Vidya Game News – March 3, 2016
– How did 12-year NHL vet Ryan Kesler get involved in hockey? Why, NHL 94, of course!
– Kotaku’s Patrick Klepek has a long article on several different Nintendo hackers.
– FOX Sports had a segment with NASCAR drivers playing Mario Kart 64. It’s on YouTube here.
– From UK site Wow 24/7, Jordan Sims has a list of the horrible attempts by McDonald’s to create video games.
– Whoops! It turns out the Coleco Chameleon system might have been a hoax. Engadget’s Kris Naudus has a good summary on the Internet sleuthing done.
– A fun article from Dan Taipua at The Spinoff on the essentials for an NES collection. Included is the Power Glove, because “it looks f****** amazing.” I can’t disagree with that. Speaking of the Power Glove, Sony has filed a patent for a new glove-based controller, per Uproxx.
ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…
– Yet again, not much of significance came out, since March tends to be another slow month for games. Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance came out in 2003, but it was simply an expanded version of the original sequel. Helldivers got rave reviews, but it only came out in 2015.
Video game history information comes from GameFAQs and Moby Games. And as always, if you’d like to support the show, do so via our Amazon link.
Vidya Game News – February 18, 2016
– Nintendo is finally bringing some classic games to the 3DS in North America, per Destructoid and other sites.
– From Gamespot, a dream of a producer from The Lego Movie would be a similar project with Nintendo characters. Unfortunately, no such project is in development… yet.
– A Chrono Trigger tribute album is now available.
– This week on Steam, Jet Set Radio, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage 2 are free for download! More games are also supposed to be unlocking. For some details, check out this piece on Fortune.
– Next week, the neat Gameological column on the A.V. Club is devoting itself to The Legend of Zelda. However, it has started out this week, so be sure to check out the link!
– From The Sun Sentinel, a southern Florida museum now has an exhibit on video games. Exhibits include Piftall!, Space Invaders and Super Mario Bros.
– Although it’s been mislabeled on a bunch of websites, Hat-Loving Gamer has made an animation of what Super Mario Kart would look like with 101 racers. Check it out on his Facebook page.
ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…
– Historically, it’s a weak day for game releases. In 2009, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II came out for the PC, which might be of interest to one of the SBBs of YPB. (Huell.)
– Dark Chronicle, better known as Dark Cloud 2, came out for the Playstation in 2003. It was very well-received and a cult classic for years, and it’s now out for the PS4.
– Coming out in the same year was Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter, which got a so-so reception. As a result, the series pretty much went dormant. Per Wikipedia, the sixth installment is coming out next week in Japan for PCs and cell phones, with no news of a translation.
Video game history information comes from GameFAQs and Moby Games. And as always, if you’d like to support the show, do so via our Amazon link.
Vidya Game News – February 11, 2016
– Legitimately cool, but some NSFW text and language: Canadian punk band PUP has a ton of re-purposed vintage video game stuff for its music video of “DVP.” Check it out on YouTube! It’s definitely a must-watch for any old games fan.
– James Trew of Engadget has a cool retrospective on the Atari Lynx, which is one of those obscure systems from the early to mid-1990s.
– Are you in the Austin, Texas area on Feb. 21? You’re in luck! You can attend the NBA Jam Invitational Tournament at Empire Control Room & Garage. Find more details here. Also, from FOX Sports and several other sources, the University of Florida used NBA Jam graphics for a promotion.
– In “WTF Sega???” news, The Worldfolio has an interview with the president and CEO of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc., and he said development continues on a live action-animation hybrid Sonic The Hedgehog movie. It’s tentatively scheduled for a 2018 release.
– A hat tip to Friend of the Show Hypermotard, as he passed along this Reddit AMA with Don Rawitsch, one of the co-inventors of The Oregon Trail.
– From the appropriately named This Is Why I’m Broke, it’s a Nintendo console lamp. The price of $95 seems a bit steep to me, but still, it looks pretty cool.
ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…
– In 2014, Square somewhat buried the third installment of Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning Returns, by releasing it in this traditional “dead” period. The game itself is a bit of a mess, but it has some cool concepts, like the ability to hunt enemies to extinction and the setting of the end of the world. Like a lot of recent Square efforts, it’s undone by some meh storytelling in the third act.
