Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers and here with John Cummins!
Intros`
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
John - On Topic Retro
Retro Rewind Champions - Black Box Challange
The Price Is Retro
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.
At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300
Flightsy's list
Show Topic -
Sonys Digital Only Future!
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Shannon, John, Adam, and Chadd!
Intros`
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
John - On Topic Retro
Retro Rewind - Ice Climbers
The Price Is Retro
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.
At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300
Ep - 151 Rhythm Game Fever!
Season 5 · Episode 151
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 • Duration 01:42:24
Introduction
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins, and Sam Wagers!
Intros
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
John - New retrologic content coming!
Articles in substack
On Topic Retro - Mario Galaxy
New Retro Rewind Champions - Black Box Challange
The Price Is Retro
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.
At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ep 150 We've Been Playing Games!!
Season 5 · Episode 150
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 • Duration 02:12:03
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins!
Intros
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
John - New retrologic content coming!
Articles in substack
On Topic Retro - Mario Galaxy
The Price Is Retro
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.
At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ep 149 - RetroLogic Goes Live! Remakes and Remaster Talk!
Season 5 · Episode 149
Wednesday, June 17, 2026 • Duration 02:08:51
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins, and Adam Caporello!
Intros
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
John - New retrologic content coming!
On Topic Retro - Gradius Interstellar Assault for Game Boy
The Price Is Retro
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.
At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Third Strongest Mole — 6/13/26, 8:47 AM Drex1981 [ARC], — 6/12/26, 7:04 PM MooseGooseNinja [SEAF], — 6/12/26, 7:18 PM DoubleD — 6/12/26, 8:57 PM Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 6/13/26, 12:16 AM Solo [nDAD], — 6/13/26, 8:37 AM (In response to adam) Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 7:56 AM — 12:16 PM
Ep - 148 Puzzalooza!
Season 5 · Episode 148
Thursday, June 4, 2026 • Duration 01:42:02
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Sam Wagers, Shannon Eno and John Cummins, Special Guest Ryan (Games With Coffee)
Intros
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Housekeeping
Sam: Streaming FE Path of Radiance and Armored Core 2
On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV
Gradius
Backlog recap
The Price Is Retro - 13:55
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Savannah the Hyena Queen — 5/29/2026 9:30 PM Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 5/29/2026 9:33 PM SNES_is_Life — 5/29/2026 9:44 PM Drex1981 [ARC], — 5/30/2026 9:37 AM
Ep - 146 The 3DS Turns 15!
Season 5 · Episode 146
Thursday, May 7, 2026 • Duration 02:00:21
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
Sam: Streaming Armored Core Master of Arena (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!
On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV
FilmLogic: Tubi Decided: Redline (2009)
The Price Is Retro -
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ep - 145 When Renting Video Games Was A Thing!
Season 5 · Episode 145
Friday, April 24, 2026 • Duration 01:31:17
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Tell me one thing that happened this week!
Housekeeping
Sam: Streaming Armored Core Master of Arena (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!
On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV
FilmLogic: Tubi Decided: Redline (2009)
The Price Is Retro - 20
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ep 144 - 3D Mario Discussion!
Season 5 · Episode 144
Friday, April 10, 2026 • Duration 01:56:52
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Tell me one thing that happened this week!
Housekeeping
Sam: Streaming Armored Core (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!
On Topic Retro: Zelda Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks
FilmLogic: RatPocalypse
The Price Is Retro - 20
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300
Ep - 143 Let's Map This Retro Dungeon!
Season 5 · Episode 143
Friday, March 27, 2026 • Duration 01:59:58
Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins
But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord.
- Giveaways
- Contests
- AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins.
- you can find everything at our website retrologic.games
Tell me one thing that happened this week!
Housekeeping
Sam: Streaming Armored Core (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!
On Topic Retro: Zelda Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks
FilmLogic: Armed and Dangerous
Backlog Challenge Round 2 Results:
We're letting the community decide which games we play for round 2 of our backlog challenge!
Sam
Grabbed by the Ghoulies (Xbox)
Glory of Heracles (DS)
Zak and Wiki: the quest for Barbaros Treasure (Wii)
Shannon
Flightsy's list
Show Topic -
Classic Game Fest Recap!
Have you been to a retro convention before?
How many years have you been to CGF?
What were you specifically on the hunt for this year?
What did you NOT buy because it was too expensive?
Did you have any unexpected finds?
Non-shopping highlight of the weekend? (guests, music, experience, etc…)
What was the worst thing that happened?
