Arrggh! A Video Game Podcast from The Waffling Taylors

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

It's time for us to dive back into video game movies, and this time we wanted to tackle the first CGI entry to the Resident Evil canon: Resident Evil Degeneration (aka "DE-GENERATION ZED!"). That's right, the games that started life as "Tank Jank" (as Squidge puts it) spawned several CGI movies, and this is the first in the series. But does it hold up against the Hollywood movies? There's only one way to find out.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a biopunk action horror movie and the games that it's based on we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

This episode has a few swears in it, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Squidge started the episode in his own, fantastic way:

In this episode, we cover the 2008 CGI video game movie Resident Evil: Degeneration. We chat about all manner of topics, including everything from snooty british accents to the zombie wrestling week.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil Degeneration - Death In The Departure Lounge". Oh my.

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Initial Thoughts

Whilst it got a (very) limited theatrical release, both Jay and Squidge first saw this on Blue-Ray DVDs—remember when Blu-Ray movies where a new thing?

Jay brought up some points about how this was Capcom's attempts to regain control from the ... big-ball-of-mud (shall we say) that is the Paul W. S. Anderson Resident Evil movies. But as he said in Resident Evil and the Paper Kimono:

— Jay

And whilst a lot of people initially reacted to the lack of horror aspects in this movie, Jay said that it's worth pointing out that this game came out between Resident Evil 4 and 5; putting it smack dab in the middle of the over-the-shoulder action-oriented phase of the games. And during this monologue (of sorts), Jay brought up the idea of revisiting "Resident Evil: Welcome To Racoon City" for the podcast because:

Because I feel like, I feel like it's been long enough now that the people who initially reacted when it first came out was like, "No, Leon's stupid in this movie." And "oh, oh, they used the Jill sandwich line too early," and all that kind of stuff. I'm talking about welcome to Raccoon City right there; [and the] detractors from that movie.

I think now that it's been a few years and now that it's no longer cool to [poop] on that movie, they're all going to be like, "nah, nah. I loved it when it first came out."

— Jay

The article that he mentioned can be found here, and an article which is more about gamers reactions to videogame movies can be found here. Both are worth a read.

But heading back to the movie in question, both Jay and Squidge had a ton of fun watching this movie.

And I said, "imagine Die Hard 2 meets Snakes On A Plane, meets Day Of The Dead and you've got it." That's essentially the movie

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, X, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Resident Evil: Degeneration on IMDB
• Resident Evil: Welcome to Racoon City
• We Need to Talk About Video Game Movies

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Prolific streamer Zunderscore joined the Jay and Squidge to talk about everything from red fedoras to Vincent Adultman, Muppetman, and three Squidges in a trenchcoat; with a healthy dose of video games, Thunder Plains, controller opinions, thoughts on being a content creator, and silliness

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Show Notes

In this episode, we are joined by our friend Zunderscore to have a good old chat and get to know him better, which had about all manner of topics, including everything from self randomizers, streaming, and three squidges in a trench coat. You'll just have to wait for it.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Zunderscore - Red Fedoras And Bathrobes: The Flip top Expansion To Streaming"

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

Shortly after Squidge's introduction, Jay decided that he wanted to cosplay as the RPD uniform-wearing wolf man himself. Which culminated in a conversation about Vincent Adultman, Muppetman, and three Squidges in a trenchcoat.

But after that, Jay asked Zunderscore to introduce himself:

As far as gaming goes, I have a love for a lot of different genres, but RPG's, platformers, a little bit of strategy, a little bit of roguelike, that kind of thing really, really appeals to me. So I'll do the retro thing every once in a while. I actually have a fun little setup for that, which I enjoy. So. Yeah.

— Zunderscore

And because Squidge spotted Zunderscore's red fedora in the background of his video, it kicked off a discussion on RedHat Fedora Linux, what it is, a high level description of how it differs from other Linux-on-the-desktop or Linux-on-the-server distros and how Zunderscore came to have an officially licensed Redhat red fedora.

With Zunderscore being both a developer and a, self-proclaimed, Microsoft fanboy, Squidge brought up that Jay is a Microsoft MVP and has been for almost three years. And Zunderscore brought up that Jay had interviewed one of Zunderscore's friends on an episode of The Modern .NET Show—which is Jay's other podcast.

