Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Switch 2 The Past

On April 25th 2020 Mike & Neil sat down at their desks for the first time to try and record a test episode of their upcoming podcast "The GameCube Was Cool". After being sealed away in the GameCube vault the boys are bringing it back. You'll hear a very rough version of what the podcast would become that will hopefully make you appreciate how far they've come. The boys rank their top 10 GameCube games (as of 2020) and talk about the history of the system and their plans for the podcast. Enjoy looking back on these fresh faced lads with some remastered audio for 2024.

As is tradition Mike & Neil take some time in the last episode of the year to talk about their favourite games, movies, albums, and other big events that happened in 2023. With that also comes news of 2024. The boys will be taking a hiatus for the better part of next year, taking some time to do some life sidequests and having a little break after nearly 4 years of podcasting. Mike & Neil will of course be back in the future with some exciting new plans and will have a few new episodes peppered in so keep your ears peeled for that. Until then enjoy the highlights of 2023 with the latest episode of the podcast. Thank you so much to everyone for listening and writing in this year! 

You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? Well if you have maybe this podcast has the answer to your problems. Sit down, grab your favourite mask, and enjoy Mike & Neil and friend of the show Kira (@toonietwirls) chat about The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. With only an 18 month turnaround for development time after Ocarina, MM, the first true Zelda sequel took things on a dark turn and added in a timed gameplay mechanic allowing the user to replay the same 72 hours over and over again to stop the moon from crashing into Termina. Divisive at first but now hailed as one of the best games ever made, the gang chats about their favourite moments, the sidequests that pull your heartstrings, and the amazing story behind all of it. 

Today is a BEEG episode of the original Super Mario RPG released way back in 1996 for the SNES. Mario's first foray into the RPG genre proved extremely successful for both Nintendo and developer Square. A mix of the nintendo charm and Final Fantasy style gameplay, it continues to be one of the greatest entries in the Mario universe. The success stopped when Nintendo chose to go cartridge for their next console and Square went with Sony to create Final Fantasy 7 that made a sequel impossible (though we did get two spin-off franchises in Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi). Cam (@cpawx) joins the boys for his first ever non-zelda episode to chat about playing the original in 1997, having his Mom help him on the final boss and what it's like to play the remake 27 years later.

Oy Ginger, back from Holiday? Well the holidays are right around the corner and it's time to kick off December with one of the best stop motion movies ever made. It's Chicken Run! just in time for the sequel to be released Mike & Neil sit down and talk about one of their favourite childhood movies and one that has aged surprisingly well. With great British humour, amazing animation by Nick Park and Peter Lord and heartwarming and genuinely funny story, Chicken Run remains hilarious and easily rewatchable. Harrison from "The Only Pod Ever" podcast joins the boys to talk about his memories of this film and what he's hoping to see for the sequel. Enjoy that gravy Mrs. Tweedy!

Who doesn't love reminiscing about their favourite childhood snacks? Mike & Neil certainly love it as they "gush" (ha get it) about their favourite snacks from the 90s and 2000s on this special patreon elected episode. Sit back, relax, and listen to the boys rattle off a nostalgia filled lineup of tasty treats like fruit roll ups, sunny d, bits and bites, fruit gushers, kool aid jammers and yes, they even mention the ill-fated heinz colourful ketchups. Making you hungry? Grab a pack of dunkaroos and a handful of munchies (just not the pretzels) and enjoy the episode. 

Can you believe it's been 10 years since the Last of Us released on PS3?? Since 2013 the game has been remastered and remade, got a sequel (which is now getting it's own remaster) and a HBO tv series making it one of Sony's top selling franchises. Mike & Neil reminisce when they first saw the trailer to this game back at E3 2011 and how this was one of the titles that roped them back into gaming. The brutality, narrative, setting, design of the infected and of course the unbelievable soundtrack make this game one of the all time greats. Join the boys to chat about the world of Joel and Ellie and debate if Joel is a hero or villain.

