Old Game Plus

This “week” we continue our off-the-beaten-path exploration of the SNES library by looking at a selection of Japanese Square RPGs that do not have “Final Fantasy” in their titles: Seiken Densetsu 3, Treasure of the Rudras, Live-A-Live, Bahamut Lagoon and Romancing Saga 2. All games are sampled for the musical interludes, including pieces composed by Hiroki Kikuta, Nobuo Uematsu and Yoko Shimomura.

Tune in next time for a celebration of all things Dreamcast!

Old Game Plus Episode 9: Square SNES JRPGs Not Named Final Fantasy

Podukasuto da! Our first Super Nintendo retrospective examines a handful of obscure but notable titles making use of the Super FX2, DSP-1, SDD-1, SA-1 and MX15001TFC enhancement chips. This episode features fantastic music from Star Ocean, Star Fox 2, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Famicom Tantei Club 2, and Jikkyou Oshaberi Parodius.

Next “week” we’ll be continuing our SNES retrospective by looking at Squaresoft games without “Final Fantasy” in the title.

Old Game Plus Episode 8: SNES Games with Chips

This week we take a break from consoles and discuss a handful of unique titles for Windows 9X including MechWarrior 2, Total Annihilation, Rainbow Six, Grim Fandango, Kohan and Tropico. Listen in amazement as we dig into game mechanics and dissect absurd plot lines, making only a single Kojima reference.

Musical selections this week are from Bob Rivers, MechWarrior 2, Total Annihilation, Rainbow Six, Grim Fandango, Kohan 2, Tropico and Fury3.

Tune in next “week” for a tribute to man’s greatest triumph: the Super Famicom.

Old Game+ Episode 7: Win9x Games

Before unleashing our all-Windows 9x gaming podcast, we decided to follow up our SNATCHER episode with one on its pseudo-sequel, Policenauts. Equal parts heartfelt and sophomoric, this engaging adventure game was Hideo Kojima’s last before diving headlong into the Metal Gear Solid series. (Don’t worry, we’ll be laying off Kojima for a few months after this.)

We also discuss the retro-relevant portions of the Nintendo 3Ds’ launch titles, as well as the new Goldeneye 007. The music in this episode it taken entirely from the excellent Policenauts OST by the Konami Kukeiha Club. Enjoy!

Old Game+ Episode 6b: Policenauts

You’ve probably been thinking that we perished in a traffic accident or were served a cease-and-desist by 1UP Networks but no, we’ve merely taken an unreasonable amount of time editing Episode 6. Our latest episode is entirely devoted to the one Hideo Kojima game we endorse whole-heartedly: SNATCHER. Listeners are warned that this episode contains heavy doses of judgement, un-infection, nudity, kindness, execution and spoilars.

Audio interludes are courtesy of the Konami Kukeiha Club.

Old Game+ Episode 6: SNATCHER

This week, we examine those mid-90s Sega portables that brushed with Nintendo’s Game Boy: Game Gear, Mega Jet, Nomad, and Genesis CDX. To our surprise, we discover that these consoles didn’t disappoint to the degree you might expect. The Game Gear had both cute and hardcore titles of note, plus some complete audiovisual experiences thanks to Shining Force II, Ristar, Gunstar Heroes, Wonder Boy, Dynamite Headdy, and Sonic Triple Trouble. We break down the Game Gear’s gender, it’s design philosophy, and why Game Boy destroyed it without contest.

Old Game+ Episode 5: Portable Consoles Only Brazil Could Appreciate

Next time, June 6, 1996: A mysterious explosion destroys the Chernoten research facility near Moscow. Lucifer-alpha, the powerful biological weapon under secret development there, is released into the atmosphere, creating a deadly bio-hazard. It’s Snatcher! Close listeners of this podcast will notice a continuity error wherein we claim to steer clear of Kojima, then crash right on it.

The censored word refers to a type of cat, but not an Atari Lynx.

In this episode we discuss a smattering of late PlayStation JRPGs in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the PlayStation 2 and its excellent PSone backwards compatibility. You’ll hear rants regarding Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Chrono Cross, Grandia and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue before we head straight off the rails with ten minutes still on the clock.

Old Game+ Episode 4: Late Playstation JRPGs