Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Play Retro Show
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLAY RETRO 236: The Last Ninja Series | 01 Oct 2026 | 01:01:52 | |
System 3's The Last Ninja turned Commodore 64 martial-arts fantasy into an isometric action-adventure showcase in 1987. We follow Armakuni from Lin Fen to 1988 Manhattan in Last Ninja 2, look at how Activision carried the series to U.S. computer owners, and give the Europe-only Last Ninja 3 a brief 'Just A Mention.' VIDEO: https://youtu.be/tUmSGYe2b9o Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 235: X-Men: Legends | 24 Sep 2026 | 01:20:15 | |
Raven Software turned Marvel's mutant super-team into a four-character action RPG in 2004, combining real-time brawling, character progression, destructible environments and couch co-op. We dig into X-Men Legends, then follow the formula into X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse and the strange handheld versions that squeezed the mutant RPG onto N-Gage and PSP. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/C9bdCIYGjqY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 234: Sid Meier's Pirates! | 17 Sep 2026 | 01:06:36 | |
Sid Meier's Pirates! began on the Commodore 64 in 1987 as an open-ended pirate career game mixing sailing, trading, ship battles, sword fights, treasure hunting, politics and retirement. Brian plays the original C64 release while Scott tackles Firaxis' 2004 remake to see how much of the same pirate life survived nearly two decades later. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/v_LC6vVZu3U Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 233: Freedom Force | 10 Sep 2026 | 01:04:27 | |
Freedom Force (2002) is a squad-based superhero RPG from Irrational Games that mixes real-time tactical combat with comic-book style character progression, recruitment, and destructible environments. Set in a colorful 1960s-inspired superhero world, it lets you command a team of wildly different heroes, develop their powers, and even create your own custom characters while battling increasingly bizarre villains. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/umQfWxq-Tz4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 232: Alien Breed - The Amiga Years | 03 Sep 2026 | 01:13:54 | |
Alien Breed is Team17’s sci-fi action series that began on the Amiga in 1991, mixing top-down shooting, maze-like exploration, limited resources, computer terminals, and relentless alien attacks. The series gradually expanded the formula through Special Edition 92, Alien Breed II, and Tower Assault before making a dramatic shift into first-person shooters with Alien Breed 3D and Alien Breed 3D II. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/zA17Smnf3zs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 231: Backyard Baseball | 28 Aug 2026 | 01:04:10 | |
Backyard Baseball the kid-friendly baseball game from Humongous Entertainment that turns neighborhood sandlots into a full baseball season. Draft a team from 30 distinct Backyard Kids, set your lineup and positions, then hit, pitch, field, steal bases, and unleash goofy power-ups across a collection of wonderfully unconventional ballparks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 230: Road Rash | 20 Aug 2026 | 01:23:00 | |
Road Rash: the motorcycle combat-racing series that mixes illegal street racing with hand-to-hand fighting, traffic hazards, police chases, and bike progression. Players earn cash, upgrade to faster motorcycles, and use fists, kicks, and weapons to knock rivals off their bikes while trying to survive increasingly dangerous roads. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/3cqRhebh034 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 229: Golden Sun | 13 Aug 2026 | 01:19:50 | |
A turn-based RPG developed by Camelot Software Planning for the Game Boy Advance that follows Isaac and his companions across the world of Weyard. Combat centers on collectible elemental Djinn that alter character classes, abilities, and summons, while Psynergy is also used outside battle to solve environmental puzzles and uncover hidden paths. The game combines traditional JRPG progression with unusually interactive dungeon design and a story that continues directly into Golden Sun: The Lost Age. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/S0u_TnGwizg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 228: Demon's Crest | 06 Aug 2026 | 01:18:58 | |
Demon’s Crest for the Super Nintendo. Firebrand escapes captivity and takes flight across a dark fantasy world, recovering magical crests that let him smash through stone, soar through the sky, explore underwater ruins and transform into increasingly powerful gargoyles. We revisit Capcom’s overlooked action-adventure and check out its nonlinear stages, hidden upgrades, multiple endings and enormous monsters turned one of Ghosts ’n Goblins’ most irritating enemies into the hero of his own game. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/4LNUSbeR1D8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 227: Treasures Of The Deep | 02 Aug 2026 | 01:32:34 | |
