Look, we are going to level with you here. . Road Rash for the 3DO is peak '90s. Motorcycle street racing with weapons is radical enough. But pair it with FMV cutscenes, chain wallets, and Soundgarden's "Rusty Cage" blaring in the background and it may just be the apex of 90's attitude. So come along for the ride with the LJN crew to see what they …

Who can forget the Mascot Wars of the early 90's? Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic, and the TurboGrafx-16 had Bonk. See, the TurboGrafx-16 was a console put out by NEC and HudsonSoft in the United States that almost no one bought. So, of course, that now means it's one of the most interesting things in the world to the retro gaming community. Or …

WARNING: This episode deals with VERY adult themes. The adultiest of adult themes. So please keep this in mind as you drift away with Jay and Mike to the land of hips and fog. Silent Hill 2 is a terrifying journey deep into the psyche of James Sunderland. That's not hyperbole. This game is as scary and unsettling as it gets. The only thing scarier …

Is there a more radical video game protagonist than Zeke from ZATM? Maybe. But he's got to be in the top ten all-time, right? It almost makes you feel bad for Julie, Zeke's counterpart in the game. It's like all of of the time and effort in radicalization was spent on Zeke and that just seems unfair to us.…

Anyone who has played R.C.Pro-Am for more than five minutes is more than aware of the orange car. If you grew up with this game, you have hopefully suppressed that memory and the hatred of the orange car. Good news for you is that we are going to bring back to the surface and make you face your demons. Just another fantastic reason to tune in. Who …

It's 1989 and everyone has a favorite Turtle. Growing up, both Jay and Mike were Michelangelo fans. But then Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was released for the NES and it changed everything. Don't get us wrong, Mikey is still #1 in our hearts, even to this day, but Donatello's bō staff was undeniable. In summary, Michelangelo is still our favorite s…

I bet you thought that we were going to do something sexy for episode 69 of the Lost Joystick Network, didn't you? Well, good news.. we did. Because what is hotter than listening to middle-aged men talk about patches you could earn by playing video games in the early 1980's? At any rate, please tune in otherwise. I am sure there are some good jokes…

Look, we know we keep saying that we are going to get more consistent in posting our episodes and we haven't. We're trying, but not very hard. You can expect that we will try harder. Thank you for putting up with us. -- Anyway, here's Kaboom!

Yep.. Sonic the Hedgehog. If you're looking in the description of a podcast episode for information on who Sonic the Hedgehog is, then I will tell you that what you learn is going to be limited. Go search the internet to find out more. Or listen to this episode. Yeah.. do that. -- Be sure to visit our Linktree at: https://linktr.ee/lostjoystick And…

Blazing Lazers is pretty great. The game is based off of the Japanese science fiction tokusatsu mecha action movie Gunhed. Yeah, you read that right. As for Gunhed, imagine Andy Dick was the director / producer for Blade Runner.. and that's Gunhed. -- Be sure to visit our Linktree at: https://linktr.ee/lostjoystick And come join us in the Discord s…

Look.. we know what you're thinking? ANOTHER podcast about Super Mario Bros. 2? Our answer to that question: Yes.

Lets be honest here.. you see the title. You know what you're about get to get yourself wrapped up in. So buckle up, settle in, and get whisked away to the Far East. Shaq (yes, THAT Shaq) is in town for a big basketball tournament and winds up getting sidetracked. Find out by who and how by tuning in and taking a listen. -- Thank you for listening.…

What's better than the recap of a retro video game convention? Well.. how about a recap of a retro video game convention from three months ago? Yeah, we thought you'd like that. -- Stick around and listen to all of the hijinks and shenanigans that the LJN crew took part in during the Midwest Gaming Classic. We get that it all happened in April, but…

Ask yourself.. fire-breathing, husky, mustache wielding carnies are pretty cool right? Good new everyone.... Jinborov Karnovski is your guy.... If fighting a T-Rex (or two), pterodactyls and gangs of angry apes in some Greek ruins... Then this is the game for you!.... or not, we are making this up as we go, we are old.... didn't we forget something…

I'm sure you're asking yourself "Self.. who the posts a 2023 Year in Review podcast episode" in May of 2024. Well, let's assume that you didn't notice the giant rainbow with "LOST JOYSTICK NETWORK" at the bottom. Cool. But if you had to guess.. deep down.. wouldn't you already know? You know you would. ANYWAY.. thanks for sticking with us. We're tr…

What better gift to give that special person in your life on Valentine's Day than a podcast about DuckTales? Let's be honest.. this game has everything you should be looking for in a game.. Drama, intrigue, money, greed, and a final race to the top against your archrival. And isn't that what Valentine's Day is really about? Actually, let me check G…

Well here's that Halloween-centric episode that we all look forward to in February of each year. So fire up your pumpkin spice lattes and prepare yourself to be whisked away to Golvellius. (Also, just between us.. the game isn't really that "Halloween-y".. keep that between you and I, capiche?)

