It's our last show of 2024, and as tradition dictates we're going to clean out the mailbag to kick off the new year. However, this year we're also taking on the Action MAX by Patron request, which was a videotape requiring home light gun console released in 1987. We compared this system with another toy/game that was out the same time, Captain Powe…

We've got another patron request, this time we're looking at Diddy Kong Racing for the N64! Often maligned by Billy, is this really deserving of the "Poor man's Mario Kart" title he has given it, or is this an N64 game worth hunting down? We also take some Christmas themed questions, and food questions, and Christmas food questions. Want to start r…

For our final episode of D'OH-vember, we're taking a look at The Simpson's Hit and Run -- a Springfield take on Grand Theft Auto! Is this worth playing if you are a Simpsons fan, a GTA fan, or neither? We also answer questions from you on... why The Simpsons of all things, plus some bad gaming memories and maybe a Thanksgiving question. Join us ove…

Welcome to D'OH-vember! We're talking about a 16-bit entry in the Simpsons console game lineup, The Simpson's Bart's Nightmare! Originally released on SNES and Genesis, we all played the SNES version for this review. Bart has to complete a paper and waits until the last minute, and he falls asleep. We guide Bart through a series of dreamlike games …

Our 2nd Halloween episode for 2024, we're taking a look at Patron-requested Cold Fear! This game came out right before Resident Evil 4, and maybe because of that it didn't really get as appreciated as it might have had it come out a year earlier. We played it again today to see if it's worth your time for a good scare! We also answer a whole pumpki…

Our first Halloween episode of Retrovaniacs for 2024! We're talking about Harvester for the PC, a point-and-click adventure game with an interesting twist both in story and in gameplay, a Patron Pick! This 1996 adventure game tried to blend traditional adventure game puzzles with combat and a very adult storyline, and in some ways it succeeds -- bu…

This time we're talking about Konami NES action platformer, Bucky O'Hare! Based on the comic and TV show that none of us were extremely familiar with, this looks to be Konami's take on Mega Man -- but is it a clone of a classic series or something else entirely? Want to jump right into the game? Start at the 8:15 mark! Join us over on our Discord t…

This episode we're taking another Patron request, this time for Neutopia for the Turbografx-16! This game is definitely the TG16's take on The Legend of Zelda, but is it too much like that game or does it offer enough to stand out? Want to jump right into the game? Start at the 10:45 mark! Join us over on our Discord to discuss games, food, or real…

We're covering another wrestling game, sort of? WWF Betrayal is actually a side scrolling beat em up for the Game Boy Color, featuring 4 of the biggest stars WWF had to offer in 2001. This game was developed by WayForward, who make some of the nicest retro-styled games to this day. Was this a good blend of a solid license and a great developer? We …

This week we're looking at Ghost in the Shell for the Sony Playstation, a game based on the manga and universe of the anime we were all familiar with at the time. Is this a game worth playing if you love the anime, hate the anime, or just generally like mecha? We've played through it again to let you know our thoughts. Want to climb over the intro …

We're taking a look at the Metroid series first game into a 3D environment with 2002's Metroid Prime. Released at the same time as Metroid Fusion - a more standard 2d Metroid game on the Game Boy Advance, this was a game developed by Retro Studios for Nintendo that tried to take the series into literally a new dimension. Did it succeed in it's purp…

We're doing another patron request, this time we're looking at The Fantastic Adventures of Dizzy (aka Fantastic Dizzy) for the NES! The Dizzy series was pretty big in Europe due to it's popularity on home computers, but in the US we didn't really get into it - but in 1991, Codemasters and Camerica made a big bet on Dizzy for the NES, building a new…

200 episodes? It's hard to believe but its true. And we're marking this occasion by looking back at one of our earliest games - General Chaos for the Sega Genesis! In episode 4, we looked at this game and it's the one that we've gotten the most pushback on. So, we're looking at it again with new (yet more experienced) eyes to see if we were wrong. …

You and a friend get to play as two questionably heroic historical figures, rescuing your island nation from a cruel overlord - we're playing the NES port of SNK's Guerilla War, as requested by Ralph M.! Also discussed, saturday morning memories, Castlevanias that might stink, and remakes, remasters, and more! Want to jump right into the game? Star…

Another game requested by our patrons, and this one comes from Patrick who wants us to talk about a bonafide classic game, Metal Gear Sold 3 : Snake Eater! We've covered the original Metal Gear Solid in the past and liked it, but many people regard this as the finest game in the series. Do we think that's the case in 2024? Listen to hear our though…

As requested by our Patron Antonio, we're talking about Mafia, which was released for the PC, and then ported to the PS2 and Xbox! Jeremy P played through the PS2 version, and Jeremy G played a little bit of all of them, and we're here to tell you if we think they are worth revisiting today! Also, we answered some of your questions, including least…

Another patron request, we're talking about Super Adventure Island II for the Super Nintendo! We have played New Adventure Island for the TG16 before for the show, and we had all played earlier Adventure Island games, so we assumed this was yet another standard platformer where you collect fruit and run from left to right-- and we were wrong! This …

