Retrospect

In today's episode, Brandon and Seb sit down to discuss what's been happening at Retro Dodo HQ over the last few months, as well as chatting about the potential couch co-op revival that could be coming our way with the arrival of the Nintendo Switch 2. We discuss Seb's favourite Lord of the Rings game, talk about Brandon almost being  K.O'd by a snake, and give exclusive details on new products and a meet-up we're planning for the Retro Dodo community.

Today we're joined Merseyside's very own, Crawlers, an incredible band that you will no doubt have seen playing sold out shows and festivals all across the world and who's music has captured the hearts and minds of a generation.While you might already know that they're signed to Polydor Records and no strangers to sharing stages with bands like My Chemical Romance and Jane's Addiction, it might come as a surprise as to how much Retro Gaming has played an important part in their lives growing up, and how it continues to provide inspiration both on and off the tour bus.I sat down with Holly, Liv, and Harry to talk about all things Zelda, speedrunning classic resident evil games, taking Pokémon Nuzlocking rules to the next level, how video game music influences the writing process, and much more.

You're listening to Episode 90 and the second part of our interview with artist and video game designer Simon Phips. On today's episode you'll be hearing all about Simon's time working on the Harry Potter games, navigating the difficulties around remaking GoldenEye for the Wii, and creating explosive gameplay in Need for Speed and Burnout paradise, as well as what Simon is up to at the minute. 

In today's episode, we're joined by Simon Phipps, an artist and designer who has worked on some of the most influential games of our generation and many of our favourite games here at Retro Dodo. From Masters of the Universe to Shadow Man, the Harry Potter video games, Need For Speed, and GoldenEye 007 on the Wii, Simon has had an amazing career right from being a teenager and has lots of incredible and insightful stories about his time in the gaming industry. So much so, in fact, that this is the first two-part episode we've done on the podcast!

Today we're talking about all things game boy game creation and diving into the world of Dragonyhm with Spacebot Interactive. We sat down with Chris and Bumbiss from the Spacebot team to talk about creating a Tolkien-esque world inside an 8-bit game, why Dragonyhm has become such a huge success in the handheld gaming world, and what the future of game boy game creation looks like, as well as getting some exclusives about Dragonyhm and what could be coming next. 

On today's episode Seb is joined by award winning stand-up comedian and writer Mike Drucker. Mike has worked on incredible shows such as Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, as well as working as a writer at Nintendo. He joined us on the podcast to talk about his new book 'Good Game no rematch', an incredibly funny read that looks into his retro gaming past and how video games have shaped his life for the better… but mostly for worse. 

In this bonus episode Brandon & Seb discuss the major changes that are happening at Retro Dodo, why the website has changed, how Google is still attacking us and what you can do to help our independent publication!

Today we are joined by Liam Sherwood of Sore Thumb Retro Games, a shop that I consider to be the heart of gaming in Yorkshire and my local retro gaming Valhalla. I chatted with Liam about his love of Wrestling Games and the best title in WWE series, the importance of game preservation, current and future trends when it comes to purchasing nostalgic media, the challenges involved with running a busy store, and much more. 

In this episode of the Retro Dodo Podcast, I chat with Matsy the Pokémon Tattooer, a tattoo artist from Dublin, Ireland who has become a social media sensation thanks to his amazing gaming tattoos and pop-culture mashups. We spoke about finding inspiration through retro games, how Pokémon shaped us as children, a failed X-Factor audition, a Pokémon Go addiction, and much more!

In todays episode we chat to the studio behind one of our favourite games from our childhood, Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. Join us as we talk with Argonaut Games founder Jez San OBE, Croc's Original Animator Jason Smith, and Mike Arkin, the man responsible for bringing Croc back to modern audiences on current-gen consoles We speak about the development of the original, the difficulties, the successes, how it finally evolved into an upcoming remake and how they're absolutely not working on a Croc 2 remake...