DO A BARREL ROLL! Join Mike & Neil as they team up with Fox McCloud, Peppy Hare, Falco Lombardi and yes, even Slippy Toad to talk about one of the greatest N64 games of all time. Star Fox 64 took everything the SNES version had to offer and improved upon it while also creating an in depth world with colourful characters, amazing locales, and simple but highly entertaining gameplay. The boys are joined by friends of the show Dave and Luigi from the Remember 64 podcast to discuss why this game was so much fun in 1997 and just as much fun today. Unfortunately Star Fox the franchise has been mostly downhill ever since but 26 years on 64 still reigns as one of the best ever and still a must play today.

To celebrate the release of Spider-Man 2 (no not the 2004 movie-tie in game for the GameCube), Mike & Neil are talking about Web of Shadows, a 2008 Spider-Man game from the activision era that often gets brought up as one of the best Spidey games ever, and for good reason. The biggest inclusion is of course the ability to switch between red and black suit Spider-Man leading to all kinds of different choices and a hero and villain path to boot. We even get lesser known characters at the time Luke Cage and Moon Knight to team up with! And of course it wouldn't be a 2000s Spider-Man game without Wolverine. It's all here on your friendly neighbourhood podcast.

Halloween or Christmas movie? Well here on the Unlocking What Was Cool we truly believe that The Nightmare Before Christmas (produced but not directed by Tim Burton) is the quintessential November 1st movie. The perfect tie between halloween and christmas, this classic 76 minute stop motion animated musical dark fantasy film turns 30 this year and still holds up incredibly today. With an eccentric cast of characters, amazing songs written by Danny Elfman, and a purely imaginative storyline and setting, it's no wonder why this is one of Neil's all time favourites and we're very proud to see the popularity keep growing even without a sequel!

Hola amigos! This is a tale of crime and corruption in the Land of the Dead and a perfect candidate for our spooky game for the month of October, Grim Fandango remains a classic example of point and click adventure games from LucasArts in the 90s. Filled with amazing characters, unique settings, and some of the best music you'll ever find in a video game, Mike looks back on this incredible Tim Schaffer production. Neil is headed to the ninth underworld but luckily friends of the show Nichola and Dan have joined the party to talk about their experiences with the game and why it stands the test of time.

WE'LL CARRY ON. Welcome to the black parade, an album that defined a genre, a generation, and made My Chemical Romance one of the biggest bands of the 2000s. Gerard Way and Co. went as ambitious as possible in this 2006 masterpiece, paying homage to rock operas of the 70s while creating a unique blend of emo, pop punk, and macabre musical theatre to create a lasting piece of music that's stood the test of time. Friend of the show Branan joins Mike & Neil to talk about being a poser Emo and shopping at Hot Topic while playing Teenagers in Guitar Hero 2. 

Bop it! Twist it! Pull it! This month's patreon topic has Mike & Neil looking back at none other than the 90s and 2000s as usual but this time for the toys! A time of great toys from Kinder Surprises, McDondalds' Happy Meals, and whatever Burger King's kid's meal was called, it was a great time to be a kid. Join the boys to talk about Furbies, Tamagotchis, Hot Wheels, and many many more amazing toys from our favourite era.

Did you hear that? There's some weird sounds coming from the Unlocking What Was Cool's attic in this week's episode covering one of the best horror games ever made - Eternal Darkness. A cult classic that has been stranded on the GameCube since 2002, and developed by Canadian devs Silicon Knights, Eternal Darkness is one of the most frightening games you will ever play. Neil and Mike are joined by one of their favourite guests, @Toonietwirls who talks about her first memories playing this game and the fear and anxiety it brought with it's clever and incredibly innovative sanity effects. Listen and enjoy this GameCube revisit where the boys talk about the game for more than 15 minutes this time.

From one of the hardest hitting songs ever to open an album to a song known by anyone who grew up in the the 80s 90s or even 2000s to a beautiful ballad and an arena anthem, Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American has it all. Mike & Neil are proud to be finally covering one of their favourite albums of all time and they are joined by good friend of the show Brian to talk about the history of the record, break down some of our favourite tracks, and learn that the band was on the brink of bankruptcy in 2000 before this record help save them and their careers. Join us on looking back to a simpler time when every music video was a house party with a pool on this week's music episode of Unlocking What Was Cool.