We conclude our FFVII coverage (see our most recent bonus shows for patrons on FFVII Advent Children and our round-table about Remake) with a look at the startlingly different take on the FFVII gameplay with Final Fantasy VII : Dirge of Cerberus for the PlayStation 2! This game let you play as Vincent in a mostly solo adventure that wasn't an RPG b…

We're covering another request - Suikoden for the PlayStation! This game is a classic style JRPG that adds a large cast of playable characters, large scale battles, and an upgrade system that allows you to really modify your party in many ways. This game led to a series that was prevalent on the PlayStation 1 and 2, but has faded out over the years…

It's our first episode of 2024, and we're starting it off with a Patron requested game, Body Harvest for the Nintendo 64 as picked by Joey H.! This game was developed by the company that would go on to make Grand Theft Auto III and change the landscape, and it has a lot of the things we'd see in that game-- but is there a reason this never had the …

As we hit the end of 2023, we're looking back at our favorite games of the year, somme disappointments, and the games we've covered. Really though? We answered your mail. As always, it was a wide range of questions that are probably not suitable for the kids. So put on some headphones, and enjoy as we clean out our mailbox and prep for 2024. Join u…

We love the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - in the arcades, NES, and SNES we've had some great games, but we had never played the TMNT counterpart to Turtles in Time -- TMNT : The Hyperstone Heist. Now we have, and we're here to talk about it. And we've got another bonus for your Turtles fans-- after our episode we have posted the Teenage Mutant Nin…

Gather round the dinner table, because this year we're bringing you a puzzle game feast! We're serving up talk on 3 different puzzlers on 3 different consoles - arguably 4! First up, we're going to visit the Game Boy to take on Kwirk (he's A-MAZE-ing), then the Game Boy Advance for Egg Mania, and finally we finish off our meal with some NES/SNES ac…

It's a Patron request for our final episode of Retroween2023, as we take on Illbleed for the Sega Dreamcast! We steel our nerves, and venture into an amusement park that is designed to kill you, and perhaps Billy had one too many Hassy's beforehand. Want to jump right into the game? Start at the 9:00 mark! Join us over on our Discord to discuss gam…

For our first #retroween2023 episode on the main feed, we're taking a look at Eternal Darkness! This horror game on the GameCube has never come out for another console, but is also highly regarded. We're playing it again this year and giving our thoughts on how it holds up today! Also we take on some of your questions including how we get ready for…

We're digging into the sequel to Legacy of Kain, which takes the top-down evil Zelda style Playstation gane and turns it into a 3d evil Zelda style Playstation game - but is that transition a successful one? Does it still have that Legacy of Kain feel, even though you aren't playing as Kain? This was a patron request, and at least one of us hadn't …

For the first time, we're reviewing a game that never made it out to North America! Thanks to patron "The 16-Bit Big Boss", we're taking a look at Terranigma! It's an action-RPG from the people behind Soul Blazer and Illusion of Gaia, but this third game in this thematic trilogy never made it to our shores. It's often referenced on people's top 10 …

I think we're gonna need a bigger boat for this episode, because it's the summer, Jeremy P is at the beach, and that means he's thinking about sharks. So, we're talking about Jaws for the NES! Want to jump right to the game? Start around the 11:00 mark! Join us over on our Discord to discuss games, food, or really anything over at https://discord.g…

Last year we brought you Oops! All Mail! and we cleared out a ton of mail. Since then, you've all been busy sending us questions that we usually answer at the end of each show, and we've got way more than we can handle in short bursts, so for the second time we're doing an entire show to answer the questions you've sent! It's the Retrovaniacs All M…

Oh hey - it's a Turbografx game, but wait! It wasn't picked by Jeremy P-- this one is a patron pick! Kevin asked us to cover Cratermaze, an early action puzzler for the console! And it's one Jeremy P even hadn't played before! Also covered, jerks from video games, food that only a hobo would eat, and probably some more talk of Stardew Valley. Want …

We didn't plan on covering two graphic adventures in a row, but both were patron requests, and this time Drew on Patreon has requested we play the Sega CD game, Rise of the Dragon! This cyberpunk detective game places you as Blade Hunter, sent to find out how and why the mayor's daughter was killed, and we found out - but should you? Listen to hear…

Aye, matey! We're gathered here at the SCUMM Bar in Melee Island to talk about a graphic adventure requested by one of you Patrons - The Secret of Monkey Island! Ported to Sega CD, this was originally a PC game that put you in the shoes of unlikely pirate, Guybrush Threepwood, and follows his quest to become a pirate and in the process defeat the e…

As requested by patron Robert C. (find him at https://www.tiktok.com/@robertcarr75), we're taking a look at the NES version of Bionic Commando! A completely different game than the arcade game of the same name, Capcom made this a full adventure with equippable items, minor puzzles, and a much longer mission - but did this game's awkward mechanical …

