Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Andre's wheeling and dealings over at: Twitter @thatcanadaguy Instagram @thatcanadadude http://www.youtube.com/@andreandmelballwrestlingtalk www.sundaynightsmainevent.com http://www.youtube.com/@OURLOCALESTABLISHMENT http://www.twitch.tv/ourlocalestablishment Over 6 years of this podcast, I've discovered some GREAT Genesis games. But this week, we're actually covering of the rare Sega games I played as a kid. The sexy as hell shooter known as Vectorman. There were a few games on the Sega side of the console wars back in the 90's that genuinely made me jealous as a Super Nintendo kid, and Vectorman was one of them. I absolutely adored the way it looked (still do), and it was a surprisingly competent platformer/shooter as well. You play as a bot made out of orbs, and you spend the game running, gunning, an transforming as you take on other robots made of orbs. And you blow up a lot of TVs, too. It's a fairly difficult game, but one that gets pretty beatable with a little practice. I think it's a must-play game in the Genesis library. My guest this week was the guy that suffered my wrath on the Ecco the Dolphin episode, my pal Andre. We got into how good Vectorman looks, how decently it plays, he frustratingly tough it can be, and of course, we made a bunch of balls jokes. And before we talk balls, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro! This week, someone asks if I could buy one gaming studio, who would it be? What's on my Mt. Rushmore of video game collection items? And what gaming mechanic has become wayyyy too over played? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Genesis platformers: Quackshot, Rocket Knight Adventures, and Dynamite Headdy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame The Mario & Luigi games are known for their charm, fun combat systems and semi-platforming/puzzle solving. I haven't played a game from this series in well over a decade, but I went back for Partners in Time, and y'know what? It was delightful! (Except for the boss fight at the end. Fuck.) If you haven't played this one, Mario & Luigi end up going back in time to save Princess Peach, and they run into younger versions of themselves. It not only makes Baby Mario & Luigi less annoying, it actually turns out they're pretty dope in the right situation. Add in Bowser and Baby Bowser teaming up, weird alien mushrooms, and a bean store that I couldn't FUCKING FIND, and you have yourself a pretty good little RPG. My guest Keegs has played all the Mario & Luigi games, and he quite likes this one (and the series as a whole). I don't know why I took so much time off from these games, but I won't wait another 15 years to play one after finishing Partners in Time. We had a couple minor gripes, but by and large it's a pretty solid game and we had a good time jibba jabbering about it. And before we go back in time, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro! This week, someone asks wheat I think the worst named consoles of all time are. How do I hook up all my retro consoles? And what's my stance on the crumb bums ruining online game communities with their underhanded smurfing tactics? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the highest rated DS games on Metacritic: GTA Chinatown Wars, Pokemon White/Black, and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can find Andrew's Twitch hiking over at: https://www.twitch.tv/bucklox27 Little Nemo: The Dream Master is unquestionably the single most requested game in RTG history, albeit by 2 people. It's a charming little NES platformer where you feed animals candy until they pass out, and then you wear their skin. Seriously. If it sounds kinda messed up, well, it is. But it's also a really fun, kinda tough NES game, and it's made by Capcom, so it has to be decent at worst. I remember seeing it in magazines as a kid, and renting it a couple times. I used to think it was too hard, but playing it now I find it most beatable (that final level is pretty rough). Getting to play as the various animals is cool, and hey, who doesn't love poisonous candy? My guest this week is the man that has been on me to cover this game for 5+ years, long-time hot dog, Awright/Andrew. I asked him why he loves this game so much, and we ranked the various animal costumes, went through all the levels, and made fun of how fucked up the premise of the game is. This was a good time. And before we feed animals candy, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro! This week, someone asks me for Steam Deck recommendations. What's a good game for someone to try tactical RPGs with? And how often do people make bad puns with my last name?? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 lesser-known Capcom NES games: Strider, Code Name: Viper, and Bionic Commando. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind...including that song, that's almost 100% stuck in your head now. We're kicking the year off by talking PaRappa the Rapper! I always wanted to play this one back in the day, but it was always rented when I'd go to Blockbuster. I finally gave it a chance over the holidays, and while I'm 100% convinced it was written and designed by people on drugs, it didn't take away from the fact that it's charming, hilarious, and pretty damned fun. The guy that started this stupid show with me back in 2018, my buddy Chris, gave me a call to rap (see what I did there?) about PaRappa. He even spit some funky lyrics himself, and we had a great time talking about one of the original PlayStation's flagship titles. And before we crack crack crack the egg into the bowl, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks if we'll ever do another guest hosted episode like the Majora's Mask show from last year. How do I decide which games I'm gonna play for the podcast out of the hundreds (literally) of suggestions I get from everyone? And what's the deal with "purple monkey dishwasher"? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 old school rhythm games: Um Jammer Lammy, Bust-A-Groove, and Space Channel 5.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Happy holidays, hot dogs! We were gonna take the week off, but I wanted do something special for y'all as a thank you for making 2022 such a great year for the show. So I decided to play a game that people have been calling one of the GOATs for years - Valve's Portal.  And yeah, this is one of the GOATs. I get it. I'm not sure how it did it, but it not only lived up to the hype; it exceeded it.  My companion cube, Mark McCue, joined me on the show this week for a very positive, happy, cake filled (?) episode of Remember The Game? to wrap up 2023. Ypu've been asking for a Portal episode, and after playing it, I'm all too happy to oblige. And before we chase some cake, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks if PlayStation will come up with their own Call of Duty, should the Activision sale go through. Would I ever consider taking this podcast to one of the big gaming sites/networks? And what the hell is Boxing Day?? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of Valve's best: Counter-Strike, Half-Life, and Left 4 Dead. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! I remember when Castle Crashers first released on the Xbox 360 back in the day. I really wanted to play it, but none of my buddies were into a game like this, and I assumed playing it alone would suck. All these years later, I've finally spent a few weeks with it, and it's frigging awesome. Playing alone isn't that bad, and I finally have people to play it with, too! It slots in to a pretty high spot on my favourite beat 'em up games of all-time, and I'm pretty jacked to finally be giving it a turn in the RTG spotlight. Long time hot dog, Holms, sponsored this episode, so he swung by the show to explain why he likes Castle Crashers so much, and to talk about what it was like carrying me through. couple games.  And then my good buddy Tyler makes his return to the show to get into the countless hours he spent crashing castles back in the day while also schooling me on the history of Newgrounds (I'm such a boomer...). This game kicks ass, and I hope this episode of the show does it justice! And before we crash castles, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks if there are any games I regret playing for the podcast. Do I have any old gaming habits that I haven't been able to shake? And I answer the trillion dollar question: sandwiches or burritos?? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 OG Xbox Arcade games: Trials HD, Shadow Complex, and Braid. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can find Tyler's work over at: YouTube.com/s762official Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Ape Escape is one of those games I've been hearing about since before I started this show. It shows up on every "Best PlayStation Games" list out there, and a lot of people seem to have a really soft spot for it from back in the day. I never played it when it released, and I was chapped when it didn't make the cut on the PlayStation Classic because I've always wanted to see what all the hype is about.  Well, now I have. And while yeah, it is kind of a giant tech demo for the DualShock analog sticks, it's also just a really charming little game. You travel from location to location hunting down apes (that are fucking hilarious) and every once and a while you race this kid through weird futuristic obstacle courses, and really isn't that al we want in our games? My buddy Keegs is one of those "grew up loving this game" kids, and he gave me a call to talk about Spikde, Spector, shitty Jake, and our adventures hunting escaped apes. We're finally talking Ape Escape, and RTG is better because of it. And before we catch apes, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about feeling out of touch with the younger gamers today. Someone asks my opinion on letting their kids play violent games. And I'm a huge fan of The Simpsons, but how does that translate into my comedy? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the highest scoring PlayStation games on Metacritic: PaRappa The Rappa, Wipeout XL, and Syphon Filter. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! One of the coolest things about hosting this podcast over the past 200+ episodes is discovering "new" retro games that I missed out on back in the day. And Alundra is a prime example of that. It's an action RPG from the original PlayStation (incredibly influenced by The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past) and after spending about 40 hours of my life with it, I can safely say this was a diamond in the rough that I skipped over.  If you've never played it before, you play as, well, Alundra. You're on a ship that crashes on a beach and you tackle dungeons to track down 7 crests to save the world with your sword and magical items and...look, I know it sounds a lot like Zelda, and it is. But give it a chance. There's a focus on puzzles, a better story than just about anything Link has ever done, it looks gorgeous, and you can freaking JUMP! Long-time hot dog and Alundra fan Timmy The Exuberant Turtle sponsored this episode, and he swung by to tell me why he likes this game so much (along with sharing the phenomenal origin of his online handle), and then I hogged the mic for a while and explained what I liked, loved, and hated about the superb PSOne classic, Alundra.  And before we invade some dreams, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we get into dealing with that problem every gamer has where you're excited to play games, but can't decide what to play! Someone asks for my opinion on the Switch vs the Switch Lite (and I stumble through it), and what game(s) do I turn to when I'm feeling blue? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 "lesser known" PlayStation RPGs: Dragon Valor, Star Ocean, and Brave Fencer Musashi. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And check out Timmy The Exuberant Turtle on YouTube at: youtube.com/@selbrooks7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! This episode was tricky, because there was no way in hell we weren't gonna hit Earthbound up for a re-visited episode at some point, but I feel like I talk about this game all the time. What's left to say?? You know I love it. I know most of you love it. I could've just spent another hour talking about loving it. And we did, for a big portion of the episode. But we also pulled back the curtain a little bit and talked about a few of the minor, nit-picky faults that Earthbound has. Because as much as I adore it, it isn't quuuuite perfect. My younger brother Josh returns to the show this week, and we went back and forth on one of the most treasured games of our childhoods, on one of the most treasured consoles in history. Earthbound may be mainstream now, but Josh and I loved it back when everyone thought it stunk. Literally.  And before we eat Hamburgers and SMAAASSSHHHh, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, a listener asks if I'll ever do another interview style episode of the show. We get into the Michael Bay TMNT movies, and why us fans need to stick together. And doI have any advice for a new Slay The Sire player??? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 "lesser known" SNES RPGs: Breath of Fire II, Lufia, and Illusion of Gaia. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! I've never hidden the fact that I missed out on most of the big PlayStation 2 games back in the day, and every freaking time I try one, I grow a little fonder of that little black box. But of all the beauties I've fired up on the PS2 over the past couple years, Sly Cooper might just my favourite. People have been on me to play this game for years, and now that I'm done, I can't freaking wait to sink my teeth into the rest of the trilogy. It still looks great, plays perfect, and to be honest, I've thought long and hard about slapping a rare perfect score on this one. Will Sly join the incredibly exclusive 10/10 club? Give us a listen and find out. My buddy Darren is the biggest Sly Cooper fan I know, and we spent almost an hour talking about how phenomenal this game is, and how badly we wish Sucker Punch would revive the series. And before we steal books, I slap together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the miss that Pokemon Violet & Scarlet appears to be, and speculate about what the hell happened. Are "service" games like GTA Online and Destiny handcuffing developers? And why exactly do I hate the Sega Saturn?? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the PlayStation 2's best: Metal Gear Solid 3, Silent Hill 2, and Kingdom Hearts. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check Darren's streams out over at: Twitch.tv/adjectiveandnoun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! It's the busiest time of the year for my comedian alter ego, so I thought I'd give myself a break and commit to watching a 2 hour movie, instead of playing through a twenty hour video game this month. We tossed a bunch of old video game flicks on the Patreon Poll, and 1995's Mortal Kombat came out on top.  I've heard so much about this movie, and I remember the soundtrack being huge back when I was a kid, but I don't think I ever watched it. So a couple weeks ago, I finally subjected myself to the original MK flick, and I have a lot to say about it. You want to know if I liked it? Loved it? Hated it? You're gonna have to listen to the episode! My buddy and fighting game fanatic Mike The Ref is my guest this week, and we had a long chat about whether or not this movie is good, and I blew smoke of Johnny Cage's ass, because he's the man, of course.  And before we dig into this bad boy, I piece together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, a listener writes in praising game devs that include extra accessibility options in their games. What would I change about Yoshi? And have my gaming tastes changed as I've gotten older?? Plus we have a rare round of 'WATCH One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 90's gaming flicks: Double Dragon, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.  And as Mike mentioned, he'll be streaming for 12 straight hours to raise money for Jack.org the day this episode goes live! You can find all his info at https://linktr.ee/miketheref Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! In hindsight, it probably would have made more sense to talk about a sequel, or some game that ends in '2', considering this is episode 222, but we don't do the whole "logic" thing around here. So instead, we're talking about a game that many people don't consider all that good, but that I've had a soft spot in my heart for ever since I was a kid - Bubsy!! It looks great, sounds good, and plays...not that well, but I don't care. I've wanted to give Bubsy his moment in the spotlight since I started this podcast, and that day has come. My buddy Keegs is my guest this week, and we're talking air gliding, yarn balls, constant deaths, and stupid shirts. "What could possibly go wrong!?!?" And before we dig into this bad boy, I piece together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, a concerned listener writes in about the future of physical games. Was the Virtual Boy where VR gaming started? And do I ever get nervous about playing really hyped up games for the first time? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 crappy animal mascots: Gex: Enter the Gecko, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos, and Aero the Acro-Bat.  Don't forget, both Keegs and I are taking part in Extra-Life this weekend, to raise money for the Stollery Children's Hospital here in Edmonton.  I'll be streaming on Twitch for 24 straight hours, Nov 12 - 13, 8am - 8am (Mountain). Find all the info at RememberTheGamePodcast.com And Keegs and his friends will be running TWO 12 hour days of games this weekend. You can find more info and donate to his campaign by visiting https://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&participantID=488766  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/rtg Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! We're running a little behind on our Patreon Poll winner episodes right now, but I'm working on it! In August, Star Wars Episode I: Racer came out on top of the poll, and 2 months later, I've bought it, played it, and suckered one of my friends into talking to me about it. This was a tricky episode for me, because it's a game I never played growing up that a ton of you are nostalgic for, based on a franchise I don't really know that well, in a genre I could live without, on a system I don't like very much. I was worried this would be another Sonic Adventure 2, but it wasn't. The deck was stacked against this bad boy, but it's too damned fun for me to hate (even if I suck asssss at it). Former RTG Hall of Fame Mark McCue is back this week for another tantalizing chat about an old video game, and we got into the Light Side, and the Dark Side, of the beloved Star Wars Episode I: Racer.  And before we crash over and over again, I piece together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about what happens to the games that come up short on Patreon Polls. What single player games would we like to see made into co-op titles? And is Nintendo's Switch Online Expansion Pack worth the extra money if you're just interested in a few N64 games? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 retro Star Wats titles: Rogue Squadron, Super Star Wars, and Shadows of the Empire.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Game Patch is our weekly gaming news podcast over on Patreon, where I look at the biggest news in the worlds of PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and gaming in general. This week I thought I'd give everyone a free episode to help you get through your Monday. New episodes go live every Friday for all our Patreons, and they're 100% ad-free. Hope y'all enjoy the gaming news, and have a great week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's the episode before Halloween, so of course we have to cover one more "scary" game. And I can't think of a better option than one of the OG scary games, and honestly, just one of the best games on the NES altogether: Castlevania.  This bad boy has been near the top of the "most requested" list for years now, but the issue was that I just didn't play a ton of it growing up. I used to rent it sometimes, but the Medusa heads and stairs gave me nightmares and I never went back. So I spent 3 days just binging the game in preparation of this podcast, and we actually recorded it minutes after I beat the game on stream (and I was still pretty riled up).  My boy Mark McCue is my guest this week (he spent a large chink of this past week playing Castlevania to get ready for this episode as well), and we had a great time talking about stupid stairs, evil Medusa heads, a certain fight against a certain dead guy, and most importantly, about why Castlevania is an all-time classic. And before we fall through some stairs, I scrape together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the impact Goldeneye 007 will have on Nintendo's Switch Online subscriber count. Is the Xbox Series S becoming an issue? And can Pokemon only say their names, or are they named after the only word they can say?? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Konami NES classics: Base Wars, Metal Gear, and Top Gun.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I can't definitively say what game we get the most requests to cover on the show, but I know Grand Theft Auto IV is near the top of the list. And after spending a massive chunk of the past couple weeks playing it, it's time to go bowling (if you know, you know).  I've never been the biggest fan of the GTA series. I think they're fun to fuck around in, but the only one I played around the time of it's release was Vice City, which I didn't love. I finally played San Andreas a couple years ago and adored it, and I've been jonesing to play IV and V ever since.  Longtime supporter of the show, Mr. Doug Dorn, sponsored this episode, finally giving me the kick in the ass I needed to get around to playing GTA IV, and I'm so damned glad he did. This game is now easily my favourite Grand Theft Auto (until I play V, apparently), and it was great chatting with Doug and finding out why this game means so much to him. And after that, my buddy (and the Roman to my Niko) Andre, comes by the show and we get into the seedy underbelly of Liberty City, and talk about what makes this game so damned good. And before we go bowling, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about old gaming cartoon like Captain N and The Super Mario Bros. Super Show. Why the hell does Super Mario World end at 96 exits and not 100?? And what's the deal with the constant short stock on Nintendo's N64 Switch controller?? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 grand Grand Theft Autos: Vice City, San Andreas, and Liberty City Stories.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame You can check out The Good Enough Gamer on Youtube at: youtube.com/channel/UCTXCVSGZJUYWoeF-6pncmWw And you can find Andre's new wrestling show at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeZh7hUW1xH20M9EttBfgng/videoshttps://www.facebook.com/AndreAndMelballhttps://www.twitch.tv/andreandmelball Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's October, so you know we have to cliche it up and roll out at least one episode about a scary game. And for my money, scary games don't get much better than Dead Space. This bad boy is hella fun to play, and it's scary as fuck, too! Resident Evil 4 was my first real experience with a "horror" game, and I loved it. When I saw Dead Space, I thought "that looks like a better Resident Evil 4". And I don't think it's a hot take to put these games in the same S Tier of survival horror. Two of the best to ever do it.  My buddy Patrick returns to the show this week, and we spent an hour talking about why the game mechanics, controls, sound, atmosphere, and practically everything else about Dead Space is almost perfect. If you haven't played it yet, hopefully we can convince you to grab your plasma cutter (and a change of pants) and give it a shot! And before we enter zero gravity, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the spring system I use here on RTG. Someone asks my gaming experience is different when I play a game for the podcast vs just playing it for fun. And do you ever feel guilty about playing video games?? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 more survival horror heavies: F.E.A.R. 2, Fatal Frame, and Condemned: Criminal Origins.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Patrick's handywork at: https://linktr.ee/burgerfinger Or on Instagram: @burgerfinger @discount.lion.safari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I know some of you want more PC love on the podcast. The problem is, I haven't played anything PC. I think we've literally covered every PC game I've played in my life on the show already. So if I play something new, bet your ass it's gonna get an episode of RTG. And our Patreons decided I should play Half Life last month, so here we are. I didn't love playing with mouse & keyboard (in fact, I fucking hated it), but I sure liked this game. Even 20+ years later its release, I can see what a monumental, influential game this is. I really feel like it's one of those games every gamer should experience, and I'm glad I finally have. (The last 25% of the game sucks, though.) My buddy Tyler is back this week, and we spent over an hour talking about Valve's game debut, and one of the most important first-person shooters ever made. Half Life is pretty dope, and it was worth going against my anti-PC heritage to experience. And before we swing crowbars, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about cloud gaming, and what role it could play in gaming in the future. Someone asks me to break down the new PS Plus tiers. And what does a game have to do to get me to buy it on multiple platforms? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the greatest retro PC shooters ever: Duke Nukem 3D, DOOM, and Wolfenstein 3D. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Tyler's short film, 'Quiet Enable', at: YouTube.com/s762official Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working my way through the Sega Genesis library has been one of the coolest things about hosting this podcast. There's so many games on the other side of the console war trenches that I've always wanted to get my hands on, and most of the titles I've gotten to haven't disappointed.  TMNT: Hyperstone Heist is the latest game I've crossed off my list, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I didn't disappoint me, but it didn't blow my socks off, either. I feel like it's too good of a game to simply call it a lesser Turtles in Time...but...it's kind of a lesser Turtles in Time...  I found this to be a tough game to review, because we've covered Turtles in Time (twice), and most of the best features of Hyperstone Heist are the same features from Turtles in Time. But I got my buddy Mark McCue on the phone, we to a 16-bit beat 'em up about one of the best franchises in the history of the universe, and we did our best not to shortchange Hyperstone Heist on this episode. Because it really is a pretty solid game.  And before we talk turtles, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the prospects of more RPG episodes of the podcast in the future. What video game character do you want to punch in the teeth the most? And does anyone actually enjoy blowing in NES cartridges? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Genesis beat 'em ups: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie, Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage, and X-Men 2: The Clone Wars. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every couple months, we dedicate an episode of the show to "revisiting" a game we covered back in the early days of the podcast, when we had even less of an idea of what we were doing than we do now. And this week, we're taking another look at one of my absolute favourite games of all-time, and for my money, the best Mega Man game ever created - Mega Man X.  I think this game is a stone's throw from being perfect. It looks great, plays well, and the soundtrack is one of the best in all of retro gaming. I suppose you could argue it's a littttttle easy (for a Mega Man game), and there's a particular jump that just chaps my ass, but other than that, I have a really hard criticizing X's debut title. It's just a damned good video game. The one and only Bradley McCue gave me a call this week, and we went through what makes X so rad, and even got into a little strategy talk (which is a rare thing here on RTG, as I normally suck at the games we're talking about). I could talk about this game every week. I hope y'all enjoy it! And before we talk X, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the modern games that'll be considered "classics" someday. What's the optimal number of party members for an RPG? And what do you do to combat gamer burnout? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Mega Man games: Mega Man X: Command Mission, Mega Man Legends, and Mega Man: Battle Network. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I consider myself fairly well traveled when it comes to the NES. I've played MOST of the big titles in some capacity, and I know most of the origin stories when it comes to Nintendo's mainstream franchises. But one that's always eluded me was Metroid. So while I was on holidays in July, I decided to break out my Switch and see where Samus came from. And while I'm glad I've experienced her first game, I can confidently say that I never want to play it again, haha.  This game is innovative, creative, easy to look at, and pretty damned fun. But it's also hard. NES hard. And if you know NES hard, you know that I resisted the urge to throw my Switch in the ocean on a few occasions. I had to look up a map, and I'm not even ashamed of it. My buddy Daniel is the biggest Metroid fan I know, but he missed this one back in the day, too. So we both just finished our first run through Metroid on the NES, and we got together to talk about the years it took off both of our lives. Holy fuck, why does it have to be so hard???? And before we talk Samus, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talked about how I pick my guests for the show. If I could go drinking with one gaming character, who would it be? And why the hell is RTG not on TikTok?? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 "NES Tough" games: Blaster Master, Fester's Quest, and Battletoads. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't think I've ever ragequit/returned/ragequit/returned a video game as many times as I did Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee. This game is clever, very easy on the eyes, creative as fuck, and TOUGH AS NAILS. The controls are weird, the checkpoints suck, and your margin for error is practically non-existent. I spent the entire playthrough getting angry. But when I finally finished the game, I wanted to go back and play it again. This game is so fucked. One of our listeners by the online handle of 'Blaine the Hoagie Man' sponsored this episode, tolerated my repeated ragequitting, and managed to convince me that Oddworld belongs up there with Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy VII, and Resident Evil as one of the defining games in the original PlayStation's library. He swung by the show this week to explain why he thought I'd enjoy this game, and why it didn't break him back in the 90's.  And after I chat with Blaine, I give my buddy Tyler a call to break down the good, the bad, and the odd that makes up Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee.  And before we talk farts and stuff, I toss together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talked about whether or not mobile gaming is a threat to handhelds like the Nintendo Switch and the Steam Deck. How do I determine the value of a game when I think about buying it? And what's the best retro compilation available on modern consoles these days? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 games that contain farts (yes, seriously): Conker's Bad Fur Day, Fable, and Boogeyman. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Tyler's short film, 'Quiet Enable', at: YouTube.com/s762official Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It took 212 episodes, but we're finally talking Silent Hill. Silent Hill 3, to be exact. People have been asking for us to show this franchise some love since the early days of RTG, and the only reason it took this long is because, well, I'm a bitch when it comes to scary stuff.  But one of our listeners by the name of Ryan finally kicked me in the ass and told me to suck it up by sponsoring an episode of the show about how favourite game in the series, Silent Hill 3. So I played it. I sent hours getting freaked out by the sound of static while trying to open locked doors, and now that I've finally rolled the credits on a Silent Hill game, I get why y'all pushed for this so much. This is a pretty damned good video game. Ryan pops by the show to explain why Silent Hill 3 was his poison, and then my buddy Patrick makes his return to the show to help me break down the good, the bad, and the gruesome of the third entry in the Silent Hill series.  (And no, I haven't played Silent Hill 2 yet. But I will.) And before we silence hills, I roll out another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks if I regret selling my video game collection? When do we think the next Nintendo console will drop? And why do I refuse to use walkthroughs for my games?? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 niche horror classics: Clock Tower, System Shock 2, and ManHunt. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Patrick's handywork at: https://linktr.ee/burgerfinger Or on Instagram:@burgerfinger@discount.lion.safari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wave Race 64 was added to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack library last week, and I figured it'll probably never be this topical again, so let's strike while the iron's wet. I've been looking for an excuse to cover this one on the podcast anyway. I remember playing it back when I got my 64 and thinking the water physics were incredible, and the game itself was really fun.  I've been playing it over the past couple days to get ready for the show, and even after all these years, those statements hold true. The water is STILL incredible, and the game is STILL really fun! I was actually surprised by just how well this mofo has aged, to tell you the truth. My younger brother, Josh, is my guest again this week, and it was a real trip going back to 1996 and talking about a game we used to play together as kids (and as much as I hate to admit it, a game he used to be able to kick my ass at). Wave Race 64 hold up, and hopefully this week's podcast convinces you to give it a spin. And before we race on waves, I CRUSH another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks how I deal with haters and negative listeners online. How does Yoshi's Island stack up against Super Mario World? And do I think I'll ever stop buying new consoles and games? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 N64 racers: Excitebike 64, Star Wars Episode I: Racer, and Ridge Racer 64 Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 250 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame A milestone episode calls for a milestone game, and for my stone's money there's no game as big as The Last of Us. Without any exaggeration, I can safely say this is one of my 3 favourite games of all-time. The story is unlike anything I've ever played before. Frankly, it's better than practically every show or movie I've ever watched, too. And then add in incredible acting, awesome gameplay, and one of the most endearing characters in the history of media, and you've got yourself something special. And that ending?? Forget about it! My guest this week is an institution here at RTG Industries, my bosom chum, Mark McCue. We spent an hour and a half praising the hell out of this game, going over the story and characters, and I think we did a damned OK job of explaining why The Last of Us is just so freaking special. And before we look for the Fireflies, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro! This week, someone asks me what retro gaming podcasts I listen to. How do I deal with haters online? And why the HELL am I not playing Metal Gear Solid Delta?? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the highest rated PS3 games on Metacritic: Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, and Infamous 2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I think most of our listeners know I'm a Mario fan-boy. We've covered most of his games from the old days, with Super Mario All-Stars  being a rare exception. I know this is a phenomenal collection of games, and you probably know it, too. But we've already covered all the included games in greater detail on their own episodes of the podcast. I wasn't sold there was enough meat on the bone to justify talking about them all again.  But then I started replaying it, and remembered just how incredible this collection is. Better graphics, better music, save files, a never before released (in North America) Mario game. Super Mario All-Stars is phenomenal, and dammit, it's time to give it its due on RTG. David Rae makes his triumphant return to the show this week. He was my guest for the Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros 2, and Super Mario Bros episodes, and we talked about what made this collection special, what other NES games would have benefitted from the All-Stars treatment, and whether or not these games are the greatest remasters of all-time... And before we star is all the way up, I stumble through another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I answer a bunch of "will this game ever get an episode of the podcast?' questions. Why do I hate Assassin's Creed? (I don't.) And what games have let me down and surprised me the most over the years? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 SNES platforming greats: Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario World, and SMW2: Yoshi's Island.