It's time to lament the games that never were meant to come to the Nintendo GameCube. Neil and Mike sit down to talk about Donkey Kong Racing, Dead Phoenix and Super Paper Mario (which yes! did eventually come out on the Wii). There were all suitable reasons why these games and many others didn't come to the Cube but it hasn't stopped the boys from wishing and theorizing what could have been. With Rare being bought by microsoft DKRII was dead and probably will never be revived. Dead Phoenix being Capcom's 5th of the Capcom 5 was DOA and Super Paper Mario was always destined for a bigger selling console. Check it out and enjoy a trip down this cancelled memory lane.

Super Mario World is consistently ranked as one of the greatest video games of all time and frankly, who could argue that? The map, the cape, the design, the enemies, the accessibility, the secrets, the boos, star road, dinosaurs, yoshi! This game literally has it all, a complete masterpiece of exploration and platforming, Neil and Mike go back 33 years to talk about one of their favourite games of all time. Joining them is friend of the show Jed and @luigisapartment to discuss their memories, their favourite (or least favourite) secrets, and of course how Rip Van Fish is basically the Mr. X of the mario world. We hope this episode is "Just what I needed!".

EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY. There've been some classic Will Ferrell movies over the years: Step Brothers, Anchorman, Talledega Nights, The Other Guys. But one movie that often gets overlooked is Semi-Pro, the "semi" true story of the ABA merging with the NBA in the late 70s. Mike & Neil are excited to talk about one of their favourite comedies of all time and one that they saw in a nearly empty theatre together over spring break in 2008. 15 years later the boys agrees it still holds up although it certainly has it's issues. Nonetheless this comedy featuring the likes of Woody Harrelson, Will Arnett and yes even Andre 3000 of Outkast boasts a great soundtrack, hilarious scenes, and even a few dunks. SOMEBODY HIT SOMEBODY!

The mid 2000s were an interesting time for Nintendo. A failing home console, a slowly to adopt handheld console, and new competition with Sony's PSP. To counter all this, the Nintendo DS is revealed as a "third pillar" in their console arsenal. Well it turns out that the DS was far more than a third pillar and ended up going on to be the highest selling console in Nintendo's history. From Nintendogs to the touch screen stylus to Pictochat and so much more, the DS captured the hearts of over 150 million people and remains a mainstay for many today. Neil and Mike dive into this patreon topic, talk about their memories with the GBA and DS and predict what Nintendo's next big leap will be.

Mike and Neil have covered 555 GameCube games and this week they are adding to that number by covering five exclusive Japanese GameCube games. Nintendo Puzzle Collection - a colourful set of Yoshi's Cookie, Dr. Mario and Panel De Pon games, Kukurin Smash - a sequel to the GBA game that's currently on Switch Online services, Robocop - That's right, a Robocop game that is made by the same developers as Superman 64 so take that as you will, DreamMix World Fighters - an insane crossover featuring characters like Optimus Prime, Bomberman, and Simon Belmont, and finally Homeland - a online RPG game resembling a mix of Animal Crossing Cubivore and Doshin the Giant. The boys are joined by Marcelo from the fantastic YouTube channel @gamecubegalaxy to discuss these games in depth and lament why we never were able to get North American ports of them.

Mike is on his way to Japan to research some Japanese GameCube exclusives so Neil is on his own with friend of the show Josh from the Still Loading Podcast to talk some Star Wars. Galactic Battlegrounds is a classic Age of Empires style RTS for the PC that seems to get better and more enjoyable every year. Josh and Neil discuss why this game still stays in the minds of many and where the series may go from here.

No one likes you when you're...24? Welp Neil and Mike may have missed their chance to release this on episode 23 of the Unlocking What Was Cool podcast but they still manage to have a great time talking about one of the biggest albums of the late 90s/early 2000s. Much like many other franchises and artists covered on this podcast it did really feel like there was once a moment when Blink didn't exist and then all of sudden they were everywhere. With Travis Barker coming on board and building off the success of Dude Ranch blink delivered an album of all killer and no filler that perfectly encompassed the culture and catapulted them to super stardom. Mike & Neil dive into the album track by track, talk about their memories, what songs are appropriate to walk down the aisle to, and if these boys have finally learned how to play their instruments. 

