Cliff Hanger - Episode 123
Podouken
So you’re telling me there was a LaserDisc arcade game… made by popular pinball manufacturer Stern… in 1983… featuring the film directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki… based on the popular Lupin the III anime… called Cliff Hanger… that is not related to the Sylvester Stallone movie? Yes we are, and we’re going to talk all about it in this episode. Will Count Dreyco strike the first blow? Will the princess be forced to marry someone she can’t stand? Will Cliff get stuck in a trapdoor for the rest of his life? Did you realize before this moment that all these questions are lifted...
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Mad Dog McCree- Episode 122
Podouken
Well howdy, Stranger. Do you think you’re tough enough to take on the Mad Dog? Why don’t you take a seat over yonder as I tell the tale of a hit LaserDisc full motion video game that took the arcades hostage in the early 90s. This is the tale of Mad Dog McCree. How did a law enforcement simulator company in New Mexico end up being the new sharpshooter of the arcade? Did Jarrod find the perfect specimen of a rooster in a Wal-Mart parking lot? Is the world ready for Mad Dog McThree: Boot Shootin’ Boogie? What’s our favorite Jeff Bridges quote? Listener questions this week include...
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Dragon's Lair - Episode 121
Podouken
Time to spin up a new arcade miniseries with the Laser(Time)Disc! The first game is a fantasy adventure where we become a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon. Sure, it’s a tired formula, but this one has animation from Don Bluth! We are entering the Dragon’s Lair. Hey kids, do you want to hear about the history of the analog optical disc format known as LaserDisc? What Dragon’s Lair scene is the most obvious cash grab? Are birds the closest thing we have to angels? How much did Don Bluth and his studio charge to animate the prototype...
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Metal Slug - Episode 120
Podouken
We finish our second round of the Neo Geo 4 Slot miniseries with the ultimate retrospective on the MVS Metal Slug series which include Metal Slug: Super Vehicle-001, Metal Slug 2, Metal Slug X, Metal Slug 3, Metal Slug 4, and Metal Slug 5. Will Jarrod be able to keep it together with the conclusion of this Neo Geo miniseries? What were our thoughts on the first season of X-Men 97 (contains high-level discussion which may enter spoiler territory)? Why did Pastblaster mutilate a never before opened Metal Slug 4 kit? Why are the Mars People so… jiggly? We also talk about our arcade,...
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Neo Geo 1997 - Episode 119
Podouken
Let’s be honest, 1997 wasn’t our favorite year due to a trio of horrible deaths, songs like “MMMBop” ruling the radio, and George Lucas unleashing Greedo shooting first upon the theater-going public. But that doesn’t mean the Neo Geo games of that year weren’t awesome! We assemble our 4 slot with a duo of puzzle games in Money Puzzle Exchanger and Magical Drop 3, the return of another samurai fighter in The Last Blade, and the run ‘n gun stylings of Shock Troopers. Did we purposely plan our Neo Geo 1997 episode to come out within hours of the last episode of the first season of...
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Neo Geo 1996 - Episode 118
Podouken
It’s 1996 - maybe the best year ever - where we got the Macarena (plus some actual good music), “draw me like one of your French girls'' entered the popular vernacular, and the worst console controller was released. It also might have also been the best Neo Geo release year as we show with our 4 slot selections of Neo Mr. Do!, Neo Drift Out: New Technology, Twinkle Star Sprites, and Ghostlop (AKA Ikaruga JezzBall). What Nintendo console is our favorite? How do we identify the difference between Arrival and The Arrival? Why does Rob enjoy music with honkers? Once again we must ask, does...
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Neo Geo 1995 - Episode 117
Podouken
Travel back to the year 1995 when we all found out who shot Mr. Burns, Apollo 13 came out so that all future movie trailers can use James Horner’s music for their dramatic themes, and Calvin & Hobbes sled off into the snow one final time. Reminisce as the Podouken crew assembles their Neo Geo 4 slot with their picks of 1995 with Savage Reign, Far East of Eden: Kabuki Klash, Pulstar, and Puzzle de Pon! Why are this year’s MVS releases an attack of the clones? How did this episode become so… suggestive? Did we just stumble upon the secret inspiration of Naruto? Was the return of...
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Neo Geo 1994 - Episode 116
Podouken
Welcome to the year 1994 where the White House launched a website with unintended results, the Mandela effect kicked into high gear, and the most-watched car race ever was televised. Let’s dust off an old miniseries, clean out the slots, and assemble the Neo Geo 4 slot with the Podouken picks for 1994 with Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy, Windjammers, Aero Fighters 2, and Zed Blade. What beloved childhood show just came back and why is the crew so psyched about it? Is up, right, left, up, right a cheat code or the directions on how to find Adam and Rob’s first business? Who did Pastblaster...
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Arcade Obscura (Beast Mode) - Episode 115
Podouken
It was fun while it lasted but it’s time to retire the Beast Mode miniseries in the best way possible - with an Arcade Obscura! Each host brings their pick of an obscure or underrated arcade game that (mostly) fits the theme. What obscure arcade game is so divisive it has Rob yelling into the microphone? How does Adam take the purest sport in the world today, and Texas’s national pastime, and turn it into some kind of game?! Did Jarrod once again subvert the miniseries rules with his game selection? We answer the important questions like what’s our favorite screen clearing move, and...
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Centipede - Episode 114
Podouken
From one sentence in a notebook to a hundred digital legs, we talk about Atari’s second best selling game ever and one of the highest-grossing in arcade history, Centipede. What makes Centipede so appealing to female players? How did Space Invaders lead Dona Bailey from Cadillacs to Atari? Why was there a delay in releasing this episode and is our excuse good enough for forgiveness? How did the first Atari World Championships spotlight that women could be better than men at video games? The excellent listener questions for this episode ask us to insert our choice for the most deserving...
info_outlineIza Jinjou ni Shoubu! Let’s have a good clean fight in this final episode of the Neo Geo 4 Slot miniseries (for now). The board has been repaired and we’re dedicating an entire episode to cover our last selection of 1993 - Samurai Shodown!
Is SamSho the most underrated fighting game of the 90s? How does the Edo period heavily influence this game and make the inclusion of some characters impossible? What blade-handed character is responsible for the creation of Samurai Shodown? Will Mr. SNK ever be this pumped for another miniseries ever again?
We answer some very personal listener questions like have we ever had a first or early date at an arcade and are there any games we played as youngsters that we forgot about and then rediscovered later on. Also, Jarrod shares a truly shocking fact that we still can’t believe!