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can find David and his podcast 'Quantum Kickflip' at:www.quantumkickflip.comTwitter: @quantumkickflipInstagram: @quantumkickflip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Splinter Cell is a tough episode for me. I was once a secret agent that snuck into Government agencies to steal briefcases full of data sticks, and it isn't something I like to talk about. Also, it's a really impressive game, but it's a stealth game, and as an impatient dipshit, I fucking hate stealth games.  So this is one of those episodes where I'm trying to walk the line and explain why I don't really like it, but why there's not really a lot wrong with it, either. It's not perfect, but it's revolutionary as hell. And honestly, I think it has a better game engine than it's stealthy opposition, Metal Gear.  My buddy, Bradley McCue, returns to the show this week. He's a big Metal Gear fan, I don't particularly like stealth games, and I thought we'd be the perfect duo to review a stealth game that isn't Metal Gear. And before we anger all you Splinter Cell junkies, I sneak in (see what I did there?) another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we get into our most satisfying gaming moments. A listener asks me what I would have done differently if I could go back in time and call the shots at Sega. And will physical copies of modern video games be sought after like NES cartridges are in thirty years? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 Xbox badasees: Hitman 2, Max Payne, and Thief: Deadly Shadows.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Bradley's Instagram at: @thegamingodyssey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I feel like every time I try a PlayStation 2 game I missed out on back in the day, I talk about how much I regret sleeping on that damned console. That theme continues this week, because we're talking about June's Patreon Poll winner: Ratchet & Clank. And this game charmed the hell out of me. The PS2 really was a beast. I've played the modern 2 R&C games on the PS4 & PS5, but this was my first time checking out the origins of the franchise. The controllers and camera and stuff are a little wonky by today's standards, but the game is still fire. The voice acting, graphics, weapons, characters, gameplay; all great. I get why people that started with this game stuck with the franchise over the last couple decades now. I'm a fan.  Especially when it comes to Clank. Love that little bastard! My buddy Darren, who happens to be a Ratchet & Clank super-fan, returns to the show this week, and we spent a solid hour talking about what makes this game, and series, so damned charming. And before we talk about clanking ratchets, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about female gamers, and whether or not I know many of them. Someone throws a BRUTAL play one/remake one/erase one at me. And which major console has the proper button layout on their controller? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 of the highest rated games of 2002: GTA: Vice City, Metroid Prime, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Darren's Twitch streams over at: Twitch.tv/AdjectiveandNoun Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pokemon episodes make me nervous. I love the passion, but you pokemaniacs are hardcore, and sometimes my limited pocket monster knowledge ends up getting me a little heat, because I just don't know that franchise well enough. And Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal is easily the generation of Pokemon games we've had the most requests for. So the pressure is on.  I put over 45 hours into my first ever play-through of Pokemon Gold just to prepare for this episode, and while I don't know everything about these games, I know why so many people consider Gen II to be top tier in the world of Pokemon. So does my buddy Miklos. He's a diehard Pokemon junkie, and he joined me on the show this week to talk about what makes Gen II so special.  AND this episode was sponsored by longtime community member, Deendonian, who swung by to talk about what these games mean to him, and we get into his hobby of speed running them, as well!  You can check his Pokemon streams out at twitch.tv/deendonian And before we talk about trapping animals in little balls, we serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about whether or not indie games can overtake AAA games for top spot on the gaming food chain. Which games are better story tellers; retro titles, or modern games? And who's my favourite Ninja Turtles villain? Plus we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 complete console libraries: The Game Boy Color, The Game Boy Advance, and The Nintendo DS. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been away on holidays, and to kill two birds with one stone, I've handed the keys to the S.S. RTG to someone else for the first time in our 4+ year history. FORMER RTG Hall of Fame Mark McCue and his bro Bradley are covering me this week, and talking about a game that I've had so many requests for I hear them in my sleep - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.  I hate this God damned game, I refuse to talk about it, and so the guys are covering me while I'm away AND crossing a game off my backlog at the same time. For all of you that have ben asking a Mask episode for years, this is it. This is the one. I hope you like it because that damned game is never getting another chance to be on my show.  And before the guys get into some weirdo named Majora and their freaky mask, the serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I don't remember what they talk about because we recorded this episode over a month ago. BUT, the blow in some cartridges. And we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 N64 heavyweights: xi, Super Mario 64, and Banjo-Kazooie. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And don't forget to check out Mark McCue's debut comedy album, Son of a Drama Teacher, on BandCamp! Thanks again for the cover, boys! You're both banned from the Hall, though. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm away on holidays this week, so I thought I'd give everyone a free bump and release a previously Patreon exclusive episode of Expansion Pass. This time, it's Expansion Pass #26 - Gamer Confessions. One of the most popular episodes of XP we've ever done. Listeners confess their darkest gaming secrets, and I judge them accordingly.  This originally went live in September of 2020, and it was such a hit, we published a second edition last September. And Gamer Confessions III will show up this Fall.  I hope you enjoy the extra episode, and if you do, consider supporting us on Patreon for $2/month. You'll get instant access to over 200 bonus podcasts, and get 2 additional episodes every week! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of 'Remember The Game?' is sponsored by Ekster wallets. You know exactly which wallets I'm talking about - those rad ones with the push button where your cards pop out of the top. It looks like something James Bond would carry. I have one, and I absolutely LOVE it.  Plus, it has a tracker in it, so I can't lose it like I have so many others over the years.  The hot dogs can save up to 20% on their purchase by using the promo code 'RTG' at shop.ekster.com/RTG Check them out at https://www.instagram.com/eksterwallets/ https://www.facebook.com/eksterwallets  https://twitter.com/eksterwallets https://www.tiktok.com/@eksterwallets  What can we say about WWF No Mercy that hasn't already been said a million times? The best wrestling game from the best wrestling era ever. As good as it gets for multi-player on the Nintendo 64. Tight controls, awesome gameplay, fantastic modes. This game is everything a pro wrestling video game should be.  In fact, it's so good, we're doing a second episode about it. I knew we were going to continue our 'revisited' series after episode 200, and I also knew that WWF No Mercy was gonna be the next one we were going back to. I love this game so much, I could probably do a weekly show about it.  My buddy Marc Majeau (who also co-hosts the outstanding MCTV podcast) makes his RTG debut this week, and we spent over an hour just marking out about ladder matches, the 3D, hitting opponents with a ring bell, and Scotty 2 Hotty's infamous worm (if you know, you know).  And before we show little mercy, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the dude that bought $40,000 worth of Nintendo stock just to ask where the hell F-Zero is. What kind of screen do I play my retro games on? And was JBL a good WWE Champion? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 wrestling classics: WWF Attitude, WWF SmackDown, and WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And if you're interested in checking out Marc's podcast, MCTV, you can find it here: Twitter: @MCTVPodcastInstagram: @MCTVPodcasthttps://linktr.ee/MCTVPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't know how to describe Snake Rattle N Roll. A cult classic? A hidden gem? I think people that grew up with it, love it. And if you didn't play it as a kid, you probably won't like it now. But for my money, it's one of the best, most creative games on the NES. And it's about damned time it got its own episode of RTG. If you've never played it, you control a snake and you have to climb a mountain and eat pieces of yourself without getting stepped on or blown up, and the whole game is in an isometric view and features some of the toughest platforming on the NES. And if that didn't convince you? You also get to fight toilet seats. C'mon now. My brother Josh and I used to play this all the time as kids, so this felt like the perfect episode for him to make his RTG debut. We talk about how stupidly difficult Snake Rattle N Roll was, why we loved it anyway, he tells me about the final boss (as I've never got there before), and yes, we tell a couple stories about fighting as kids. And before we Rattle and Roll, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about Mario sports games, and whether or not the magic is gone. What's the best time of day to do your gaming? And will Breath of Fire ever get some love around these parts? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 Rare developed NES gems: Battletoads, RC Pro-Am, and NARC. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. They offer affordable, confidential online therapy with trained counselors that specialize in a variety of topics and issues. Visit BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame and get 10% off your first month. Taking care of your mental health is important, and talking to someone is the first step.  Betterhelp.com/RememberTheGame Sports games are weird, because "old" sports games, like NHL '13 or Madden '14, are completely worthless today. But "older" sports games, like NHL '94, NBA Jam, and Tecmo Bowl, are timeless. Absolutely timeless. In twenty years, nobody will be playing this year's Madden game, but people will STILL be hosting Tecmo Bowl tournaments. THAT'S how good this damned game is. I didn't play a lot of sports games as a kid, aside from hockey and wrestling, but I'm slowly making up for lost time in my old age. Tecmo Bowl happened to find it's way to the top of the list, and holy hell, I get it now. I get all of it. The tournaments. "No Bo". Why people still play these games over Madden. It's just, immaculate. So simple to learn, so fun to play. I'm mad at myself for not playing it sooner.  My buddy Brad DID play Tecmo Bowl as a kid, and we almost got through an entire episode without arguing with each other, because we both just agree that this game slaps, and it should have gotten an episode of RTG a long time ago. It's time to right that wrong. And before we Bowl some Tecmo, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I lay out my stance on reproduction cartridges of retro games. What do I think of the situation with Vince McMahon right now? And do I have any interest in attending E3 in person anymore? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 NES sports classics: Baseball Stars, Tecmo Super Bowl and Mike Tyson's Punch-Out! Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't think it's an exaggeration to call Mario Tennis one of the most influential video games ever made. Not only did it convince Nintendo that they could put Mario into any game they want and we'd buy it up, but it also introduced a character that would go on to become one of the most popular creations to ever come out of the house of Mario - Waluigi. I hated that son of a bitch when this game came out, but like so many of you, the internet has made him into the hero Nintendo never thought he could be. So when you look at the whole package, we have the debut of a legend, and one of the best multi-player games on one of the best multi-player consoles of all-time. I don't know if it's possible NOT to love Mario Tennis.  My buddy and former RTG Hall of Famer, Mark McCue, gave me a call this week, and we had a nice long rally of a chat talking about why Mario Tennis is so damned good, as playable today as it was in 2000, and why Waluigi is a boss, despite being OP as fuck in his debut. And before we deuce it up, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This time around, I make my stance on playing or not playing Metal Gear Solid 3 clear. Has PlayStation completely dropped the ball when it comes to promoting the new PS Plus tiers? And if I had to give up coffee, what would I do? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 more tennis titles: Super Tennis, Hot Shots Tennis and Virtua Tennis. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGame Instagram: @MemberTheGame Twitch.tv/MemberTheGame Youtube.com/RememberTheGame Facebook.com/RememberTheGamePodcast TikTok.com/@MemberTheGame And if you want access to hundreds of bonus (ad-free) podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $3/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can check out Andre's wheeling and dealings over at: Twitter @thatcanadaguy Instagram @thatcanadadude http://www.youtube.com/@andreandmelballwrestlingtalk www.sundaynightsmainevent.com http://www.youtube.com/@OURLOCALESTABLISHMENT http://www.twitch.tv/ourlocalestablishment We waited about 250 episodes too long to cover one of my favourite PS2 games of all-time. This week, we're talking Twisted Metal:Black, which is the best game in one of the coolest franchises in the history of gaming. I fell in love with the Twisted Metal series on the original PlayStation, so when I saw a next-gen version of the series on PS2, I couldn't resist. And they didn't just live up to my expectations, they blew 'em out of the water. The graphics and combat were rock solid, and the morbid, dark, twisted backstories of each character (those cutscenes!) were insane. I hate that this series seems to be dead on the vine, but you can always (and should always) go back to Twisted Metal: Black for car combat perfection. My guest this week was the guy that broke down the OG Twisted Metal games with me a few years ago, my pal Andre. And we both agreed that this game stands up as not only the best Twisted Metal, but one of the best games in the PlayStation 2's legendary library. And before we twist metal, I put together another edition of the Infamous Intro! This week, someone asks straight up, what means more to me: retro gaming or modern gaming? We're covering The Last of Us for episode 300 next week, what version should you play to get ready for it? And have I ever tried to repair a console myself? Plus we play another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', too! This one features 3 car combat games: Vigilante 8, WWE Crush Hour, and Carmageddon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. They offer affordable, confidential online therapy with trained counselors that specialize in a variety of topics and issues. Visit BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame and get 10% off your first month. Taking care of your mental health is important, and talking to someone is the first step.  Betterhelp.com/RememberTheGame It has been 18 years since Fable was released, and if you weren't part of the gaming eco-system back in those days, you might not remember the INSANE hype around this game. Fable was gonna be the most revolutionary game since Super Mario Bros. It was gonna change gaming forever. It was going to be legendary.  And then it came out.  And we played it.  And it was...fine. It's not a bad game by any means. It's just kinda...fine.  My buddy Keegs joins me on the show this week, and we get into the stuff we liked, loved, and hated about Fable. It might not have changed gaming forever, but that doesn't mean it was a bad game. It was just...fine. And before we Fable it up, I serve up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This time around, we get into the topic of micro-transactions, and whether or not they're the black eye on gaming we all make them out to be. Does anyone else get excited for a long gaming session and then struggle to pick something to play? And will we ever cover Neo-Geo or Turbo Grafx games on the show? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 of the heaviest hitters from 2004: Metal Gear Solid 3, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and KOTOR II. Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast is sponsored by Better Help. They offer affordable, confidential online therapy with trained counselors that specialize in a variety of topics and issues. Visit BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame and get 10% off your first month. Taking care of your mental health is important, and talking to someone is the first step.  Betterhelp.com/RememberTheGame Welp, we did it. 200 episodes. From "Nobody will listen to this anyways" to the biggest video game podcast in Canada in just under 4 years. Fucking eh. Thank you all! And to celebrate 200 of these monstrosities, we're finally talking about the most requested game in the history of the show: Final Fantasy Tactics. **If that's all you're here for, skip to about 42:30** I was nervous this bad boy wouldn't live up to the expectations, but I'm happy to say that if you're a diehard FFT fan, the only thing you might hate about this episode is that I don't know as much about the game as you do. I loved this game, and my buddy David Rae and I spent over 90 minutes explaining what makes it so great (aside from a certain bullshit boss fight in chapter 3).  Seriously, thank you all for the support, and I really hope this episode lives up to your expectations the same way Final Fantasy Tactics lived up to mine. And before I inevitably let you down, I bake up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone calls me out on my flip flopping Aerith stances. Have I ever performed stand-up comedy while stoned? And why do I fear Metroid on the NES? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring 3 of the most requested games in RTG history: Portal, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Diablo II.