There's nothing more iconic to Mike and Neil than seeing Spongebob and Patrick driving out of Bikini Bottom in their pattymobile. Since debuting in 1999 Spongebob has taken the world by storm with everything the yellow sponge had done before serving as a lead up to getting his name on the big screen in 2004. The five year wait proved successful as the movie was a huge success and has lived in the hearts of minds of many fans for almost two decades. Mike & Neil sit down to go through the movie, what it does well, what it doesn't (barely anything?) and why watching it today is just as funny as it was in 2004 with our dads laughing at the pirates in the theatre. 

It's hard to imagine that at one point in history Pokémon did not exist, and then one moment it was everywhere. In North America it's now been 25 years since we've been blessed with Pokemon Red and Blue, two of the most iconic games of many peoples childhoods. The music, the sounds, the battles, the characters, the fact that Charizard can't learn fly for some reason. These games are legendary in their myths and memories (no truck rumour to get Mew did not exist), and there are so many unique and interesting stories to tell regarding these games. Neil and Mike are joined by friend of the show Luigi of @luigisappartment fame to reminisce and delve into the immense social impact that these games had on kids and adults alike.

We are celebrating the release of Pikmin 4 with a dive back into our GameCube back catalogue and talking about the game that started it all - Pikmin! Released just after The GameCube in late 2001, this game took a love of gardening to a whole new level and represented a huge risk for Nintendo at the time. Neil has been demanding another Pikmin sequel for years now (you can listen to him talk about it on episode 5 of the GameCube Was Cool Podcast over three years ago!) and now he's finally got it. Joining the boys today is friend of the show Ramon to talk about the good but also the bad of the pikmin series as well as newcomer Dee who talks about her memories with the game and franchise and what she'd like to see in Pikmin 4. 

Let's go there, let's talk about learning how to play guitar. From a young age, music was introduced to us through our parents, movies, video games and basically every other facet of life. When you find yourself at the age of 11, and you want to be just like Marty McFly at the 1955 Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, or you want to be like Mark Tremonti at the 2001 Dallas Cowboys halftime show, the realization hits you that you need to learn guitar!  This week, Neil and friend of the show Marty sit down and reminisce about the joys of learning how to play the guitar. Mike will make his grand return to the show next week!

I'M OLDDDDDDD. The third iteration of the Disney Freaky Friday franchise stars Lindsay Lohan and icon Jamie Lee Curtis. If you can believe it this movie came out 20 years ago this week so Neil and Mike wanted to make sure everyone felt old. The boys discuss the music, the outfits, the acting (Jamie got nominated for a GG for this!) and much more. Taking you back to a simpler time Freaky Friday was really the proto-mean girls and it shows. Hope you enjoy another movie related episode of Unlocking What Was Cool!

Mike & Neil push it to the limit on this patreon elected episode. GTA Vice City has been a staple for years in the video game industry yet Neil has actually never played it! Sit back, relax, put on some vice city radio as Neil interviews Mike on why this game is so great and why it needs a remake now more than ever. The story, the music, the action, the characters, the adventure, it's one of those games that's impossible to put down and makes for such a unique blend of a title. Thank you to all the patrons for voting on this episode!

GUH UH! Join Mike and Neil to celebrate 25 years of the bird and the bear with their first ever N64 episode! They are joined by friends of the show Josh from the Still Loading Podcast and Quinn making her Unlocking What Was Cool debut. The boys discuss the iconic music, the colourful graphics, the trademark Rare dialogue and charm, and of course the near perfect 3D platforming gameplay. Though it hasn't had a new title in almost 15 years Banjo Kazooie still lives on strong in the hearts and minds of many and hopefully we see this duo come back sooner than later. Happy 25th birthday Banjo!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! it's time to talk about NHL Hitz, one of the most unique, lasting sports game series of all time. With only three entries and existing from 2002-2004 Hitz staying power on the heavily saturated sports video game scene of the early 2000s was not to be but it's legacy has certainly endured. With expertly crafted gameplay, animations, and so many features, the Hitz series embodied the perfect arcade sports game. With stellar soundtracks featuring Limp Bizkit, Powerman 5000, Hoobastank and of course the Zambonis, Hitz perfectly captured the sounds of the era. Mike & Neil bring on friend of the show Marty as well as Minds Behind the Sports Games author Patrick Hickey Jr. to break down why these games are still so much fun to play today and of course mention Rollin' at least 10 times.