Treasures of the Deep for the PlayStation wraps up our Retro Summer series. It's part arcade shooter, part treasure hunt, and all underwater sub adventure as we revisit one of the PS1's hidden gems and discover why there still aren't many games quite like it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 226: Sega Bass Fishing | 23 Jul 2026 | 01:20:59 | |
On today’s Play Retro episode: Sega Bass Fishing from the Arcade to the Dreamcast. This week we cast our retro reels into the dream lakes of the late 90s / early 2000s where we fish out some huge bass... ok.. that is a lot of fishing puns. Sega's action fishing game series SEGA BASS FISHING where the player picks a lake, location, lure and casts into the water where the camera follows your fishing line. Control each lure by reeling and flicking to entice and hook Bass Fish. Catch the biggest fish and enjoy your day at the lake. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/uvFPwaUTHdU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 225: Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer | 16 Jul 2026 | 01:12:53 | |
Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer (2002) takes Activision's early-2000s extreme-sports formula into the ocean, turning waves into moving skate parks filled with barrels, aerial tricks, and combo lines. We hit the console and Game Boy Advance versions and paddle back to TransWorld Surf, the tougher 2001 rival that was already trying to figure out how surfing should work in 3D. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ryGhslt_Q18 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 224: JAWS | 12 Jul 2026 | 01:15:21 | |
Jaws (1987) on the NES, where players hunt the infamous great white through open-water exploration, collecting shells and harpooning everything in sight to work our way up to the big bad boss named Bruce.Then we compare it to the very different 1989 computer adaptation. We also dive into Atari's unofficial Shark JAWS arcade game, released just months after the movie became a cultural phenomenon. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/UYCiWOc5pLU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 223: Devil May Cry | 02 Jul 2026 | 01:13:17 | |
Devil May Cry (2001) began life as an early Resident Evil 4 prototype before evolving into one of Capcom's most influential action games. Blending gothic horror, fast-paced swordplay, acrobatic gun combat, and a style ranking system that rewarded creativity over button mashing, it introduced the world to Dante and laid the foundation for the modern character action genre. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 222: NARC | 25 Jun 2026 | 00:58:57 | |
NARC (1988) brought digitized graphics, massive explosions, and War-on-Drugs satire to arcades in one of the most controversial games of its era. Players take on the roles of narcotics officers Max Force and Hit Man as they blast their way through a criminal empire using machine guns, rocket launchers, and sheer excess. We explore the arcade original and its many home ports, with a brief look at the 2005 reboot that attempted to bring the franchise into the modern era. VIDEO: https://youtu.be/BwBewmod2QU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 221: Star Control II | 18 Jun 2026 | 01:14:15 | |
Star Control II (1992) transformed the original game's fleet battles into a sprawling space adventure, tasking players with rebuilding humanity's resistance against the Ur-Quan through exploration, diplomacy, and discovery. With memorable alien races, open-ended galaxy traversal, and one of PC gaming's most beloved stories, it remains a landmark of science-fiction game design. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 220: Ratchet & Clank (2002) | 28 May 2026 | 01:07:34 | |
Ratchet & Clank (2002) launched Insomniac’s long-running PlayStation franchise by combining platforming, explosive weapon-based combat, gadget progression, and satirical sci-fi storytelling into one of the PlayStation 2’s defining early action games. We focus on the original release that introduced Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, Gadgetron weaponry, and the galaxy-hopping formula that would shape the series for decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 219: Gunstar Heroes | 21 May 2026 | 01:04:09 | |
This week on Play Retro, Scott and Brian take aim at Gunstar Heroes (1993), which helped launch Treasure from the loins of Konami when former employees gave us this title with explosive run-and-gun action, massive bosses, and one of the most inventive weapon systems on the Sega Genesis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 218: Jet Force Gemini | 14 May 2026 | 01:17:40 | |
