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Retronauts Podcast Thread
- Thread starter Dream Machine
- Start date
- OT
OP
OP
Oh man, I remember that. That whole feature was pretty incredible. Heartbreaking that so much of this stuff is lost.
So I found some Bonus Stage videos still in file form, 720p, from after I made the DVD (aaand probably deleted those original downloads):
09_13_10 - 09_17_10_ Metroid.m4v
10-13-10-10-15-10-nintendo.m4v
Retronauts Bonus Stage Pre-TGS Special 1 HD Video from GameV.mp4
Retronauts Bonus Stage Pre-TGS Special 2 HD Video from GameV.mp4
The last two are interlaced though. ಠ_ಠ
I have slow upload where I'm staying but I can send them to you tomorrow Jeremy. All the earlier Bonus Stage files I doubt I have in file form, but I can rip them off the DVD if it's all we got, double compression and 480 horizontal lines. ಠ╭╮ಠ
09_13_10 - 09_17_10_ Metroid.m4v
10-13-10-10-15-10-nintendo.m4v
Retronauts Bonus Stage Pre-TGS Special 1 HD Video from GameV.mp4
Retronauts Bonus Stage Pre-TGS Special 2 HD Video from GameV.mp4
The last two are interlaced though. ಠ_ಠ
I have slow upload where I'm staying but I can send them to you tomorrow Jeremy. All the earlier Bonus Stage files I doubt I have in file form, but I can rip them off the DVD if it's all we got, double compression and 480 horizontal lines. ಠ╭╮ಠ
Petition to have Chris Sims added to every Retronauts East from now until the end of time. The "best letters" discussion in the last Metroidvania segment is like a top 5 thing that's ever happened on the show.
OP
OP
Complete tangent, but hearing Bob mock the fact that you can break your fists in Final Fantasy Legend reminded me of all the other times I've heard people mention games with that mechanic over the years (maybe it's only ever been in reference to FFL). It's always in this "isn't this so weird and wacky?" tone, but I don't understand what's so strange about the concept. In a game with weapon degradation, why would your fist hold up longer than a steel sword? Try punching stuff for a couple hours in real life and see how you feel.
Or am I misreading the critique?
Or am I misreading the critique?
I don't think you're misreading the critique, I think it's a pretty surface-level analysis. I mean you can also buy a second set of PUNCH to use when the first runs out, which makes even less sense.
What's cool is that all the martial arts in FFL actually have extra logic with their uses. You get 99 PUNCHes, for instance, but 88 KICKs, 66 BUTTs (heh heh), etc. down to 11 KARATE. All of them get stronger as the number remaining decreases, which implies you're getting better with practice. (I've always presumed the better ones start at a lower number because they all share some formula, though I'm not well-versed in FFL mechanics enough to say for sure.) It doesn't really stand up to scrutiny but it's still kind of neat.
I love the energy Chris brings to the show, but by his own admission he's only able to hold court on a handful of classic gaming topics. He'd have been lost on the HyperCard episode, for example.
OP
OP
Interesting. After listening to the FFL podcast I watched Jeremy's Gameboy Works episode on the first game. They sound so much more interesting than I was able to parse when I tried (and immediately dropped) one of them as a kid. I really want to revisit them now. Maybe I'll track down those DS remakes or something for some added quality of life improvements.
I'm here, but I'll probably be lurking even more. Thank you though!
Hey JeremyParish , any info on what these books contain?
https://www.fangamer.com/collections/retronauts-book-preorders?mc_cid=ca7d98a67c&mc_eid=b3ee0b1126
I want to buy them! I buy all of the things you make! Tell me! Is this an expanded version of the Good Nintentions books?
Apologies if I missed the info, but I've been going through your various websites and social stuff for a while with no luck.
https://www.fangamer.com/collections/retronauts-book-preorders?mc_cid=ca7d98a67c&mc_eid=b3ee0b1126
I want to buy them! I buy all of the things you make! Tell me! Is this an expanded version of the Good Nintentions books?
Apologies if I missed the info, but I've been going through your various websites and social stuff for a while with no luck.