Neil and Mike explore if this album really is all killer, and no filler and the answer? Yes, Dave's mom should NOT have had an abortion. Some Say (pun intended) that this album is the group's best and it's hard to argue that statement. With killer tracks like the ultimate summer jam 'In Too Deep', a crazy rap rock mix with 'Fat Lip' and an Iron Maiden-esque closer in 'Pain For Pleasure', Sum 41 showed off their chops and proved that they weren't just some one-off Canadian pop punk band, they were here to stay. The boys remember when they first heard some of these songs and go track by track as they breakdown the music, the lyrics, and even the iconic music videos. Come be a casualty of society and check out the latest album of Unlocking What Was Cool!

A show about nothing and a podcast about...something? Mike & Neil discuss the first season of the seemingly timeless Seinfeld to celebrate 25 years since the finale aired! While it didn't go out on the greatest stride this show has defined so many people's lives and has a had a huge impact and only gotten more relatable to Mike & Neil as they've aged. Season 1 with episodes like the stake out, male unbonding (the only episode not to have a "the" prefix) and of course the pilot, we see the roots of sitcom gold growing into a cultural phenomenon that still echoes loudly today.

It's time to go BANANAS! Neil and Mike are back talking about Super Monkey Ball just as they did back on episode 12 of the GameCube Was Cool Podcast. This time their focus is entirely on the first two entries in the franchise and they bring on friend of the show Cara to discuss her memories playing this game back in the day (and of course who could forget that arcade cabinet with the banana joystick). GonGon, AiAi, Baby and many more are here to partake in some marble madness style gameplay. A franchise that since has had ups and downs, and even a remake on the Switch, for many people Super Monkey Ball will always be synonymous with the GameCube. Like the back of the case says, warn your neighbours! and come on down to monkey island to enjoy this latest episode of the podcast.

Our May Patreon topic winner is a timely one, Breath of The Wild, the game that completely reinvented both Nintendo and the Zelda franchise. With Tears of the Kingdom out now it's an appropriate time to look back 6 years ago to when the world was young, and we knew very little about this dazzling open world adventure. Mike & Neil look back on the day they picked up the Switch and BOTW and chat about their initial thoughts and memories of this amazing title. Surely they boys will go back to this game in 10 years time and look back on it even more fondly (and with many MANY guests) but for now, and hour or so will do to remember and celebrate the Zelda series.

The world's favourite Satirical Science Fiction, Psychological Comedy, Drama Film is celebrating it's 25th anniversary and Mike and Neil are here to watch all the drama unfold live on the air on THE TRUMAN SHOW! An amazingly prescient movie, The Truman Show goes down as Jim Carrey's finest dramatic role and one of the best movies of the 90s. Reality TV before Reality TV and an allegory for social media some 10 years before this film does an amazing job at captivating the audience before we see if Truman can escape this reality. And if we don't see you later, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

This is where the fun begins. May the Fourth be with you all! For the first time Star Wars day falls on a Thursday allowing Mike & Neil to bring you some quality space content in the form of Star Wars Battlefront II. No no, not the 2017 one but the classic 2005 Pandemic Studios outing that set the stage for what shooters could be and how to properly to justice to a galactic size franchise. With so many characters, battlefronts, and modes, this is truyl one of the best all encompassing experiences a fan could ever want. Jedigeekgirl of the irebel podcast joins the show to talk about her memories of the game and it's impact. The boys also talk about the series and the ill-fated Battlefront 3 with land to space technology that we've still never truly seen since. 

Hear that? It's the sound of you waiting 3 minutes for AOL to connect. That unmistakable sound of pure noise that you'll never get out of your head. But hey there's more to the early internet that popping in that AOL disc and logging on! Mike and Neil talk about their second patreon elected episode, Early Internet Experiences, chronicling the period of around 1998 to 2006 when the boys were learning about Funkjunk.com, newgrounds, and learning to play Runescape and care for the Neopets. It was a wild, more primal era of the internet as we know it with no Google, YouTube or social media but hey, we had MySpace and Ask Jeeves okay?