Jet Force Gemini, one of Rare’s final original IPs for the N64, brought cinematic sci-fi action together with run-and-gun combat, exploration, puzzle solving, collect-a-thon progression, and split-screen multiplayer in a surprisingly large and ambitious package. The game follows a pair of space twins and their dog, Lupus, as they battle giant ant-like drones while trying to avoid collateral damage to the local cute, bear-like inhabitants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 217: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker | 07 May 2026 | 01:18:36 | |
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) brought the King of Pop to arcades and home consoles with two completely different takes on the same concepts - an isometric co-op arcade experience and a side-scrolling Genesis version built around exploration and music-driven combat. We also take a look at the earlier European computer adaptation, showing how differently the Moonwalker license was interpreted across platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 216: Rastan | 30 Apr 2026 | 01:08:24 | |
Taito’s Rastan (1987) brought sword-and-sorcery fantasy to the arcade with giant monsters, brutal platforming, and a barbarian hero straight out of a Conan paperback. We follow that path through Nastar (1989), released in Japan as Rastan Saga II, and briefly look at Warrior Blade, the rare triple-screen arcade finale that closed out the series in oversized style. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 215: Tobal No. 1 | 23 Apr 2026 | 01:13:09 | |
Tobal No. 1 (1996) brought Square into the 3D fighting game arena with fast 60 FPS combat, full arena movement, and character designs by Akira Toriyama. Known both for its innovative Quest Mode and for including the famous Final Fantasy VII demo disc, it became one of PlayStation’s most memorable cult fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 214: Neverwinter Nights (2002) | 19 Apr 2026 | 01:12:05 | |
Neverwinter Nights (2002) brought Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition to PC with character-driven storytelling, multiplayer persistent worlds, and the powerful Aurora Toolset. We also explore the 2003 expansions Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark, which expanded the campaign, raised level caps, and pushed the game into epic-level D&D adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 213: PaRappa The Rapper | 09 Apr 2026 | 01:10:00 | |
PaRappa The Rapper (1996) introduced call-and-response rap gameplay, memorable instructors, and stylized visuals that helped define the rhythm genre. We also look at Um Jammer Lammy (1999), the guitar-driven spiritual successor that expanded the formula with jam sessions, effects, and multiplayer rhythm gameplay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 212: Chibi-Robo! | 01 Apr 2026 | 00:59:34 | |
A small household robot helps a struggling family by cleaning, solving problems, and exploring a home where everyday objects become towering environments. With limited battery life, unlockable tools, and a day-night cycle. Chibi-Robo!Plug into Adventure for the Gamecube blends exploration, light puzzles, and character-driven storytelling into a quiet, unconventional adventure from Skip Ltd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 211: Sam & Max Hit the Road | 26 Mar 2026 | 01:13:59 | |
Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993) follows freelance police Sam and Max as they investigate a missing Bigfoot, leading them on a cross-country adventure through bizarre tourist attractions and absurd encounters. Using classic point-and-click gameplay, players gather clues, solve puzzles, and unlock new locations while navigating the game’s signature humor and mini-games in classic LucasArts fashion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 210: Blade Runner | 19 Mar 2026 | 01:37:46 | |
An investigation through rain-soaked Los Angeles as a Blade Runner tracks replicants, gathers evidence, and navigates shifting loyalties in Westwood’s 1997 adventure. Featuring branching outcomes, randomized character roles, and systems built around player choice, Blade Runner stands apart from traditional point-and-click games Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 209: Paper Mario | 11 Mar 2026 | 01:04:54 | |
Paper Mario (N64, 2000) is a turn-based RPG where Mario must rescue Princess Peach after Bowser steals the wish-granting Star Rod and uses it to become invincible. Mario travels eight colorful worlds, recruiting party members and using timing-based combat to pull off attacks. It's known for charming writing and a playful paper aesthetic that's baked into the gameplay itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 208: Ecco The Dolphin | 05 Mar 2026 | 01:12:27 | |
