten franchises, and it's really made me sad that they seem like they're just destined to wallow in the obscurity that is video game history for the rest of time. Franchises like BattleToads, Earthworm Jim, and now, Twisted Metal. When I think OG Playstation, I think of the heavy hitters like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. But I also think of the Twisted Metal series. I really liked these games. My fondest multiplayer experiences with Sony's little grey box were with wrestling games and Twisted Metal. They're the reason I have Rob Zombie music on my phone to this day, and for my money, Twisted Metal Black is still one of the best games on the Playstation 2.  And dammit, these games were cool. Twisted Metal was the first game I played on my Playstation that really made it feel like a more "grown up" console, compared to my beloved Nintendo 64. It was the first system I bought with my own money, the first non-Nintendo console I ever owned, and Sweet Tooth and friends really made me feel like I hadn't wasted my cash.  We approached this episode the same way we tackled the original Tony Hawk games. I don't feel like there's enough meat on the bone to give each of the original 4 titles it's own episode, so we're just looking back the original quartet as a whole. My buddy Andre likes these games as much as I do, and we had a hell of a time cracking open a cold bottle of nostalgia this week. Enjoy the show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 12:40**   I can't believe how many people played this game back in the day. It's awesome, but it's also kinda nerdy, even by video game standards. It's slow, quiet, there's no bad guys (except the ridiculous crime rate that will inevitably plague your city). It doesn't seem like a game kids would be interested in. But man oh man, we were.    Almost everyone I knew that had an SNES had Sim City. The fact that it was a launch title for the Super Nintendo probably helps, because after Super Mario World, there weren't too many options. Sim City was my first trip into the simulation/city planning genre of video games, and I loved it. I played the hell out of this game. My brother and I would spend hours just staring at the TV, not even doing anything because we were out of money and waiting on our taxes to come through, and it was still a blast.    Sim City is responsible for sparking my love of this genre of video game, and it's funny because I still adore them today, but I rarely play them. As an adult in a fast moving adult world, I rarely have the time to just sit down and spend an hour designing a virtual city anymore. These types of games are endless, and when I get a gaming session in these days, I feel like I have to get closer to the end of a game to enjoy myself. Which is stupid. This game is fun, and that's all gaming should be. I wish Nintendo would re-release this game somewhere so we could dink around with it again...   It would be perfect on the Switch, in case you're reading this, Nintendo. PERFECT.   Anyway, Sim City is rad. My guest David Rae agrees. We didn't expect this episode to be as long as it was, but once we get rambling about sky-high crime rates, people whining about their taxes, and Bowser attacks, we couldn't stop. Enjoy this week's show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk starts at approx. 17:20** We all know that Nintendo has this weird hobby of taking their phenomenal catalog of older games and making it as hard as humanly possible to play them. That's precisely what they've done with Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. It's available on the Gamecube, if you buy a Gamecube, a memory card, and a copy of the game somewhere (which isn't cheap these days). It's also available on...oh wait, that's it.  Much like many of the other great Gamecube titles, TTYD has been left in the past. And that really sucks, because this game is so, so good. The original Paper Mario (Nintendo 64) was a great concept. This game takes it's predecessor's charm, battle mechanics, gameplay and obviously it's graphics, and polishes them even more. It's plagued by a little more backtracking than I would like to see, but that's a minor hiccup in an otherwise brilliant game.  You obviously control Mario - er, Paper Mario - and you're on a mission to collect the seven stars that control the seal on the thousand year door. You also have to save the Princess again (surprise). Bowser keeps showing up, too,  but he's the comic relief this time around instead of the villain, and he's legitimately funny in this game. You make friends with a bunch of odd characters, including a shy Koopa Troopa, a know-it-all Goomba, and an old Bob-omb pirate, and it's the way they change not only your battle strategy, but the areas of the over-world you can access that keep the game moving. This game has hints of Metroid-Vania in it, and that's usually all it takes to hook me.  I originally was going to break down the combat and villains, too, but then you'd have no reason to listen to the episode. Longtime show supporter, first time guest Bradley McCue joins me this week, and we set a new Remember The Game? record for episode length this time around. There's a lot to talk about here, so quit reading and get listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 14:05** Whenever I talk a Genesis game on the show, I feel like I'm doing my part to help re-build the bridge that Nintendo and Sega kids burned down in the 90's. And honestly, I'm really enjoying most of these Sega games. It's like discovering a treasure trove full of retro games that I've had a chance to play, and it's been really fun to try some of the games Genesis kids grew up obsessing over and considering the best that their console of choice had to offer. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 is at the top of that list.    I've always been torn on Sonic The Hedgehog. I love the character, the universe, the look. I collected the comic books, watched the cartoon show (Steve Urkel voiced Sonic, if you didn't know!), but I never got super into the games. Primarily because I didn't have a ton of access to them, but also because I just wasn't sure if I thought they were fun. The speed concept was cool, but I found it semi-gamebreaking. You want to go fast, but when you are you don't always have time to react when an enemy pops up. If you go slow, you have time to deal with the bad guys, but it feels like you're playing wrong. I always thought maybe I just didn't understand how to play Sonic.   Well, I played quite a bit of Sonic 2 on the Sega Classic Collection package that came out a couple years ago, and it was the first game I jumped into when I hooked up my Sega Genesis Mini. Not necessarily for this podcast, either. I just loved the graphics, liked the music, and found myself wanting to play it over and over again. And really, that's the best thing you can say about a video game, isn't it? Much like Super Mario World, Link To The Past, and Donkey Kong Country, I just find myself never getting sick of playing Sonic The Hedgehog 2. It's just...fun!   My buddy Miklos thinks so, too. He's one of the biggest Sega fans I know, and this week, we're continuing to tear down the Console Wars wall by talking about Sega's poster child. Everyone should play Sonic The Hedgehog 2, and we'll tell you why on episode 66 of Remember The Game? Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Review starts at 14:05** If you didn't grow up playing the Sega Genesis, is the new mini adaption of it worth your money? That's the question I set out to answer on this week's podcast.    Not only did I not own a Sega Genesis, I hardly knew anyone that did. I honestly didn't even realize Sega's little Sonic Station was as popular as it was until I was an adult and started to get into game collecting. I've played the original 3 Sonic games, a little NHL, and some Lion King. When Sega announced the Genesis Mini, I was intrigued. This could be my chance to play the few Sega games I remember from my childhood, right?   Wrong. Sonic 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and the Lion King aren't on it. Neither is a single sports game. Unlike the SNES Classic, most of the games we associate closest with the Genesis didn't make it into it's miniature counterpart. If you grew up loving the Genesis, and you know all about their other titles, like Phantasy Star IV, Shining Force, Ecco the Dolphin, and Gunstar Heroes, then I could understand why this thing would have you excited. But what if you didn't?    Are these games worth playing in 2019 if they don't trigger those warm and fuzzy nostalgic feelings? Is the Sega Genesis Mini Sega's answer to the SNES Classic? Or is it another Playstation Classic? *shudder* Should you spend your hard earned money on this thing? Have a listen and I'll tell you.   I'm solo this week for the first time in the history of the podcast, and I actually did some homework this week as well. I feel I've put together a very entertaining, thorough, and honest review of the Sega Genesis Mini from the viewpoint of someone that grew up considering the Sonic Squad to be the enemy. I'm proud of this week's episode, and I hope you enjoy it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

** Game talk starts at 15:30** We're on Twitter - @memberthegame and Instagram - @memberthegame and Facebook! facebook.com/rememberthegame And for $2/month you can get a bunch of stuff and support us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/rememberthegame Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (Shinobi III moving forward, that title is too long) is what retro gaming is all about. The graphics, the music, the gameplay, the difficulty. It nails it. I played this for the first time in my life almost 26 years after it released, and if you told me it was a retro-inspired indie title that just came out this year, I'd believe you. It seems to me like Shinobi was Sega's answer to Nintendo's Ninja Gaiden series. You play as a bad-ass ninja, running from left to right, wall jumping and killing bad guys. You die a lot. But admittedly, I never really felt like the deaths were cheap. Ninja Gaiden has caused a few controller throws in it's time, but I don't know if Shinobi III has. The game is hard as fuck, but there weren't too many instances where I felt my deaths were cheap. It nails, for better or worse, that classic 90's "play it over and over until you can beat it" model. When I think of the Sega Genesis, I think of Sonic, sports games, and Disney. I think most Nintendo kids feel the same way. But that little black box has some phenomenal games in it's library that I feel have been passed over undeservedly. This game is one of them. I had a fucking...blast...playing through this game on my Switch, and I'm pretty excited to talk about it on this week's podcast. If you've never played it, give this episode a listen. We may just convince