There's nothing quite like landing your very first kickflip wearing DC shoes, an Element hoodie, and a Circa cap. Well, you may never actually done this in real life but Tony Hawk's Underground, or THUG (turning 20 this year!), gave you the amazing opportunity to create your own character, customize their look, their deck, and even their tricks, and explore tons of amazing levels while teaming up with ultra famous skate icons like Mr. Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska, and so many more. THUG is a landmark game in the genre that pushed the boundaries of what a sports game should be by letting you get off your board and explore the world around you. Mike & Neil bring on friends of the show Stefan and Harrison to revisit this game that they talked about almost 3 years ago and what the future holds for Tony Hawk Games and that weird monster T.H.U.D.

It's 2003, your friends just invited you to Warped Tour, you go with you walkman that can't seem to play any of your CDs properly anymore. You take out Big Shiny Tunes 6 and put in your newest purchase from MusicWorld, the follow up the whole world has been waiting for: Meteora. Linkin Park came crashing on the scene with Hybrid Theory, an amazing debut album, but there's something to be said about being able to capture and grow the success from your previous album by delivering an equally great follow-up. Mike & Neil discuss their memories of this record, how it seemed like every single person they knew owned it, and how it's only grown in it's mythos over the years (especially those music videos!). They also discuss the 20th Anniversary edition of the record that includes some solid unreleased tracks and what Linkin Park means to them.

Your angel of death awaits! It's been 30 years since Batman: Mask of The Phantasm first premiered, in Theatres no less, and somehow this movie keeps climbing higher and higher on the critics' charts. Often referred to as one of the best superhero adaptations ever made and possibly the best Batman film around, this traditionally animated feature continues the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series. With a focus on a moody score, ambiguous motives, and an amazing neo noir art style, it's a fantastic, albeit short, slice of the best that Batman has to offer. Mike & Neil debate why we haven't seen the Phantasm appear in any media after this and if we'll ever see the caped crusader climb to these heights again. 

VictorChatBotGPT3.4 activated. Welcome to Episode 586 of The Unlocking What Was Cool Podcast. The show about all things retro that we loved from the past. New episode every Thursday on the only podcast service: Mickeycast - a division of ‘Disney Media’. - We are now the 9th best Podcast on the Metaverse hosted by 2 guys who were born pre-2020 pandemic. SURRENDER YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION TO OUR PAGE BOOMBUTT. WE ARE ALMOST AT 50 MILLION BUTTS. THIS WEEK we are talking a look back at a bunch of our favourite things from the 2030s. Its hard to imagine that it is 2040, so we thought it would be fun to highlight some cool things we got this decade. Enjoy the show! VictorChatBotGPT3.4 Terminate Message and the human race...

Since the beginning of time, humans have been unable to choose one format to rule them all. In the world of physical media there have been many challengers along the way. CDs vs. Casettes, VHS vs. Beta, VHS vs. DVDs, DVDs vs. Blu Rays, Blu Rays vs. HD DVDs. The list is endless but we're excited to talk about some of the best format wars the 20th century and early 21st century has had to offer. Join Mike & Neil as they dive in to their first ever episode topic picked by Patreon subscribers! The format wars begun, they have.

Whether you're a true head and picked this up day one, or like Mike, you acquired this in your favourite cereal box, Chris Sawyer's Roller Coaster Tycoon is maybe one of the most perfect games ever made. Beautiful isometric graphics, insane amounts of customization, and with basically no bugs, this is a game that can be played by anyone, anywhere, all the time. Mike & Neil are joined by some friends of the show including Josh from the Still Loading podcast to talk about their memories of this title and of course the most efficient way to drown your guests. Sit back, relax, put on your panda costume, and enjoy the ride.