Players guide Ecco (a bottle nose dolphin) through interconnected ocean environments, managing oxygen, using sonar to communicate and solve environmental puzzles, and uncovering a science fiction story-line involving time travel and alien forces for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive with a Sega CD version that enhances the experience with CD-quality audio and an expanded introduction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 207: Star Trek - Borg | 26 Feb 2026 | 01:14:12 | |
Star Trek: Borg (1996) was an interactive FDM (full-motion video) game published by Simon & Schuster Interactive. You play as Qaylan Furlong, a Starfleet cadet whose father was killed at the Battle of Wolf 359. Q shows up (played by John de Lancie, reprising his TNG role) and sends you back in time to that battle, giving you a chance to change the outcome and save your father. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 206: Return to Zork | 19 Feb 2026 | 01:12:30 | |
Return to Zork (1993): Replacing Infocom’s classic text parser with a first-person point-and-click interface, full-motion video performances, and voice acting. Set across Port Foozle and beyond, the game blends exploration, inventory puzzles, and frequent failure states in a design that retains the series’ unforgiving roots while embracing early 1990s multimedia presentation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 205: Bad Mojo | 12 Feb 2026 | 01:18:07 | |
Bad Mojo (1996) - A PC adventure game that places players in the role of a man transformed into a cockroach, navigating a decaying apartment through environmental interaction and exploration rather than traditional puzzles. The game emphasizes atmosphere, symbolism, and survival, using pre-rendered environments, ambient sound design, and fragmented narration to convey its themes. ROACHES! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 204: Kirby's Dream Course | 05 Feb 2026 | 01:12:54 | |
Kirby’s Dream Course (1994) is an isometric action-puzzle golf game developed by HAL Laboratory for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Combining miniature-golf mechanics with Kirby’s signature copy abilities, the game challenges players to defeat enemies and reach the goal cup using precision shots, physics, and strategic power-ups rather than traditional platforming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 203: GORF | 29 Jan 2026 | 01:13:25 | |
GORF (1981) A fixed shooter developed by Midway that combines multiple space-combat styles into a single arcade experience. Across five distinct missions ranging from Space Invaders-style formations to Galaga-inspired flagship battles. The game escalates difficulty through faster enemies, tighter patterns, and increasingly aggressive attacks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 202: Sega Rally Championship | 22 Jan 2026 | 01:12:49 | |
Sega Rally Championship (1995) established arcade rally racing with distinct surface physics, short technical stages, and licensed cars tuned for specific terrain types. The original Model 2 arcade release and its Sega Saturn conversion feature classic courses like Desert, Forest, and Mountain, along with cars such as the Toyota Celica GT-Four and Lancia Delta HF Integrale, emphasizing precision driving over pure speed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Play Retro Special: Warren Davis & The Creation of Q*Bert | 16 Jan 2026 | 00:55:37 | |
Scott sits down with Warren Davis for a deep look at the creation of one of the great arcade games of all time, Q*Bert, as well as his direct impact on everything from the Joust series to Mortal Kombat to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Check out his book: ‘Creating Q*bert and Other Classic Video Arcade Games’! Some amazing insight in this episode with Warren, and we hope enjoy it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 201: Astro Boy | 15 Jan 2026 | 01:11:47 | |
Astro Boy: Omega Factor (2003) for the Game Boy Advance and Astro Boy (2004) for the PlayStation 2. Both titles were released during the franchise’s early-2000s resurgence and offer different approaches to action gameplay, platform strengths, and adaptation of the Astro Boy property. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Play Retro Preshow FREEBIE! | 15 Jan 2026 | 00:30:54 | |
Here's what we do on pre-shows for supporters! A free one this month! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 200: Pinball on the Sega Saturn | 08 Jan 2026 | 01:18:41 | |
Episode 200!! Pinball on the Sega Saturn - Digital Pinball: Last Gladiators, Digital Pinball: Necronomicon, Hyper 3-D Pinball (Tilt!), Pinball Graffiti and more bringing pinball table flipping action to our living rooms during the 90s. SEGA! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 199: The Forgotten Realms Gold Box Series | 31 Dec 2025 | 01:36:32 | |
The Forgotten Realms Gold Box series is a set of AD&D computer role-playing games developed by SSI using the Gold Box engine. Beginning with Pool of Radiance in 1988, the series allowed players to carry a single party of characters across four connected adventures set in the Forgotten Realms. These games established many conventions of computer RPGs, including turn-based tactical combat, party management, and faithful implementations of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons rules. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 198: Descent | 24 Dec 2025 | 01:24:48 | |