Final thoughts on CGF as a whole?
What will you do differently next year?
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
What We're Playing-New Games, Old Games, New hardware?
Sam-
Shannon-
John-
Community Couch
Savannah the Hyena Queen
—
6/28/2026 1:17 PM
Been playing Mario Galaxy for the challenge, but after that I've gotta get back to the backlog: Mario Galaxy 2, Mario & Luigi Brothership, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition, Xenoblade Chronicles X Definitive Edition, Persona 3 Portable, Omori, Sea of Stars, etc etc etc. I'm a busy gal
Add Deltarune chapter 5 to the list as well, though hopefully that won't take too long
Games with Coffee
—
6/28/2026 1:40 PM
Working on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but took a break to play Star Fox. After Rebirth, I'm gonna switch to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, followed by Mina the Hollower and then Hades and Chained Echoes
OctoRock_1982
—
6/28/2026 2:51 PM
I finally got to dig into Mina The Hollower. I'm about 15 hours in and having the time of my life. The game scratches such a specific type of itch for me, and I'm sure would do the same for veteran gamers of a certain era. It somehow feels authentically retro and yet wholly unique at the same time. As much as the game is touted as a top down Zelda-like, it borrows just as much DNA from the likes of NES games like Dragon Warrior, StarTropics, Castlevania and Ninja Gaiden. So, as you might expect, I'm in heaven playing this game.
Trey
—
6/28/2026 3:02 PM
I bounced onto starfox and castlevania harmony of dissonance since getting the gba castlevania double pack last week. It's my first castlevania and my first starfox 64 playthrough! I hope to return to Mina the hollower after but rhythm heaven is coming soon!
BeerBierCerveza [nDAD],
—
6/28/2026 3:58 PM
I've been playing through the games in the Resident Evil bundle. Finished Requiem, then played through biohazard, and I just rolled credits on village this weekend. All of these games were amazing! I was certain at least one of the games in the bundle was going to be a dud, but I was wrong. Requiem is definitely a contender for GOTY!
Drex1981 [ARC],
—
6/28/2026 4:39 PM
I've been playing the New Star Fox remake which has been really good. Also Marathon, Dispatch, Mario Kart world, and Final Fantasy 6 for my snes.
And also Street Fighter 6 I've been competing in Tournaments
Your Wallet's Ambassador
—
6/28/2026 6:46 PM
I've been playing Super Mario Galaxy, trying to get to 242 stars as quickly as possible for Retro Rewind. I've also been playing an Archipelago run with some college friends, where I'm playing Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. My backlog includes Deltarune Chapter 5, Rhythm Heaven Groove, The rest of the M&L games after Bowser's Inside Story, and kinda every game I own...
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games
Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300
Shannon's List
Dan's List Adam's list John's List
Show Topic -
remake/remaster/reimagining
Which do you prefer?
What is your favorite game that has had one of these treatments?
I'll try to give my condensed thoughts here since I wont' make it onto next week's show. The only remakes that I consider justified are games that truly had potential they failed to live up to. Games that are perfectly good as they are don't need remakes - just ports. While I appreciate keeping classic games available for people who don't have original hardware, ports address that problem in a much more cost effective way - and the "need" for remasters is selling a solution to a problem created by the planned obsolescence of the idea of console generations. We don't actually need new hardware (at least not to play old games)- console makers just need new hardware and software to sell. By all means keep the classics available through reprints and officially licensed emulation. But those aren't new releases and we shouldn't pretend they are. If you really "can't wait to play Ocarina of time again" - plug in the N64, or boot up the NSO app.
Community Couch
Savannah the Hyena Queen
—
6/12/26, 6:59 PM
I like remakes, for two reasons. One, they allow a new generation of players to experience an old game with the conveniences of the modern era. And two, they give fans a brand new way to experience their favorite games. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was the first point for me, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl was the second.
That being said, I think Nintendo has been doing too many remakes and updates to old games recently and not enough new ones.
But maybe that's just cause I'm not super interested in Star Fox or Ocarina of Time
Remakes are tricky things. One of the side they can fix issues that at the time couldn't be addressed. They can expand on storylines and tell the story with more detail. They can introduce new players to these games and create new fans. On the other side they can be souless cash grabs and change what makes these games great.
I like remakes as long as they do the original game justice (looking at RE3R), but otherwise I do like the idea of remakes for the same reasons Savannah mentions. I generally try to judge remakes on a case-by-case basis though, and my personal favorite part of remakes is playing both versions (if I can get my hands on the original) and comparing and contrasting the two. I also try not to decide which is better or anything, but just objectively finding differences. It was the most fun for RE4 because I LOVE those games. My favorite game that got a remake was probably Dead Space.