NES Works 1986: Print adaptation of the video series by the same name. Never before published in print.
NES Works 1985: New, slightly revised Good Nintentions 1985 (which we delisted from Amazon a while back). New layout to match NES Works 1986; some small edits and tweaks, but otherwise the same book as GN1985.
NES Works 1985: New, slightly revised Good Nintentions 1985 (which we delisted from Amazon a while back). New layout to match NES Works 1986; some small edits and tweaks, but otherwise the same book as GN1985.
OK! Thank you! I have both GN volumes already but picked these up too. Can never have too much TF on a shelf.
When I try to download recent episodes, they are cut off around half length and have "seg1" in the name. Halp!
I tried both from the Retronauts page ("Direct download") and from PodcastOne.
I guess there is some issue where PodcastOne automatically wants to splice in advertising/commercial sections, usually around the middle of the podcast? I noticed in previous episodes that these sections are in my native language - which is not English - so they have to be placed dynamically when someone downloads the file.
Yes, we upload in two segments and PC1 combines them, but I haven't heard any indication that other listeners have experienced this issue, so I'm at a loss to explain why you are.
Well, thanks anyway.
I always liked the Retronauts podcast btw, I'm a listener since the very beginning from the 1UP days. You guys do a great job, thank you!
I always liked Shane and Chris Kohler for their enthusiasm and Sharkey for his snark, too.
I always liked the Retronauts podcast btw, I'm a listener since the very beginning from the 1UP days. You guys do a great job, thank you!
I always liked Shane and Chris Kohler for their enthusiasm and Sharkey for his snark, too.
Thank you — sorry I can't help. I just checked the latest episode on the iTunes Music Store and it's playing correctly at its full 2-hour length. Are you able to get the show that way?
Sorry, I don't have iTunes.
Maybe it's only an issue with certain languages/regions? Considering that the commercials are region-based.
Maybe it's only an issue with certain languages/regions? Considering that the commercials are region-based.
The episode about taking metroidvania beyond the bounds of the NES was a great idea. It's always nice to have SMS games being talked about instead of ignored. The Dragon's Trap analysis was quite thoughtful. Kenseiden is an excellent game that might have been worth mentioning although I suppose it's still divided into levels despite the exploration element.
Still, I feel this episode was a bit of a missed opportunity. It was mentioned that these type of games didn't exist much on other platforms but that's not true. Western computers in particular had plenty of exploratory action-adventure games in the mid to late '80s including ones with power ups like Fist: The Legend Continues and Sacred Armour of the Antiriad/Rad Warrior.
It's good that Impossible Mission was acknowledged but it sounded like no one had much experience with it which is odd considering its importance for the topic, and since it's still quite playable. And why is someone who admits to not having played Zillion even participating in this topic? It's a pretty major one to have not played in the last 30 years.
Still, I feel this episode was a bit of a missed opportunity. It was mentioned that these type of games didn't exist much on other platforms but that's not true. Western computers in particular had plenty of exploratory action-adventure games in the mid to late '80s including ones with power ups like Fist: The Legend Continues and Sacred Armour of the Antiriad/Rad Warrior.
It's good that Impossible Mission was acknowledged but it sounded like no one had much experience with it which is odd considering its importance for the topic, and since it's still quite playable. And why is someone who admits to not having played Zillion even participating in this topic? It's a pretty major one to have not played in the last 30 years.
Like ten people have played Zillion. Especially for these broad genre/company review eps I don't think it's plausible to only have guests who are familiar with every title that could come up or vice versa. (Plus the lineup on the Metroidvania eps is just generally amazing.)
Yeah, "Thanks for taking several hours out of your working day to be on my podcast, please also be sure to play through this entire list of games before coming" is not really a reasonable expectation for us to place on show participants. There are gonna be gaps.
And I honestly have never heard of several of those PC games, despite having been researching and actively crowdsourcing info on this topic for years now.
And I honestly have never heard of several of those PC games, despite having been researching and actively crowdsourcing info on this topic for years now.
