Episode 042 – Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)

Episode 042 – Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)

Episode 042 – Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (1994)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re doing our best to get the dragon hat, so we can use our flames on bricks and blocks! From 1994, we’re playing Nintendo’s Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3.

You can manually download this week’s greedy 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 the game.
  • 37:15 – Emails! The gang talks many important topics.
  • 52:00 – Snifferoo. The trailer from a truly horrible vidya game movie.

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, Wario Land is fairly affordable, with a price of $8.25 for just the card, to $25.49 for the box and manual, to $36 for a “new” condition game. Pretty much all of the games of the series, and the spin-off games, range between $5 to $20 – so many are mass produced that they aren’t really valuable, but because the games are mostly good, there is always decent demand and no cratering in price.

– On the show, we mentioned that Wario World 2 was rumored to be coming out in 2017. However, since we recorded, that info has been taken off The Internets.

 

Vidya Game News – February 11, 2016

Xenogears - PSX– 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 041 – Mario Kart 64 (1997)

Episode 041 – Mario Kart 64 (1997)

Episode 041 – Mario Kart 64 (1997)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re racing as Mario, Wario, Toad, Yoshi and Donkey Kong! From 1997, we’re playing Mario Kart 64, and also talking quite a bit about Super Mario Kart for the SNES, with special guest Fatts!

You can manually download this week’s speedy 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 from Rainbow Road, and a favorite of Huell. Also, intro for special guest Fatts!
  • 30:00 – Fatts has to exit, so we focus on the history of Mare-E-O Kart.
  • 42:30 – A new feature! Huell’s Track Tracks ranking!
  • 47:45 – Emails! No intro music, because reasons.
  • 1:08:15 – Next week, we’re playing a dignified, civilized Game Boy game.

SHOW NOTES

– According to Price Charting, Mario Kart games are pretty valuable because people pretty much never sell them. Mario Kart 64 goes for $44 cart only, with the price swelling to $224.99 for the cart, box and manual in new condition. The range for Super Mario Kart is $29.99 to $182.51.

Vidya Game News – February 5, 2016

Paper Mario - Box Art - 01News is short today!

– Eurogamer, citing sources close to Nintendo, reports that a proper localization for Mother 3 – the Game Boy Advance sequel of Earthbound / Mother 2 – is underway. Read their news item here. A fan translation has been available for a few years, and it’s not bad.

– Capcom is now developing a Mario Party arcade game, according to the Anime News Network.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

Paper Mario, a spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG, was released for the N64 in 2001. There are now four games in the series, with the last being Sticker Star in 2012 for the 3DS.

– In 2007, Final Fantasy VI Advance came out. The re-release of FF6j/3e added a new bonus dungeon and a couple new espers.

Devil May Cry 4 came out in 2008. Steve hasn’t ever played any of the series, but he used to have a “hand me down” cat named after the lead character.

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)

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.

 

Vidya Game News – January 29, 2016

Final Fantasy Tactics - Box ArtHey, it’s some news!

– Marc Deschamps had a fun review, with pictures, of his time spent at a museum with a NES exhibit.

– It was all around the Internet this week, but the original story seems to be from a Huffington Post site: Michael Jackson did portions of the soundtrack for Sonic 3. Read more here by Todd Van Luling.

– PAX South is in San Antonio from today to Sunday. You know, in case you’re in the area. For more info, visit the event’s website.

– From mbgreen78 at DeviantART, it’s video game dioramas! Check them out here.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– The most significant game released was Phantasy Star Online in 2001 for the Dreamcast. It was pretty much the first online console game that had a significant impact, and it makes plenty of “best of all-time” lists as a result.

– Depending on what source you look at, Final Fantasy Tactics came out today or yesterday in 1998. It was a cult classic for plenty of years, thanks to its awesome storyline and neat, turn-based strategy gameplay. Nowadays, it has been re-released for several different (mostly Sony) platforms, and it’s still worth checking out. (And by the way, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is out this week for the Wii U Virtual Console, per Gamasutra.)

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 039 – Quest for Glory IV (1994)

Episode 039 – Quest for Glory IV (1994)

Episode 039 – Quest for Glory IV (1994)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we’re plumbing through mystical lakes with naked ladies and the sphincters of caves in a quest for glory! From 1994, we’re playing Sierra’s Quest for Glory IV, with special guest Jovial John!

You can manually download this week’s sultry 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 from a treacherous lake in the game. The video is slightly NSFW, and viewable in part one and part two on YouTube. Also, we’re joined by Jovial John this week!
  • 49:30 – We say nighty-nite to John, and start readin’ them emails!
  • 1:03:00 – A snifferoo from next week’s show. It’s the funkiest game ever for the Genesis!

SHOW NOTES

– As mentioned on the show, the best place to buy the Quest for Glory series nowadays is on GOG.com, which offers it DRM-free for $10. Check it out here.

– According to Price Charting, if you want the boxes and manuals for the games, they’re reasonably priced. The individual games range from $20 to $38, although the anthology is $87, which is a collection of the first four games from 1996. That was the most thorough collection before the GOG version in 2012.

– The Kickstarter-supported spiritual successor to Quest for Glory mentioned on the show is Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption. You can read more about it here.

– Also as mentioned on the show, this was the first video game voiceover role for Jennifer Hale, who has since done way more games. Corey Cole, one of the game designers for QFGIV, notes that John Rhys-Davies called it “the CD-ROM from Hell” because of the huge length of the script, in an awesome long piece on the game.

Vidya Game News – January 22, 2016

Ni No Kuni - Box Art - 01jpg“Kick, punch, it’s all in the mind!” – Master Onion, PaRappa.

– Super cool story, as a student has translated game worlds into subway maps. Games included are Metroid, The Legend of Zelda, Maniac Mansion, Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy.

– Also cool: Some programmers are trying to make Ocarina of Time into a 2D Zelda game. In which case, Steve might actually play it! Check it out here.

– From Wired and several other sites, Atari will be releasing 100 classic games for Steam in its Atari Vault package this spring.

ON THIS DAY IN VIDEO GAME HISTORY…

– Although it’s not really that old, by far the best game to come out on this day in history is Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for the PS3 in 2013. While it’s only three years old, it’s definitely worth checking out, and a sequel was just announced for the PS4.

– Historically, January is kind of a dumping ground for games. So, most of the decent games are all semi-recent: No More Heroes for the Wii in 2008, and of course, Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball for the Xbox in 2003.

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 038 – Aladdin (1993)

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

Valkyria Chronicles - Box Art - 01“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.