I've been mulling this over for a bit now and I think I like remasters the most. Making older games accessible to a new audience while improving the graphics and QoL features will get me every time (Don't ask me how many versions of the various Final Fantasy games I've bought through the years). Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is probably my favorite remaster though. It kept one of my favorite games mostly the same but added amazing voice acting that let me experience one of my favorite video game stories in a completely different way!
I prefer remakes that change stuff more than faithful remakes. They are more interesting to analyze, and they provide more of a reason to play them if you have access to the original.
I welcome a remaster of the game. The trend now in console camps is to remaster games to bring them into the contemporary level of graphics and/or new art design to make them more appealing to new generation of gamers. OoT is a cherished entry into the Zelda series. Off of this one entry we get the branches into the Downfall causing BoTW/ToTK, Child and Adult timelines of Zelda lore. Would be interesting if in the remaster then made methods to connect the game to others; for example the lore we see in BoTW/ToTK that many have played (even those that are not deep dive Zelda fanboys and just played off IP recognition alone). Hoping myself the remaster is not a lockstep redo of the original since that version is already out there. I find it more exciting if they were to add new story beat elements into a new artwork scheme.
adam — 6/13/26, 9:25 AM
i find the discourse around remakes and remasters to be kind of pointless, because if you don't like them, just don't play them.
is there a conversation to be had about companies rereleasing games instead of taking risks on new ips? yeah absolutely. but i think that's different then should these remakes/remasters exist.
emulation and ports are important in the preservation of media, but remakes/remasters
update games to be more accessible on modern hardware.
remakes/remasters recontextualize their stories into the modern broader canon.
i think people are excited to play oot remake/remaster because of the first two reasons. i don't think anyone would pretend that the z targeting and camera controls in the original are good. (innovative for the time but obviously not great in comparison to today) so updated qol features, coupled with excitement to see how they will recontextualize oot to better fit with the current branch of botw/totk, and hopefully give us a glimpse of what's to come next
People get annoyed about remakes because of the opportunity cost. Time you take developing a remake/remaster is time you could have spent developing something new. So there are some stakes to the discussion. Also, as a community based around gaming, we like talking about games. So we wanna talk about whether remakes/remasters are interesting to us, and listen to how other like minded people feel about them. The discussion itself is often the point.
(Adam thinks the opportunity cost argument doesn't hold water because plenty of studios are able to output both) (Flightsy says there is STILL an opportunity cost. And resources were spent)
(Adam responds) adam
I can't recall a situation where a new game or a game that's in development was sidelined by a remake/remaster. if anything the remakes and remasters make studios more money to put into new titles.
…
but like i said i think really the bigger issue in the industry is the live service model/microtransactions being pushed by suits in c-suites. it's why naughty dog hasn't dropped anything, it's why xbox is in such a bad spot financially.
*and then to fill the void of canceled games companies just rerelease or remaster something
…
i think it's an interesting topic, and i think that the recent uptick in remakes/remasters is a barometer for the health of the current industry. and if it's good or bad is up to interpretation, or more likely somewhere in the middle
Xomber
—
1:35 PM
Have mixed feelings on remakes. Some games are just classics and it doesn't really do much to put a fresh coat of paint on a classic. I will still play them, however, hence the mixed feelings.
Like when Last of Us 2 was remade on the PS5, it seemed, pointless to me, but since I hadn't played it up until that point that'd be the option I would go with. I still like good games being remade to a certain extent, but are we going to do that every 5-10 years or every 2-3 generations?
Xomber
—
1:39 PM
Another thing I wonder, would a remake make some bad games good? I'm curious about that. Could a story be fleshed out more, or an annoying game mechanic be improved to where it's not cumbersome? That's what actually interests me.
Flightsy: I was definitely disappointed by the OOT remake announcement, and in general by the large amount of old content on the Switch 2. But in the end, that's not actually what I'm disappointed about. I'm disappointed that a year in, I still don't really feel compelled to buy the Switch 2. I'm annoyed about the remasters because it reminds me of that core issue, but it isn't actually the issue itself. And there's no way to know if a decision not to make those remasters would have actually led to a world that fixes that issue…
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Savannah the Hyena Queen — 5/29/2026 9:27 PMFriday, May 29, 2026 9:27 PM
Does Mario's Super Picross count? That game is fun, specially the Wario levels
I'm really bad at picross so my clear times are abysmal, but it's still a really relaxing loop that's nice if I don't really want to play something more involved
Mario's Super Picross is what got me into Picross, a past time I have become thoroughly engrossed. It's the perfect thing to do while paying attention to something else. In fact, I used to catch up on Retro Logic episodes while playing Mario's Super Picross...