Today we're joined by grammy award winning arranger and two time grammy nominee Jake Silverman, a chiptune artist and video game composer who you may know better as Button Masher on Social Media and Spotify. Jake joined us on the podcast to talk about that incredible grammy win, who he's competing against for his second grammy, his favourite retro game soundtracks and more!

We speak with Tofer, you may know him from social media as he has over 300,000 followers and creates remarkable short-form video content!

In this episode of Retrospect we are joined by Devin Supertramp, one of the biggest film making YouTubers around and has an obsession with video games, which is very obvious if you are a subscriber. We chat about his history, how we managed to snag a job with Nintendo and what he's working on next that has a retro gaming focus!

In this episode of Retrospect we talk with Brent Scotchmer, an avid collector, and illustrator for well known collectible brands such as POG, Topps & Garbage Pail Kids. We discuss what the future of collecting looks like, how to be the "go-to" collector in your town, and what Brent himself is collecting!

We have the honour to speak with Riley Testut, the founder of the Alt Store and the incredibly popular emulator known as Delta. We talk about his origin story, how he founded both businesses and what the implications were when Adobe came knocking.

In this episode of Retrospect we have the opportunity to talk with the team behind Pog and why they are bringing it back for players and collectors both physically and digitally. You can snag a Hobby Box here: https://pogunlimited.com/retrododo

We are joined by Hyperkin Chief Technology Officer, Slade Suzuki to talk about their past retro gaming focused products and what they could be working on in the future. It's a great discussion that dives deep into Slade's inventions alongside our opinions on where the retro gaming industry is moving in terms of accessories products and market demand.

Today you are listening to episode 75 and I am joined by Jason Bradbury, a well known name in the tech and retro gaming space thanks to his years on The Gadget Show. Jason was also kind enough to write for our first book A Handheld History too and is now working on a crowdfunded movie about retro gaming called CTRL. AI. DELETE, which you can back on Kickstarter now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ctrlaidelete/ctrl-ai-delete We talk about the movie, what it's about, what consoles and accessories are featured alongside Jason's history with retro games. What did he play on as a kid, what's his favourite console and what is he is playing on today! Jason has been kind to us for a good while now, and we've met face to face a few times when I visit Newquay so it's my absolute pleasure to have him on for this episode.

Today we are joined by Remute, or also known as Dennis, a composer that exclusively makes music for retro consoles, he has albums out for the SEGA Dreamcast, music designed specifically for the Game Boy and even cartridges filled with music for the ATARI Jaguar. Crazy I know, so let's discuss how Dennis does it and what drove this crazy method of generating entertainment for classic consoles.

In this episode we are joined by Shaun from the popular Instagram account Did Some Body Say Retro? - We discuss how he began his career modding retro consoles, the invention of the wood boy and how we now builds weird and wonderful creations for NQ64,a  barcade chain here in the UK! Shaun's work: https://www.instagram.com/didsomebodysayretro/

In this episode we are joined by Palmer Luckey, the Tony Stark of retro video games, the founder of OCULUS, the genius that sells drones to the military and by far his best invention yet, the ModRetro Chromatic, a upcoming handheld that plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color games as it should. This is by far one of the best episodes yet, we chat with Palmer about his history in the tech industry, the founding of ModRetro as a forum back when he was just 15, how he wants to create the first virtual reality gaming museum and why the heck a literal billionaire would want to make a handheld that loses him money. If you stay to the end we also have an exclusive announcement from Palmer regarding another handheld that he's working on so stay tuned for that.

In this episode of the Retrospect Podcast we are joined by such a lovely guest today, Sean Fletcher is the talent behind the incredible Delta Emulator Skins that we have shouted about across our socials for some time. He even re-designed Delta's App icons when they were facing legal action from Adobe during the onslaught of emulators coming to iOS. We talk with Sean about his history, how he got into emulation, how he creates such beautiful skins and what he's working on next. You can view Sean's work here: https://www.seanfletcher.co/work/shots/delta-pocket

In this episode of the Retrospect Podcast we talk with Chris Kohler, that talented editorial director behind ATARI 50, The Jeff Minter Story and The Making of Kareteka!