you. I say "we", because as always I'm joined by a fellow nerd. This week, my buddy Miklos returns to the show. You may remember him from our "Sega vs Nintendo" and "Shining Force" episodes. Mik was a die-hard Sega kid, and I owe him a great deal for helping to open my eyes and show me that the Genesis had more games than just crappy over-rated platforms about a little blue rat. (I kid, I kid...mostly). Enjoy the podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts around 13:45**   When I launched this podcast, my idea was for my guests and I to reminisce about the games we played as kids. Both good games, and bad. It's taken 63 episodes, but we're dipping into the really bad end of the pool. Worse than Power Rangers. Worse than Bart's Nightmare or Boy and his Blob. Hell, this is worse than the last fifteen years of The Simpsons. Today, we're talking Virtual Bart.   This was one off the few Simpsons video games I never owned as a kid. We rented it a couple of times, and I wanted to like it. I mean, it was The Simpsons! But I never got into it. I can look past the faults of most Simpsons games because I loved the show so much, but this game sucks. Half of the mini games are borderline unplayable. The controls are hot garbage. A few cameos by various characters from the show aren't nearly enough to salvage this piece of crap.    You play as Bart (obviously), and he gets strapped into a VR machine at a scene fair. The opening cutscene is actually the best part of the game. The machine then turns into a gameshow style wheel. The player stops it, and whatever image Bart's head stops on decides what mini-game you play. I have no idea what happens if you finish all the levels, because I can't beat most of them.    We'll explain what they all are this week. Listen to this podcast and move on. If you want The Simpsons to ruin your day, just watch one of the modern episodes of the show. They're all way better than Virtual Bart.    I hate this game. My buddy Chris is my guest this week, and we have a couple beers while we tell you why it sucks on this episode of 'Remember The Game?'. Enjoy the podcast, and then try to forget this game.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game Talk starts at 10:25** Now, I don't throw around the word "masterpiece" very often. But this game? This game is a masterpiece.  It's freaking Resident Evil 4. Practically a lock to show up on any respectable 'greatest games of all-time' list. Originally released as an "exclusive" for the criminally underrated Nintendo Gamecube, it's been ported to everything over the last fourteen years. Literally everything. There's probably a SNES version of this game now. And that's ok. This game is incredible, and it should be ported to everything so everyone gets a chance to play it.  I remember playing through it for the first time on my Gamecube. I had never really gotten into a Resident Evil game up to this point. This one dropped, and the reviews were insane. People were calling it the greatest game ever made. I thought that seemed a little extreme, but I was looking for something beside Mario sports games to play on my 'Cube, so I gave it a chance. When I reached that first village, and realized I had complete control over how I tackled all these creepy hillbilly people that wanted to kill me, I was hooked.  The atmosphere in this game is INSANE!! The music isn't great on this week's episode, because there isn't any. Capcom did a phenomenal job of setting the mood and making you constantly pay attention to your surroundings. The way that creepy little tune kicks in whenever bad guys are approaching was genius, too. It never gets old.  The graphics have held up, too. I just played the Switch port of this game a couple months ago, and I'm happy to report Resident Evil 4 still looks great. It has a very dark, almost foggy aesthetic to it, and it really adds to the tension and feel of the game. I never found myself trying to figure out what I could and couldn't interact with, which I find can be an issue with some more realistic looking titles.  I only really have two minor issues with RE4. The controls (Wii version aside, apparently), take a little getting used to. And the story can be tough to follow. But the controls felt fine after a couple hours of play, and the story doesn't really matter. You have to save the President's daughter, and that's good enough for me.  This game is the bee's knees. My guest Patrick thinks so, too. We'll tell you why over the next hour or so. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**Game talk starts at 13:00**   The fact that we haven't seen a Pokemon Snap re-release, remake, or sequel on smartphones, the Wii U, or the Switch is almost mind-boggling.    And then you remember it's Nintendo...   We all played this, right?? I remember this being one of the few games I could play with my brother and not fight (much). Pokemon Snap. You're on rails, and you can't die. You just take photos of Pokemon. Might sound silly in 2019, but holy hell this game was a big deal twenty years ago.   Outside of the cartoon, we hadn't really seen much of Pokemon outside of their pixelated Game Boy iterations. Getting to see all of our favourites (and that loser Charmander) out in the wild was pretty damned cool. Being able to throw apples at them to make them happy or angry was even cooler. And flipping through your roll of film to find your best photos and using them to impress a weird old man? The coolest.    