Descent (1995) and Descent II (1996) are six-degrees-of-freedom first-person shooters developed by Parallax Software for MS-DOS. Set entirely inside fully 3D mine complexes, the games emphasize free movement, spatial awareness, and objective-based level design. Known for their technical ambition, mouse-and-keyboard flight-style controls, and unforgiving enemy AI, the Descent series remains one of the most distinct FPS experiences of the DOS era. Uncut Video: https://youtube.com/live/iER-PDsesac?feature=share Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 197: Jagged Alliance | 18 Dec 2025 | 01:09:24 | |
A turn-based tactical strategy game developed by Sir-Tech Canada for MS-DOS. Players recruit mercenaries from the Association of International Mercenaries (A.I.M.) to liberate the fictional island nation of Metavira from enemy control. The game blends squad-based tactical combat with strategic planning, character relationships, and resource management. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 196: Star Wars: Dark Forces | 11 Dec 2025 | 01:21:37 | |
A First-person shooter developed by LucasArts for MS-DOS using an in-house game engine. Introduces mercenary Kyle Katarn and the Imperial Dark Trooper project. Features mission-based FPS gameplay, environmental objectives, vertical level design using the Jedi Engine, and an arsenal of Star Wars weapons. Later ported to Macintosh and PlayStation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 195: StarCraft & Broodwar | 04 Dec 2025 | 01:45:54 | |
Blizzard Entertainment’s real-time strategy game featuring three fully asymmetric factions: Terran, Zerg, and Protoss. Built around resource management, base construction, unit control, and a branching story told through three linked campaigns. Released for Windows and Mac OS. Expanded the same year with the official StarCraft: Brood War expansion and two licensed mission packs, Insurrection and Retribution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 194: Beyond Good and Evil | 27 Nov 2025 | 01:35:41 | |
2003 Action-adventure from Ubisoft Montpellier combining stealth, melee combat, hovercraft exploration, and a photography-based investigation system. You play as Jade, a photojournalist uncovering a conspiracy on Hillys involving the DomZ and the Alpha Sections. Released on PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, and Windows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 193: Harvest Moon | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:34:04 | |
Taking our favorite retro Harvest Moon games on the road with our GameBoys for some cozy gameplay while riding in the backseat of the family car. With a look back at the console games that made it possible. Harvest Moon for the SNES and HARVEST MOON: BACK TO NATURE for the PS1 and their portable little siblings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 192: Max Payne | 13 Nov 2025 | 01:11:55 | |
Max Payne (2001) and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne (2003) — Remedy Entertainment’s third-person neo-noir shooters that introduced bullet-time gunplay, graphic-novel storytelling, and hard-boiled narration to the early-2000s gaming landscape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 191: Halo: Combat Evolved | 06 Nov 2025 | 01:30:52 | |
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001, Xbox / 2003, PC). A first-person shooter developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios as the flagship launch title for the original Xbox. Its combination of open-ended combat, vehicles, and science-fiction storytelling helped define console FPS design for the following decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 190: KISS: Psycho Circus: The Nightmare Child | 30 Oct 2025 | 01:30:55 | |
A first-person shooter developed by Third Law Interactive and published by Gathering of Developers, based loosely on Todd McFarlane’s comic series. Players assume the role of circus performers empowered by the four KISS personas to prevent the birth of a supernatural being known as the Nightmare Child. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| PLAY RETRO 189: The 16bit Scooby Doo Games! | 22 Oct 2025 | 01:09:20 | |
Scooby-Doo Mystery (1995) for the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Both titles shared the same name but were completely different games developed by separate studios: Illusions Gaming Company and Argonaut Software. The Genesis version took a point-and-click adventure approach with investigation and dialogue mechanics, while the SNES version played as a platforming mystery with clue collection and a fear meter system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||