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more game that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

And this episode was no different.

Zunderscore's Recent Games

• Never Grave: The Witch and The Curse
• Turnip Boy Robs a Bank

Squidge's Games

So one of the latest [Onechanbara titles] that they released was called, let me get the name right, "School Girl/Zombie Hunter". Now, the only description I'm going to give is, "lose the clothes and save your life." This is a survival of five high school girls happening in the world of Onechanbara. Right? This is not the game I've been playing.

I've been playing the budget game from Wish on the Nintendo network. That is called, and I quote, let me get the name right. "Anime Girls: Highschool of Dead".

I didn't buy this. I got it on some gold points that I had left over and I thought I wanted a laugh. It's meant to be a survival game with one music track with a load of unlockable characters... I pretty much figured out how to cheese it in about ten minutes.

— Squidge

• Anime Girls: Highschool of Dead
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

Jay's Recent Games

Jay had been playing lots of retro games on a freshly purchased Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, which you can see here running the PlayStation version of Final Fantasy VIII.

• Samurai Warriors
• Ratchet & Clank

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more quotes from the episode, some extra analysis, and loads of extra links.

Tell us on what you thought of this episode on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Firebot
• Zunderscore's links:
  • Website
  • Mastodon
  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • LiveSpace
• RedHat Fedora Linux
• Jay's MVP status page
• Jay's interview with Zunderscore's friend, Jeremy Sinclair

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podca...

Show Notes

Hi there,

I'm Delilah and I'd like to welcome you to a very special episode of The Waffling Taylors.

In case you didn't know, I'm a next-generation AI system, written by Jay, to help him and Squidge run the Waffling Taylors podcast. My speech synthesis still isn't 100% yet, but jay is working on things behind the scenes.

A little more information about me: did you know that my name is an acronym? It stands for "Dynamic Eccentric Logic Interface, Laughing Algorithm for Humour." Anyway, I've been waffling on for too long.

A Short Break

The reason that I'm releasing this episode is because Jay asked me to let you all know that we're taking a very short break throughout March. But don't worry, there's no need to panic as we'll be releasing brand new episodes from April 5th onwards.

So why are we taking a short break?

There are a few reasons for the break, but the main one is that Jay will be working in the United States for part of March, and even with RUSSELL and I, Squidge might not be able to run the podcast on his own.

We also want to take a few weeks to build up a small backlog of episodes, because any podcaster will tell you that you really need a backlog. If you don't have one, then you'll be left scrambling when life, uh, finds a way. Did you like my Dr. Ian Malcolm impression there?

A Few Recommended Shows

In the meantime, we'd like to recommend some shows that you can listen to in our stead. Each one of these shows is fantastic and is recommended by both Jay and Squidge.

Retro Wildlands

First of all, there's The Retro Wildlands. You'll know the host, Nomad, from his many appearances on our show. Those episodes are:

• 158: Requiem for a Jill Sandwich with Nomad
• 170: Resident Evil 4 with Nomad
• and 174: Resident Evil 3 Anniversary - Traffic Jam Burrito

My name is Nomad, and in each episode of the show, I invite you all to sit down by the campfire and take a load off. Using music and sound effects from each game, I'm going to fill your head and your heart with sweet, sweet nostalgia as I take you through the opening parts of your favourite video games and share what I think about it all.
This show is great if you're looking to go down memory lane, but it's also done in such a way that if you've never played the game I'm talking about before, you'll have a good idea what you're getting into.

So far we've covered games like Contra: "You start firing right in front of you. It just takes one shot to waste the idiot coming towards you. As you're running, you hold the directional pad down and to the right so. You can fire at an angle."

Batman on the NES: "The game officially begins and we're taken to the first stage. Batman lands on the ground, performing your standard issue superhero landing, and control is given to the player. Alright, it's time to fight some crime"

And Metal Gear solid: "Got it. Okay, I'm ready to go. After the codex screen closes out, snake. Gets to his feet and control is. Given to the player. Alright, Wildlanders, it is mission time."

So join up with our expedition. I'm excited to have you along. Anytime you want to venture into the gaming Wildlands, you are always welcome by the campfire, and I'm hoping I see you there.

Until then, my friend, my name is Nomad, and you can find me roaming the Retro Wildlands.

— Nomad

Capes on the Couch

Then there's Capes on the Couch. Anthony, who is one of the hosts of this show has been on the show a few times, too. His episodes were:

• 149: Couching the Capes with Anthony
• 160: Mortal Kombat - Leg-Fu for the Win
• and 171: Mega Man 2 with Anthony

Dr. Issues: And I'm Dr. Issues

Anthony: And we're the hosts of Capes on the Couch podcast where comics get counselling.

Dr. Issues: Superheroes don't always get to go home happy. That's where we come in.

Anthony: We offer psychiatric and mental health evaluation of comic book characters.

Dr. Issues: We also chat with some of your favourite creators:

Various: Al Ewing, Erica Schultz, Gilson, Philip Kenley Johnson, Chris Claremont

Dr. Issues: about their work on comics.

Anthony: So check out all our episodes at Capes on the Couch and follow us. Capes on the couch on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Both: #BecauseComics`

— Capes on the Couch

Pixel Project Radio

Pixel Project Radio is another fantastic show that we think you should check out.

At the time of Squidge and I collaborating on this episode, they have a great multi-part series about Final Fantasy IX. There are four episodes out at the moment and each is over 2 hours long. It's great stuff.

We'll Be Back

Anyway, we'll be back in April, assuming Jay can get over the jet lag quickly. I'll hand over to Jay for the outro now, but remember to check the show notes for links to all of the podcasts I've talked about. Anyway, this is Delilah signing off.

We have another 180 episodes or seven years of our podcast for you to check out. And we have a section called Those Games We Played, which lists every game we've ever mentioned, how many times we've mentioned it, and what we've said about them.

We have socials. They'll be in the links too. We've got Twitter or X, whichever one you want to call it. We've got discord—you will also find the details for that in the description.
We also stream on Twitch from time to time, and you can find our previous streams and silly videos on our YouTube channel.

So do come check us out.

— Jay

External Links of Interest

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 5 years since the Resident Evil 2 Remake came out? Neither could we, so we brought Nomad back onto the show to discuss it with us. Remember the "we do it" t-shirts? Remember the months of speculation? Remember that first time you booted the game?

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

In this episode, we are joined by OG Waffler and long-time friend of the show Lulu to to talk about the anniversary of Final Fantasy eight on the PS one. In this episode, we cover everything from triple triad addiction, bazooka abuse and the original Selphie.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Resident Evil 2 Remake with Nomad - The Spirit Is Strong, But The Ammo Is Scarce."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

That's right! This episode is all about Final Fantasy VIII. Some say that it's the black sheep, or weird middle child of the group of 90's J-RPGs created by SquareSoft for the PlayStation; but, as you'll find out in this episode, it's the favourite of both Jay and Lulu—with Final Fantasy IX in a very close second for everyone in the episode.

All that set up and Jay fumbled at the 10 yard line:

— Squidge

This time, the lads were joined by Nomad of The Retro Wildlands—someone who seems to be on the show talking about Resident Evil a lot, and he is loved very much for it.

But before the show could start properly, Jay asked Nomad to introduce his show:

And the whole premise: I'm going back and playing some older video games that maybe I played when I was a kid, or maybe I missed out on them and I'm playing them for the first time as an adult. So my show is kind of me talking about those games and my experiences.

But as I've evolved over time, my show has kind of turned into I'm taking the listener through the game itself, maybe the opening level, let's say, and I'll try to bring back some of those nostalgic tinglies, if you will, using music and sound effects and things like that.

But if you've never played that game before, this is a great way to learn about a game that maybe you want to dabble in and don't want to dive in headfirst. You want someone to tell you kind of how it is, and that's what I do.
So the Retro Wildlands is available on all the major pod platforms. I made a link tree. linktr.ee/retrowildlands will get you to all our social links.

I say "our," but it's just me. Me and my dog Dee Dee's.

— Nomad

Initial Thoughts on The Remake

Before any deep dive conversation, it's always a good idea to get a starting position, and that's what Jay wanted to know:

But I replayed the game start to finish twice when I knew that we were going to get together and talk about the game. And I was very excited to dive back into that world, and I was very happy with how everything stood the test of time. Granted, it was only five years, but "fresh" is probably the best word, I think so. I think people, even though this game is five years old at this point, if you go into this experience now, it's going to be just like when it first launched.

Fresh, new, exciting. Mwah. Chef's kiss

— Nomad

And Squidge:

Ever since that night, I still stand by this. What I'm about to say is, "Mr. X, you're a prick." That sums up Resident Evil two pretty nicely: dude's a prick.

— Squidge

Because Squidge had brought up Mr. X, and how he'd modded the original model out for both the Goose from Untitled Goose Game and the Macho Man Randy Savage, it was only right that Jay brought up the short series of episodes which were recorded as Squidge made his way through the game.

Those episodes are:

• Grenade to The Face! (recorded when Squidge was 25% through the game)
• Ada Wait! (recorded when Squidge was 50% through the game)
• The Fall of Mr. X (recorded when Squidge was 100% through the game)

Jay goes on to talk about how the RE Engine ("Reach for the Moon Engine") hasn't just been used for the Resident Evil remakes, it's also been used on several other titles like DmC: Devil May Cry. And for those who are interested in finding out about the (deeply) technical (as in programming) details of the engine, Jay brought up a talk from one of devs the team about what upgrading to C# ("See Sharp") 8: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDUY90yIC7U

For those who don't know, Jay produces and hosts The Modern .NET Show, so he's always looking into things relating to both C# and .NET. Because of this, the video not only piqued his interest but blew him away.

The video is entirely in Japanese, but there are English subtitles so you can follow along if you'd like.

Which means they've released patches for Devil May Cry remake, Resident Evil 2 remake, Resident Evil 3, that makes it use less power or is more efficient, things like that. So they haven't actually done anything. They've just updated the tools that they use, which is pretty damn cool.

— Jay

And, of course, Jay brings up the question that's on everyone's minds

— Jay

Full Show Notes

Make sure...

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Can you believe that it's been 25 years since Final Fantasy VIII first came out? We couldn't either, so we asked Lulu to come back on the show to discuss what some people call the "weird, middle child" in Square's PlayStation Final Fantasy trilogy. Rest assured, we think FF VIII is the bomb.

This is a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes.

Content Warning

There are a few swears in this episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

In this episode, we are joined by OG Waffler and long-time friend of the show Lulu to to talk about the anniversary of Final Fantasy eight on the PS one. In this episode, we cover everything from triple triad addiction, bazooka abuse and the original Selphie.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Final Fantasy VIII Anniversary - Phantom Dick Pain."

Take it away guys.

— Squidge

That's right! This episode is all about Final Fantasy VIII. Some say that it's the black sheep, or weird middle child of the group of 90's J-RPGs created by SquareSoft for the PlayStation; but, as you'll find out in this episode, it's the favourite of both Jay and Lulu—with Final Fantasy IX in a very close second for everyone in the episode.

Speaking (well, writing) of which, Lulu joined the lads for this episode:

— Squidge

And Lulu broke in with:

— Lulu

Lulu needed to join the lads for the 25th ANNIVERSARY of Final Fantasy VIII. But not just because it's Lulu's favourite entry in the PlayStation Final Fantasy games, but also because it's the game that Jay and her met and bonded over. Meaning that it's a celebration of 25 years of friendship, too

But that means that it was also a time for the three of them to shout at clouds:

— Squidge

Not too big of an ask.

— Lulu

We did too, Lulu.

— Jay

The episode was broken into several shorter conversations, all prompted by Squidge's list of questions. The first of which was:

Describe Final Fantasy VIII In Three Words

— Jay

Says it all, really.

— Lulu

Whilst Jay's was subjective, Lulu's was objective and perfect.

And Squidge's had more truth than anything else:

— Squidge

And that sparked a conversation about Triple Triad and how it can't hurt you (or can it?).

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Dollet
• X-ATM902
• Faye Wong
• yakisoba pan
• Laguna Loire
• Predestination paradox

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Discord server, Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

We finally did it: we took on the Street Fighter II animated movie. But is it any good, what's with those easter eggs, what's going on with Zangeif's shins, did we really watch one of the most realistic home invasion scenes in a video game movie, and (most importantly) how did we rate the movie?

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

This is actually a sample of the full show notes - make sure to click here to check out the full show notes..

Content Warning

As this is an episode about a both PG13 rated movie, a fighting game that it's based on, and the fact that there are scenes with... shall we say "fan service", we'd advise a little caution for this episode. There's nothing explicitly terrible in this episode, but the subject matter can be pretty rough.

There are a few swears toward the end of the episode, but none which should be too offensive.

Please listen responsibly.

Show Notes

Remember when they talked about the Hollywood made Street Fighter movie back in episode 95 with Z-Boi? Well, Squidge and Jay wanted to tackle the Japanese animated movie which came out before it.

But before that, Squidge broke in with a great intro of his own:

In this episode, me and Jay cover the 1994 animated movie Street Fighter II. We cover everything from realistic fear and tension, derpy face fighters and Sith lords. Yes, I said Sith Lords. You'll have to listen out for it.

So without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Street Fighter II - Vintage Testosterone and Walnut Cracking Thighs". Oh my.

Enjoy.

— Squidge

Basic Info on the Movie

And before they could talk about the movie, Squidge dropped the bomb that it came out 30 years ago—or longer, if you're listening in the future—which caused Jay to do some fist shaking at clouds:

— Jay

But fret not, as it's only 20 years since Final Fantasy X was released. So there's that.

And Squidge continues with the knowledge drops by giving us some background on the movie:

Street Fighter II Turbo came out on the Genesis or Mega Drive, depending on where you are, in February 1994. So a certain character being in the movie is an Easter egg. But I digress.

To see an uncut, uncensored version of this film, you would have to wait till 2006, when The japanese version of the film was released so everyone could get a hold of it. And that was uncensored and uncut because there's a particular scene or series of sequences that were cut for "British Sensibilities." It wasn't too bad in the States, but certain things were still cut as well.

— Squidge

And that certain character is...

Initial Thoughts

There is no way that gamers of a certain vintage and demographic (one that both Squidge and Jay are both part of) will have not played Street Fighter II, and as Jay says:

Whereas Street Fighter the [Hollywood] movie...

— Jay

And Z-Boi summed up the Hollywood movie pretty well when he said:

— Z-Boi

However, where the animated movie sticks closely to the plot, it doesn't have a woman running around amid chaos holding a shoe, or a Shadaloo soldier cradling his favourite gun rather intimately.

And Jay sums up his feelings about this movie (which he hadn't seen before making this episode) vs the Hollywood movie in this way:

But this movie is just like, if you were lucky enough in 1994 to see this one and then go see the live action one. I am so sorry, because I saw them the other way around. Like, I never saw the animated movie until we did it for this [episode], right. And so I'd seen the live action movie in my childhood. We saw it together as kids. We watched it again for when we did the episode with Z Boy.

But I'd never seen the animated movie. And I am so glad that I saw them in this order because let me tell you, folks, the Hollywood movie is such a let down after you've seen this one.

— Jay

Whereas Squidge was more succinct in his description:

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Make sure to check out the full show notes for more discussion on the points we raise, some extra meta-analysis, some out-of-context screen grabs from the movie, and some links to related things.

What other movies would you like us to cover? Let us know on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

psst. we've done a bunch of these "goes to the movies" episodes. Check this page to see all of the released specials.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Street Fighter II on IMDB
• Akuma

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or...

Join Jay as he flings his boomerang into the face of Dr. Wiley's evil robot... what? We're not talking about Mega Man? Sure looks like a Mega Man game. Anyway, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Episode Transcription

Get ready to power up your nostalgia! In this solo episode of The Waffling Taylors, we're diving head-first into the 8-bit wonders of the NES classic, Power Blade (or its Japanese counterpart, Power Blazer). It's time to explore the highs, lows, and everything in between in the latest instalment of our 'Worth a Try' mini-series.

So, grab your power suit and let's embark on a pixelated journey filled with boomerangs, robots, and a whole lot of retro gaming goodness!

Let's do this.

What Is It?

Power Blade is a NES game that I genuinely think that Mega Man fans should check out; if they haven't already that is. I mean, imagine if the Mighty Kid himself was less a robotic boy created by Dr. Thomas Light (or Right, if you're Japanese) and more a tank-top wearing 80's action movie hero very much akin to Arnold Schwarzenegger? And what if Mega Man's trust arm cannon blaster was replaced with a boomerang?

I feel like I'm getting ahead of myself here, so let's dial it back a bit.

Back in 1990, Natsume/Taito wanted to make a Mega Man II clone; their clone would be called Power Blazer, and would be very much like the second outing for the Knuckle Kid himself. It used a similar design aesthetic, similar enemies and similar level layouts. And looking at the critical reviews of Mega Man II, you can see why they wanted to - Famitsu gave it a 28/40, Mean Machines a 95%, and Total! an 83%, and it has sold 1.5 million copies worldwide. Who wouldn't want a piece of that action.

And so Power Blazer was released to the Japanese public.

Power Blazer was slightly different to Mega Man II in that it had a linear story - where the Mega Man games would traditionally allow you to pick any starting stage - and the main character had a boomerang, rather than an arm cannon blaster - as I said earlier.

Between its Japanese and North American releases however, the game had a full rework. The design aesthetic was changed from the cutesy Mega Man II-inspired look and feel to that of an 80s action movie. Almost everything about the game changed, except for the UI, the music, and the story. The player character, named Nova in both versions, was swapped from a Rockman look-a-like to an Arnold Schwarzenegger style hero.

In either game, it's the player's job to collect 6 computer tapes (this was a game made at the tail end of the 80's after all), and use them to override the security around the Master Computer's Control Center. Once there, the player simply needs to beat the Master Computer.

In the Western Release of Power Blade, the player could choose the order of the stages (even replaying some of the completed stages if they wanted), but also had to meet with double agents in the stages before they could take on that stage's boss and nab the security tape.

Sounds simple, eh?

Well, Power Blade is a pretty tough game and rewards players who know the routes around the stages.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Power Blade — Not a Mega Man Clone, At All
• Power Blade soundtrack

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

Mo, of The Squonk & The Hag Podcast joined Jay and Squidge to talk about hangover/Christmas chillout games, glue guns, not liking people, how to test whether you are a hotdog or not, and general hilarity. All this and more in our festive 2023 episode.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

Today we are joined by Mo from The Squank and the Hag podcast to talk about Christmassy games and things

Strap yourselves in, people. This pod isn't like any Christmas special out there. So sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled Christmas with more wrong side. "Christmas with Mo - Wrong Side, Flip Me Over."

Enjoy.

— Squidge

This episode introduced a rather confused (at first) guest: Mo. Mo first thought that she was Jay, and Jay thought he was Jay, too. Which led to much hilarity and confusion. But Mo then introduced herself and her podcast thusly - that's right, the show notes can sometimes be eloquent and that

We talk about folktales, cryptids, anything that can go bump in the night. So that could be a serial killer that actually has been convicted and in jail, or that could be some legend tale of that creepy thing outside your window at night.

So I have a co-host. His name is Kraken or Krako. Everybody kind of just has fun with his name. He's also referred to as "crackhead" but he's my best friend, and we have known each other for years, so we have that probably very similar dynamic to the two of you guys, where it's a lot of just silliness and comfortable hanging out with friends and telling a story at the same time.

So it's a lot of fun. We say "we" it's the team, but that always sounds like we're paying people, but we have friends who also help out. So people who research stories for us, social media ideas, merch, all that kind of stuff. But it's fun. It's all just friends and for fun and all that.

...

And I guess outside of that, if you want to know about me, I don't like to leave the house. I do a lot of crafting. I do everything from knitting and crochet to building d and d terrain, painting miniatures. I learned how to cast resin so I can make my own dice. So I just do a lot of crafting and just like being creative and married with four cats. So there's that. But it's fun.

— Mo

Because it's the Christmas episode, Squidge brought up the topic of his rather spiffy hat. And a spiffy hat it is, indeed. But talk of the festive season, spiffy hats, and knitted hats for cat ears - you'll have the listen to the episode, trust - the subject of Squidge's mighty Christmas Cactus came up, and how because Mo has multiple cats, she doesn't have a Christmas Tree

— Mo

And because Mo brought up her custom neon sign which reads... you guessed it, "Mo," Squidge brought up the custom pro-wrestling belt that he got for Jay in March of this year - 2023, in case you're reading this in the future. Also, hello future person!

Holiday Hangover Games

As we venture further, the air is thick with the scent of both triumph and culinary failure. Aunt Mildred's fruitcake, once a brave culinary experiment, has now achieved legendary status as the only fruitcake to be declared as a biohazard. Meanwhile, Grandma is serenely snoring on the couch, draped in tinsel like the queen of a Christmas jungle.

In the kitchen, where the remnants of a feast now lie in glorious disarray, the turkey carcass looks like it's been through a Christmas war zone. Mashed potatoes have found a new home on the ceiling. And the once proud elf-on-a-shelf is now hanging from the chandelier with a faraway look in its eyes as if to say, "you weren't there."

So with that in mind, let's talk about holiday hangovers.

...

So in case you couldn't guess from that, the sort of theme of this is, like: what games we play at Christmas, what games we play when we're hungover, if we are hungover, that kind of thing. Sort of comfy games that you sit there with a blanket, that kind of thing. If the cats aren't wreaking havoc on the house or you're not having to clear up too much biohazardous material from the day before. That's the whole theme of this episode

— Squidge

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for Squidge's Cross Stitches corner, some extra stuff, and some links to related things. And reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Mo's
  • podcast: The Squank and the Hag
  • Twitter
  • Insta
  • Twitch
• PAX Unplugged
• Deadpool, but it's Ed, Edd n Eddy
• Behind The Mic: The Waffling Taylors
• Carmen Miranda
• Shaking Hands With Celebrities For As Long As Possible | Banzai
• You Suck at Cooking
• Ten Hours of Nick Offerman's 'Yule Log’

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We'd really like...

We wanted to ask CJ about comfort games: games you like to play when we're just comfy and we're vegging and we just want to shut out the outside world and just go get a load of snacks. So get your snacks, get comfy, and curl up whilst we talk about those games we played.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Show Notes

In this episode, we are joined by CJ from the Mystery Stone and PhiloSofa Talk podcasts to talk about comfy games. We chat about all manner of comfy games, including everything from frankly insane gameplay challenges no Fill Yoshi and smack talking Gam-gams.

So, without further ado, sit back, grab some snacks, and get ready for this episode entitled "Comfy Games with CJ, Pajama Paladins, and a comfy quest marathon."

Enjoy.

— Squidge

CJ made his return to the show in this episode - you may remember him from the episode we did on Borderlands. But before he could talk with CJ, Squidge wanted to bring attention to Jay's glorious moustache - sadly, the 'stache had to be shaved off between recording this episode and it being released - CJ was asked to introduce himself, and he had this to say:

I do have a question about the moustache, though. How long can you smell dinner after you're done eating?

— CJ

And an unrelated comment from Jay on his moustache from a few moments later:

When I first started growing it, I was aiming for a Ted Lasso. And then one of my friends pointed out, it's what happens if you order Freddie Mercury from Wish, right? Bargain bucket. Freddie Mercury

— Jay

And the topic of conversation quickly changed to CJ's podcasts:

And PhiloSofa Talk is just a freeform conversation about modern philosophy. It's a pretty new show. I'll have the second episode uploaded in a couple of days. But we take classical concepts all the way back, Taoist times, pre-Tao Te Ching, all the way through Greek and up to modern times and apply those concepts to modern day problems and issues and inside thought. And basically, like, the idea is, like, we don't want to do research, so we take what we already know about philosophy, and then we just interview people and just kind of see how people feel. So there's, like, no wrong answers. And it's nice. It's like a way to express your opinions and get your thoughts out without having to worry about a debate.

— CJ

A quick note on something Jay said about "just stream": he meant Just Watch, which is a web service that indexes all of the shows and movies available across all of the main digital platforms and provides links to where you can LEGALLY watch pretty much anything that has ever been released.

Recent Games

The Recent Games segment will not be new to listeners, but in case you're new to the show here's how it goes: we go round the table and discuss one or more game that we've been playing recently, and whether we think it's worth the listeners checking it out. We continue to do this until we've run out of games to discuss.

And this episode was no different.

CJs's Recent Games

• Fortnite
• Minecraft
• Mario Kart Tour
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Hollow Knight

CJ wanted to quickly talk about mobile gaming, too; and this reminded Jay of Army of Darkness: Defense - a tower defence game based on Army of Darkness (aka the third Evil Dead movie). Sadly this game no longer runs on modern Android devices.

• Monster Hunter Now

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for Squidge's Cross Stitches corner, some extra stuff, and some links to related things. And reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi
• Mystery Stone
• Just Watch (what Jay called "Just Stream")
• Lutris
• VG Myths - Can You Beat Final Fantasy With A White Mage?
• Nuzlocke
• Heraclitus
• Microsoft Excel World Championship
• Jay's Runaway game
• Borderlands With CJ

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We'd really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia

Join Squidge as he relives the joys of fighting for justice in the fiery streets of 90s gaming. From infectious soundtracks and buttery-smooth controls to hilariously fun boss battles and sibling rivalries, this episode is a hilarious celebration of the pixelated nostalgia that made Streets of Rage Two a beloved classic.

Remember that you can always get in touch with us on our Facebook page, on Twitter, or with our Contact page.

Episode Transcription

Let me tell you of the epic tale of Streets of Rage 2, a game that not only rocked the gaming world back in the 90s, but continues to tantalizingly tickle our nostalgia bones today. It's a story of sibling rivalries, pixelated brawls, breaking barrels, and a street so enraged it would make the Incredible Hulk pee his pants.

So sit back, grab some snacks, and let me tell you, in a nutshell, why Streets of Rage 2 is worth your time.

Let's do this.

So, Streets of Rage 2. It was the early 90s, and if you weren't playing Sonic the Hedgehog, you were probably hanging out with the gang Axel, Blaze, Max and Skate - who sounds more like a hip-hop dance move than a character name. Let's not get bogged down with the names. Let's just talk about what made this game truly unforgettable.

First thing I've got to mention: soundtrack.

Streets of Rage 2 had a banging soundtrack that was just so infectious. You'd catch yourself humming it during meetings or in school - I was a kid back then - maybe in the middle of a budget review or a geography class, for example. And suddenly it's like you're back in those pixelated, rage filled streets, bashing thugs over the head with lead pipes and rightfully kicking them in the shins while you pick up the apples from trash cans. Gonna be honest, not the most hygienic place to find your fruit. But hey, if you're in the middle of a brawl, you take what you can get. I mean, let's face it, it's a load better than eating trash can turkeys. Looking at you, Metro City.

And speaking of brawls, gameplay was just legendary. You couldn't beat it. I mean, the controls were so smooth, it was like butter on hot toast... or hot butter on cold toast.

You walk up to a thug, bop him in the face, and then send him flying with a spinning kick. A "rent a car" (grand upper) or a "hub cheeky". Simple, easy to learn, hard to master. Soon you'd be throwing thugs into the throng of gang members, with great glee and giggles all around. It was a bit like playing a superhero. A pixelated, buff as hell, hard as nails superhero. And that's what we all wanted, you know, the simple life.

Let's not forget the story, shall we.

Full Show Notes

Check out the full show notes for some extra stuff, and some links to related things.

Reach out to us on Discord, Twitter, Facebook, or try our brand-new contact page.

Links of Interest

• Join our Discord server and be part of future episodes
• Our Facebook page
• Us on Twitter
• Support us on Ko-Fi

Signing Off... For Now

And have you left us a rating or review? We really like to hear back from listeners about our show, so check out https://wafflingtaylors.rocks/our-podcast/ for links to services where you can leave us some wonderful feedback.

The Waffling Taylors is a proud member of Jay and Jay Media. If you like this episode, please consider supporting our Podcasting Network. One $3 donation provides a week of hosting for all of our shows. You can support this show, and the others like it, at https://ko-fi.com/jayandjaymedia