This time on Retrovaniacs, we're taking on a Patron request to cover Red Earth, Capcom's "lost" arcade fighter that has recently been released on consoles on the Capcom Fighting Collection! Is this a game that we're lucky to try out finally after over 25 years, or was this better left as a footnote in their arcade catalog? We also talk video game h…

Remember when Squaresoft put out a classic 2d shooter for the Playstation? Well, we're going to play it again and talk about it this time as we discuss Einhander! Does this shooter hold up today, or is this a case where maybe an RPG studio shouldn't have branched this far out? As always we discuss some other games we've been playing, and of course …

Grab your favorite chaps and cowboy hats - because we're taking on a game requested by Julian over on our Patreon, he's asked us to saddle up and play Red Dead Revolver, the 2004 prequel to Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption series. Does this game hit a bullseye, or is this game better off sent out to pasture? Also this episode, Jeremy G is back and we…

In excitement for Pikmin 4, Jeremy P takes us on a journey into the world of Pikmin. Is this a game for you? If you haven't played it, he's going to try and sell you on it, and if you have and didn't care for it, maybe we can convince you to try it again! Join us over on our Discord to discuss games, food, or really anything over at https://discord…

As requested by Todd from our Patreon, we're taking a look at Black Belt for the Sega Master System. At first glance, this seems like Sega's take on Kung Fu, but there may be some more here than meets the eye. We also take on your questions regarding our earliest gaming memories, memories with grandpa, and some talk of Royal Farms chicken. Again. J…

This time we're taking on another Patron requested game, as we return to another non-standard Pokemon game, the photography challenge Pokemon Snap! How does this game hold up today, and if you wanted to try it yourself, it's a fairly recent addition to the Switch N64 library, but we'll still give our opinions on it as well. As always we tackle a ha…

After an unexpected December break, we're back with a Patron requested episode on The Pagemaster - a platformer based on the Macaulay Culkin movie of the same name. Is this a case where a licensed game holds up regardless of your thoughts on the movie? We played it with little to no knowledge of the film, and shared our thoughts! We also reached ba…

In honor of Thanksgiving this year, we're talking all about 4 different games that have (sometimes very loosely tied) food related themes to them for the Atari 2600! We're talking about Fast Food, Burgertime, Joust, and Plaque Attack! How does Joust make any sense to add here? Listen to find out! Join us over on our Discord to discuss games, food, …

As requested by Patron Jeremy S, we're taking a look at Wario's 3rd outing on the NES handheld, Wario Land 3! Additionally, Jeremy G returns to Retrovaniacs, and tells us all about what he's been up to, and we answer some listener mail on pre-buy bonuses, cross-genre games, and more! Want to start collecting treasures? Waaaaah over to that 14:00 ma…

For our second episode of #retroween2022, we cover a game from the other main horror series - we're talking Resident Evil 4! Originally created for the Nintendo GameCube, this game has been on pretty much every console since, so it's clearly a fan favorite. But will it be one of ours? Find out as we revisit this game with the assistance of our pal …

As is our tradition, we're revisiting the Silent Hill series again this #retroween2022, and we're taking on Silent Hill 4: The Room, originally released on Xbox and PS2! Want to wake up in your room again? Jump to the 6:00 mark! Want to avoid spoilers? We talk horror movie recommendations at the 1:12:00 mark! Join us over on our Discord to discuss …

As requested by patron "Toy", we're looking at the sequel to Tomba!, the Playstation platformer we covered way back in 2016. Tomba! 2 : The Evil Swine Return was a second chance for Tomba to become a household name, but as we are all aware that didn't quite happen. Still -- how does this game hold up now? Listen to see what we think. We also take o…

We're back from our unintentional summer vacation to cover a patron request -- Popful Mail: Magical Fantasy Adventure for the Sega CD! This action adventure from Falcom was released in the US by Working Designs, and many consider it to be a "must play" title for the add-on. But how does it hold up today? Also discussed - a ton of things, in a very …

We've gotten a lot of mail from our listeners, and we are way behind. So -- we're dedicating this episode to clear some of this out to make room for more current emails! Don't worry-- we won't do these very often, but if you keep writing, we're gonna answer you anyway we can! Join us over on our Discord to discuss games, food, or really anything ov…

This time we return to Jeremy P's beloved TurboGrafx-16, for a martial arts action game, Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu! This was a port of an NES game that Jeremy G reviewed over on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z2So-cRQOA) but this is an upgrade in many ways-- but is it worth checking out now? We took on the sorcerer to let …

(Let's try this again, with all the audio this time...) It took a Patron request, but we're covering one of the essential games for the Nintendo 64 library, the first 3D Mario game, Super Mario 64! One of us hadn't played it before -- so how do they think it holds up? Listen to find out. Joining us this week is Celeste (of https://www.anotherzeldap…

This time we're taking on a Patron request! Brandon has tasked us to save the world by collecting 11 rings, and making some friends along the way as we attempt to play Rings of Power! This Genesis-exclusive RPG was one we had never heard of, so grab your merry band of heroes and join us on our quest! We also have a special guest -- K (owner of Prim…