Huh! I was having this issue as well!
I use Overcast on an iPhone 5 and I live in France.
It's been an issue for the last two episodes.
It's funny, I haven't listened to the most recent Metroid episode yet, but yesterday I listened to the episode that's being discussed above (Metroidvania beyond the NES with Chris Sims and Benj Edwards) and it really stood out to me as an incredibly strong offering. Chris' input about his experience with Super Metroid, and the talk about Wonderboy III (over which I'm admittedly bias as I have fond childhood memories) were excellent. I'd hope that by having people who haven't played a particular game involved in a discussion, it would help those in the audience who also don't have specific game experiences. Sometimes it's easy just to assume everyone knows the particulars of a game when in fact actually describing the gameplay a bit more would be really helpful.
I know the average person isn't going to be familiar with Zillion but I feel anyone doing a retro game podcast should know the Master System (and Sega in general) very well. The first Retronauts I listened to years ago was supposed to be about the Master System but the guys couldn't even hold a basic conversation on the system. It was an insult to Sega's contributions to gaming and made me avoid the podcast. I don't remember who made that episode but at least this new one is infinitely better.
Yeah, there are going to be gaps. This one missed a fairly large section of gaming related to the topic but I guess that happens. At least it leads to genre discussions on message boards. :)
You should check out those games (C64 versions). They might be tough to get into in 2017 given the hardcore difficulty and lack of maps but if you're studying the genre, they're good games to know. Antiriad is almost like a Euro Metroid coincidentally developed at the same time as Metroid 1. Epyx published the North American version as Rad Warrior.
Fist II is the sequel to Way of the Exploding Fist. The first game was a pure fighting game but the sequel has an adventure mode where you explore to gain abilities and navigate your way to an end battle. It was also really impressive for audio with echo sounds in the caves and a creepy soundtrack. Fist: The Legend Continues is the North American version published by Mindscape.
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OP
OP
I think the podcast cohost you're looking for is off wandering the desert, NeoZeedeater.
Anyway, Chris Antista's aggressively subjective opinions and third hand information presented as facts add an interesting dynamic to the show, lol. Sometimes clarifications or corrections bring about some good discussion, but it seems like sometimes people don't want to engage when he makes semi-factual broad declarations about things.
Anyway, Chris Antista's aggressively subjective opinions and third hand information presented as facts add an interesting dynamic to the show, lol. Sometimes clarifications or corrections bring about some good discussion, but it seems like sometimes people don't want to engage when he makes semi-factual broad declarations about things.
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These guys get a lot of (not 100% undeserved) razzing about their relatively sparse knowledge of Sega properties but I assume it was just because they were playing better games instead. And they've extensively covered the most important part of Sega's history (the arcade) in the last year!
If there's one thing I love about podcasting, it's being scorned because my family couldn't afford a home computer until 1993 and I only had enough money to buy a single console and a few games per year until I began working full-time. Sure, I got by on food stamps and free lunches throughout elementary school, but really I don't have extensive first-hand experience with 8-bit microcomputers and non-Nintendo systems simply because of my deep personal biases against corporations and platforms. I definitely didn't drool enviously over my friends' computer games and feel a painful stab of covetousness every time I touched an in-store Sega/TG16/Atari demo unit that I couldn't possibly hope to afford for the entirety my childhood, nope.
Man, the internet is just the worst place ever. Look at what you've done, you fiends!
Retronauts can't be the be-all end-all experts on everything. But the beauty of their work hasn't come from quickly studying a subject and talking about it, the reason it's so great is because it comes from the same place as it does for us (but with like, way more skill and thought). The last thing I want is some half-assed episodes where you play games I know intimately from my own childhood for an hour and act like experts on them.
Retronauts can't be the be-all end-all experts on everything. But the beauty of their work hasn't come from quickly studying a subject and talking about it, the reason it's so great is because it comes from the same place as it does for us (but with like, way more skill and thought). The last thing I want is some half-assed episodes where you play games I know intimately from my own childhood for an hour and act like experts on them.
I have to be something of a generalist due to the sheer volume and breadth of the work I do, and the same holds true for Bob… which is why we always try to bring in guests who know a topic to shore up the gaps in our own lived experiences. But podcasts are highly improvisational and unpredictable despite the planning that goes into them, and we never know how a conversation will play out until it's happened. Usually they're great, but sometimes a well-intended show doesn't go as well as we'd hoped. For example, our original attempt at a Master System episode didn't go as I hoped, which was frustrating at the time. And continues to be frustrating! People are still complaining about it a decade later, despite the fact that we flew two Sega historians to Midwest Gaming Classic last year out of pocket for a second run at the topic that turned out great.
I could listen to you talk about Hypercard for days. One of the great episodes.
Everyone missed out on systems when they were young. I drooled over plenty of stuff I couldn't afford or that wasn't available in my country. My parents were low income. No one should feel bad about that. The awesome thing about the rise of the internet was the availability of information and emulation.
I'm sure it sucks dealing with people constantly making complaints. In my case, I mean no malice. I don't think it's unreasonable for people to want to see non-Nintendo stuff fairly represented in today's era where the gaming media tends to be very Nintendo-centric with regards to discussing history. A lot of backlash on the internet comes from a love of the less popular parts of gaming history. And some of it is from assholes that hate everything.
I'm sure it sucks dealing with people constantly making complaints. In my case, I mean no malice. I don't think it's unreasonable for people to want to see non-Nintendo stuff fairly represented in today's era where the gaming media tends to be very Nintendo-centric with regards to discussing history. A lot of backlash on the internet comes from a love of the less popular parts of gaming history. And some of it is from assholes that hate everything.
I respect the effort that you put into all your work. Not all podcast episodes may turn out great, but many of them do and even the ones that don't I know you're trying your best on them.
(And from my extensive viewing of Chronsega, I feel it's safe to say the good games on the Master System can be counted on one hand (and Zillion isn't one of them).)
Yeah, I don't take any of these complaints personally anymore. The show is doing insanely well in terms of download numbers, so for every complaint I see there are tens of thousands of people who either enjoyed the show or found it at least mildly inoffensive enough not to raise a fuss. Which is not to say I don't take criticism seriously, but I do take it in stride.
The name "Retronauts" came from my own acceptance of the fact that there's a vast amount of video game history I am unaware of, and my desire to explore it and learn more. I've put that learning process on public display, missteps and all. And the nature of fandom fosters jealousy and a sense of us-vs-them in some people. Every fandom has a few self-appointed gatekeepers who can't help but interpret "I don't know much about this topic but want to give it its due to the best of my ability" as "I am a poser who thinks this topic is stupid and not worth my time and everyone who likes it also bad and dumb." I mean, there were folks in the Chrono fandom who listened to me talk about how Chrono Cross literally changed my life, and how deeply I love it despite its flaws, and then went on public tirades about how I'm a monster who was unfairly badmouthing the game. Internet's weird, man.
The name "Retronauts" came from my own acceptance of the fact that there's a vast amount of video game history I am unaware of, and my desire to explore it and learn more. I've put that learning process on public display, missteps and all. And the nature of fandom fosters jealousy and a sense of us-vs-them in some people. Every fandom has a few self-appointed gatekeepers who can't help but interpret "I don't know much about this topic but want to give it its due to the best of my ability" as "I am a poser who thinks this topic is stupid and not worth my time and everyone who likes it also bad and dumb." I mean, there were folks in the Chrono fandom who listened to me talk about how Chrono Cross literally changed my life, and how deeply I love it despite its flaws, and then went on public tirades about how I'm a monster who was unfairly badmouthing the game. Internet's weird, man.
Retronauts is the only gaming podcast (and frankly one of the only podcasts full stop) that I can consistently listen to, and where I'll gladly listen to 90 minutes on games/franchises/genres I have no experience with or thought I didn't enjoy. It's good and you guys are good and it is great company when you feel down or are stuck on a nightmare commute. I still have some old episodes saved up for the next time I'm stuck on a train being held at a red signal.