– We typically don’t use Japanese dates for “anniversaries” on the old YPB blog, but for whatever reason, Feb. 11 is a banner day for the genre in Japan. In 1990, Dragon Quest IV came out, and as usual it did major business in Japan. It didn’t hit American shores until October 1992, and it was very much a “niche” title with seemingly only 15 copies released. A Nintendo DS remake came out in 2007 and 2008; it tends to be controversial, because while it cleans up some gameplay and “where do I go next?” aspects, it gives all of the characters ridiculous accents.
– In 1998, Xenogears was released by Square in Japan. It has a strong cult following to this day because of its unique RPG system with martial arts and robots fighting, along with a plot that focuses on religion, psychology and identity crisis. The reaction is still mostly positive, even though the second half of the game falls apart a bit for behind-the-scenes budget reasons.
– Square released Final Fantasy VIII in Japan in 1999. It was the second Final Fantasy game for the Playstation, and drastically different from the preceding game, and as a result it’s somewhat a black sheep in the series. Although it has sold more than 8.5 million copies, it’s been passed over for remakes in favor of VII and X, even though its story and “look” hold up somewhat better. It’s not really a game for Final Fantasy newcomers though, as the battle system takes some getting used to, and exploit knowledge on a second playthrough can let you become an all-powerful character within the game’s first few hours.
Video game history information comes from GameFAQs and Moby Games. And as always, if you’d like to support the show, do so via our Amazon link.
Episode 040 – Toejam & Earl (1991)
Episode 040 – Toejam & Earl (1991)
This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re just tryin’ to help some aliens avoid pesky humans as they fix their spaceship! From 1991, we’re playing Toejam & Earl by Johnson Voorsanger Productions, and published by Sega for the Genesis.
You can manually download this week’s jammin’ funkalicious podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.
As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win!
Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.
TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Intro, which is one of the slammin’ tracks in the game.
- 44:00 – It’s the triumphant return of the ToddBitSkit!
- 45:45 – Emails! What games are the guys looking forward to in 2016?
- 58:15 – Next week’s game is hella popular.
SHOW NOTES
– According to Price Charting, Toejam & Earl has retained its value well, similar to the Mario games. The loose cart price is $27.50, and new copies go for $150. The sequel and Xbox games are more manageable, around $10 to $20 for the loose media, to $54 for new copies. However, if you’re fine not having a physical copy, it’s available on Steam and other digital stores for $4.99.
– For info on the new game, check out the Kickstarter page or the (poorly updated) website.
Episode 038 – Aladdin (1993)
Episode 038 – Aladdin (1993)
This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re debating swords vs. non-swords, and essentially committing genocide on the streets of Agrabah! From 1993, we’re playing Aladdin for the SNES and Genesis. It is based on the Disney version, and not the public domain-y 1986 movie.
You can manually download this week’s street rat and genie podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.
As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win! Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.
TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Intro, which is the theme for the first level of the SNES Aladdin.
- 43:00 – The emails! Do you like story games?
- 1:03:00 – A snifferoo from next week’s show. We will have a special guest as we cover a pee-cee game!
SHOW NOTES
– According to Price Charting, the prices for Aladdin are pretty manageable. The loose cart for the Genesis is $9.99, with the box and manual combo in new condition going for $52.99. The SNES version is pricier, at a range of $22.50 to $129.99, but re-releases of that version for the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance are in the $6.50 to $60 range.
– On the show, we mentioned the illegal ports of the SNES to Genesis, and Genesis to SNES Aladdin games. But there is also a bootleg edition for the NES that mostly imps the SNES gameplay! Someone has a video on YouTube here.
Vidya Game News – January 14, 2016
“Please adhere to the following rule of the city square: No swimming, No swearing, No laughing, No crying, No talking out of turn, No line dancing, No moose calling, No sword play, No pumpkin carving, No mummified cat juggling, No wallowing in your own self pity, No circumstantial evidence, No walking on the grass, No pancakes on Monday, No dessert until you eat your vegetables, No slapstick comedy, No balloon animals, And absolutely, positively, No barking like a seal. It upsets me.” – Secret of Evermore.
