Tipping the Turtle Gaming

Jeff and Nick discuss how Atari CEO Ray Kassar's short temper cost them a lucrative deal with Nintendo but indirectly saved the video game industry.  Plus, in a new segment called Contra-versy Code, they discuss the nuanced morality (but less nuanced legality) of video game emulation while Nick tries nervously to distance himself from Jeff's cavalier disregard for the law.

Nick and Jeff talk about the importance of word-of-mouth urban legends in 90s gaming culture, and Jeff does a deep-dive into an obscure arcade game/possible mind control conspiracy, Polybius.  Nick gets quizzed by Jeff on gaming urban legends in a new segment called Test Your Might.  Plus: Nick reveals how to unlock multiple totally fake characters in Mortal Kombat, and Jeff breaks Nick's head with a shocking revelation about Super Mario World.

Jeff and Nick examine the development history of Action 52, the worst NES game of all time, and speculate about the mysterious businessman behind its creation.  Then, in Seal of Approval, Nick talks about two of his favorite retro games you can find in the bargain bin at your local used gaming shop.  Plus: cheetahs, drug lords, and bicyclical child abuse.