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can find David and his podcast 'Quantum Kickflip' at:www.quantumkickflip.comTwitter: @quantumkickflipInstagram: @quantumkickflip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm just gonna lay my cards on the table here - I don't like Mickey Mouse. I think he's creepy, his voice is annoying, and Donald Duck should frame him for murder and take over as the face that runs the place at Disney. And whether it's due to my hatred of Mickey or just my lack of sophistication, I don't think I've ever played a Mickey Mouse game before this one. So I went into Castle of Illusion expecting it to suck... But to my surprise, it's actually a pretty competent platformer! I don't think it does anything revolutionary, and I certainly don't think it's among the Genesis's best game like some people do. But I didn't hate my time with this game.  I'm rolling solo this week, I'm whacked out on Benadryl, and I'm ready to explain my Mickey sucks but his video game doesn't. And before that, I bake up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks me what I think Nintendo's let impressive franchise is. Is going commando ever socially acceptable? And what was the response to covering a 3DS game on a "retro" gaming podcast? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three cartoon characters: Tiny Toons: Buster Busts Loose, Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, and World of Illusion - Starring Mickey Mouse & Donald Duck.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The GBA and the PS2 are the consoles I get the most requests for, and as I've explained, I just didn't play them much in their prime, so I'm slowly catching up on the catalogs. You could lump the 3DS into that conversation, too. I don't get as many requests for episodes about its best games, but I've also only played a handful of titles on it, so the podcast options are pretty limited.  Fortunately, I DID play The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds. And I'll plant my flag in the sand right now - this is not only my favourite game on the 3DS, its one of my favourite Zelda games of all-time. As a card-carrying Link to the Past fanboy, this game was a fantasy come to life. It's a sequel to one of the greatest games ever made, and while they had every opportunity to fuck it up, they didn't. In some way, I actually this is a better game than its older brother, and I'm pumped that it's the first 3DS review in the almost 200 episode history of RTG.  My buddy Mark McCue gave me a call this week, and we had a nice, beefy chat about that time Link rented tools from a rabbit, turned into a painting, and did all the other stuff he does in every other game.  **PLUS, we plug Mark's first stand-up comedy album, which releases TODAY! It's called 'Son of a Drama Teacher', and you can find it on Bandcamp through Billy James Records.  Show McCue some love!!!** And before we talk renting boomerangs and stuff, I bake up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the best Metroidvanias on the Switch. What horror game has scared me the most? And I address the rampant speculation that I hate the PSP. PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three sequels: Silent Hill 2, Half-Life 2, and Final Fantasy X-2.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of RTG is sponsored by Better Help. BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame Sometimes the best way to deal with an issue is to simply talk to someone. Unfortunately, that can be easier said than done. But Better Help is making is easier than ever. They offer secure, confidential, online therapy sessions with professional, licensed counsellors, specializing in things like depression, stress, family conflicts, LGBT matters, and more.  You can get 10% off your first month of Better Help services by visiting BetterHelp.com/RememberTheGame. Join the over 1 million people that are living a happier life after talking to Better Help today. And we thank them for sponsoring the podcast. We've been talking about doing an episode of this show about Yo! Noid for, man, it has to be years at this point, doesn't it? I was worried there wouldn't be enough meat on the pizza to talk about. I was sweating that nobody aside from my guest and I ever played it to begin with. And I was a little nervous the noid would show up and start wrecking my pizzas... But we finally threw caution into the wind, and recorded what could very well be the first ever podcast dedicated to the NES "classic" that is Yo! Noid.  My pal Tyler makes his return to the show this week, and we talked about the stupid skateboard levels, the boring pizza eating contests, the cheap, cheap, CHEEEEAAAAAP deaths that this stupid game is full of, and why despite all of those faults, this is still a pretty adequate NES game. I know it took forever, but enjoy your damned Yo! Noid podcast! And before we talk pizzas and Noids, I bake up another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we get into the fact that Nintendo, PlayStation and XBx all have the 'X' button on their controllers in a different spot, and why it needs to stop. As a comedian, am I getting nervous that someone will rush the stage and beat me up after seeing what happened to Dave Chapelle? And should we let our gaming backlogs get to us? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three mascot-centric duds: Cool Spot, Chester Cheetah's Wild Wild Quest, and MC Kids.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few months ago, we reviewed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. I didn't really like it, and I took a lot of shit for that opinion (which I stand by, screw that stupid inverted castle). This week, we're looking another Castlevania - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow. And I'm happy (and relieved) to say that it was everything I wanted SOTN to be. This game is outstanding.  From the bad-ass soul sucking (and you can suck EVERY enemy in the game!), to the simplified inventory system, to the lack of a hidden second half of the game without fucking telling you it's there, Aria of Sorrow absolutely blew my expectations out of the water. I'm no Castlevania expert, but in my limited experience with the series, I'd probably place Sorrow atop my official Vania of Castle rankings.  Plus, what kind of beast was the GBA? Such a powerhouse of a console! My buddy Bradley McCue returns to the show this week, (he was actually my guest on the Symphony of the Night episode as well), and we didn't butt heads nearly as much this time around. He had a couple more nitpicks than I did, but at the end of the day we both agreed that Aria of Sorrow is just a damned fine piece of video game.  And before we talk Sorrowing Arias, I roll out another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about what's a better investment of your gaming dollar: a AAA game, or a handful of random indie titles? We talk about Achievements/Trophies for retro games via the website RetroAchivements. And what's the toughest game I've played in the past year or so? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three Castlevania Classics: Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, Super Castlevania IV, and Castlevania: Bloodlines.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've recorded over 500 podcasts since I launched this show, and I sleep easy at night knowing that if I ever erase them (which, I mean, is fairly likely. You know how I am with computers...), I have a backup, thanks to folks over at Backblaze! They offer unlimited backups for both PCs and Macs for just $7/month! And it's super easy to do, even I was able to figure it out! You can get a full-feature 15 day trial (with no credit card required!) at Backblaze.com/RTG. Check 'em out! Final Fantasy VII is one of those games everyone knows. Maybe you haven't played it, but I'm willing to bet Gil to Materia that if you're listening to this episode, you know about this game. It's one of the most iconic, influential, and popular JRPGs ever made. So we decided to dedicate a second episode to it.  When we first covered FF7 back on episode 12, I was a little hard on it. I like the game just fine, but it's not in my top 3 Final Fantasies. And I think sometimes it gets just a little overhyped because of its impact on the industry. But since that episode, I've played quite a few RPGs, including Final Fantasy VII Remake,  and I've really grown to appreciate what this game did a lot more. I'm glad we're giving Cloud and friends another chance in the big chair, and I had a lot of fun recording this episode.  My childhood friend Daniel makes his return to the show this week, and we went in a little bit of a different direction for this episode. We still talked about our memories of the game and everything, but we really got into the characters, material system, and stuff like that, and kinda stayed away from the story and everything. If you're a Final Fantasy VII fan, I think you'll really enjoy this.  And before we talk Shinra, I get into another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I share my opinion on the Rise of the TMNT animated series. Can the Steam Deck dethrone Nintendo as the go-to portable gaming device? And with the TMNT and Sonic collections right around the corner, what other retro gaming franchises would we like to see get a compilation re-release? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three PlayStation RPGs: Legend of Dragoon, Suikoden II, and Vagrant Story.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's absolutely no reason why I should like this game. It's a JRPG, and it has random encounters, tons of grinding, practically no story, and it'll kill you without blinking, and you won't have been able to save for at least the last hour. I should despise this game.  But y'know what? I love it.  