That's all Pokemon Snap was. Try to get Pokemon to react to something you did, so you could snap killer photos of them. The better your photo, the better the score. That's it. No fighting. no bosses, no real drama or story. It didn't need it, though. There was something so addictive about constantly trying to get a better shot. You could play levels over and over looking for secret paths or different ways to cause the pokemon to do things you could get new photos of. And obviously, the biggest hook (for me anyways), was constantly exploring in hopes of finding a new pokemon. I don't think all original 151 were in here (which is very weird), but enough were there to justify running the levels or and over again. This was, in 1999, the closest we'd seen to Pokemon in real life.    This game SCREAMS for a sequel or remake with today's technology. Being able to spin around with your Switch, take photos, and then post your best ones online would be fucking awesome. Because admit it, when you got a killer shot of a Charizard looking all pissed off, you wanted to show it to everybody. Anybody. Someone other than that stupid old man Oak...   This wasn't the deepest game in the world, but it didn't matter. It was huge. We all loved it (whether we admitted it or not), and my buddy Andre and I had a hell of a time looking back at it. Give us a God damned sequel, Nintendo!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"My name is Adam Blank, and I'm a recovering retro game collector."  I love looking at video game collections. I used to love collecting them myself, too. But it can be an expensive hobby. It takes up a lot of space (particularly if you do it like I did and try to collect everything at once). After a couple of years, I had amassed a decent little collection. I was having fun, but I was also spending more money than I should have been. And eventually I realized that I didn't even want to play most of the games I was buying. I love retro video games, but let's be honest; there's a lot of crappy games from back in the day.  After some deep soul searching, I decided to sell off most of my collection and move on to a new hobby. I was buying crappy video games I'd never heard of with money I could be spending on new games I wanted to play (or y'know, stuff like bills and food). I kept only my SNES and about a dozen of my favourite games. And once the virtual consoles and retro collection compilations started launching and becoming more readily available, I even got rid of my Super Nintendo. I was out, and I was ok with it. I miss my game collection once and a while. Sometimes I even get the urge to jump back into the hobby, but I take one look at the prices people are asking for their NES games and their Sega Genesises (what's the plural of Genesis? Geneseye?), and it quickly goes away. Prices have exploded on retro gaming gear since I collected, and it's a rich man's game in 2019. Prices are a lot higher than they were fifteen years ago, because the demand is there. I'm not sure why people are so hungry for these old games today, though. Is it because people just want to play the games from their childhood? Maybe they see pictures of collections posted online, think to themselves "that looks awesome" and try to do it themselves? Maybe it's just people thinking if they sock away old games they'll get rich off them in thirty years (you probably won't). For whatever reason, retro game collecting is a big-time hobby these days, and while I think prices are too high, I love it.  I don't have the money, space, or patience to collect video games anymore, but I still love the hobby. I could read and talk about it for hours. I have great memories of my collecting days, but if I was to start collecting again today, I'd take a different approach than I did right out of High School. My buddy Patrick is another former collector who feels the same way, and on this week's episode of the show we had a great time looking back on our days of blowing all of our money on video game cartridges, as opposed to the video game downloads we blow it on now.  We're going to try and do a few more of these conversation style episodes moving forward. If you like it, please let me know. If you hate it, REALLY let me know. I just want to make you happy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're finally making our way into the arcades. Admittedly, I didn't really live near one growing up, so my experience with stand up cabinets is pretty minimal. And while I don't have a ton of playtime under my belt, I know damned well what a big deal Street Fighter II is.  *For the record, I used the SNES box art because it fit well in the thumbnail and it was the cleanest art I could find. But we talk a little bit about the arcade, a little home port, a little variation and re-releases; we're all over the map this week*   Street Fighter II considered one of the greatest fighting games, and video games, of all-time. It's Turbo port is a lock to be in the top 10 of any "best SNES game of all-time" list. It's one of the most popular arcade machines ever made, up there along Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. I'd love to know how much money this game and it's variants have made Capcom over the years. It frustrates me that is legit may be the biggest video game in history that I just cannot play...   