Podouken

It's our unrequited love letter to one of the best arcade cabinets ever made in an episode that doesn't focus just on a game or a series, but an entire system - the Nintendo Vs. System.

How did Nintendo find success in the worst possible time to sell video games? Why did American audiences have to pay a quarter for the first taste of the Famicom? How did stupid sexy Flanders blaze a trail for Goldeneye, Killer Instinct, and Battletoads? What are our top three Nintendo Vs. games and what are yours?We attempt to set the Guinness Book World Record for the number of times "PPU" is said in a podcast, finally get to shoot the dog in Duck Hunt, describe why hoarding is a good thing, and talk about 37 Vs. games… in a row.

We're heading into the sewers to clean out the pipes with the Mario Bros. in the game that gave us their ultimate occupation. So join the Podouken crew as we explore how Mario Mario and Luigi Mario take on the shellcreepers, sidesteppers, and fighter flies.

Exactly how many jobs has Mario had? How did the success of Nintendo's Beam Gun lead to the first erotic arcade game? Is Mario Bros. part of the Donkey Kong arcade series? Was the Game & Watch much cooler than we originally thought?All that plus we back a Kickstarter, Jarrod gives us a showcase of his bun bounce and wiener wiggle skills, Rob offers scenarios involving space fairies (or maybe space ferries), and Adam tries to talk us into rubbing an alligator's belly.

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.