Podouken

Are you a bad enough dude or dudette to listen to this episode? That's right, we're talking about the game that sounds like it was made by an 80s word generator (and probably was) - Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja. The President has been kidnapped! What will it take to get Blade and Striker - the baddest sweatpant-wearing dudes in NYC - to go rescue him? Some machismo and a side of hamburgers, evidently. Who are the DragonNinja? How many lives can you justify taking to rescue a President? How many curse words can we say each episode and still keep our PG-13 status? We also make the perfect pitch for a Bad Dudes movie, marvel at Data East's attention to detail, and wonder how bad you have to be to jump through helicopter blades.

What do you get when you mix a little Rambo, a lot of Conan, some Altered Beast, throw in some swords and sorcery, and put it all on a PCB that likes to kill itself? Golden Axe! Somehow this is our first featured Sega game so we play a game to see how much Sega history we include in this episode. What exactly makes a game an "arcade game"? How did we lose any chance of ever getting a La Croix sponsorship? What are our Golden Axe names? Why is there such a thing as a pampelmousse? We also cover cap kits, the Floor is Lava, a kingdom with no pants, Tron 3, and It ickiness.

A new miniseries kicks (and punches) off with twin brothers trying to rescue their one lover -- Technos Japan's Double Dragon. What 1970s film did Technos use for inspiration to bring about the age of the arcade brawler? How many enemies does it take to really slow down a game? Why did we record the worst skit in podcast history? We take a serious look at graphic violence against women in arcade games, a less serious look at MAME builds that we hate, and talk the nostalgia of RC car racing. All that and Lorenzo Lamas, getting pushy with coin pushers, throuples, big people fitting in tiny cars, and NES soundtracks.

It's time to put all the pieces together and finish the Puzzlers miniseries with our choices for the overlooked or obscure games in the genre. What virtual insanity leads us to consider Jamiroquai a villain? Can Windows screensavers make compelling gameplay? Why does Mr. SNK know so much about adult-themed arcade games? Along the way we attempt to demystify the jargon related to JAMMA, monitor resolutions, and the differences between DOT and EDOT. Plus, Rob loses his Photoshop license, CGI hedgehog calves, and the journey to possibly the worst video game take ever.

Capcom brings us the perfect mix of fisticuffs with gem debuffs - plus a heavy dose of chibi - with Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. What is the connection between puzzles and violence that makes us love this game so much? The hosts go down the rabbit hole of Kirsten Dunst movies (beware of spoilers), talk about hyperphantasia, and determine who would emerge victorious in Trapper Keeper v. Lisa Frank: Civil War. You want more? How about the longest arcade title, alleged murder hornets, rogue developers, Maximilian Dood, and why this isn't quite the darkest timeline (but it's close).