I've always been terrible at the fighting genre of my favourite hobby. Aside from Mortal Kombat 2 (which I owned growing up) and a little bit of Smash Bros, I haven't really put any time into trying to get good at them, either. Fighting games are a unique animal, because you can play and practice against the computer all you want, and it just won't prepare you for battle against a skilled human opponent. A big gap in the skill levels of two players is as crippling in fighting games as it is in any genre of video game. I didn't have much money as a kid, and when the odd chance came along to play arcade games, I sure as hell wasn't going to pump my quarters into getting my ass kicked. Especially if the Ninja Turtles cabinet was nearby.    But my pal David Rae did. And he's my guest this week, helping me breakdown the iconic Street Fighter II franchise. I know how much this game means to some of you, so I really did my best to do your game justice. I hope you geeks like it!    "HADOOKIN!" or whatever it is... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Remember when World Championship Wrestling was the hottest thing on the planet? In the late '90s, WCW was giving the WWF the fight of their lives. The nWo(s), Goldberg, Sting, DDP, Raven, Bret Hart, Ric Flair; that wrestling company from down south had one of the most ridiculous rosters in the history of the business. Pro wrestling was white hot. If you weren't watching wrestling on TV, you were playing a wrestling video game. And there wasn't a better option than WCW/nWo Revenge.  The THQ/Nintendo 64 wrestling games are the stuff of legend. I don't know if there's a video game series I've spent more hours of my life with than the four horseman of 64-bit wrestling. WCW World Tour was the first one, and it planted the seeds that would eventually blossom into it's sequel; WCW/nWo Revenge. I wasn't the biggest fan of WCW's TV product (I was a hardcore WWF guy), but I couldn't get enough of their video games. The WWF had video games - War Zone and Attitude specifically - but as much as I tried to like them, they just weren't that good. The graphics tried to look real and didn't, and the controls were a disaster.  WCW/nWo Revenge was the first "perfect" wrestling game. The graphics were bright, colourful, and a little cartoon-ish (it worked great), and it had the most iconic control scheme of wrestling game history. It didn't have things like individual wrestler's entrance music, create-a-wrestler, or a decent career mode (all things that would be added to the later THQ wrestling games), but it was finally a wrestling game that felt fun to play. Being able to play it with 3 of your friends was mind-blowing. And being able to change each wrestler's name and wardrobe added a surprising level of depth. I remember drafting a roster of wrestlers to go up against my friend Shawn's, we'd assign all of our wrestlers a certain shirt, and battle for HOURS.  If you hold a conversation about the greatest wrestling game of all-time, the two runaway answers are WWF: No Mercy and SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain (both covered in our archives, FYI!). And while those answers aren't wrong, they wouldn't be options without WCW/nWo Revenge. My favourite memory of World Championship Wrestling isn't anything they did in the ring, it was this video game.  My buddy Brad returns to the show this week, and man oh man did we have a time talking old wrestling, old wrestling games, and old Nintendo 64. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yep, it's another Simpsons game. At least this is the good one! The Simpsons: Hit & Run is pretty universally considered the best video game adaption of The Simpsons. Sure, you could make an argument for The Simpsons Game that came out on the PS3 and Xbox 360 or the original arcade game. And they're both pretty solid, too. But at the end of the day, Hit & Run is the GOAT.   I won't lie, I haven't played this game in fifteen years. When we started covering Simpons game on the show, this was the one people were looking for. I had to do a little homework this time around and refresh my memory, and it actually turned out to be pretty fun. I'm a MASSIVE old-school Simpsons fan, and I'd forgotten just what an incredible love letter this game is to nerds like me.    They packed an insane amount of Simpsons references and easter eggs into this game. Much like The Stick of Truth did for South Park, Hit & Run finally gave us a chance to explore the cartoon community of Springfield that we've all loved for so many years. Everywhere you go, there's another nod to something from one of the glory seasons of the show. The voice acting is on point and the story is actually pretty entertaining (much better than anything they've put on TV in years). And frankly, even if this game had kept up with the trend of Simpsons games having terrible controls, all the little extras they squeezed in for die-hard fans would have made it a contender for the best Simpsons game ever.    But in addition to being funny, they FINALLY broke The Simpsons/broken control curse! This game is actually fun to play. It isn't perfect, and near the end is gets frustratingly difficult, but it's a good time. It's almost like they "right clicked" a Grand Theft Auto game and "saved as" a Simpsons title. And that's not a bad thing. This game is a good time. Ripping around Springfield causing mayhem is a fucking blast.    It hurts my heart that The Simpsons have had so many awful video games. Growing up a huge fan, I played almost all of them. They were my Mom's default go to games for Christmas presents, and it was pretty rough as a kid. Luckily, the suffering ended in 2003 with the release of The Simpsons: Hit & Run. So good.    My buddy Mark McCue feels the same way! He's back, and we're talking about our favourite Springfield experience on this week's episode. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

**The sound may be a little off on this week's podcast. I suggest using headphones if you can. Sorry about that!** I know, I know. It's Final Fantasy IV. The box says II, and the people that know, know. But the people that don't will be like "what the hell is this?". So we're goin' with Final Fantasy II.  If you're not sure why people call it the fourth FF instead of the second, listen to the episode! I love this game. As I type this, I noticed an Instagram comment from @burgerfinger that pointed out how often I say games are one of my "absolute favourites", but in this case it's true! This was the first RPG I ever played, and I became absolutely obsessed with it. I've probably finished it 10 times, and I plug it into my top three Final Fantasy titles, along with VI and IX. (The order changes all the time, depending on my mood).  If you haven't played the game, I'll give you a quick lowdown right now, but this episode is chalk full of meaty spoilers, so you've been warned. The game stars Cecil, a Dark Knight who commands the Kingdom of Baron's Red Wings (airships). He is being ordered to do terrible things, and when he questions his King's motives, he gets in trouble and all hell breaks loose and you end up helping him and his friends save the world. It's fantastic.  This game gets overlooked because it's always in it's SNES brother's shadow, but Final Fantasy II deserves a ton of credit. It introduced a more complex story than we'd ever seen, ushered in the Active Time Battle system we all know and love, and on a personal note, it showed me how great RPGs are. Anyone that has played this game knows how special it is. Aside from Super Mario World, there isn't a video game from my childhood I have more nostalgia and appreciation for. It legitimately shaped me as a gamer.  And it has Edge the ninja in it, and Edge is the fucking coolest.  My guests this week are two of my oldest childhood friends, Dan and Rob. Rob actually introduced me to Final Fantasy II 25+ years ago, so this was a really special episode for me. Getting to talk about one of my most beloved retro games with the guys I grew up playing it with was a real treat for me. I hope you guys enjoy this episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Look at me, being all topical and professional and stuff. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3 comes out this Friday, so I thought it would be a perfect time to dedicate an episode to one of my favourite games of the last couple generations; the original Marvel: Ultimate Alliance.  This game was a follow-up to the two (kick-ass) X-Men Legends games. Taking the initial formula and expanding on it to include characters from all walks of Marvel life, as opposed to just Professor X's team of misfits (and The Brotherhood, Legends 2 SPOILER!), Ultimate Alliance gave the player the opportunity to build a team of their favourite Marvel superheroes, and just run around beating up bad guys for fifteen hours. It was perfect! Obviously, the main hook to the game is the roster. Being able to build a team of four heroes from the likes of Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, Elektra, Thing, blah blah blah, was awesome. Being able to switch your team out regularly added a ton of replay to the game, and kept it from getting stale. The combat stayed fresh and fun thanks in large part to the fact that each of the heroes felt and controlled unique. Wolverine was an absolute button mashing tank, whereas Iron Man was better served staying in the sky blasting away at enemies from a distance. Anytime you'd start getting bored, you could just pick a different group of heroes and freshen the (admittedly somewhat repetitive) combat up. Another giant hook to these games is the multi-player. Being able to run through levels with up to 3 of your buds was awesome. I have great memories of playing this game (and it's sequel) with my nephew for hours at a time. Single player did the job just fine, but it was definitely better with friends.  These games also contain RPG elements. As you use heroes, you'd gain experience points that you could use to level up their specific abilities as you saw fit. I loved pumping all of Iron Man's XP into his various lasers and weapons, and he really did feel stronger as the game went on. I think the game could have survived without this aspect, but it wouldn't be nearly as beloved as it is today without giving players the ability to "tinker under the hood" of their favourite Marvel characters with such detail.  If you haven't figured it out by now, I love me some Ultimate Alliance. So does my buddy Tyler. We'll tell you all about it on this week's episode of the show. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As much as it pains the loyal, completely biased Nintendo fanboy in me to admit, Sega had better sports games than Nintendo. Case in point? NHL '94.  That isn't to say the SNES version is unplayable, but anyone that has tried both would be lying if they said the Nintendo version was superior to the Genesis one. I didn't really play either, at least not when they came out. I was an NHL Stanley Cup kid (sad trombone). I got into the series around NHL '96, but I've had many opportunities to go back and play NHL '94, on the Genesis and my beloved SNES. And while my nostalgia heart lays with the '96 and '97 iterations of EA's NHL video game, it's pretty damned obvious why NHL '94 still shows up on lists of the greatest sports games ever made over twenty-five years after it was released. It's that damned good.  The NHL video games have evolved (?) into a very deep, simulation style franchise over the years. Much like EA's other flagship sports titles (Madden and FIFA), their yearly hockey game contains everything a die-hard hockey fan/armchair GM could ever want. You can manage a franchise for decades, stock your farm systems with can't miss prospects, and manage your salary cap season after season. NHL '94 doesn't have any of that stuff. It doesn't even have a season mode. But what it lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for in unmatched, incredible, addictive, FUN gameplay.  If you own a current NHL game and try to play against someone that's never played before, it won't be fun. It'll take them a few games just to figure out how to shoot the puck properly. NHL '94 is like a jacked up version of Ice Hockey on the NES; anybody can pick up a controller and have the controls locked down in minutes. The physics engine is great, it really feels like your skating on ice. And this game introduces the one timer. It might seem laughable now, but this was a HUGE deal back then!!! Two and a half decades after it's release, NHL '94 is still one of the most beloved sports video games of all-time. Tournaments still get held regularly, and it has a loyal fanbase. So much so, that on it's 20th anniversary, EA added an "NHL '94" mode to NHL '14. It constantly shows up on "greatest games  in history" lists, and Jeremy Roenick has said on numerous occasions that he's more well known for his NHL '94 counterpart than he is for anything else he accomplished in his career. This game is the Wayne Gretzky of hockey video games. (Which is ironic, considering there are a bunch of Wayne Gretzky branded hockey games throughout history, and they all suck).  My buddy Brad makes his podcast debut this week. We're both gamers and huge sports nerds, and we had a hell of a time talking NHL '94. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Spider-Man is awesome. Venom is even more awesome. Carnage isn't quite as awesome as either of them, but he's still pretty awesome. So what happens when you take all that awesome and squeeze it into a video game? You get a freaking awesome video game.  Worst. Intro. Ever.   It's true, though. Maximum Carnage is awesome. It certainly isn't perfect, but it scratches all the basic video game itches. It handles pretty well, it looks sweet, and it's fun to play. The music is really good,  and thanks to the source material it's based on, it has a solid (albeit somewhat confusing if you don't know anything about the original comic books) story.    The quick version is as follows: Spider-Man (Peter Parker) came into contact with an alien symbiote in space. He was able to wear it as a new costume, but eventually found it was taking over his brain and actions, so he got rid of it. The discarded alien found a new host in Eddie Brock (who already hated Peter Parker), and combined with him to form Venom. Eddie Brock eventually found himself separated from the suit and in jail, sharing a cell with serial killer Cletus Kasady. The symbiote came to the jail to help Eddie escape, but left it's offspring behind. That new symbiote bonded with Kasady to form the super villain Carnage. Spider-Man and Venom put their differences aside and defeat him, but eventually Carnage breaks out of jail again, and forms a stable of villains to wreak havoc with.    *Deep breath*   That's where the game picks up. You control Spider-Man and Venom (separately), and the object of the game is to take down Carnage and friends. Having to control the two heroes individually is my biggest gripe with the game. Multi-player seemed like a no brainer. This game is a fun, VERY DIFFICULT beat 'em up, and that genre screams "couch co-op". Particularly when the entire game is centred around an alliance between two characters.    As disappointing as the lack of a second player is, it doesn't break the game. Maximum Carnage is still fun to play, and you'll enjoy yourself until you inevitably lose too many times and get frustrated. This game is hard as fuck. But like most games of that era, a lot of repetition and practice makes it tolerable. The great graphics and music help with that, too.    This isn't the best beat 'em up of all-time, or even just of it's era (you can pry that title from Turtles In Time's cold, dead hands), but it's still sweet. That distinctive red cartridge helps it stick out, and it seems like even casual Marvel fans know these characters and the story involved. My buddy Tyler does, and so do I. We'll tell you all about it this week. Have a listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super Mario Bros 2 is the oddball of the NES Mario Bros games. Along with Super Mario Sunshine, it's the oddball of the entire Super Mario series. But you know what? I like oddballs.*   *I rewrote that about ten times, and that was the least creepy sounding thing I could come up with...   