Episode 057 – Emails Emails Emails Emails Emails (2016)

Episode 057 – Emails Emails Emails Emails Emails (2016)

Episode 057 – Emails Emails Emails Emails Emails (2016)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are just reading emails as we cope with the loss of Todd Brisket still! All of these asks are from 2016, as the sweet baby boys of Huell and Steve only answer the freshest, hottest asks.

You can manually download this week’s podcast full of hot takes 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. As you can hear from this show, we answer all asks, regardless of how mysterious they are. ❤ (#scootingbutt)

Vidya Game News – May 26, 2016

Lion King - NES - Box Art– The best read of the week, and one close to my heart, is a long piece from Ernie Smith of Tedium on commercial mascots and their video games. Featured prominently are the Noid and M.C. Kids, of course, along with other lesser known items like a Doom-engine Chex game.

– Hardcore Gamer’s Marcus Estrada has a neat, informative little piece on the Doctor V64, which was a knockoff Nintendo 64 development kit. Read about it on their site.

– Live in Arizona, and want to play classic video games? You’re in luck! The Daily Courier has a business profile on Black Box Gaming, which allows you to lounge and play vidya games. Read about the cool little store here, in a story by Max Efrein.

– Now on Merchoid! Nintendo-themed bikinis.

– Boooo: Sounds like an automated FOX filter to take down their content on YouTube “accidentally” took down a clip of some dudes playing Double Dribble. Why? Well, because Family Guy used that clip in an episode. And, the show didn’t credit the brothers either. Read about it on IGN.

– Alan Young, the voice of Scrooge McDuck on Duck Tales, has passed away.

– Nintendo has released some trailers for its latest Kirby game, Planet Robobot, for the 3DS. Check them out via Siliconera here! And give a listen to our past episode here!

– These dudes tagged us on Twitter, so how can I not give them a plug? There is a music remix project for The Guardian Legend, which we’ve covered in the past. To check out their tracks, go here!

– I forgot to post this last week, but it’s still a really good read! From Eurogamer’s Wesley Yin-Poole, the rise and fall of Lionhead, creators (in a way) of Fable and headed by Peter Molyneux.

– Also from Eurogamer: Keith Stuart has a fun piece on how he was blacklisted from early Sega releases, even though he was running a magazine about the Dreamcast.

– Ron Gilbert, the creator of Maniac Mansion and Money Island, wants to buy back the IP from Disney. The mouse acquired the titles after buying the Star Wars empire for $4 billion in 2012. (And hey, check out our Maniac Mansion episode!)

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– Historically, May 26 hasn’t been especially great for games, but the first installment in the inFamous series came out on this day in 2009. The Playstation-exclusive series combined open-world gaming with superhero powers, and it was generally well-received.

– The NES version of The Lion King came out only in Europe on May 25, 1995. Yes, new NES games were still being made in 1995! Although, this was indeed the last release for Europe. It’s probably for the best, as Westwood Studios’ effort wasn’t all that good.

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 056 – Pitfall! and Moon Patrol (1982)

Episode 056 – Pitfall! and Moon Patrol (1982)

Episode 056 – Pitfall! and Moon Patrol (1982)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are leaping over pits with vines, jumping on top of crocodile snouts and blasting alien spaceships while dodging craters! From 1982, we’re playing Pitfall! by Activision and Moon Patrol by Irem. Special guest, Cosmo!

You can manually download this week’s OLD SCHOOL 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 super catchy music to Moon Patrol.
  • 42:00 – Emails! An exciting new contributor emails Cosmo, of all people! Plus, more dispatches from Todd Brisket because he’s a ramblin’ man, like other emailer Scooterbutt.
  • 59:45 – Snifferoo. Next week, it’s going to be a show focused on email questions! So, be sure to write to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, Pitfall! is quite affordable, at $8.95 for a loose cart or $19.99 for the cart and box. Moon Patrol is even cheaper – about $6.72 for a loose cart, and $13.50 for a cart and box.

– Luke Plunkett of Kotaku has a good write-up on the history and development of Pitfall! Included in the article is the old YouTube commercial for the game featuring, of all people, Jack Black. A Kickstarter project for a follow-up by creator David Crane didn’t go well, though.

– The world record in the arcade for Moon Patrol is 1.4 million points. Good times! A highlights video is here.

Vidya Game News – May 19, 2016

Wild Guns - SNES - 01– As Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett types in his write-up, Sega’s game testing training videos were peak 1990s, right down to Soundgarden and Nine Inch Nails background music.

