Play Retro Show

By Scott JohnsonLeisure Video Games

Play Retro Show episodes

June 25 PLAY RETRO 222: NARC
NARC (1988) brought digitized graphics, massive explosions, and War-on-Drugs satire to arcades in one of the most controversial games of its era. Players take on the roles of narcotics officers Max Force and Hit Man as they blast their way through a criminal empire using machine guns, rocket launchers, and sheer excess. We explore the arcade original and its many home ports, with a brief look at the 2005 reboot that attempted to bring the franchise into the modern era.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/BwBewmod2QU
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
59 min
June 18 PLAY RETRO 221: Star Control II
Star Control II (1992) transformed the original game's fleet battles into a sprawling space adventure, tasking players with rebuilding humanity's resistance against the Ur-Quan through exploration, diplomacy, and discovery. With memorable alien races, open-ended galaxy traversal, and one of PC gaming's most beloved stories, it remains a landmark of science-fiction game design.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 15 min
May 28 PLAY RETRO 220: Ratchet & Clank (2002)
Ratchet & Clank (2002) launched Insomniac’s long-running PlayStation franchise by combining platforming, explosive weapon-based combat, gadget progression, and satirical sci-fi storytelling into one of the PlayStation 2’s defining early action games. We focus on the original release that introduced Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, Gadgetron weaponry, and the galaxy-hopping formula that would shape the series for decades.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 8 min
May 21 PLAY RETRO 219: Gunstar Heroes
This week on Play Retro, Scott and Brian take aim at Gunstar Heroes (1993), which helped launch Treasure from the loins of Konami when former employees gave us this title with explosive run-and-gun action, massive bosses, and one of the most inventive weapon systems on the Sega Genesis.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 5 min
May 14 PLAY RETRO 218: Jet Force Gemini
Jet Force Gemini, one of Rare’s final original IPs for the N64, brought cinematic sci-fi action together with run-and-gun combat, exploration, puzzle solving, collect-a-thon progression, and split-screen multiplayer in a surprisingly large and ambitious package. The game follows a pair of space twins and their dog, Lupus, as they battle giant ant-like drones while trying to avoid collateral damage to the local cute, bear-like inhabitants.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 18 min
May 07 PLAY RETRO 217: Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) brought the King of Pop to arcades and home consoles with two completely different takes on the same concepts - an isometric co-op arcade experience and a side-scrolling Genesis version built around exploration and music-driven combat. We also take a look at the earlier European computer adaptation, showing how differently the Moonwalker license was interpreted across platforms.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 19 min
April 30 PLAY RETRO 216: Rastan
Taito’s Rastan (1987) brought sword-and-sorcery fantasy to the arcade with giant monsters, brutal platforming, and a barbarian hero straight out of a Conan paperback. We follow that path through Nastar (1989), released in Japan as Rastan Saga II, and briefly look at Warrior Blade, the rare triple-screen arcade finale that closed out the series in oversized style.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 9 min
April 23 PLAY RETRO 215: Tobal No. 1
Tobal No. 1 (1996) brought Square into the 3D fighting game arena with fast 60 FPS combat, full arena movement, and character designs by Akira Toriyama. Known both for its innovative Quest Mode and for including the famous Final Fantasy VII demo disc, it became one of PlayStation’s most memorable cult fighters.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 14 min
April 19 PLAY RETRO 214: Neverwinter Nights (2002)
Neverwinter Nights (2002) brought Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition to PC with character-driven storytelling, multiplayer persistent worlds, and the powerful Aurora Toolset. We also explore the 2003 expansions Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark, which expanded the campaign, raised level caps, and pushed the game into epic-level D&D adventures.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 13 min
April 09 PLAY RETRO 213: PaRappa The Rapper
PaRappa The Rapper (1996) introduced call-and-response rap gameplay, memorable instructors, and stylized visuals that helped define the rhythm genre. We also look at Um Jammer Lammy (1999), the guitar-driven spiritual successor that expanded the formula with jam sessions, effects, and multiplayer rhythm gameplay.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
1 hr 10 min