I don't know what it is about the original Dragon Warrior that wets my whistle. Maybe it's just the heavy layer of nostalgia sauce. But whatever it is, it's a powerful drug. I adore this game. It's almost beautiful in it's simplicity, and while diehard modern day JRPG fans might find it a little bland for their tastes, I'll always prefer it to some of the fancier, deeper, funking role playing games of today. Making his return to the show this week is my buddy and fellow comedian, podcaster, and NES geek, the gentleman of RTG, David Rae, and we had a nice beefy chat about how boring this game is, and why (for the most part) it works really well.  Minus losing half your gold when you die. Fuck that.  And before we talk slime(s), I get into another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I give a few of my must play Game Pass picks to someone that's new to Xbox. We also sing the praises of the PlayStation 5 controller. And if I could instantly be a pro-level player of any game genre, what would it be? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three NES RPGs: StarTropics, Crystalis, and Willow.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame And you can find David and his podcast 'Quantum Kickflip' at:www.quantumkickflip.comTwitter: @quantumkickflipInstagram: @quantumkickflip Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of people dunk on the tank controls of the original Resident Evil games, but I always thought they worked pretty well when it came to dealing with slow moving zombies. But how they stack up in Dino Crisis, when you use those same controls against dinosaurs?  Actually, not horribly.  Dino Crisis gets referred to as "Resident Evil with dinosaurs", and I think it's a pretty fair comparison. Similar controls, graphics, that same fixed camera, and horrible inventory systems. But I think the puzzles are better, the enemies are cooler, and with the exception of Resident Evil 2, I think Dino Crisis does "late 90's PlayStation survival horror" better than Resident Evil does. My guest this week is my buddy Tyler, who makes his return to the podcast to talk about Regina (which was say wrong, as you'll hear shortly), stupid crane puzzles, dinosaurs, and crawling through heat vents. It's all about Dino Crisis week, baby! And before we talk what a piece of shit Gail is, I get into another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asks why I love wrestling games so much, when they seemingly just do the same thing over and over again. Which non-Nintendo franchises am I praying for the video games Gods to revitalize? And let's talk about my let's plays for a minute... PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three dino-centric games: Jurassic Park (SNES), DinoPark Tycoon, and Turok: Dinosaur Hunter.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the new Sonic movie coming out this week, I thought it would be a great time to talk about the little blue blur's debut. We're finally talking about the original Sonic The Hedgehog. Personally, I think it's a revolutionary game, but the gameplay is mid, at best.  However... The music, graphics, speed, and characters in this game are iconic. I'm such a big fan of Sonic himself, and my love of gaming history prevents me from really dunking on the aspects of this game that I don't like as much.  My buddy (and FORMER RTG Hall of Famer) Mark McCue joins me on the show this week, and we spent about half of the episode talking about the game itself, and the other half on Sonic's legacy, and the impact this game had on gaming back in the early 90's. No Angry Adam this week, just straight up admiration for one of the most important and iconic games in retro gaming - Sonic the Hedgehog.  And before we talk Sonic, it's another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about what gaming would look like today if Sega hadn't dropped the ball in the 90's. A listener asks if anyone else spends more time collecting games than actually playing them? And how does it make me feel to be told people use this podcast to fall asleep? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three Sonic games: Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic CD, and Sonic Adventure 2.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've made the decision to start skipping one Wednesday per month for RTG. I just can't keep up the schedule of playing one game per week, so I'll start giving away a freebie early every month to give myself a little time to catch up. This week, I'm counting down what I consider to be the 10 greatest console launch titles in gaming history. A banging launch game is critical to a console's success, and I had a blast looking back at the GOATs. If you enjoy this, we have a TON more waiting for you on Patreon (ad-free, too!). You can also write into the show, join our Discord, help choose the games we cover, and more! Subscriptions start at just $3/month at Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know how it feels to try a food you've never really had before? That nervous excitement? Thats how I felt going into Need For Speed: Most Wanted. Outside of kart racers, I've never been a racing game guy. I don't know cars, or parts, or strategies. But this game won our Patreon Poll, and I'm a man of my word. So I fired it up, and it was really damned fun! I loved the lack of technical car specs, not having to fix my ride after each race, and I LOVED the cheesy cutscenes. Seriously, the forage is off the charts in this game. I don't think I'll become a racing game guy after this, but I had a really good time. At least, until I got stuck near the end of the game and realized how much I suck at these games. My buddy Joe makes his return to the show this week, and as a much bigger car/racing game fan than I am, he was the perfect guest to bounce game gossip off of. We had a great chat about what makes this game so fun, and why everyone out there that feels like I do about driving games should give this one a shot. And before we talk about Razor and his cheesiness, it's another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, we talk about the dope-ass community we've built around here. Who's the greatest tag team in WWE/WWF history? And what do I think of the PSP? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three racers: Gran Turismo 3, Burnout 3 and Midnight Club 3.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I don't think there's franchise that I've grown more fond of since the beginning of this podcast than Resident Evil. I went from only playing a couple of the mainline games, to running through most of the core games in the series. But I always slept on Code Veronica, because I assumed it was just a half-assed spin-off.  Turns out, it's kinda like Resident Evil 3.5 as far as the main series goes, and it's actually pretty fun! There's a boss fight on a plane that can get bent, and getting rid of a fire extinguisher screwed me over, but it's still a solid RE experience. Aside from that stuff (and Steve. Fuck that guy.), this game is really fun! This episode was sponsored by Slick Rick, one of the longest running hot dogs in the pack, and I'm really pumped that he convinced me to give this game a shot. We had a chat about why Resident Evil: Code Veronica meant so much to him, and then my buddy Patrick and I explained everything we liked (and hated) about Claire's return to the spotlight.  And before we talk about Steve and his uselessness, it's another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, someone asked if I prefer playing retro games on their native hardware, or current consoles? We also talk about the new Mario Kart tracks, and what non-fiction video game books are worth a glance. PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three early 2000's Capcom classics: Devil May Cry, Viewtiful Joe, and Okami.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you've never heard of Gun.Smoke, don't skip this episode. I was in the same boat as you until about a month ago. But now I know this game very, very well, and my life is better for it. It's an arcade port of a tough but fair, auto scrolling run and gun. And if it isn't perfect, it's damned close.  I can't get enough of these types of games. One of my favourite things about hosting this podcast is discovering retro titles that I missed back in the day, and this week is a shining example of that.  This episode was sponsored by Holms, a longtime member of our community, and I can't thank him enough for his generosity, and for introducing me to Billy Bob, ninjas, a bullet sponge of a horse, and the rest of the greatness that is, Gun.Smoke.  And before we talk about the wild west, I scrape together another edition of the 'Remember The Game? Infamous Intro'! This week, I respond to the controversy surrounding last week's heated argument about who's on the cover of the Contra box. I also pick my favourite single player wrestling game campaign mode. And do I plan to keep re-visiting games we covered in the early days of the podcast moving forward? PLUS, we have another round of 'Play One, Remake One, Erase One', featuring three NES arcade ports: Galaga, Donkey Kong, and Paperboy.  Are you on social media? Of course you are. So follow us!  Twitter: @MemberTheGameInstagram: @MemberTheGameTwitch.tv/MemberTheGame And if you want access to over 200 bonus podcasts, along with multiple new shows EVERY WEEK, consider showing us some love over at Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $2/month, and 5% of our patreon income every month will be donated to our 24 hour Extra-Life charity stream at the end of the year! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices