Backwards Compatible

By Dan Kemp

Welcome to "Backwards Compatible: A Generation 'S' Podcast," your new go-to destination for diving deep into the golden era of video games. Formerly known as "Generation 'S'," we've honed our focus

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FAQs about Backwards Compatible:

How many episodes does Backwards Compatible have?

The podcast currently has 131 episodes available.

Backwards Compatible episodes:

February 22, 2023 Interview with Goosebumps Illustrator Tim Jacobus
Want a shout out on the show? Shoot us a text and share your thoughts, game suggestions, etc.!
Awhile back, I released a couple of Goosebumps episode with my buddy, Dan Vorbeck. Goosebumps books were such a big part of our lives for a good portion of our childhood, but not just for the stories themselves. Don't get me wrong, R.L. Stine definitely had a knack for creeping out young adults, but what made the books even better was the artwork on the cover. Time and time again, I would flip back to the front of the book to admire it, and then resume whatever chapter I was on. Whether it was the details in the texture of the Haunted Mask, or the sheen on the face of Slappy the Dummy, the artwork of every Goosebumps book was top notch.

So at the end of 2022, when I had the opportunity to interview the illustrator of all of the original Goosebumps books, Tim Jacobus, you KNOW I couldn't resist. We had a great conversation just before the holidays, and I am so excited to finally be able to share that conversation with you, right here, on Generation 'S'.

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1h 11min
February 15, 2023 School Dances in the 2000s
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So let's take it back about 20 years. It's the early 2000s, and high school dances are all the rage. From homecoming to winter formals, these events were the highlight of the school year. Kids would gather in the school gym, either ready to bust out moves they saw on The Wade Robson Project (remember that show?), or just stand in a corner with their friends, judging everybody else.
The DJ was playing songs that were a mix of classic hits from the '80s and '90s, along with the latest pop and hip-hop tracks.

And before we even got to the dance, ladies you might have spent hours getting ready, experimenting with different hairstyles and makeup looks, all of which usually involved body glitter. Fellas, let's be honest, we usually kept it simple, maybe a t-shirt and jeans, unless the occasion called for something a little more polished.
And let's not forget about slow dances, which were a crucial moment for someone to make their move on someone they were totally crushing on. And as the night drew to a close, we'd all head home, exhausted but happy, with memories that would last a lifetime.

So kick back and enjoy as Beth and I reminisce about our experience with school dances in the early 2000s!
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Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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55min
February 08, 2023 90s Rom Coms
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In the 90s, and early 2000s, there was a genre of film that took the world by storm. These movies could make you laugh AND make you cry, all in the span of about 90 minutes. They laid the foundation for what every person wanted to strive for in a relationship with their significant others, for better or for worse.

And if you haven't figured it out yet, based on the title of the episode, I'll tell it to you straight. Romantic Comedy movies (aka Rom-Com) that rose to prominence over 30 years ago, and then fizzled out in the late 2000s. But for a period of about 15 years, The Rom Com was King. And since Valentine's Day is right around the corner, what better time to talk about one of the true relics of our Generation.

So grab a bouquet of flowers, sign into your AOL email account to see if You've Got Mail, and listen to a great conversation between myself and my good friend Lara, as we dissect Rom Com's of the 90s!

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Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 7min
February 01, 2023 Sports in the 90s
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So this may, or may not, come as a shock to you, but growing up, I was never a big fan of sports, either playing, or watching them. But, it's pretty safe to say that sports have been entwined in our culture and society for over a century at this point, but during the 90s, it was taken to a whole new level. Not only did you have dominant teams in all of the major professional sports, but you also started seeing athletes in commercials, movies and TV shows, PLUS let's not forget about the HUGE uptick in merchandise. You had jackets, action figures, video games, you name it.

On this week's episode of the podcast, Lou Carnevale makes his return, and we're diving a little deeper on the topic of Sports in the 90s, from the players, to the teams, to the merch. This episode has actually been HIGHLY requested, and I'm so excited we finally got to put it out there. So grab your favorite beverage and some Totino's pizza rolls, and enjoy two very different perspectives on sports!
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We've got merch!

Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 26min
January 25, 2023 NICK at NITE (Part 4 of the New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza)
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As a kid, at the end of a long day, which usually consisted of school, homework, dinner, maybe a bit of video game time, how did you end your day? Did you plop in front of the TV? Probably, right? Well, if you grew up in the 90s, and Nickelodeon was one of the only channels you watched, you may recall a block of programming that came on right around bedtime, and was made up of nothing but old shows. Like, REALLY old shows. Like, the shows that were so old, your parents probably watched them as a kid. Like, SO old, they were mostly in black and white!

Well that, my friends, was what was affectionately known as 'Nick at Nite', and what better way to wrap up an entire month dedicated to that Big Orange Splat than to talk about the shows that were on TV when you were just about to hit the hay. The shows of yesteryear, making a comeback on the airwaves, and giving your parents a bit of that nostalgia that you might be feeling now, as you listen to this podcast.

So nestle down, grab the clicker, and kick your feet up in your favorite La-Z-Boy, as Beth and I turn back the clock a few decades, to simpler times. It's Nick at Nite, on Generation 'S'!
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Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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57min
January 18, 2023 SNICK (New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza Part 3)
Want a shout out on the show? Shoot us a text and share your thoughts, game suggestions, etc.!
When it came to Nickelodeon in the late 90s and early 2000s, you had something for pretty much everybody. You had the cartoons (Nicktoons), the game shows and sports (Nick GaS), and you had shows for the older crowd, in a weekly programming block called SNICK. Every Saturday night, older kids could watch anything from sitcoms (Clarissa Explains it All) to sketch comedy shows (All That) to scary stories (Are You Afraid of the Dark). Seriously, it was one of the best 2-hour blocks of TV in the 90s. AND it’s what we’re covering this week in Part 3 of the New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza!

I also have a very special guest this week, Ty from the Whiskeylodeon Podcast!

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Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 18min
January 11, 2023 Nickelodeon Games & Sports (New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza Part 2)
Want a shout out on the show? Shoot us a text and share your thoughts, game suggestions, etc.!
It's Part 2 of the New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravanga, and I only have one question for you -- D-d-d-do ya HAVE IT? Sports and game shows on Nickelodeon went hand in hand with their animated offerings, especially in the late 90s. So on this week’s episode of the podcast, Derek joins me once again, as we reminisce about all the…guts (see what I did there?) and glory that made up Nick GaS.

Olmec, are you ready?

Let’s ROCK!

Support the show
We've got merch!

Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 17min
January 04, 2023 Nicktoons in the 90s (New Year's Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza Part 1)
Want a shout out on the show? Shoot us a text and share your thoughts, game suggestions, etc.!
Happy New Year! Can you believe we made it 2023? I hope you’ve got a great year planned, but we certainly do, here on the podcast, and we’re kicking off the year with something very special, something very near and dear to my heart, a TRUE pillar of my childhood, and probably yours too. That’s right, I’m talking about Nickelodeon. Each episode this month will cover a different area of the Big Orange, in what we’re calling the New Year’s Nonstop Nickelodeon Extravaganza. So kick back, relax, and enjoy, as my buddy Derek and I talk all about Nicktoons in the 90s.
Support the show
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Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 23min
December 28, 2022 New Year’s Eve (in the 90s)
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What do you remember about New Year’s Eve back in the 90s and early 2000s? Were you allowed to stay up until midnight? Maybe you ate a bunch of junk food and drank sparkling grape juice?

On this episode, my lovely wife Beth and I reminisce about this backseat holiday, because while it maybe wasn’t as big of an ordeal as Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, there’s still a LOT to talk about, so sit back and join me and Beth as we wax nostalgic of New Year’s Eves of the past!
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We've got merch!

Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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58min
December 21, 2022 Christmas (in the 90s)
Want a shout out on the show? Shoot us a text and share your thoughts, game suggestions, etc.!
First of all, Happy Holidays! Whether you're in the Christmas Spirit, the Hanukkah Happy Place, or the Kwanzaa Collective Thoughts of Joy (still working on that last one), I hope you're enjoying this time of year as much as I am.

This episode, I caught up with Dan Vorbeck, and we reminisced about our own Ghosts of Christmas Past. We cover everything from family traditions, to movies and TV specials, to delicious Christmas food, and wrap things up with Dan Vorbeck's Top 10 Christmas gifts of his childhood.

We also address a burning question that I'm sure you yourself have asked: "IS there a wrong way to eat a candy cane? "

Enjoy!
Support the show
We've got merch!

Check out the site for some awesome Gen 'S' swag :)

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1h 42min

FAQs about Backwards Compatible:

How many episodes does Backwards Compatible have?

The podcast currently has 131 episodes available.