Episode number two in our backlog remediation plan (and number 57 in our hearts) centers around one of the most famous on-rails FPS FMV games for the SegaCD. Yep.. you guessed it.. Sewer Shark. Also, it's in the title of the episode so we're really not that impressed that you guessed it. Unless you're under forty years old.. then it's impressive th…

Well well well.. what do we have here? Looks like a "new" episode of our show. Well I have good news and bad news. The good news is there's a backlog that we will be posting over the course of the next few days. The bad news is there was a backlog that needs to get posted over the new few days. Now with that out of the way, let's get to what we're …

Do you like running fast, jumping hurdles or competing in family fun and fitness?.... Yeah, we don't either, but if you think you are fast and you want to talk about the proverbial "great white whale" of the NES (ironically he lost his leg and we are talking about a running game...Ahab lost the leg, Mike and Jay are talking games) then you are in l…

Let's whisk away to Yuria. A land where the reptile fiend Death Adder has invaded every village and massacred thousands. Doesn't sound very appealing does it? Well, what if we told you that when you get there you're going to assume control of one of three powerful heroes who's only mission is to overthrow Death Adder and bring peace to Yuria, using…

Well, this is it. Are you ready to step into the world of high-risk video game investing? If so, THIS is your chance. Chase Peridot, AKA the "Retro Gem Miner" has agreed to waive his standard appearance fee in the hopes that he can enlighten unsophisticated collectors. -- That's right.. RGM is willing to teach you everything you need to know about …

The boys are back (finally) and this time they're discussing another certified banger: Illusion of Gaia for the Super Nintendo. -- If you've ever thought "I'd like to listen to some old guys talk about a game where a pig sacrifices himself for the betterment of humanity" then do we have good news for you. So tune in and find out what drove Hamlet t…

Town and Country Surf Designs: Wood and Water Rage. The name just rolls off the tongue. Developed by Atlas and published by the clowns at LJN, this is a simple game that reminds us of a simpler time. A time where cats in tuxedos avoid seagulls while surfing. So we hope you'll take a few minutes out of your busy day to listen to our thoughts on one …

Well.. here we are.. Episode 50. And man.. did we come correct. Quake for the PC is the subject. When people talk about the bangeriest of bangers, Quake is in that discussion. -- So tune in and see what the crew thinks of the game that helped do things like create online deathmatches, popularize eSports, and prevent thousands of nerds from ever kis…

Yars' Revenge.. sounds ominous and, come to find out, it is. The LJN squad dug into the story of this 1982 classic from Atari and man.. there's a lot to unpack. To us, the most impressive part of the backstory of Yars' Revenge is that the primary antagonist was able to destroy an invincible cannon. That could not have been an easy task to take on, …

It's time to get gritty.. but with some legit electro music pumping in the background. Streets of Rage 2 a certified banger, as well as Yuzo Koshiro's aural masterpiece. So tune in and give us a listen. The whole crew chimes in on what many consider to be one of the must-haves for the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive. - Thank you all for listening! We appr…

Spring is in the air, which means it's time for baseball. Well.. it used to mean that, back when people cared about baseball. The good news is that people still care about Baseball Stars for the NES. Well.. at least a few of them, who all happen to be on this show. - It also means that it's time for the Midwest Gaming Classic! Come find our booth a…

Now we know that a lot of people are going to complain and say "Oh wow.. the LJN guys are doing another NES game. *YAWN*". Well that's just not true. We played the Famicom version of Parodius Da! and the Famicom is NOT the NES. And before you get all uppity about how we also played the PAL version of the game, remember that it's generally regarded …

The year in 1988 and you're Bill Rizer AKA Mad Dog, one of America's two most cunning, courageous, and ruthless soldiers from the Special Forces elite commando squad. Also, you look almost exactly like Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Predator", other than your perfect flat-top haircut. Your partner, Lance Bean, goes by Scorpion and also resembles someone…

We were joined by the one and only Michael Chiaramonte, NES programmer extraordinaire, to discuss a game that many people regard as one of the best of all-time: "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" for the Super Nintendo. -- Come listen and find out what the crew thought of this classic. Also, you can find Mr. Chiaramonte hanging in The Collec…

When you do research about classic video games, you learn things. Take Double Dragon III, for example. We learned that Bimmy Lee may be the most loyal partner in the world. His girlfriend has been kidnapped (AGAIN) so he and his brother, Jimmy set out on a mission. A mission to KICK ASS all over the world, in an attempt to find Marion and rescue he…

So you think you're radical, huh? Yeah? HOW radical? Because we've got news for you JACK.. you will NEVER be as radical as Casey. Oh, you don't know who Casey is? Your Radical Meter just dipped into oblivion, poser. Casey is KID CHAMELEON and he's the toughest, coolest head in town. He REFUSES to be beaten. Yeah, that's right. So come join the LJN …

"Mega Man 2." What else do you need to say? If you have a podcast like we do, the answer is "quite a bit, actually". Mega Man 2 makes us wonder: are there people that DON'T like this game? We here at LJN like to imagine there aren't. And lets be honest.. even if they do exist, are those really the kind of people you'd want to be associated with? Th…