In this episode of The Retrospect Podcast we talk with Weskmods, the maker behind incredibly retro gaming mods such as the Ashiida Wii Portable, the Gamecube Nano and the recent Nintendo Kawaii, the world's smallest working Nintendo Wii.

We talk with Jordan Mechner, the developer behind incredible retro games such as Karateka and Prince of Persia. We discuss his family history, what it takes to develop such incredible games and a insight into his new graphic novel. More info about Jordan here: https://www.jordanmechner.com/en/ This episode is sponsored by: https://www.customplugs.com/

Brandon and Seb discuss this week's retro gaming news including the release of the metal Analogue Pocket and Mario Macaroni?

In this episode of Retrospect we talk with Tom Tilley, the man behind many crazy mods, including the world's biggest Game & Watch and his latest creation a fully function Super Monkey Ball that you can roll with your hands!

We interview and talk with Jack Guinchard, the co-creator of CRKD a popular gaming accessory brand that features a retro/collectible aspect.

In our return episode Brandon and Seb discusses the weekly news, why Pokemon Pinball is under rated and how Donkey Kong was close to be going called King Dong... no joke.

Brandon and Jake have an important announcement for the future of Retrospect! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:42 Announcement 20:29 What are ya playin'? 30:14 Outro

Get in the Halloween Spirit with these Spooky (and not spooky) Games as Brandon and Jake talk about why they like, or don't like spooky games, and recommend a few to get you started for the holiday season.  Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:24 Our History with Scary Games 01:45 Our Preferred Spooky Game Setups 02:05 Brandon's First Scary Memory 04:21 Why don't we like spooky games? 07:56 Games that have Scared Us 13:14 How do you feel about cozy Halloween games?  15:06 Not-so Spooky Games we Recommend 22:59 What are ya playin'? 26:52 Analogue Pocket Transparent Orders!

We're taking a listener topic suggestion and talking about about console controllers, how they've evolved, and some of our personal favorites! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 09:38 Console Controllers, Their Evolution, and Our Favorites 10:53 The Atari Joystick 12:47 Intellivision 14:28 Nintendo Entertainment System 17:38 Sega Genesis 20:32 Super Nintendo 24:16 PlayStation 27:15 Nintendo 64 29:57 PlayStation DualShock 32:01 Sega Dreamcast 36:31 The Nintendo GameCube 39:26 Xbox "The Duke" 41:47 Nintendo Wiimote and Nunchuck 44:57 DualShock 4 47:20 Wii U Gamepad 48:47 Xbox One 50:19 Nintendo Joy Cons 52:57 DualSense and Xbox Series X 55:10 Our Favorites 56:40 What are ya playin'?

The video game lords blessed us with both a Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play on the same day. Which presentation was better? What were some of the best announcements? Let's talk about it. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:32 Nintendo Direct and PlayStation State of Play 05:58 Our Favorite Announcements 14:49 What was missing? 15:53 Brandon's Thoughts About the Nitro Deck 19:38 PlayStation State of Play Thoughts 24:45 How would we rate this State of Play? 27:07 What are ya playin'? 28:17 Sea of Stars

The Nintendo Game Boy might just be one of the greatest handhelds ever. Brandon and Jake talk about each iteration of the Game Boy starting with the DMG and ending with the Micro. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 12:08 The Legacy of the Game Boy 12:51 The History of the Game Boy 13:07 How did the Game Boy come to be? 16:45 Original Game Boy (1989) 19:37 Game Boy Pocket (1996) 20:09 Game Boy Light (1998) 21:20 Game Boy Color (1998) 25:28 Game Boy Advance (2001) 27:09 Game Boy Advance SP (2003) 29:04 Game Boy Micro 31:36 The Game Boy's Influence 34:58 How did the Original Game Boy last so long in the market? 39:05 Advice for Collectors 41:33 Our Favorite Memories 43:55 Will the Game Boy ever come back? 45:50 Outro

Jason Velazquez aka Gameboy Zero joins the podcast to talk about his channel, how he got started, some of his favorite nostalgia-filled memories, and what's next. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:20 Jason's Favorite Console & Game 05:58 Meet Jason a.k.a. GameBoyZero 07:53 When did it all start? 12:32 YouTube Shorts 17:44 Let's Talk about Nickelodeon 23:52 The early days of emulation 26:16 Analogue Woes 32:21 What's the goal for GameBoyZero? 35:39 One piece of advice that's helped in creating content 37:31 What are ya playing? 40:47 Outro

Video games are great single player entertainment, but one could argue that they can be more fun in a multiplayer setting. Brandon and Jake are going to discuss the pros and cons of both in person and online multiplayer, and try to narrow down best practice to make multiplayer great again! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 08:56 Reader Question 14:16 In-person vs. Online Multiplayer 15:19 Whats good about in-person gaming? 24:38 What's good about online multiplayer? 27:34 What's bad about in-person multiplayer? 32:57 What's bad about online multiplayer? 37:05 How to set your life up for more multiplayer gaming 40:11 End of the day - which option do you prefer? 43:53 What are ya playin'? 47:54 Outro

As we get older, the games that we play with will eventually be classified as retro, or that may already be the case if you've been on the earth for a while. So how should the next generation of youths be introduced to retro video games? - - -

Brandon and Jake show off some of their favorite retro-gaming items from their personal collections and talk a little bit about why these items are their favorites. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 07:44 Collectible Nintendo Cards and Stickers 12:04 Mario Tennis N64 Complete in Box 16:41 Konami Hyper Boy 21:57 NES Zapper 25:24 Pokémon Marbles + Pokéball Carrying Case 32:38 Super Mario Cereal 40:21 What are ya playin'? 42:16 Outro - - -

Bringing old games onto modern hardware is nothing new in the games industry. With the recent news of the Red Dead Redemption port coming to Nintendo Switch, it's the perfect time to dive in. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 03:32 Ports, Remasters, and Remakes - What's the difference? 05:00 Ports 07:53 Remasters 12:26 Remakes 25:32 If you had to get rid of one, what would it be? 36:27 What are ya playin'? 43:20 Outro - - -

With our last two podcasts focusing on Sega and Nintendo in the 90s, it's only fitting to have a full panel discussion of Mario vs. Sonic! And no, this is not Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Folks from the team of Retro Dodo weigh in. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:57 Mario vs. Sonic - the Rules 06:04 Who has the best games? 16:31 Who has the most compelling storyline and character development? 22:31 Which character's gameplay mechanics are the best? 28:35 Who has a more iconic and recognizable design? 33:37 Who has the most interesting supporting cast of characters/villains? 37:38 Who has the best tv/film adaptations? 43:38 Whose games have aged better over time? 47:10 Which character's games offer a more challenging and rewarding experience? 55:40 Who would win in a fight? 01:04:44 Final Verdict 01:07:32 Outro - - -

We're flipping the script this episode, literally. Last week, Jake interviewed Brandon on what it was like growing up in the 90s with Sega. Now we're talking about what it was like growing up with the big ‘N'. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:40 Growing up in the 90s with Nintendo 07:44 Did you always want to be a Nintendo Kid? 10:29 What did your friends play? 12:02 Favorite games for the N64 16:14 What did you like about the N64? 21:18 What didn't you like about the N64? 23:22 What kind of accessories did you have? 31:48 What are ya playin'? - - -

