Play Retro Show

The Play Retro show is here, and we are talking about the long running Tactical turn-based strategy series, developed by Andy Davidson and Team17 in the 90s that went on to defined the genre with their wacky humor, destructible environments, and an arsenal of bizarre weapons. Worth a mention: Worms: Director’s Cut and Worms Pinball. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time to go way back on the Play Retro Podcast, for a Mansion full of Maniacs! Maniac Mansion is a 1987 graphic adventure video game where players control a character named Dave Miller, who must rescue his girlfriend from a mad scientist in a creepy mansion. The game features a point-and-click interface, multiple playable characters, and non-linear gameplay with various puzzles to solve. Let’s see how the classic holds up! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on the Play Retro podcast, Brian and Scott look at MediEvil (1998) and MediEvil 2 (2000), action-adventure games for the PlayStation, blending gothic aesthetics, humor, and hack-and-slash gameplay. Players control Sir Daniel Fortesque, a skeletal knight seeking redemption after his accidental heroism in life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s do podcast about the history of a side-scrolling action platformer for the Sega Genesis, set in a dystopian future where Earth is overrun by rogue robots. Players control Vectorman, an Orbot janitor-turned-hero, as he battles through diverse levels to stop the evil Warhead. Featuring innovative pre-rendered 3D graphics, fluid animations, and a techno-inspired soundtrack, Vectorman pushed the Genesis to its limits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A groundbreaking pre-rendered 3d sprite platformer for the Super Nintendo developed by Rare. Players control Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy as they journey through the jungle to reclaim their stolen banana hoard from the villainous King K. Rool! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A classic side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game set in the medieval fantasy land of Yuria. Players choose from three heroes—Ax Battler the Barbarian, Tyris Flare the Amazon, and Gilius Thunderhead the Dwarf—each with unique magic abilities. Together, they battle through hordes of enemies, ride mythical creatures, and face the evil Death Adder, who has kidnapped the royal family. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this really big Twinkie of an episode, we’re covering some of the classic Ghostbusters games, starting with the original 1984 Ghostbusters Business Sim game by Pitfall creator David Crane, Ghostbusters II's questionably fun version of the movie, The New Ghostbusters II game that Japan and Europe got that was surprisingly good and Ghostbusters for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis that was doing its own thing. Plus, we’ll give a quick mention to The Real Ghostbusters arcade game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A top-down isometric shooter where players take control of "The Postal Dude" as he embarks on a violent rampage against hostile civilians, military forces, and law enforcement. Known for its dark tone, extreme violence, and controversial themes, Postal shocked audiences and earned a cult following for its raw, chaotic gameplay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cho Aniki is a Japanese video game series originally developed by Masaya and published by NCS Corp. The first game was released in 1992 for the PC Engine system. The game's sequels and spin-offs later appeared on the Super Famicom, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, WonderSwan, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. Best known for its homoerotic overtones, wacky humor and vivid, surreal imagery. Most of the games have never seen release outside Japan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SMB2: Known for its dreamlike setting and gameplay changes from the original Super Mario Bros. Players can choose between Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad, each with different abilities, as they navigate the world of Subcon to defeat the villain Wart. Unlike other Mario games, this installment focuses on picking up and throwing objects at enemies rather than stomping on them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shining Force series blends traditional RPG storytelling with tactical, grid-based combat. In Shining Force I (1992), players guide Max and his diverse team of warriors in defending the kingdom of Guardiana from the Dark Dragon. Shining Force II (1993) follows Bowie, who must rally heroes to face the malevolent forces of Zeon, offering a more open-world experience and refined strategy elements. Shining in the Darkness (1991), a precursor to these, is a first-person dungeon crawler where players explore mazes, solve puzzles, and battle monsters, laying the groundwork for the later games' storytelling and world-building. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Based on Tim Burton's 1988 film, Beetlejuice for the NES is a platforming adventure game developed by Rare and published by LJN. Players control Beetlejuice as he navigates different areas in an attempt to scare humans out of a house he wants to claim as his own. Players use Beetlejuice’s unique abilities, such as summoning skeletons and transforming into different creatures, to solve puzzles and defeat enemies. The game features side-scrolling levels with a mix of combat and platforming elements. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on podcast, Sunset Riders is a classic side-scrolling run-and-gun arcade game developed and published by Konami in 1991. Set in the American Wild West, the game became a fan-favorite for its colorful graphics, fast-paced action, and engaging cooperative gameplay. Players assume the roles of bounty hunters as they chase down notorious outlaws across a series of challenging levels, all while dodging bullets, obstacles, and other hazards typical of the Western frontier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Play Retro today, we talk about the impact of Dune II! Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty (titled Dune II: Battle for Arrakis in Europe and Dune: The Battle for Arrakis for the North American Mega Drive/Genesis port, respectively) is a 1992 real-time strategy game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Virgin Games. It serves as the sequel to Dune, following a more traditional adventure strategy game format, that came out earlier the same year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Skies of Arcadia is a classic role-playing game developed by Overworks and originally released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000. The game was later ported to the Nintendo GameCube as Skies of Arcadia Legends in 2002. Set in a world of floating islands and vast skies, the game follows the adventures of Vyse, a young air pirate, and his friends Aika and Fina as they strive to stop the evil Valuan Empire from awakening ancient weapons of mass destruction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flashback: The Quest for Identity, developed by Delphine Software and released in 1992, is a cinematic platformer known for its groundbreaking rotoscoped animation and engaging story. Players control Conrad B. Hart, an amnesiac scientist who uncovers an alien plot while trying to recover his lost memories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The followup to Theme Park and the 2nd in Bullfrog's Designer Series - Theme Hospital is a business simulation game that puts players in the role of a hospital administrator, tasked with building and managing a hospital, diagnosing and treating patients, and dealing with various humorous and wacky medical conditions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Players control Mike Jones in this NES classic, a young boy armed with a yo-yo, as he explores various islands to rescue his kidnapped uncle. The game combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and combat. How does it hold up? How was II? Tune in and find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Play Retro podcast, Gradius is a series of shooter video games, introduced in 1985, developed and published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper. It's good, and you should play it. At least up to III. IV is weird. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Popular culture come to life in this unique blend of inline skating, graffiti art, and an eclectic soundtrack of funk, hip hop and rock. Set in a vibrant, cel-shaded world, the series focuses on the adventures of a gang of rebellious skaters called the GG fighting against oppressive authorities by tagging graffiti and grinding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.