For today The GameCube Was Cool lives on in the form of our first revisited episode, looking back at one of the greatest launch titles ever, Luigi's Mansion. We first talked about this game all the way back in May 2020 in our second ever episode and it's time to do Mario's brother justice now that we've had three years to hone our craft. We reminisce about that second episode, talk about what's changed since, and bring on two extraordinary guests Kira @toonietwirls and enemy of the pod Ramon to discuss their memories first picking up this survival/horror title with a Nintendo spin. And we're also celebrating 10 years since Dark Moon was released! Enjoy this foray back into us talking about the greatest console of all time.

Thirty years ago Rivers Cuomo wrote the songs along with his fellow bandmates that would become their first self-titled record, later labeled The Blue Album by fans and critics alike because the decided to make about a dozen other coloured self titled albums. Present day Weezer may be a far cry from 90s Weezer and basically have evolved into full meme form at this point but that won't stop Mike & Neil from covering them in their first album retrospective for Unlocking What Was Cool. Hear us talk about Buddy Holly, Say It Ain't So, and how cringe No One Else is today. Whether you take your car or your board to work, we hope you enjoy this episode. And if you're a patreon subscriber head over there to hear the episode with the tracks from the album included!

Ladies and Gentlemen, WE ARE BACK! After a much needed vacation it's time to dive into some non-GameCube related media, starting with Kirby's best outing on the Wii (which evidently was supposed to be a GameCube game). Going with the "returning" themes of the episode, this game felt right to be our first to cover with the new format, as well as the deluxe edition being released on switch this week! We also bring back friend of the show and Kirby enthusiast Jake to talk about his memories playing this game in college and why multiplayer is where this game shines the most. Thanks for tuning in and welcome to Unlocking What Was Cool!

So it's come to this. The final episode. The GameCube is officially cool after hearing Neil read all 555 back of the cases and we couldn't be happier to send this era of the podcast off with a bang with...Madden 08? Yup, the last official release on the cube came in August of 2007 with this NFL title. But this episode is so much more than just a football game, it's about our two and a half years of podcasting, looking back on all our memories, some fun stats, and some really interesting stuff we've learned about the GameCube along the way. We'll be back in March with new content (yes even some GameCube content) but until then, enjoy the final episode of The GameCube Was Cool and thank you so much for all the support. This is our absolute favourite thing in the world to do and we couldn't have done it without you.

As the GameCube library dwindles 2006 and 2007 gave us many, many movie tie-ins. Happy Feet, The Ant Bully, Open Season, Barnyard, Surf's Up, Flushed Away, and Meet The Robinsons are the games Neil and Mike have the pleasure (or sometimes displeasure) of talking about on this penultimate episode. The story here is that most of these games are okay, but in reality, they probably never needed to be made in the first place. Alas this was the golden era of the movie tie-in and literally everything needed a game. There are some fun inclusions here like Surf's Up being a pretty fun and rare surfing sim on the GameCube, Barnyard turning out to be a pretty cool pseudo Open World game, and Meet the Robinsons being a Jimmy Neutron clone. All this and more on the second last episode of The GameCube Was Cool!

It's time for the final AAA release on the Nintendo GameCube. Twilight Princess, the original dual console release for the Zelda franchise, always seems to be the dark horse (or dark wolf) of the series. Through a bundled release with the Wii where the screen got flipped to make Link right handed, to the Wii U remastered version, Twilight Princess seems to always fly under the radar. Neil and Mike discuss why this installment may be one of the greatest games ever made, with an incredible story, great characters, and subtle innovation on gameplay. Joining the boys are friends of the show Cam (@Cpawx), Kira (@toonietwirls) and Tristian (@tristanpantarotto). Bring your master sword and join us for the final Zelda episode of the show!

As the end nears for the GameCube's library Mike and Neil look back on 7 movie tie-in games for the cube. Including the stand out Over The Hedge which has some amazing golf cart vehicular combat that friend of the show Anneka comes on to talk about. Chronicles of Narnia, Robots, Ice Age 2, Madagascar, and Chicken Little round out the list of the many, many late GameCube games which also happened to be movie tie-ins. For the most part they're fun titles who's movies really didn't have enough game-y elements for a video game to be made of them, but hey, this was the mid 2000s where literally everything had to have a game (yes, even the Bee movie!). 

And of course you can check out some GameCube Was Cool Podcast merch here at  https://www.teepublic.com/stores/neil-gilbert?ref_id=26916