It’s time to expose the real villain of the Donkey Kong series - Nintendo’s very own golden boy, the insidious Mario. Discover how Mario torments a young ape by enslaving his father in Donkey Kong Jr. and how a fumigator gives the elder Kong an air bidet in Donkey Kong 3.What far reaching device gave Nintendo a hand in moving into toy manufacturing? Do one of these arcade games feature the true first appearance of the more virtuous Mario brother? What is the best video game peripheral ever made? Is “Monkey Muscle” the worst catchphrase ever slapped on a lunchbox?Plenty of non sequiturs ensue like Pastblaster giving us the scoop on a recent free arcade pickup that is nothing to sneeze at, a Smaug run Subaru dealership in Middle Earth, Stanley the Scatman, how busking makes us feel good, and the pelvic thrusting rhythms of Neo Turf Masters.

Grab a fistful of quarters and listen along as we begin a new miniseries that is all about living the Nintendo Life. We start with one of the best arcade games of all time - Donkey Kong (or is that Dankey Kang?). What other names were almost used in Nintendo’s run-away hit? How did this game single-handedly save Nintendo of America? Who was the young apprentice that delivered on his promise of making a hit game? Why is there a fake violin player busking right outside our door as we’re recording?No Podouken episode would be complete without some gaming history - and this one doesn’t disappoint as we explore Nintendo’s sordid history which includes… love hotels? We also spill the secrets to becoming a great DK player, witness a Karen Gandalf, and say goodbye to a longtime podcast friend.

We’re going to take you for a ride as we wrap up our exploration of Capcom’s Marvel Vs. Capcom series with the two namesakes - Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.What playable character appears the most times across all Marvel arcade games? Has anything come from the #FreeMvC2 movement? Does PastBlaster’s new hobby foreshadow his eventual turn to villainy? What Mexican ZIP code do all the Marvel Capcom games exist in?

Plus no episode about Marvel games would be complete without Rob giving everyone else an onslaught of comic facts about Onslaught, a gaming pickup older than Jarrod’s Sound Boy, a quick recap of the worst Marvel game, and a debate on the best arcade hardware systems.

What Sega faux pas led to this game being created? Have dad bods ever been used for character references besides this game? Is this game a beat ‘em up, platformer, or something more sinister? We also explore our poor music tastes, get hooked on Wordle, discuss some very mild No Way Home spoilers, guffaw at unrealistic female beauty standards, and debate over what the best cracker is (which may lead to a podcast spinoff series!).

Editor’s note: Stop trying to make Cracker Time happen. It’s not going to happen.