The Daily Daze

Gaming has entered the doldrums--a downturn in the art form where companies struggle to produce anything of worth...or even new. Playing safe is now the strategy...but if remakes are our unfortunate future, why not at least redo the games people missed the first time around? We don't need more Sonic or Mario. We need more Dragon Valor, more Einhander, more Haunting Ground!

For more new musings on old things, swing by lostnostalgia.com


Thanks to Decktonic for the opening/closing tune.

The brawler is certainly a genre of classics, from Final Fight to Castle Crashers. And recently, the category has enjoyed a certain return to glory with all sorts of new entries suddenly appearing on scene. And yet, is this really a comeback, a true return from the dead? Or is the beat 'em up fated to fade once this little fad, this little trend, runs its course and ends again?

Visit lostnostalgia.com for more retro and golden oldie news.



Thanks to Decktonic for the opening/closing tune.

Princess Peach seems to be the maiden of a thousand faces. Who is she, really? The sweet, serene princess of classical, Marian sensibility? Or the hot-blooded battle maiden always happy for action? Is she gentle? An innocent soul? A girl in need of a champion? Or does she save herself, needing no hero…not even the stalwart Mario? In this episode, by means of Nintendo’s Super Princess Peach DS game, the damsel is given her due scrutiny—a character analysis that strives to define the graceful girl that once stood for all that’s elegant, feminine, and good.

Please visit lostnostalgia.com for more deep thoughts on old stuff!


Thanks to Decktonic for the opening/ending tune.

Unlike film and book preservation, video games are always under attack; often, ironically, by their very makers. Once again, the ESA's cabal of Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and like-minded tyrants have united to strike down a ROM preservation website--this one being Vimm's Lair, an esteemed gaming curation destination brimming with the industry's storied past. What's more, it's one of the last. This episode examines the ramifications wrought by the greedy corporate machines who would destroy their history in exchange for profit and control...thereby erasing the art form's past and betraying its very future.

Please visit lostnostalgia.com for news and reviews on everything vintage, historic, obscure, and weird.


Thanks to Decktonic for the opening/closing tune.

Sega's Genesis (Mega Drive) and Nintendo's Super Nintendo - they were the topic of every school debate in the early '90s, but decades later, these rival machines STILL trigger passionate reactions in dedicated fans. Which system really was "the best?" Usually, it depends on who's being asked, but hindsight never lies. Looking back, one system was great...but the other became timeless. One was money well spent, but the other became transcendent...its titles still a source of inspiration for aspiring game design. One is remembered...but one is still relevant.

Visit lostnostalgia.com for more old-school, wistful goodness.


Thanks to Decktonic for the opening/closing tune.

Sonic the Hedgehog is still a gaming superstar, but his games appeal to different audiences. Some prefer his classic 2-D excursions; others like his more free-roaming adventures. And yet, the complaints are rife for either approach: "2-D Sonic can't do anything new/3-D Sonic misses the point!" Are these naysayers being unreasonable...or might they have a point? Might they be noticing...a certain inconvenient truth?

Visit lostnostalgia.com for more retro news and reviews.


Thanks to Decktonic for the intro/outro tune

The "switcheroo" or "body swap" is an oft-repeated trope in cartoons, books, and film...but the premise stems from a singular source. After author Mary Rodgers imagined a daughter swapping bodies with her pretty mother, a new franchise--nay, a new genre--was born. Today's show examines the freaky franchise five times over: 1 book, 4 films. Are they kitschy classics or simply kitsch? 

Some are definitely freakier than others.

One’s imagination is precious--it's the tool one uses to visualize the spoken, the inferred, the otherwise unseen. But do modern games, what with their HD photorealism...rob people of this fundamental, very human ability? Maybe games don't need to be quite so...on the nose.

Visit www.lostnostalgia.com for more old-school goodness.


Thanks to Decktonic for the tune.

Nintendo loves remaking and remastering its ancient games, including the 2024 rerelease of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. But with all the reboots and redos, why doesn't the Big N bring back the ape's best--the Game Boy's phenomenal Donkey Kong '94? Isn't it time to revisit this tragically neglected classic?

Please visit www.lostnostalgia.com for more critical thought and retrospection on all things vintage.


Thanks to Decktonic for the music. 

For nearly 29 years, Charles Martinet had provided Nintendo's Super Mario with his iconic voice. All the "wahoos" and "mama mias" came courtesy of the actor's style and invention. In a very real sense, Martinet was Mario; he'd become the face of the world-recognized star. And that, perhaps, was exactly the problem. In 2023, The Big N "retired" Martinet in favor of an unknown performer with little experience...leaving fans sad and plenty baffled. Why did Nintendo drop its long-running celebrity? The reasons are one of jealousy and money; as this episode explores, no servant shall rise above his master.

Please visit www.lostnostalgia.com for more critical thought and retrospection on all things vintage.


Thanks to Decktonic for the music.