Yoshis cookie!
I don't know if this counts or not but in the original Metal Gear Solid when fighting Psycho Mantis. You had to switch to controller port 2 to avoid being controlled by him.
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Sam: (Kirby Super Star, Joe and Mac, Paper Mario, Vigilante 8, Rogue Squadron, Chameleon Twist, PLOK)
Bullets dodged (glad I didn't purchase fully)
Sam: Balls 3D, Mega Man 64, Quest 64
The place of rentals
Games expensive
Not allowed in japan (this affected some games!)
Alternatives new and old
Libraries
Gamefly
redbox
Digital demos
Gamepass and NSO free trials
Free to play/Free to start games
Community Couch
Eric Plunk [nDAD], nDAD — 4/19/2026 9:30 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:30 AM
The small town I grew up in had one gas station and in it you could rent VHS tapes and video games. Just roaming the isles and looking at cover art was a joy in and of itself. There was no way to have a bad weekend when you went home with Fievel Goes West, Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle, and a bottle of Yoo-Hoo. If I had to guess I'd say my most rented games were Ducktales and A Link to the Past. I inherited a copy of Back to the Future II & III for the NES from a friend that passed that still has rental sticker on it from the gas station. I'll never get rid of it. (edited)Sunday, April 19, 2026 9:42 AM
Drex1981 [ARC], ARC — 4/19/2026 9:34 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:34 AM
I remember waiting at my local Hollywood Video for Mortal Kombat 4. I went back and forth to store throughout the day and when I got it the game was terrible lol
SchonerTod [TINK], TINK — 4/19/2026 9:54 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:54 AM
i didnt get into renting game until the N64. When I was a kid video games were always a side thing we did on the weekends and typically it was a sleep over. so friday evening my buddies and i would ride our bikes down to the local blockbuster and rented a couple games then hit up the local store for sodas and pizza before going back to my place and playing an all nighter. Typically it was stuff like 007, mario kart, perfect dark nfl blitz and such.
Xomber — 4/19/2026 10:01 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 10:01 AM
My first rentals were N64 games as well. I think they forced me to get better at the games, since I knew I had to give them back or some such. I remember being unable to finish OOT the first time(couldn't get out of the forest) and the second time I made it to the Water Temple. After that, I was good at the game I think.
Eric Plunk [nDAD], nDAD — 4/19/2026 11:07 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 11:07 AM
I don't have many memories of renting N64 games other than Paper Mario from Blockbuster which I beat in two 5-day rental periods (edited)Sunday, April 19, 2026 11:08 AM
@Solo
Growing up I would rent from one, not sure if it was across the nation in the 80's, that was called National Home Video. I would rent NES games weekly as games back then were pricey so parents only bought me like 4. Point being here that one time we went out of town for 2 weeks to Myrtle Beach vacation. When we got back my parents laughed as the recording had a message from the store asking if I was ok as they have not heard from me wanting to know what game to reserve for me to make sure it was not rented out before me.
Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 4/19/2026 4:08 PMSunday, April 19, 2026 4:08 PM
I never rented. But I did take some games out at the library. The only one I really remember is Super Mario Galaxy. I remember erasing my save file for the next person, because I was under the impression it was stored on the disc...
DoubleD — 4/19/2026 5:46 PMSunday, April 19, 2026 5:46 PM
Renting movies and games was a regular occurrence in my house growing up, probably every other weekend or so. We rented games mainly from NES, SNES, and N64, but I have the fondest memories of the SNES era. I remember renting Final Fantasy 3 for a couple weeks when it first released, knowing full well that I was about to get it for my birthday a couple months afterwards. Well, I got to a point in the game where it seems like it's the end, but it's really just the mid-point, but I remember being so mad thinking I was about to beat the game right before I get it for my birthday. After opening up the second half of the game, I was so happy that there was more to it, that I stupidly rented the game for another week, but still didn't beat it. I then got it for my birthday and tried to trade my copy for the rental store's, but they wouldn't do it, so I spent the entire Christmas break playing through my new copy and beat it in 2 weeks.
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
Dan - RetroLogic — 4/3/2026 12:04 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 12:04 AM
The best is probably Mario Galaxy.
But my favorite is Sunshine.
