RetroXP

On this episode I go through the legacy that the NES left, with the humble beginnings of the Nintendo company in the 1800s to the powerhouse it became to be in the late 1980s with its hardware. From the hardware specs, the challenges it faced in the aftermath of the video game crash of 1983, to the pettiness in the chase of perfection and quality control Nintendo is very well known for, and also the most influential games and franchises on the system itself. 

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Intro music by Sterling Dorsey

I share a bit of insight into my Retro January, on top of news stories like Dance Pads and Unreal Tournament 2004 coming back, the passing of Castlevania icon Shutaro Iira, and a whole slew of remasters and remakes coming out in March like Fatal Frame 2, Raiden, and the Disney Afternoon Collection. I cap off the episode with discussion (with myself, ha!) on exclusivity in video games, and how it was better when video game consoles had their own games that NO ONE ELSE HAD that drove you to buy their consoles. 

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Intro music by Sterling Dorsey

This is a deep, or what I think is a deep, audio essay on why I love retro still to this day; I like to play games because they're fun, and I think older games captured that fun more than what we have today. It's not all like that, but I can't help how I feel about it. 

Scott Buckley - This Too Shall Pass is under a YouTube Free license / musicbyscottb  
Music powered by BreakingCopyright.
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Another game in my Top 10 Games of all time, Silent Hill 2for the PlayStation 2. One of the most iconic horror games of all time, and a game that many psychological horror games to this day try to emulate. From iconic scenery and monster design, to one of the most melancholic and psychologically disturbing narratives in video games to date, Silent Hill 2 stands pretty high on my Top 10. 

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Intro music by Sterling Dorsey

What's more fun than games where you can just drop in and shoot/slash/punch/blow up to your heart's content without much context? There was an era in video games where game mechanics were built first, and story and narratives were distant seconds. Games like Max Payne, Doom, Devil May Cry, Dead to Rights, Urban Reign, and so many others are in discussion here. 

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Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License

This year in 2026 the video game space celebrates important milestones in many of our favorite franchises, from The Legend of Zelda, Castlevania, Tomb Raider, Halo, and Resident Evil, among many more. I'll go over the first games in the franchises' catalogues, and of any of them are still around to this day. 

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Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License

Following a Patreon subscriber suggestion, I'll be doing a deep dive into the Valve Corporation, and how Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington pioneered the PC Gaming industry with their software company, and also Steam, a gaming storefront. I go over the humble beginnings of Valve, how we ALMOST lost Half Life 2 save for a lucy break from an intern, how many big software companies could have invested into Steam, and missed out big, and what kind of influence Valve and Steam have over the industry to this day. 

Monica Harrington's blog post on Medium https://medium.com/@monicah428/the-early-days-of-valve-from-a-woman-inside-bf80c6b47961 

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Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License

On today's news I'll be discussing one of the founding members of Sega David Rosen passing away, Nintendo 3DSXL prices jumping upward on eBay as of late, Commodore 64 Ultimate reviews, pickups like Robocop Versus Terminator, Def Jam Vendetta, Wario Land 4, and others. The main talking point today will be the remakes and remasters we know, and MAY know, are coming out this year 2026. Titles like Halo Campaign Evolved, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, among many others, are expected to hit our modern consoles and PCs this year, so start your wishlist now! 

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Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License

I get my hands on the Polymega Light Gun finally, after years of waiting, and I share my thoughts and experiences with it to kick things off. After that, I do deep dives into home console light gun games in our history, some of the controversies around it, and what are some of the best games to play (like Time Crisis, House of the Dead, Lethal Enforcers, and more!), and the best systems to buy light gun games on. Enjoy the episode! Or don't, I guess...

Now part of the Hair of the Dogcast Network! Find out more on our Patreon at patreon.com/hairofthedogcast and join the community

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Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License

In a previous episode I talked about my Top 10 Favorite Games of all time, and I would dedicate whole episodes to each title; this one is about A Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, my favorite Zelda game of all time. I go through its story, development cycle, sales numbers, music, dungeon layouts, and so much more, ending with my personal feelings as to why this game is in my Top 10 list. 

Now part of the Hair of the Dogcast Network! Find out more on our Patreon at patreon.com/hairofthedogcast and join the community

Follow my Spotify playlist at RetroXP Gaming Music

Follow me on X/Threads/Instagram/YouTube @retroxpodcast

Intro/Outro music: "Party's Cancelled" By RoccoW is licensed under a Creative Commons License