Lights go dim, the tokens drop, the carousel spins - it’ll never stop.

From haunted houses to freakish feats, the bosses roar and shotgun greets.

So pump that gun and don’t delay, the Midway’s mad and here to stay.

This ain’t no game for hearts too civil… It's the podcast ode to CarnEvil! Why do we know so much about the local “insane asylum” called Sunland? Do jiggle physics apply to ghostly apparitions? Has Rob taken Halloween decorating too far? Did CarnEvil give us the first video game version of Krampus? The listener questions answered in this episode include what insane occupation an arcade game has trained us for and, in a Saw scenario, what arcade attract mode would we least want to be trapped with? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

Woo-wee! There’s no avoiding it any longer. While these games don't rank highly on our personal lists, we must talk about one of the most influential and long-lasting series in light gun arcade games, Big Buck Hunter. Do we represent the snobby gaming community? How did appealing to the “Bubba factor” make this popular game series thrive? What is the connection between the hosts, Big Buck Hunter, and the Florida State University football team? Who’s that I hear… is it… could it be… Sound Boy?! Our listener questions in this episode ask us to forecast what arcade game will have the largest legacy 50 years from now, what’s a question a first-time arcade buyer should ask, and our favorite twist or innovation in a light gun game. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

ACTION! We put the pedal to the metal in our light gun miniseries with Namco’s Time Crisis. Seek cover as we explore the entire series starting with V.S.S.E. agent Richard Miller and ending with whatever Time Crisis 5 was. Did Namco’s attempt to top Sega’s Virtua Cop succeed? Is Time Crisis 2 the most complete light gun game experience? What are the most addictive roguelikes? Does Wild Dog, leader of Wild Dog, own a wild dog? With the Krispy Kreme/Pac-Man donut partnership it seems like a good time for us to identify which arcade character we think would make the best flavor for a donut. We also answer: if the last video game we played were turned into a pinball machine, what would it be like, and what gameplay features would it have? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz Speaking of Pac-Man donuts, you can check out our review of them exclusively on the Podouken YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

Welcome to the hardboiled streets of 90s Chicago where a crime wave is at an all time high. It’s up to you, officer Don Marshall, and you, Unnamed Female, to fight crime with as many bullets as possible. Then travel to the Wild West to also fight crime with as many bullets as possible. This is Konami’s Lethal Enforcers arcade series. How was a knee-burning, motion-sensing game responsible for adding another arcade to the Lethal Enforcers family? Do you know all the words to the Hey Dude theme song? Is the Justifier the best possible name for a light gun peripheral? Was this game an inspiration for a certain scene in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight? We are asked what our favorite gun design is from arcade light guns (and our least favorite) and perhaps the question that Rob has been waiting his entire life to answer: who would win in the ultimate showdown between Aliens versus Predator versus RoboCop versus Terminator. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

Step into the rotting halls of Curien Mansion, where bullets fly and the undead just won’t stay down. With cinematic flair, branching paths, and enemies that lurch ever closer, this horror-themed arcade shooter became one of the best in the light gun genre. Welcome to Sega’s The House of the Dead. How did a broom help bring a terrifying boss to life? What are the worst words used in place of “zombies”? Why didn’t they check the barn for Sophia at the beginning of the season? How did this blood-soaked game play resurrect zombie pop culture worldwide? But enough questions! Do you want some answers? We identify our favorite arcade-related merchandise (that aren’t the games themselves), try to think of what games we look cool playing (hint: the answer is none), and discuss the most ambitious projects to recreate arcade hardware. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

We draw on a new miniseries that is all about light gun games. And we start with getting to the truth behind the biggest conspiracy of them all: Area 51. How did this game save Atari Games (at least temporarily)? Was every CiCi’s Pizza contractually obligated to have an Area 51 game in their arcade? How did a bodybuilder from a theme park and a model next door neighbor become arcade icons? What do we actually believe is in Area 51. We answer questions about the origins of Arcade Obscura and get graphic as we describe our most gruesome arcade-related injuries. Don’t like those questions? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

It’s the end to our longest miniseries ever as we put our last quarter in the Four Player Beat ‘Em Up miniseries (sniffle) with an Arcade Obscura. Each host brings their choice for a 4 player brawler that we think is obscure or underrated. Jarrod brings us a Sega arcade game with a hot 90s topic that may not be the best player but sure is a looker. Rob gets cheeky with his obscure pick that is probably the closest we’ve ever gotten to getting Streets of Rage in the arcades. Adam gives us a super deep game with a cheap price tag and a history all to its own. The listener questions answered in this episode include what arcade or pinball is our hardest to keep working, an obvious trap question given to jinx us, and a scientific approach for the worst movie with the best pinball game based on it. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode or tell us why we’re wrong to rank your favorite Capcom beat ‘em up dead last: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

In the year 20XX, a battle for world domination now begins!! The last featured episode of the 4 Player Beat ‘Em Up miniseries aptly finishes with Capcom’s last 2D arcade beat ‘em up, Battle Circuit. Is this the closest we’ll ever get to a Cowboy Bebop arcade game? How did an eight-player racing game turn into this four-player beat ‘em up? Who has the worst Elvis impression? Which Capcom system had the best games: CPS1 or CPS2?  In lieu of listener questions we felt inspired to do a Podouken Ranks on the twelve Capcom 2D beat ‘em ups starting with Final Fight and ending with Battle Circuit. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode or tell us why we’re wrong to rank your favorite Capcom beat ‘em up dead last: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content like Podouken Picks: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

Welcome to the D&D world! We’re expanding the lore with not one, but two Dungeons & Dragons arcade games made by Capcom! Tuck in for an in-depth episode about the Known World, why the Record of Lodoss War is more than an anime, and the rare example of how a consultant can actually help a company as we talk about Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom and its superb sequel, Shadow Over Mystara. Why aren’t there steamboats in the Known World? Does Past Blaster really think Shadow Over Mystara is the best beat ‘em up ever? What character names are on Capcom’s naughty list? How many buttons is too many buttons? We only answer one question this episode but it allows us to share our thoughts on the Fantastic Four movie trailer and some other upcoming super superhero movies. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716

Let’s go BEAST MODE with Konami’s Metamorphic Force! It’s the best X-Men meets Altered Beast arcade beat ‘em up that takes place on the island of Dr. Moreau where everyone is made out of water balloons that you’ll ever play. Guaranteed. What were the working conditions for copywriters at Konami USA’s headquarters? How much snow does it take to shut down a Florida city for multiple days? Why should your safe search be on when Googling one of Metamorphic Force’s bosses? Which regional version of this arcade game is the best? Rob spills the deets on his biggest arcade and pinball bulk purchase ever and Adam defends the destruction of a Captain America cabinet. We also answer listener questions like if we’ve had any interesting food-related incidents in the arcade and which arcade games have the most unpleasant sideart? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz Check out our YouTube channel for our listener question segments and additional content: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716