I like Super Mario Bros 2. A lot. I owned Super Mario Bros 1 & 3 as a kid, but never got my hands on the second one. So any chance I had to play it, I jumped all over it. I couldn't wrap my little mind around it! You could pick up bad guys and throw them at each other! (Before picking up Koopa Troopa shells, this was crazy). There were weird potions that took you into an alternate universe, and that's the only place you could find mushrooms. Stars floated up from the bottom of the screen. You could play as Princess Toadstool (old school) and Toad!?!? Where'd this game come from????   As we would all later find out, it came from Japan. Because they decided that the kids over in North America that played Nintendo weren't good enough to play the game they originally wanted to release as Super Mario Bros 2. And after playing that original sequel (released everywhere as The Lost Levels years later), there were right.    But this episode isn't about the sequel we didn't get (there's already an episode of the show about that game, The Lost Levels - Episode 26 if you're interested!), it's about the one we did. Super Mario Bros 2 is a beauty of a game. It introduced gameplay mechanics to the Mario Bros series that still exist today, like Birdo, Shy Guys, and the Princess's floating ability. It's still as fun to play in 2019 as it was in 1988, and it's about damned time it got it's own episode of the podcast.    My buddy/fellow comedian/improv king David Rae is my guest this week, and we have a great chat about the Cousin Oliver of the Super Mario Bros series; Super Mario Bros 2. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of my favourite things about doing this podcast is that I'm discovering new retro games all these years later. Particularly when it comes to Sega. You're going to see more Genesis love in year 2 of this show, and it starts with today's game; Shining Force.  **On that note, if you haven't played a game that's covered on the show, I encourage you to give the episode a listen, anyways. Maybe it'll peak your interest and help you discover a new game to play as well! (And please let me know if that ends up being the case!)**   Shining Force is rad. I just recently played through it on my friend Miklos's suggestion, and I loved it. It's a great tactical RPG (imagine an RPG board game). You and the computer move your characters around on a grid style map, taking turns attacking each other. Most maps have various landscapes throughout their tiles, and they can provide offensive and defensive strategies. It's like playing RPG chess in a way. And Shining Force is one of the grandfather's of the genre. I think I described it as the Dragon Warrior of tactical RPGs. For better and for worse.    While the gameplay itself is fun, and it contains many of the elements that have caused me to completely fall in love with the tactical genre (strategy, levelling up characters, and a stiff challenge) it has a lot of faults, too. Clearly, this was a learning process for the developers, and some of the mechanics are ancient and frustrating to work through. Menu navigation is a nightmare. So is inventory management. It's just clunky and boring. Luckily, that makes up just a small portion of your experience with Shining Force. I found myself gritting my teeth and slogging through the standard "village between battles restock" that comes with most RPGS, because I knew another fun battle map was waiting on the other side.  Tactical RPGs have become one of my favourite styles of video game, and it was really cool playing what some consider the Super Mario Bros of the genre. It has it's warts, but nothing that ruins the experience. My buddy Miklos came through with a killer recommendation by suggesting I give Shining Force a shot, and he joins me on the show this week to talk about why it's so awesome. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I can't believe we've made fifty episodes of this train wreck of a podcast! And speaking of train wrecks, today we're talking Super Mario 64! (Just kidding!) Kind of.    I won't lie to you, loyal reader/listener/fellow nerd. The core Mario series is my favourite in all of gaming. But the first foray into the world of 3D just didn't grab me. I remember getting this game as a kid, and yeah, I played the hell out of it. But it never took over my life like it's two dimensional brethren did. I was way more into Mario Kart 64, which we got at the same time. I struggled with the camera, the controller, and just didn't enjoy it as much as I did Mario's other adventures.    Having said that, I came into this podcast ready to rip Mario 64 a new ass. And I just couldn't do it. I think that's a true testament to the genius of this game and just how groundbreaking it was. I wanted to spend an hour trashing it, and every time I tried I found myself bringing up something it did right. Watching clips of the game in preparation for this episode, I was mesmerized by the music and the world Nintendo created for the launch of the Nintendo 64. It's truly a masterpiece. I want to hate it, I think I hate it, I'll tell you I hate it. But....I don't.   Super Mario 64 is one of the most important video games of all-time. I thought it would make a perfect topic of conversation for the 50th episode of "Remember the Game?", and I brought my buddy Mark McCue with me.    Thank you so much for listening to the show. Whether you've listened to all 50 episodes, cherry picked the ones about games you know, or this is your very first one, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices