RGS 072 - 3D Platformers

It's time to blow off some steam by blowing up stuff, Mad Max style! The squad engages in some vehicular combat by covering games such as Road Rash 3, Vigilante 8, and Critical Depth. We also share some news about the future of the show, and Jeff agonizes over how to style his chest hair as Alex desperately tries to change the subject.

CONTENT WARNING: this podcast episode contains the following: vulgar language & humor; discussions involving M-Rated games such as Conker's Bad Fur Day, Quake II & Max Payne; the history of the ESRB; the crowning of our Retro Game of 2024; and prolonged hatred for the act of typing.  (Special thanks to UltraSteve for the chip-tunes epilogue)

Our squad gets whipped into shape as we do some reconnaissance with some military-themed games. Mission objectives include looking at titles such as Military Madness, BattleTanx: Global Assault, Army Men: Sarge's Heroes, and more. Jeff also shares his enthusiasm for M.R.E.'s, and Alex puts the guys through some basic (gaming) training.

Grab your popcorn buckets, because the crew is here to review video games based on movies! With its not-so-shiny reputation, we're here to see if the stigma holds true by taking a look at games based on Die Hard, The Lawnmower Man, The World is Not Enough, and more. We also have some movie trivia, and Jeff repeatedly shakes his fist at the clouds, "old-man" style. (Special thanks to listener Thomas for our trivia exploits!)

It's time to dodge some lasers as we blast into the world of shoot-'em-ups! Alex gets to geek out by going over the history of the genre, the different varieties of shmups, the early days of bullet-hell games, and fires off some beginner tips. We also cover shooters such as Batsugun, R-Type Delta, Gate of Thunder & more, and Jeff refuses to participate in any video game tutorials.

Pushing the pedal to the metal, we bring you another high-octane episode full of racing game excitement. Showcasing games like Power Drive, Colin McRae Rally 2.0, World Driver Championship and more, there's no shortage of thrills on this race track. We also settle upon a surprising "Retro Game of the Year", and Alex expresses his frustration with Schrödinger's cat. (Special thanks to Joe/Electrichead for the blood-pumping epilogue)

With Halloween fast approaching, we get in a frightful mood with games such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Demon's Crest, Splatterhouse 2, and more. Also, Jeff shares his passion for horror & slasher movies and tells the horrid tale of a cursed Super NES cartridge that consumes all who dare to play it… (Special thanks to Joe/Electrichead for the eerily appropriate epilogue)

On the heels of our last episode, we go back to a simpler time, and take a look at some of the 2D platformers of yesteryear. Covered are games such as Batman: The Video Game, Vectorman 2, Wario Land 3, & more. We also read listener submissions about memories of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Jeff takes a stand in calling Football "Soccer".

Taking our gaming into the third dimension, we jump into the world of 3D platformers. Discussed are a variety of games such as Jumping Flash!, Spyro the Dragon, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, and more. Also, Jeff and Jon try their best in a listener-submitted trivia game, and the atrocious camera in Earthworm Jim 3D causes us to lose our marbles.

Completing our foray into the Game Boy's legacy, we focus on the Game Boy Color, covering the hardware and various types of cartridges out there. Also covered are games such as Wendy: Every Witch Way, The Fish Files, Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six, & more. In addition, we crown a Retro Game of 2022, Alex gushes about Beast Wars, and Jon gets some mileage out of his PalmPilot.