1 - Mario Sunshine pushed the "themed worlds" motif in a wholly new direction that hasn't been replicated since. All locations take place on 1 Island, and they never lose that aesthetic. But each world also has its own striking identity.
2 - "What are we going to do to Mario so it feels different from 64?" Give him a water gun/jet pack/rocket/speed boat. And the Splatoon-like muck cleaning is one of the most satisfying things in gaming to date.
3 - the major complaint I hear about this game is the few difficulty spikes which inform the unfinished nature of the shipped product. And I don't disagree. But I believe this game is worth more than the sum of it's parts. Isle Delphino is a place I want to live in. The secrets hiding in Delphino Plaza alone make this game worth playing.
Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 4/3/2026 12:33 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 12:33 AM
Gotta go with Galaxy. My first 3D Mario was Super Mario Galaxy 2. For a long time the original Super Mario Galaxy was a game I had only gotten to play once, through the library. Which definitely added to the mystique of the game. The quiet moments in that game really make it's vibe, and they're something I think the Galaxy movie could have used. Also, the gravity stuff is probably my favorite mechanic in any Mario game.
Gotta give some flowers to Sunshine though. Not my favorite game to actually play, but I love a lot of what it was going for. I love the interconnected world, and the fact they decided to zoom in really close to one theme. Really think it'd be cool to see another Mario game do something like that, maybe with a city or something like that? Also, you won't hear many people give the blue coins a lotta love, cause they were implemented in such a completionist unfriendly way. And as a completionist, that does suck, but I can't deny that they really give you a nice reason to explore the island. Also, I really like that each of the levels tries to tell a storyline with its missions. Almost feels like a precursor to what Odyssey would end up doing.
neoprime33 (TimA) [nDAD], nDAD — 4/3/2026 1:12 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 1:12 AM
The best, I've been told, is Galaxy, but I haven't played those, so the best for me is 3D Land. It's literately in 3D ... lol.
I can't articulate why it is the best for me as well as you all do with your "bests" but that 3D Mario game made me smile and probably was the most I've ever wanted to squeeze out of a Mario game than any other I've played before.
Maybe it is the best for me because it is the "Gateway Drug" for other 3D Marios - it eases me away from 2D Marios. lol
Although, I also support the Mario Sunshine pick - I loved playing that game on the Game Cube. It was so different I didn't care that Mario went 3D.
Hootz — 4/3/2026 9:27 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 9:27 AM
Best: Super Mario Odyssey. That game is pure joy distilled into a video game. And honestly, the other games are great, but it's not even close. (Please note; I'm answering before I've had a chance to play Super Mario Odyssey 2: Donkey Kong Bananza)
As for the next entry, just give us more joy. That's it. Don't know what that means gameplay-wise, so I'll let the developers figure that out.
Also, Super Mario Sunshine is underrated, and better than Super Mario Galaxy and 64. That is all.
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value
Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300
Shan's list
Sam's list John's List
Flightsy's Spot the Fake
Show Topic - 4
Dungeon Crawlers!
What is a dungeon crawler anyway? -loosely, focus on a single dungeon - though perhaps with interconnected zones. And exploring it while powering up a character/party and gathering loot, going deeper each time.
Inherited term from a scenario type in tabletop rpgs.
The term has been used somewhat loosely of any game that has a dungeon though.
Games: Wizardry Series- probably the main archetype
-hard to understate the impact these games had on RPGs generally, especially in Japan.
Rogue - better known for other elements
Eye of the Beholder (SNES)
Arcana
Neverwinter Nights (AOL 1991 - not the later one so much)
Mado monogatari (technically Puyo Puyo is a spinoff of this)
The Bard's Tale Trilogy
Many (but not all?) Might and Magic games
Early Elder Scrolls games (Arena and Daggerfall)-Dungeon Crawls with basic overworld content in Arena that grew in Daggerfall, but retained the Dungeon Crawling
Princess Tomato 🙂
Etrian odyssey - keeping this old-school style genre alive- and developing it further
-Retro in the truest sense of the word.
The interesting aspects here (IMO):
Party Customization
Mapping/exploration - another layer of progression
It's kind of like shmups, a really niche old genre that is rare these days, but has a following.
These days, mainstream RPGs almost always opt for the "open world" approach.
Games I have seen called dungeon crawlers but question that nomenclature:
The Legend of Zelda
Diablo
Enter the Gungeon
Hades
Mystery Dungeon
Arx Fatalis
Slay the Spire
Darkest dungeon
X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance
Community Couch
See discord
Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio.
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