Jake interviews Brandon about what it was like growing up in the 90s as a Sega kid. They break down the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Mega Drive and cover some of Brandon's favorite games. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:40 Growing up with Segaz 05:11 Did you always want to be a Sega kid? 11:21 What did most of your friends play? 12:36 What were some of your favorite games? 18:13 What made the Mega Drive/Genesis special? 22:36 What didn't you like about the Mega Drive? 29:02 What happened to your original Mega Drive? 33:52 What are ya playin'? 37:58 Outro - - -

Brandon and Rob flew to New York to meet with the biggest creator to ever do it, Casey Neistat, and talk about retro gaming and emulation. In this interview, Casey talks a bit about growing up with video games and where he thinks gaming is headed. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:05 Earliest Gaming Memory 04:46 Gaming during the Teenage Years 12:23 Gaming Today 17:44 Where is the Gaming Market Headed? 20:19 Favorite Piece of Retro Tech - - -

We've seen incremental improvements in the retro handheld space the last two or three years but what will it take to usher in a new era of handheld gaming? Brandon, Anthony, and Jake try to answer this question. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:53 The Future of Handhelds 03:39 Incremental Upgrads vs. Something Entirely New 09:52 Existing Retro Content vs. New Original Content 22:37 Gimmicks 26:35 What is the Perfect Handheld? - - -

The rumored Nintendo Direct happened last Wednesday and delivered some pretty incredible announcements. Brandon and Jake talk about some of their favorites and what they've been up to. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:04 June 2023 Nintendo Direct Reactions 07:57 Super Mario RPG 10:59 Super Mario Bros. Wonder 15:56 WarioWare: Move It! 17:56 Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon Remaster 19:41 Mario Kart 8 DLC 23:31 Gloomhaven 23:58 Pokemon Scarlet and Violet DLC 28:58 Penny's Big Breakaway 30:33 What was missing? 32:56 What are ya playin'? 37:24 Outro - - -

A while back, Brandon mentioned that debating what is considered ‘retro' could take up a whole episode, so here we are. Brandon and Jake recap a few of their favorite Summer Games Fest announcements and try their best to discern what it means to be retro in the gaming space. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 05:25 Quick Highlights from Summer Games Fest/Not E3 12:15 What is Considered Retro? 16:16 Do Graphics Define Retro Games? 19:23 Doest nostalgia impact your perception of retro games? 31:19 What are ya playin'? 38:46 Outro - - -

Jason, aka MidLifeGamerGeek, joins Retrospect to talk about the beautiful intersection of card based video games and real life video games. Why people might or might not like them and some nice recommendations at the end! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:55 Marker 00:55 Meet Jason! 08:24 The History of Card Based Video Games 12:08 Why makes Card-Based Video Games Appealing? 19:30 What's not to like? 25:04 Our recommendations: 41:03 Outro - - -

Brandon and Jake discuss what makes a game ‘underrated' and then recommend some underrated retro games that you should check out. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 06:21 Underrated Retro Games 06:51 What makes a game underrated? 08:31 What makes a game overrated? 09:38 Our picks for the most underrated retro games 33:57 Where can you play some of these games? - - - Sponsored by “A Handheld History: 88-95” Now taking pre-orders. Secure your copy today! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ahandheldhistory?ss_source=twads&ss_campaign_name=Retrododo Listen & Sub: Apple: https://apple.co/3MaCcIH Spotify: https://spoti.fi/42Lw2UX Google: http://bit.ly/3z6K3im Castbox: http://bit.ly/40C5LXr Overcast: http://bit.ly/3noYDiZ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/rc3dum53 RadioPublic: http://bit.ly/40UDWKf Retrospect theme: Retrospect by Nite Owl https://open.spotify.com/artist/0omKhkoEQSS330QwpGL5qn?si=7izUNoCjSmqSWcrAcEwENA Visit the Site: https://retrododo.com

