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Retronauts Podcast Thread
- Thread starter krae_man
- Start date
Just listened to the Telnet/Valis podcast, fun times. Great to hear Shane talk about something he loves again, especially when it's an underdog series that gets shit on. Wish they'd mentioned the gameplay differences between the originals and the console games a bit more (and how Syd actually keeps the equipment aspect) but it was mainly them talking about what they'd played and not the series in general, so I understand. Also did I hear them wrong or had they not beaten all the PCE/Genesis Valis games? They're all pretty short!
I'm going to hear the pronounciation "Valise" in my nightmares forever. WTF.
I'm going to hear the pronounciation "Valise" in my nightmares forever. WTF.
charlequin
Banned
Have you played the sequel yet? It's so good omg.
Jeremy had me worried I'd been saying it wrong all these years until Shane started talking!
Listening to the Jump the Shark episode now.
Tomb Raider 2013 was absolutely a great game. It's basically The Last Of Us with the only difference being Lara upgrades herself via headshots and other arcade like XP bonuses while Joel pops expired medication like he's Homer Simpson.
Tomb Raider 2013 was absolutely a great game. It's basically The Last Of Us with the only difference being Lara upgrades herself via headshots and other arcade like XP bonuses while Joel pops expired medication like he's Homer Simpson.
The story in the last of us is better but you can't those games are rediculiously similar.
Imbarkus
As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
The gaming regrets show was cute.
No one really can compare with my decision to by an Atari Lynx in lieu of a Gameboy, or an NES or SNES, or Genesis, etc. I spent my first two years of college playing that thing, waiting to go head-to-head with a buddy who also bought a Lynx on a version of Cyberball that was pushed back for years and came out like the years-old turd it was.
If a buddy hadn't picked me up a Mega Drive partway through school (early enough that region-locking was still spotty) I don't think I'd love gaming the way I do now.
I also deeply regret parting with my original Atari 2600 collection for some spare coin. I had Crazy Climber and Gravitar!
Regret, thy name is Atari.
No one really can compare with my decision to by an Atari Lynx in lieu of a Gameboy, or an NES or SNES, or Genesis, etc. I spent my first two years of college playing that thing, waiting to go head-to-head with a buddy who also bought a Lynx on a version of Cyberball that was pushed back for years and came out like the years-old turd it was.
If a buddy hadn't picked me up a Mega Drive partway through school (early enough that region-locking was still spotty) I don't think I'd love gaming the way I do now.
I also deeply regret parting with my original Atari 2600 collection for some spare coin. I had Crazy Climber and Gravitar!
Regret, thy name is Atari.
RoryDropkick
Member
Listening to the Jump the Shark episode right now.. Contra being brought up wasn't a surprise, but I was surprised that no one talked about Shattered Soldier or Neo Contra..
Imbarkus
As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
Just wait for the Neo Contra slot machine, coming soon from Konami. I played it for like a second at G2E this year.
The TR discussion was great. Such a refreshing change from the usual ignorant ramblings I hear from American games media on the subject. While I agree with Jeremy about TR2 having way too much combat I still really liked it and 3, and TR4 was when the series jumped the shark for me. Having to backtrack between different areas within levels and sit thru long loading times sucked the fun out of the game.
So I'm 34, putting me in between Bob and the crew age-wise, I believe, and I was totally enraptured with Star Tropics, the commercials, the two issue spread over Nintendo Power, etc.
I enjoyed the game when it came out, immensely. The pig butt in the first village, how the chief looked like Mario, etc. I did think the first chapter was too small, and the second chapter as well (the dolphin was cool, and even if it was linear, the secret passages in the map screen did instill the thrill of finding a secret), but than chapter 3 gets BIG, and hard. The special weapon system and stars were, and still are, a very odd system, and the tile based movement and puzzles felt off even back then.
The worst is when you spam a yoyo (main) attack while trying to walk towards an enemy, sliding a tiny fraction. The frantic, snapped jumping also feels off.
Chapter 4, if I remember, was all map, all in a whale, no combat. Left an impression on me and feels like an "indy game" moment now.
The infamous parrot in chapter 5 was the last of the smaller chapters, again, if I remember correctly, but really embraced the goonies feel, at least for me. Then the game opens up with a series of islands and space ships for the rest of the game. It's never as non-linear as, say, Zelda 1, but it does afford some exploration. The difficulty spikes at the end are pretty egregious, I remember a powerup called Vitamin X (?) that would heal you, and then start hurting you after. Drugs, don't do them.
My grandest memory was beating the game, and then having Mikey swim a bit in the map screen and drown, with the death music playing. I wanted to take a photo of the ending for Nintendo Power and kept wondering what I had done wrong to drown, and then finally it's revealed the dolphins from the 2nd chapter have rescued you. Good moment.
Playing it years later on VC just heightened the fact that the core gameplay is janky, but I still liked a lot of the design. Those ostriches with skull heads are freaky, and of course dipping the letter in the water is a great gimmick.
As for Star tropics 2, it's waaaaaay more linear than the first one, and the time travel motif doesn't have the same appeal as exploring the tropics in your submarine. Also, the hidden pits in the map screen are no fun. Didn't like it at all.
As much of a Startropics fan as I am, there was a kid in my school who wrote 50 page fan fiction sequels to the game in spiral bound notebooks. I thought it was pretty weird.
I enjoyed the game when it came out, immensely. The pig butt in the first village, how the chief looked like Mario, etc. I did think the first chapter was too small, and the second chapter as well (the dolphin was cool, and even if it was linear, the secret passages in the map screen did instill the thrill of finding a secret), but than chapter 3 gets BIG, and hard. The special weapon system and stars were, and still are, a very odd system, and the tile based movement and puzzles felt off even back then.
The worst is when you spam a yoyo (main) attack while trying to walk towards an enemy, sliding a tiny fraction. The frantic, snapped jumping also feels off.
Chapter 4, if I remember, was all map, all in a whale, no combat. Left an impression on me and feels like an "indy game" moment now.
The infamous parrot in chapter 5 was the last of the smaller chapters, again, if I remember correctly, but really embraced the goonies feel, at least for me. Then the game opens up with a series of islands and space ships for the rest of the game. It's never as non-linear as, say, Zelda 1, but it does afford some exploration. The difficulty spikes at the end are pretty egregious, I remember a powerup called Vitamin X (?) that would heal you, and then start hurting you after. Drugs, don't do them.
My grandest memory was beating the game, and then having Mikey swim a bit in the map screen and drown, with the death music playing. I wanted to take a photo of the ending for Nintendo Power and kept wondering what I had done wrong to drown, and then finally it's revealed the dolphins from the 2nd chapter have rescued you. Good moment.
Playing it years later on VC just heightened the fact that the core gameplay is janky, but I still liked a lot of the design. Those ostriches with skull heads are freaky, and of course dipping the letter in the water is a great gimmick.
As for Star tropics 2, it's waaaaaay more linear than the first one, and the time travel motif doesn't have the same appeal as exploring the tropics in your submarine. Also, the hidden pits in the map screen are no fun. Didn't like it at all.
As much of a Startropics fan as I am, there was a kid in my school who wrote 50 page fan fiction sequels to the game in spiral bound notebooks. I thought it was pretty weird.
brianmcdoogle
Member
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
SonicMegaDrive
Member
Sonic 3's soundtrack is all right, but I definitely never found it to be as catchy or as appealing as the tracks found in any of the previous Sonic titles. It's just a matter of taste.
By the way, Retronauts has been on a roll lately. I'm really enjoying these last few episodes. Kudos to the hosts and guests. It's also really fun to see a lot of the Laser Time alumni on the show as of late. I love those guys.
By the way, Retronauts has been on a roll lately. I'm really enjoying these last few episodes. Kudos to the hosts and guests. It's also really fun to see a lot of the Laser Time alumni on the show as of late. I love those guys.
nckillthegrimace
Member
Jeremy's right about Gunstar Heroes. I also find it to just not be fun. I like many of Treasure's games, so I was surprised that I didn't like it when I finally got the chance to try it.
Also, Bob is wrong about Zelda, Ace Attorney, and probably a lot of other things of no consequence.
Also, Bob is wrong about Zelda, Ace Attorney, and probably a lot of other things of no consequence.
But the series didn't "jump the shark" with Adventure of Link. The series was still finding it's footing, it's comparable to a television show having a rough second season after the breakout first season, and then really finding it's groove with the third and fourth season (Link to the Past and Link's Awakening specifically).sörine;151387301 said:
I've grown to love Zelda II but there was a huge backlash at the time. It wasn't even in the same genre.
There's a reason Nintendo reverted things asap with Zelda III.
It deviated dramatically from the established game type. An almost identical shift happened with Ys III (and quick reversion back right after). Both had a backlash honestly.
SMB2 wasn't that big a change comparably. And really there were degrees of backlash for SMB2 and CV2 as well. Meanwhile games like Megaman 2, Ninja Gaiden II or Super C were almost universally loved.
IrishNinja
Member
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
Gunstar Heroes was a game I stared at blankly for 20 years. I would boot up the game, play it, go "okay" and then walk away unsure of what to think.
But in the summer of 2013, my ex girlfriend and I played it on my 50 inch plasma through a framemeister and... it clicked. We played through the whole game and it became one of my favourite games of all time. It's actually the lynchpin to understanding treasure... I played their constellation of games but it wasn't until I played through this one that I really understood the unique quality that only their games possess.
So while I can understand why Bob doesn't get it... having not 'gotten it' for decades... I think there's hope. The trick is co-op + a free friday night. And Shane's rebuttal of "...you had to be there" isn't necessarily. There's something in GH that is timelessly enjoyable. Not only the fact that I 'got it' in 2013, but also that my non-gamer ex-girlfriend fell in love with it, tells me there's something special there.
But in the summer of 2013, my ex girlfriend and I played it on my 50 inch plasma through a framemeister and... it clicked. We played through the whole game and it became one of my favourite games of all time. It's actually the lynchpin to understanding treasure... I played their constellation of games but it wasn't until I played through this one that I really understood the unique quality that only their games possess.
So while I can understand why Bob doesn't get it... having not 'gotten it' for decades... I think there's hope. The trick is co-op + a free friday night. And Shane's rebuttal of "...you had to be there" isn't necessarily. There's something in GH that is timelessly enjoyable. Not only the fact that I 'got it' in 2013, but also that my non-gamer ex-girlfriend fell in love with it, tells me there's something special there.
charlequin
Banned
Finally got to the DS episode. When Jeremy finished listing his favorite 3 DS games I was like "The FUCK? Where's Etrian Odyssey?" Luckily he remembered pretty quick!
Great episode again. At the beginning you guys asked if any publishers still foster creativity, you forgot about Sony, they are still the most creative publisher. Who else would publish Hohokum, Flower, Journey, Tokyo Jungle, Unfinished Swa, Resogun or even bank roll David Cage's ideas. Nintendo may well make the most/best traditional like games, but they are a long way off where Sony are these days.
It is sad that games are indeed products of their time, and this episode has made it easier to let go of Mega Man and Castlevania
It is sad that games are indeed products of their time, and this episode has made it easier to let go of Mega Man and Castlevania
nckillthegrimace
Member
When was this last episode recorded? September?
I guess the main problem with relevancy happens when you start releasing games annually. The more a product is in your face, the less you want to see it. Games like Castlevania and Mega Man suffered from being released too often not to mention have no clear direction.
Nintendo have luckily seen that there is such a thing as too much Mario, the Mario series was my favourite series until we started getting Mario games twice a year. Sure they were good games but you can have too much of a good thing. Hopefully the next Mario game is a good year or more away.
Nintendo have luckily seen that there is such a thing as too much Mario, the Mario series was my favourite series until we started getting Mario games twice a year. Sure they were good games but you can have too much of a good thing. Hopefully the next Mario game is a good year or more away.
JasonUresti
Member
It's so bothersome every time these guys talk about the PC games. They so so rarely seem to know much at all when discussing old PC titles. Makes me wish Kat was on more often as she seems much more familiar with the PC.
That Macintosh upbringing can't be an albatross around your neck forever, Parish. Get thyself to Gog and fill in those terrible gaps in your video game history.
That Macintosh upbringing can't be an albatross around your neck forever, Parish. Get thyself to Gog and fill in those terrible gaps in your video game history.
Mudron
Member
Yeah, I don't remember there being much of a Zelda II backlash back in the day. If anything, Nintendo Power did a pretty good job whipping us fans into a frenzy that even a lot of the kids who didn't enjoy it as much as the first game just kind of shrugged their shoulders and soldiered on - it wasn't until years (and a good 3-4 Zelda games) later that folks really began to reach a retroactive "WTF was that about?" consensus about the game.
I had exactly the same reaction.
On the Sonic question I would say that Bob was right about three good Sonic games, but Sonic 3 should be replaced by Sonic CD.
I do think Sonic now works well as a runner game for mobile, I have had a lot of fun with Sonic Dash and now my kids all love playing Sonic Dash; so I think Sonic has found his place in the world now.
I do think Sonic now works well as a runner game for mobile, I have had a lot of fun with Sonic Dash and now my kids all love playing Sonic Dash; so I think Sonic has found his place in the world now.
Fenster Mayhew
Member
I actually did a ton of PC gaming in the 90s/00s and I'm planning for some of my future episodes to focus on this subject.
SonicMegaDrive
Member
The only backlash for Zelda II that I can remember back in the day was waiting months and months for the thing to finally get released in stores. The game itself was excellent.
Good on ya. I'm looking forward to hearing it.
Big Papa Husker
Member
Pretty good micro episode on Xenogears. I can't say I disagree even though it is one of my favorite PS rpgs.
Are there spoilers?
Fenster Mayhew
Member
Great episode, love it when the Laser Time guys are on.
Has Treasure's Tiny Toons PS2 game ever leaked?
Imbarkus
As Sartre noted in his contemplation on Hell in No Exit, the true horror is other members.
I honestly don't think the Sonic Advance games get enough respect, but yeah CD was definitely a top 3 title out of the series.
I think it's a far more interesting discussion to try to determine the bottom 3. So many to choose from...
That might be one of the hardest top threes to settle on, so many choices.
ToastyFrog
Inexplicable Treasure Hate
It's spoilers all the way down.
I don't think the guys gave ACME All Stars enough credit. It's an awesome game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qinCfv93R6o
Just a TON of characters to play as, each with their own unique special moves. A Really fun version of Basketball and Soccer where you can knock out other characters. A really goofy sports game that was way before the Mario Golfs and Mario Strikers types of games out there.
Also when trying to mention Genesis Konami games and coming up short, I expect that the Genesis Tiny Toons games and the SNES games were made by the respective Megadrive and SNES teams of Sparkster - again, another series that had completely different games under similar names.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qinCfv93R6o
Just a TON of characters to play as, each with their own unique special moves. A Really fun version of Basketball and Soccer where you can knock out other characters. A really goofy sports game that was way before the Mario Golfs and Mario Strikers types of games out there.
Also when trying to mention Genesis Konami games and coming up short, I expect that the Genesis Tiny Toons games and the SNES games were made by the respective Megadrive and SNES teams of Sparkster - again, another series that had completely different games under similar names.