– From Polygon’s Allegra Frank, a remake of cult classic Wild Guns is coming out for the PS4!

– In unnecessary video game movie adaptation news… A Tetris movie is in the pipeline, according to Deadline. And not a documentary about the game’s interested and tangled history, but a science fiction game. A discount film studio has picked up the rights to Atari’s Missile Command and Centipede, also per Deadline. Also, confirming long-standing rumors, Nintendo said it would look to re-enter the ole Hollywood business.

– What was the code name for the biggest heroin bust in Delaware’s history? Operation Duck Hunt, of course. Read more via The Sussex County Post.

– Nintendo Player has an awesome long read on the recently-unearthed Happily Ever After, a Snow White-based NES game from the early 1990s. The game itself is a generic, Nintendo Hard affair, but the story behind it is fascinating. Plus, the ROM has been made available for free online!

– From several sites, a retro 8-bit version of Monopoly, featuring Super Mario Bros., now has a sale slug on Amazon.

– Per Gamasutra and several other sites that got the press release, mod support for older Sega games caused them to sell 350,000 copies on Steam since April 28. For the details, click here.

– For James and Mike Mondays, the guys play Doom 64, which Steve remembers somewhat fondly from his childhood! If you didn’t have a high-powered PC back in the day, it was a fairly easy way to play the ole game. Also from that site this week, Mike and Bootsy play Pinball for the NES!

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– In 1997, Eurocom released the Midway arcade game War Gods for the N64. Because the system was so starved for games at various points, it was hyped for months in Nintendo Power, but it ultimately was just a mediocre fighting game.

New Super Mario Bros. now isn’t, as it celebrated its 10th year on May 15. (Note: It’s still an awesome platformer for the DS, though.)

– For a brief history in time, people thought they’d get in shape via vidya games. On May 21, 2008, Nintendo came out with Wii Fit and the Wii balance board. Both the balance board and the Wii are now probably in your closet.

– The year after Wii Fit, Next Level Games dropped a remake of Punch-Out!! for the Wii. While it was well-received, it wasn’t the iconic game that the original was.

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 055 – SimCity (1989)

Episode 055 – SimCity (1989)

Episode 055 – SimCity (1989)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are building and bulldozing through municipalities! From 1989 and 1991, we’re playing SimCity by Maxis for the PC and SNES. Joining us is special guest Ryan Gibbs from The Young Folks!

You can manually download this week’s growth-focused 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 has the nifty menu music from the SNES version of the game! For a full music playlist, check out the YouTube playlist here.
  • 55:30 – Emails! Cosmo writes in to apologize, and Brisket writes in about himself.
  • 1:19:15 – Snifferoo. Next week, we’re play TWO classic vidya games for the ole Atari 2600!

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, most of the SimCity games available are affordable. The SNES version goes for $7.80 for the loose cart, $24.95 for box and manual, and $102 new. The PC versions are widely available on the Internet, typically for less than $10.

– Doug Bierend of Medium’s Reform had a long interview with developer Will Wright on the thought process going into SimCity.

– Will Wright’s daughter Cassidy was involved in BattleBots, running the rowebuts Chiabot and Misty the WonderBot.

– For more info on SimSafari, check out Wikipedia. And be sure to check out Gibbs’ work on The Young Folks!

Vidya Game News – May 12, 2016

Super Maro RPG - Box Art - SNES– A copy of Stadium Events that a guy got at a yard sale for $2 just turned into a $7,500 sale for him. This site has the story. (Warning! Autoplaying video.)

– Someone has hacked an NES with a custom modem to read Twitter. Read about it on Motherboard!

– From Reddit, and copied to a bunch of other sites, a user has developed a Virtual Boy emulator for Google Cardboard.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

Super Mario RPG, a collaboration between Square and Nintendo, came out May 13, 1996. It turns 20 on Friday! Holy hell!

– The Saturn was released on May 11, 1995. With its release came console versions of Clockwork Knight, Daytona USA, Panzer Dragoon and Virtua Fighter. For a good, long retrospective, check out this piece by Jeremy Parish on US Gamer.

– Six years ago on May 11, 3D Dot Game Heroes by Silicon Studio came out for the PS3. If you’re a fan of Zelda-like games, it’s pretty good, and available in plenty of bargain bins!

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 054 – The Guardian Legend (1989)

Episode 054 – The Guardian Legend (1989)

Episode 054 – The Guardian Legend (1989)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are transforming into a rowe-butt and trying to conquer labyrinths! From 1989, we’re playing The Guardian Legend by Compile for the NES. And, tune it at the end for a shocking development that will shake YPB to its core!

You can manually download this week’s drama-filled 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 title theme from the game. Check out this YouTube playlist for all of the game’s nifty music!

37:00 – Emails! We get to them earlier this week, because we care about you, the listener.

51:00 – It’s not a Snifferoo! But Huell and Steve have decided that the show must go on, and there will indeed be a show for May 16.

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, The Guardian Legend is still reasonably priced, despite its cult status. Loose carts go for about $13, with the box and manual swelling the price to $36.99.

– Funding Universe has a really good write-up on the rise and fall of Broderbund Software, which Steve only gets into briefly toward the end of the episode.

Vidya Game News – May 5, 2016

Kirby as Sonic - 01– Of all the things Sega could license… A movie adaption of Shinobi could be coming soon, per Variety. It’s a solid game, but when it comes to story-based ninja games, it’s no Ninja Gaiden.

– Also, Sega has allowed modding to its games on Steam. As you can imagine, this has led to all sorts of fun, like Kirby starring in Sonic The Hedgehog and difficulty hacks for Comix Zone. Zack Kotzer of Motherboard has a good summary article on some changes.

– From Carl Batchelor of Niche Gamer, NES dungeon crawl game Shadow Brain has gotten a translation patch.

– Ryan Shoptaw of Gaming Conviction says a prototype cart for DuckTales 2 is now for sale.

– Nolan Bushnell, the original vidya games guy for Atari, is now working on cell phone games.

– Over on Cinemassacre, Mike and Bootsy play the NES hack Luigi’s Chronicles 2, an ultra-tough remake of Super Mario Bros. 3.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– In 1992, Wolfenstein 3D was released for the PC by id Software. You play as William “B.J.” Blazkowicz and shoot down a ton of Nazis, and it was as awesome as it sounded at the time. It was the FPS game that popularized the genre.

– On May 6, 2001, Mario Party 3 came out for the N64. Yes, there were three Mario Party games for the 64! It was also the last Mario game for the system.

– Konami released Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow in 2003 for the Gameboy Advance. It is one of the excellent Metroidvania games in the series. (And hey, check out our episodes on Castlevania and Super Metroid!)

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 053 – Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)

Episode 053 – Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)

Episode 053 – Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are celebrating our anniversary! It’s time to go back to the Mario series, as we’re playing Super Mario Bros. 2 by Nintendo for the NES.

You can manually download this week’s glowing, jumping and vegetable-tossing 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 has the awesome title theme from the game.
  • 38:00 – Steve may or may not have remembered to put in some tunes from the Minibosses.
  • 46:15 – Emails! We hear from some of our favorite writers of the past year.
  • 1:01:30 – Snifferoo. Todd Brisket has nominated a game that focuses on story, space-shooting and other fun stuff!

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, Super Mario Bros. 2 retains its value fairly well! The loose cart price is $20, and the box and manual bumps the price up to $37. New-condition copies go for $293. Super Mario Advance ranges from $9.50 to $41.50, since it’s much newer.

– The full Minibosses Super Mario Bros. 2 medley can be found here on YouTube.

– Chris Kohler of Wired has a good long read from 2011 on the secret history of the game.

Vidya Game News – April 28, 2016

Super Mario Bros. 3 - NES - Box Art– From Ryan Divish and Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times, Nintendo is selling its majority stake in the Seattle Mariners. The valuation is $1.4 billion, and a follow-up story on how the deal was struck is here. The initial purchase price? Around $100 million, according to a January 1992 New York Times article by Lawrence Malkin.

– Kotaku has an excerpt from Alyse Knorr’s book on the making of Super Mario Bros. 3, and it’s an awesome read! Check it out here.

– Now out: Sega 3D Classics Collection, for the Nintendo 3DS. Games include Power Drift, Puyo Puyo 2, Fantasy Zone II and II W, Sonic the Hedgehog, Thunder Blade, Galaxy Force II, Altered Beast and Maze Walker.

– Pretty much every site on the ole Internet had a piece about the new NES adapter that lets you use some modern controllers.

– Nintendo has a Humble Bundle available until May. Highlights include Retro City Rampage and Citizens of Earth.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– Historically, nothing prominent has come out on April 28, so… On April 29, 1998, Tekken 3 came out for the PlayStation. Released by Namco, it’s considered one of the absolute best games for the system, and one of the best fighting games of all-time.

– A little game called Grand Theft Auto IV came out on April 29, 2008. It made a bazillion dollars for Rockstar.

– Similarly: Mario Kart Wii came out in 2008 as well. It was a pretty good day for games.

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.