The recent PlayStation Showcase didn't quite live up to the expectations of many, and along with a somewhat lackluster presentation, we got details of a new PlayStation handheld called 'Project Q'. Let's discuss. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:28 New York Talk 05:32 Housekeeping/ Giveaway Ideas 06:21 PlayStation Showcase Quick Recap 11:57 Project Q - The New PlayStation Handheld 27:55 What are ya playin'? 33:43 Outro 34:43 Secret Surprise - - - Sponsored by “A Handheld History: 88-95” - FULLY FUNDED! Pick up your copy today before they ship in Q4! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ahandheldhistory Listen & Sub: Apple: https://apple.co/3MaCcIH Spotify: https://spoti.fi/42Lw2UX Google: http://bit.ly/3z6K3im Castbox: http://bit.ly/40C5LXr Overcast: http://bit.ly/3noYDiZ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/rc3dum53 RadioPublic: http://bit.ly/40UDWKf Retrospect theme: Retrospect by Nite Owl https://spoti.fi/3lJl6qq Visit the Site: https://retrododo.com Twitter: Brandon - https://twitter.com/iambrandonsalt Jake - https://twitter.com/BitBloggist

Emma Flint, Guides Editor for Retro Dodo, joins Retrospect as we give our first (spoiler free) impressions for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom! Timestamps: 00:00 Tears of the Kingdom Impressions - Ep. 41 00:00 Intro 00:45 Welcome Emma Flint! 06:08 Tears of the Kingdom Impressions 08:41 General Thoughts 10:55 How does Tears of the Kingdom compare to Breath of the Wild? 12:28 What do we think of Link's new abilities? 20:05 Let's talk about the story(no spoilers) 23:38 What voice acting should you pick? 26:10 Is Tears of the Kingdom a Game of the Year Contender? 29:58 Tips for players just starting out 33:58 Housekeeping 35:23 Outro - - - Sponsored by “A Handheld History: 88-95” - FULLY FUNDED! Pick up your copy today before they ship in Q4! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ahandheldhistory Listen & Sub: Apple: https://apple.co/3MaCcIH Spotify: https://spoti.fi/42Lw2UX Google: http://bit.ly/3z6K3im Castbox: http://bit.ly/40C5LXr Overcast: http://bit.ly/3noYDiZ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/rc3dum53 RadioPublic: http://bit.ly/40UDWKf Retrospect theme: Retrospect by Nite Owl https://spoti.fi/3lJl6qq Visit the Site: https://retrododo.com Twitter: Emma - https://twitter.com/LiterateElf Brandon - https://twitter.com/iambrandonsalt Jake - https://twitter.com/BitBloggist

Pokémon is one of the most widely recognized IPs of the 21st century with millions of fans all over the world. Games have typically released on an almost annual basis, but is that a good thing? Is the franchise stale? Brandon and Jake talk about the past, present, and future of the Pokémon franchise. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 04:55 The Future of Pokémon 07:11 Pokémon's Brief History and Some Stats 13:38 Where's Pokémon Now? 18:54 Is Pokémon Stale or are we Old? 19:52 What should the Pokémon Company focus on next? 26:14 What is your idea for the next mainline Pokémon game? 33:51 What is your idea for a new Spin-off game? 39:25 What are ya playin'? 43:40 Outro - - - Sponsored by “A Handheld History: 88-95” - FULLY FUNDED! Pick up your copy today before they ship in Q4! https://www.lostincult.co.uk/ahandheldhistory Listen & Sub: Apple: https://apple.co/3MaCcIH Spotify: https://spoti.fi/42Lw2UX Google: http://bit.ly/3z6K3im Castbox: http://bit.ly/40C5LXr Overcast: http://bit.ly/3noYDiZ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/rc3dum53 RadioPublic: http://bit.ly/40UDWKf Retrospect theme: Retrospect by Nite Owl https://spoti.fi/3lJl6qq Visit the Site: https://retrododo.com Twitter: Brandon - https://twitter.com/iambrandonsalt Jake - https://twitter.com/BitBloggist