While following the rules, enjoy this vidya game news.
– Cool old game news, as Natsume has their own eBay store now. This includes new, boxed copies of things like Pocky and Rocky, Lufia II and Harvest Moon. Check it out here.
– Nintendo has joined legions of teenage girls and the year 2007, as they have a Tumblr account now, per Destructoid. Check it out here.
– Also from Destructoid, the fresh screenshots from the PS4 remaster of Valkyria Chronicles!
– From Kotaku ’Stralia and some other sites, a gamer totally broke Secret of Mana the other week during his speedrun. Also, the original game of the series, Final Fantasy Adventure, is getting a re-release on phones and iOS devices, per Polygon’s Allegra Frank.
– Also, publicized on the Mary Sue, NES30 has released a wireless NES controller that works with modern systems. It’s a bit pricey, at $36.99, but pretty damn cool.
– UK site Digital Spy has 11 horrible realities of old school gaming.
– If you live in Barrie, in Central Ontario, congrats! There is a new board game and video game group you can join.
ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…
– In 2002, NBA Courtside 2002 was released for the GameCube. As you can imagine from this game being included, it wasn’t a great day for releases, historically…
– The fourth installment of the second .hack series came out in 2004. Quarantine was a weird game, even by Japanese RPG standards. The games go for a pretty penny now, so if you see them, snatch them up.
Video game history information comes from GameFAQs and Moby Games. And as always, if you’d like to support the show, do so via our Amazon link.
Episode 037 – Shadowrun (1993)
Episode 037 – Shadowrun (1993)
This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re back to our regular episodes! We’re shootin’ at trolls, mages and everything but werewolves in a weird noir game. From Beam Software and released in 1993, we’re playing Shadowrun for the Super Nintendo.
You can manually download this week’s dark, grimy, edgy podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.
As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win! Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.
TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Intro, which is the main theme from Shadowrun.
- 51:00 – The emails! Video game sidekicks and other fun things.
- 1:08:45 – A snifferoo from next week’s show. Don’t you dare close your eyes! It’s a whole new world.
SHOW NOTES
– If you like Dale’s contributions on the pod, be sure to check out his blog, Dale’s Video Backlog Blog! It also has the great address of daleisgreat.blogspot.com. (Steve heartily supports this, since his own, currently dormant blog is Stephen on Stuff.)
– There are actually three versions of Shadowrun, although the Super Nintendo one tends to get the most buzz. A Genesis version from 1994 is also well-reviewed, although more obscure, and there is a little played, Japanese-only version for the Sega CD. We mostly focused on the SNES game, but do mention the Genesis one in passing. All three are based on the Shadowrun tabletop RPG series, although they’re each different games and feature different stories.
– According to Price Charting, Shadowrun for the Super Nintendo costs about $47 for the loose cart, up to $310 for the cart, box and manual in pristine condition. This is probably because it’s well-regarded. The Genesis version is a bit cheaper, at $27 for just the cart, up to $175 for a ‘perfect’ copy. The new Shadowrun for PC only costs around $5 to $10. There is another version for the 360 that’s about $3 to $10.
– In the future, we absolutely will be covering Maniac Mansion.
Episode 036 – 2015 Awards – Part 2 (2015)
Episode 036 – 2015 Awards – Part 2 (2015)
This week in Your Parents Basement, it’s the continuation of a celebration! We’re covering the rest of the favorite games we played in 2015, and also, touching on some of the worst games we played. And also, of course, emails!
You can manually download this week’s prestigious podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.
As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win! Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.
TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Intro, which is an opening from the Academy Awards.
- 1:05:30 – From Todd Brisket, he has the nominees and the winner of the Sweetest Baby Boy of Year!
- 1:07:30 – It’s a big ole expanded email portion this week, as we hear from some of the greatest friends of the show.
- 1:13:00 – A musical interlude, based on an email.
- 1:32:00 – A snifferoo from next week’s show, which is a cult classic SNES action-RPG based on a tabletop game series.
SHOW NOTES
– All of the games mentioned on the show are current and not especially pricey. So if they sound interesting, be sure to help us out via Amazon!
Episode 029 – Jurassic Park (1993)
Episode 029 – Jurassic Park (1993)
This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re dealing with clever girls, and stun gunning dinosaurs! From 1993, we’re playing Jurassic Park for the Sega Genesis. Rawr!
You can manually download this week’s podcast that tampers with the laws of nature here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.
As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win! (Might I suggest the Blu-ray of Jurassic World?) Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.
TIMESTAMPS
- 0:00 – Intro, which is the combination of the dinosaur “roar” from the system power-up, and the game’s title theme.
- 41:15 – Another installment of Todd’s dynamite Most Best Game of All-Time! This week, featuring Baradur.
- 50:30 – Emails. The boys talk extensively about the exciting Fallout 4, and their favorite episodes from the first six months of the show.
- 1:04:00 – Snifferoo. We have a special guest for next week’s show, which will be about one of the best platforming games with some of the best music for the NES!
SHOW NOTES
– According to Price Charting, Jurassic Park is pretty affordable for the Genesis. It’s about $3.29 for the loose cart, and the game with a box and manual is about $40, which isn’t bad as far as older games go. Some of the later games in the franchise for the PS2 generation, oddly enough, are pricey, but most range from $3 to $15 for the loose carts.
– As mentioned on the show, there are way, way, wayyyy too many versions of Jurassic Park and its sequels floating around. For a full rundown, Wikipedia has you covered. There are likely more coming, as the sequel to Jurassic World is scheduled for 2018, as of November 2015. (Sorry if you’re reading this in the future, and surprised / disappointed.)
– We recorded this show on Nov. 11, the day after Fallout 4 came out. Per Wikipedia, it sold 1.2 million copies on Steam its first day out, and shipped 12 million units in its first 24 hours, for sales of $750 million. And according to PornHub, its views fell 10 percent the day of the release. Here is a link to a SFW site, Gamesbeat, about that.
Vidya Game News – November 12, 2015
“Over the centuries, mankind has tries many ways of combating the forces of evil… Prayer, fasting, good works and so on. Up until Doom, no one seemed to have thought about the double-barrel shotgun.” – Terry Pratchett.
– Remember a couple months ago, when some dudes claimed to have found a prototype of the Nintendo-Sony CD project? Well, Engadget has an awesome follow-up by Richard Lai, and the system actually works! The CD drive doesn’t function, but it’s backwards compatible with some SNES games. If you’re unfamiliar with the backstory, Nintendo and Sony were originally going to collaborate on a system, but Nintendo was allegedly uneasy with Sony’s dominance in the tech industry already and pulled out. This led to Sony creating the PSX.
– Also in “cool older game news,” the Genesis port of Duke Nukem 3D is now available worldwide for $39.99.
– Radiant Historia was an awesome RPG for the Nintendo DS that had a Chrono Trigger-like game element that allowed you to manipulate the timeline. Now, according to Nintendo Everything, the director is interested in making a sequel.
– On the latest UpUpDownDown podcast on YouTube, Xavier Woods and Curtis Axel played each other in “Super Tecmo Bowl,” a.k.a. Tecmo Super Bowl, which we played a few weeks ago.
– From Now Gamer, a neat feature on six games that pushed hardware to its limit. Included are Mayhem in Monsterland (Commodore 64), Under Defeat (Dreamcast), Street Fighter Alpha 2 (SNES), Conker’s Bad Fur Day (N64), Adventures of Batman and Robin (Genesis) and Solaris (Atari 2600).
– On James and Mike Monday (Angry Video Game Nerd) this week, they played Power Punch II, a bizarre sequel to Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out. For the NSFW video, click here.
ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…
– Metal Gear Solid 2 was released for the Playstation 2 in 2001. It has since gone on to sell seven million copies, and it was one of the first to heavily involve cinematics with a shooting sort of game.
– In 2007, Super Mario Galaxy was released for the Wii. It was super well-reviewed and remains a beloved vidya game.
Video game history information comes from GameFAQs and Moby Games. And as always, if you’d like to support the show, do so via our Amazon link.
Your Parents Basement 