Arcade Castle - Episode 21 - Gradius
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 21 of the Arcade Castle, John Finds himself separated from Patrick by the Bacterian Empire and the robotic foot soldiers from Berzerk, both of which seem to be allied with the computer virus Omnicron. Taking refuge in a 'Human Storage Facility' on one of the Bacterian Flagships, John chances upon his old friend and now pressganged janitor, Kevin, who is being forced to clean the dust from the relics and debris of humanity, one such relic is the board game of Gradius from 1986! Busting out his trusty podcasting equipment, John doesn't let a opportunity to talk about a board...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 20 - Dragon's Lair
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 20 of the Arcade Castle Podcast, John and Patrick find themselves at the very doorstep of the DRAGON'S LAIR! (Due in large part to the autonavigation's inability to differentiate between ancient crumbling castles....must be a CAPTCHA thing...) Passing on traversing the treacherous rooms and levels of the Dragon's Lair, Arcade Castle instead peeks into the nearby DRAGON'S STORAGE SHED! Inside the storage shed, they find piles of Dragon's Lair merchandise that Singe has hoarded over the years, including the Dragon's Lair Board game from 1984! In this episode of the...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 19 - Warcraft!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 19, Arcade Castle finds itself in the Warcraft Universe and, as luck would have it, they find a copy of the Warcraft Board Game, released in 2003 by Fantasy Flight and Blizzard Entertainment, based off of the landmark Real-Time Strategy (RTS) computer game Warcraft: Orcs and Humans from 1994. In this episode, Arcade Castle looks at the historic Warcraft franchise that spans across the decades and spawned the global phenomenon that itself has last going on twenty years: World of Warcraft. They talk about the key components of the original Warcraft title and see how well it was...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 18 - Mario Party e Card Game!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
As the seasons turn and weather phenomenon shake the very foundations of the Arcade Castle, another year passes and Arcade Castle finds itself once again in February, the month of its birth. Per tradition (and the bylaws of the land) Arcade Castle must find a game that is part board game and part video game to play to try and delve into the narrow, yet obfuscated, valley that resides in the twin realms of video game and board game, and glean its secrets. However, no longer can Arcade Castle rely upon the Master Strategy Series from the Odyssey II, as all three games have been played and that...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 17 - Kirby Double Feature!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 17 of the Arcade Castle Podcast, Arcade Castle learned to be wary of having guests on the show when their star guest, Kirby, decides that John and Patrick are more suited for consumption than communication and, after surviving the expansive void that is the fluffy interior of Kirby, Arcade Castle finds itself stranded in Dream Land as Kirby collapses from the powers he absorbed from John and Patrick. Stranded in the Whispy Woods, Arcade Castle decides the best way to pass the time while Kirby recovers is to play two Kirby themed card games by playing Kirby No Copitoru! (aka the...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 16 - Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Double Feature!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 16, Arcade Castle takes a look at another giant in the Edutainment industry: Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? A facts based learning game at heart, WitWiCS has players tracking V.I.L.E. henchmen across the planet and, later, both time and space, as they attempt to stop these henchmen from stealing iconic cultural icons, items, concepts, buildings, geographic locations, and more by gathering clues, answering questions, and following the trail of the V.I.L.E. henchmen until they are captured and placed behind bars. If you are a good enough A.C.M.E. Detective you may find...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 15 - The Oregon Trail Board Game - Journey to Willamette Valley
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
In Episode 15 of the podcast, The Arcade Castle finds itself, once again, on a journey through another oregon trail licensed board game by Pressman in the form of The Oregon Trail Board Game: Journey to Willamette Valley. Having played The Oregon Trail Card Game and The Oregon Trail Hunt For Food Card Game in prior years (and on Episode 04 and Episode 08, respectively), The Arcade Castle has mixed expectations when bringing this game to the table. In The Oregon Trail Board Game, players are uncovering the trail from Independence, MO to Willamette Valley, OR. As they traverse the...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 14 - F-Zero Knight League Real Racing Simulation Game
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
As the sun blazes down on Kentucky without mercy, Arcade Castle cools down by blazing down miles of asphalt at 900+ miles an hour as they play the early 1990s board game adaptation of F-Zero! Based off of the seminal Super Nintendo game that boasted Mode 7 graphics & wowed gamers in 1990, the F-Zero Knight League Real Racing Simulation Game does its best to capture the look and feel of F-Zero in a board game! In the F-Zero Knight League Real Racing Simulation Game (hereafter FZKLRRSG), players race one another throughout the five courses of the Knight League, attempting to win as...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 13 - Food-Themed Kickstarter Card Game Double Feature!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
Continuing the adventures from Episode 12, Arcade Castle looks at two more Kickstarter games, this time in the form of food-themed card games. The first game Arcade Castle examined was a card game based off the 1982 arcade smash hit BurgerTime. Following this, Arcade Castle had dessert in the form of Robots ♥ Ice Cream, based off a mid 2010s iOS phone game. The BurgerTime Card Game attempts to overcome the challenge any developer faces when they try and adapt a typical arcade title into a board game or card game: how does one take the often "easy to learn, lifetime to master"...
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Arcade Castle - Episode 12 - Megaman The Board Game (2015)!
Arcade Castle: A Gaming Podcast
Riding the high that was Rollercoaster Tycoon, Arcade Castle gets on board their next ride in the form of the Megaman Board Game by Jasco Games, approved by Capcom, backed by 2,639 backers on Kickstarter to the tune of $415,051, developed for over two years, and released in 2015! (*phew*) But as the ride begins for Arcade Castle, a ride, unbeknownst to them, that last for hours and hours and hours, can Arcade Castle survive until the ride is over? In Episode 12, Arcade Castle tackles the Megaman Board Game, which attempts to capture the essence of the Megaman series through custom dice,...
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In Episode 21 of the Arcade Castle, John Finds himself separated from Patrick by the Bacterian Empire and the robotic foot soldiers from Berzerk, both of which seem to be allied with the computer virus Omnicron.
Taking refuge in a 'Human Storage Facility' on one of the Bacterian Flagships, John chances upon his old friend and now pressganged janitor, Kevin, who is being forced to clean the dust from the relics and debris of humanity, one such relic is the board game of Gradius from 1986!
Busting out his trusty podcasting equipment, John doesn't let a opportunity to talk about a board game pass him by, despite the settings and circumstances, with Kevin having the honor of being the first ever guest host on the Arcade Castle Podcast.
In this episode of the podcast, Arcade Castle talks at length about the history of schmups, from their beginnings in the 1970s to their current state in 2020, as well as talking about the watershed game within that timeline, its impact, and influence in the gaming industry: Gradius.
Additionally, we look at the board game adaptation of Gradius that was released by Party Joy in 1986. We discuss its features, graphics, gameplay, and mechanics. We look at how well the board game captures the schmuppy-ness of Gradius and how (if at all)the strategies you utilize in the video game and board dovetail with one another.
To find out this, and more, check out Episode 20 of the Arcade Castle Podcast!
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Episode Outline:
00:00 - 20:00 - Arcade Castle talks about the history, and significance of Gradius, as well as its cultural impact. They talk about flying space snakes, the Konami Code, schmups, and more! Kevin introduces himself and tells the audience a little about his gaming history.
20:00 - 40:00 - Arcade Castle looks at the Gradius board game, how it operates, and the strategies you bring to the table when playing it. They compare it to the digital source material it sprung from and how well it adapts this revolutionary game to cardboard and plastic.
40:00-60:00 - John and Kevin talk about what, if any, improvements can be brought to the table, and how those improvements would bring the tabletop adaptation closer to the arcade experience.
