Our latest episode includes a very special in-studio guest, Jason (@kilgore_trout1 on Instagram).  Jason is a Michigan native who was kind enough to come into the LJN studio to discuss one his favorite games of all-time:  Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.  

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And did we have a lot to talk about.  We get into the story of the sequel to one of the best-selling NES games ever and unearth such mysteries as "who's the girl in the bed sleeping behind Link every time I start this game?" and "why are all of these jackasses trying to kill me?"

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We hope that you'll tune in and give it a listen.  And you don't even REALLY have to listen..  You could start playing the episode in your podcast aggregator of choice and turn the volume all the way down.  It's fine with us.  

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Thank you for your support.. we appreciate everyone of you!  Also, please rate us five stars on iTunes and we will be your friends.. or we WON'T be your friends if that's more compelling. 

In the pantheon of retro video games, conversations around sports games are regarded as ELITE.  There's no disputing this irrefutable fact.  On a completely unrelated note, our latest epsiode IS a sports game:  R.B.I. Baseball for the NES.  

So make sure to tune in and listen to us discuss the most compelling of all forms of video game entertainment. 

Thank you for listening!  We love and appreciate you all.  

P.S. Sorry for the delay in getting this one out.  Mike was on vacation which apparently means everyone is on vacation. :|

Have you ever thought to yourself "I love the zombie killing and on-rails shooter experience of The House of the Dead series, but I have really poor aim"?  Do you find yourself looking for a good way to practice your home row typing skills and have an insatiable urge to become more accurate and proficient at typing on a keyboard?

The year is 1992 and you work for a marketing company.  It's your job to help market and sell mediocre games from an average developer and publisher.  A package arrives with a single Super Nintendo prototype.  You have to ask your son what to do with it because your job is to sell games, not play them.  He sets you up and you take a look at a pretty average side-scrolling space shooter.  You head to the bathroom because that is where you do your best work.  As you traverse through the doorway, you slip and hit your head on the toilet.  

While laying face down on the cold linoleum floor, you have a vision.. a vision of a man.  He's an older man. Some would call him a "salt of the Earth" kind of guy, wearing a flannel shirt and denim bib overalls.  A brown fedora lays gracefully on his distinguished head.  His best friend, a dog, is by his side and, with his thick grey beard, he saunters in unassumingly and sits down.  

Suddenly, a ship screams into view.  It's so bright you can barely make out that it's an A-144 Enforce Fighter.   A bolt of lightning cracks through the starlit sky.  Knocked off of your feet, you gather yourself and look back to the man in the chair to see that he is now holding the most powerful musical instrument in the world:  

The Banjo

It's at this very moment that you awake from your concussed blackout and scream "THAT'S IT!" as you're strapped a gurney and placed in the back of an ambulance. 

And thus the legend of Phalanx was born...  

Kung Fu* for the NES.  According to Sashimi-Z, this is the "crown jewel of the black box NES games". 

Tune in to see if Jay, John, Mike, and Robby agree.  Also, listen in to hear friend of the show and NES programmer extraordinaire clearvus drop in to discuss his pickups.   It's a party every other week and you're all invited.  If you have a prior engagement, we understand.. Life gets busy.  There's no pressure.  That being said, the good news for you is that you can listen at your convenience, thanks to how podcasts work.  That's right.. the power is in YOUR hands.  Use it wisely (by listening to us, duh). 

Here is clearvus's YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/c/MichaelChiaramonte

And here is our Linktr-ee:

https://linktr.ee/lostjoystick

Have fun, be safe, and be excellent to each other!

Do you like video games?  Do you like OLD video games?   What about moderately successful console mascots?  Do you have an affinity for small lizards?  If you answered yes to all of these questions, then this episode's topic may be everything you've ever wanted in a game.  8bitsupremacy and RetroGameEnthusiast join Mike and Jay to discuss the 1995 32-bit platformer featuring THE wise-cracking gecko with sunglasses: Gex.  Accept no substitutes.  It's a certified banger. 

There's a lot of talk about the Midwest Gaming Classic and collecting.  If you want to skip all of that and cut right to the 'tude, the show topic starts at 1h06m35s.

As always, thank you for listening.  Your interaction and support mean so much to us.  Also, if you give us a 5-star review on iTunes, we will happily send you stickers and who knows what else.  That's right.. we are willing to buy your love.  So lock it in and rip the knob off...

So we FINALLY got back together to discuss another RIAA-certified banger.. R-Type.  A horizontal shooter with (alleged) puzzle elements.  We talk about the TurboGrafx-16 and Sega Master System versions of one of the grandaddies of horizontal shooters.  We are joined by 8bitsupremacy and retrogameenthusiast to get their LJN Game Ratings, as well. 

Just a heads-up that there is a bit of a personal story at the beginning of this episode, so if you want to skip that you can get to the R-Type talk at 42m20s.

Thank you again for listening and sorry for the brief hiatus.  Also, congrats to rpgbros for winning this episode's contest.  We are running another contest, so listen until the end of the episode to learn how to enter. 

Don't let the episode title fool you.. we don't talk about Dr. Chaos AT ALL. That being said, we are back!  This time around, Jay and Mike are joined by two staples of the show, 8bitsupremacy and retrogameenthusiast.  

Robby and John sit down to talk with us about their weeks, what they've picked up, and the real topic of the show:  Bad games and why we actually enjoy some of them. 

Fair warning: This episode is an open discussion, but we really start to discuss the topic at the 1h17m mark.

Also, we are doing a giveaway of Castlevania Symphony of the Night for the PS1 (Greatest Hits Edition).  Listen later in the episode for details.  The contest closes at 6PM EST on Thursday, March 24th, 2022.  Here is the link you'll need once you know what information to provide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKYUvBpBvvM

So tune in and enjoy as much as is possible.  As always, thank you for listening!

We were lucky enough to be joined by Matt O'Claire AKA Mattio1989 on Instagram for our latest episode.  Mattio chose another certified banger: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker for Sega Genesis.  We are also joined, as always, but 8bitsupremacy and retrogameenthusiast to get their LJN Game Rating.  Tune in to hear the squad's thoughts on a game based on a movie where the game is better than the movie. 

For those that are interested in getting right to the subject matter, it starts at 41m06s.  

Thanks for tuning in.  Please leave us five stars on iTunes, even if you think we suck.  

Link to the socials:

Mattio's Instagram:

Twitch link for SandbagX, current speed run leader for all console-based runs:

Welcome back!  These days, the term "certified banger" is thrown around a lot , but we think this episode's subject qualifies:  Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Entertainment System.  Jay and Mike are joined by Matt Mayse, co-host of the Matty Ice and Marky Mark podcast.  Matt chose this game SO BACK OFF. 

Seriously, this a long episode and there are definitely some "off the rails" moments, so if you want to skip straight to the subject matter, fast forward to 34m52s.  Or you could just skip the whole thing.. we wouldn't blame you. 

Thank you for listening!  Check out our linktree to find us on social media:

https://linktr.ee/lostjoystick