Switch 2 The Past

After a quick side mission Neil and Mike are back on track with Episode 14, covering ten racing games for the GameCube. Friend of the show Ali Akram joins us to talk about Burnout and Burnout 2: Point of Impact, ranked #6 on Nintendo Life's top 21 GameCube games. Hear some crazy stories of Burnout's marketing campaigns, learn about the wacky cel-shaded game Cel Damage (recently remastered for the Switch!), the surprisingly expensive EA Sports F1 2002, and rally games such as Dakar 2 and Pro Rally 2002. Neil starts off the show by reading all the hilarious backs of these cases, but if you wanna get into the episode right away, skip to 6:08 to put that pedal to the metal.

Are we there yet!? This week Mike and Neil are out of the office, so we thought this would be a good opportunity to explore other aspects of our gaming history outside of the GameCube. We travel through the evolution of what our gaming lives were like while on the go in the 90s all the way up to 2020. The GameBoy worm light, beloved UMDs of the PSP, and consoles in hotel rooms have probably not crossed your mind in a few years, but we think about these things everyday. Neil confesses his hiatus from Nintendo during a certain handheld generation, and Mike may have the wisest dad on the planet. We hope you enjoy episode 13.5 of the podcast, no AA batteries required.

Lucky episode number 13 brings you three games all released in the back half of 2002 and all games that were originally intended for the N64! Friend of the show Jed Winters joins us to remind Neil that Rare's final game for Nintendo, Star Fox Adventures, isn't a bad GameCube game per se, it's just not the Star Fox we wanted. We learn about how these games all had shaky launches but ended up being cult classics. Eternal Darkness and its sanity meter bring a new spin to the psychological horror genre that we'd love to see come to Netflix someday, while Cubivore lives up to its reputation as the weirdest, most neglected, and by far most expensive Nintendo IP ever. Stick around until 40:04 to hear Neil attempt to read the back of Star Fox Adventures.

Spin little monkeys spin! On this episode we keep the arcade train rolling with two arcade classics turned console games, Pacman World and Super Monkey Ball. Two games that helped define an era of gaming in the early 2000s. Neil and Mike try and remember the Pac-Man Ghosts' names (Pinky?), learn that Don Bluth was in line to make a sequel to Pac-Man World 2, and find out that surgeons use Super Monkey Ball 2 to practice surgeries (this is a real thing!). Mike talks about his disdain for Super Monkey Ball Adventure while Neil reads the back of its case. Skip to 60:23 to hear it!

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Welcome to the Arcade Sports episode where we'll be covering twenty (wow!) different games, mostly from Midway and EA Sports BIG and talking about the unique era that these companies competed in. From NHL Hitz to Backyard Baseball, to NFL, FIFA, and NBA Street, we bring you all the ridiculous arcade action and Limp Bizkit that you've been craving since '03. We're joined by friends of the show Marty Thompson, Harrison Tim, as well as newcomers Brian Tong and Brayden Kerr to dicuss our memories of these games and come to the sad conclusion that they'll probably never be made again. Since there are 20 titles to read the Back of the Case of, Neil will be reading them all at the beginning so our regularly scheduled programming will begin at 7:33 if you feel like skipping ahead.

Commercial failure or the most innovative console of all time? Episode 10 features the Dreamcast, Sega's final foray into console hardware. Neil and Mike discuss how ahead of it's time this console really was as well as the games that were ported from it like Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, Capcom vs. SNK, and classic SHMUP Chaos Field. We also bring on friend of the show Zafir to discuss Adventure 1, 2, and other Sonic titles released on the GameCube (look for a special episode for Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog later on). We even called in Marty to see if he had ever played Virtua Striker 2002. Skip to 59:52 to hear Neil read the back of fan favourite Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg.

Springfield Springfield, it's a hell of a town! Join Mike and Neil as they take an adventure through two classic Simpsons games on the GameCube, released very close to each other in 2001 and 2003, Road Rage and particularly Hit & Run, are cult classics that show The Simpsons at their finest. Listen as we bring on friends of the show John, Harrison, and Anneka to talk about these titles and discuss how Hit & Run grew to become one of the most beloved pop culture tie-in games ever made. Skip to 29:01 to hear huge Simpsons nerd Mike read his first ever Back of the Case!

Remember that time your aunt bought you Universal Theme Park Adventure only to realize that the entire game is just you picking up trash so you can virtually wait in line for a ride? Well on Episode 8 we chronicle the first batch of GameCube games we believe to be unplayable (or more generally, critically-panned). Classics such as Monsters Inc. Scream Arena, Casper Spirit Dimensions, and everyone's favourite Dynasty Warriors knockoff, Mystic Heroes! Wait till 55:20 to hear Neil read the back of one of the worst games ever made, Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly and listen to how one of the most beloved gaming franchises ever managed put out a truly unplayable game.

The moment we've all be waiting for. The Super Smash Bros. Melee episode is here!!! Jam packed with memories, fun facts, and even a shoutout here and there (talking about you Girlfriend Reviews). Join Mike and Neil with special guests Daniel Kerr and Nathaniel Rubin as they unpack this timeless gem and discuss its legacy and its continually growing competitive scene. Skip to 58:59 to hear Neil read the back of the case and remind himself that Ice Climbers really are in this game.

Our third compilation episode features the defining genre of the early 2000s, extreme sports. We bring on friends of the show Gavin Brown and Victor De Jong for their extensive knowledge and memories of these games. From motocross titles such as Jeremy McGrath Supercross World and MX Superfly to snowboarding games like Dark Summit and SSX Tricky, as well as games by competing BMX legends Dave Mirra and Mat Hoffman. We even brought back Marty Thompson to cover his favourite franchise and talk a little about Disney Sports Skateboarding. But make sure to listen in at 41:12 to Neil reading the back of BMX XXX, a game that honestly belongs more on "How Did This Get Made" than here. For the rest of the games skip to the end to hear Neil sit by the fire and read out the back of each case while you listen to your favourite nu metal tracks.