The crew is lucky to be joined by friend of the show and co-host of The Collector's Quest podcast, Tyler Wilkin. We used our time wisely and discussed one of the bangeriest Atari 2600 bangers of all-time: Pitfall II: The Lost Caverns. We are here answering the tough questions like "what's the deal with this stupid rat" and "does Quickclaw have some…

The squad is back to talk about one of the best-selling launch titles for the original PlayStation: Ridge Racer. Look, we get it.. early PlayStation is a tough sell. Couple that with the game being an arcade-style racer and it's easy to see why the first iteration of the Ridge Racer series may leave a bit to be desired for some. Tune in to find out…

Pit-Fighter. The name alone evokes such lucid imagery; shurikens, combatants in sweat pants and a tank top throwing motorcycles on a freeway overpass, and sticks. If you have the time, sit back and allow Jay and Mike to whisk you away to a 16-bit wonderland. A wonderland of digitized graphics and post-fight celebrations where defeating Sidewalk Jim…

Here's the deal.. Splatterhouse is cool. There's no way around that. It's a cool game with a gory overarching theme. So if you're interested in hearing about a cool game where you can waste gruesome creatures with a two-by-four or meat cleaver, then yeah.. tune in. If not, then why are you reading this? You know we talk about Splatterhouse. It's ri…

The boys from LJN are back and this time it's serious. Since it is now October, we are contractually obligated to discuss scary or horror-themed games. To fulfill this requirement, Mike and Jay break down a game that could definitely be considered horrendous: Dr. Chaos for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Tune and and find out why this game exist…

Jay and Mike are joined in-studio by our good friend Kelan AKA milwaukeeretrogamer to discuss another certified banger of a game: Arkanoid. That's right.. Johnny hasn't killed the show.. yet. Tune in to hear our thoughts on the highest-grossing table arcade table cabinet in Japan in 1987. Oh, did we mention it was ALSO the highest-grossing arcade c…

The squad is back. This time they are joined by the one and only Johnny Iucci from The Collector's Quest Podcast and we are all here to discuss another certified banger: Super Castlevania IV for the Super Nintendo. Please pardon any fidelity issues, as we did record this remotely and there seemed to be some slight issues from time to time. We did o…

The Godzilla games for the NES. Man.. trying to play these games is akin to trying to stay awake until 2:30AM on a Wednesday night to watch a Godzilla movie back in the old days when you had to watch what THE MAN told you to watch. Those days are over and your entertainment medium choices in the modern world are almost limitless, which just makes t…

The gang is joined by Michael Chiaramonte AKA clearvus on Instagram to discuss Castlevania: Dracula X for the Super Nintendo. So listen in to hear what a bunch of middle-aged guys think of a 16-bit video game from the mid-90's. As always, thank you for listening! We appreciate every one of you. Also, please leave us a five-star review on iTunes. Yo…

We're back! We never went anywhere but we are back! Episode 28 is, as they say in the biz, "in the can". Tune in and hear the LJN squad's thoughts on the original pack-in title for the Sega Genesis / MegaDrive in the United States and Europe. Also, hear about Mike's escapades in Cleveland at CCAG and much, much more.. As always, thank you for liste…

Our latest episode includes a very special in-studio guest, Jason (@kilgore_trout1 on Instagram). Jason is a Michigan native who was kind enough to come into the LJN studio to discuss one his favorite games of all-time: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. - And did we have a lot to talk about. We get into the story of the sequel to one of the best-sel…

In the pantheon of retro video games, conversations around sports games are regarded as ELITE. There's no disputing this irrefutable fact. On a completely unrelated note, our latest epsiode IS a sports game: R.B.I. Baseball for the NES. So make sure to tune in and listen to us discuss the most compelling of all forms of video game entertainment. Th…

Have you ever thought to yourself "I love the zombie killing and on-rails shooter experience of The House of the Dead series, but I have really poor aim"? Do you find yourself looking for a good way to practice your home row typing skills and have an insatiable urge to become more accurate and proficient at typing on a keyboard? If this sounds like…

The year is 1992 and you work for a marketing company. It's your job to help market and sell mediocre games from an average developer and publisher. A package arrives with a single Super Nintendo prototype. You have to ask your son what to do with it because your job is to sell games, not play them. He sets you up and you take a look at a pretty av…

Kung Fu* for the NES. According to Sashimi-Z, this is the "crown jewel of the black box NES games". Tune in to see if Jay, John, Mike, and Robby agree. Also, listen in to hear friend of the show and NES programmer extraordinaire clearvus drop in to discuss his pickups. It's a party every other week and you're all invited. If you have a prior engage…

Do you like video games? Do you like OLD video games? What about moderately successful console mascots? Do you have an affinity for small lizards? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then this episode's topic may be everything you've ever wanted in a game. 8bitsupremacy and RetroGameEnthusiast join Mike and Jay to discuss the 1995 32-bit…