Video Game Review #504: Skyblazer

Skyblazer

Super Nintendo

Nostalgia Factor:

I don't really have any nostalgic feelings about this game. I didn't know even it existed until just a few months ago, when someone posted about it in one of my retro gaming Facebook groups. I thought the screenshots for the game looked cool, so I made a mental note to check it out someday.

That someday is here.

Story:

This game's story is simple enough. There's a bad guy, who is being controlled by an even badder guy. He steals the princess. The good guy, Sky, embarks on a quest to get her back, while he slowly morphs into the hero of lore. As you make your way through the game, you learn the magical powers of the land, including the power to turn into a Phoenix. Using these powers, you defeat the bad guy. You defeat the badder guy. You rescue the princess. You turn into a Phoenix and fly away, never to be seen again.

The end.

 

Gameplay:

For the most part, this game handles fairly well. I found there to be some issues regarding inconsistent character momentum. The hit detection is also fairly questionable at times. You'll often find yourself just saying "huh???" when an enemy hits you and it was nowhere even close to touching you. There's a boss battle that involves swimming that is awful with this. It is a fairly common problem I found myself running into as I played this. And there is "knockback" which makes things even more annoying sometimes.

While the game does make it very easy to climb walls and grab ledges, you'll often find yourself accidentally grabbing onto a wall when you are just trying to make a simple jump. There's a stage where the ceiling is falling and it will crush you if you don't get through it quickly enough. My character often found himself latching onto the side of something, and then I wouldn't be quick enough to unlatch myself and get across, and I would be crushed. This happened a few other times, too, mainly with levels featuring things like moving platforms. This game is very quick to kill you with crushing deaths. I do love the boss battle with the spinning room, however.

All complaints aside, the game is actually quite fun to play. The visual style is what drew me in, but the gameplay is just as good. You start with a basic hacking melee attack, along with a simple projectile that you can fire ahead of you. The number of times you can use this special attack is shown by a red meter on the top of the screen. As you make your way through the game's levels, you learn new attacks. Use the select button to cycle through them. These attacks include: a dash attack, a projectile that fires in all directions, a lightning attack, and the ability to turn into a Phoenix and do damage to your enemy. You can also refill health using your magic meter once you learn the ability.

As you make your way through the 2D side scrolling stages, you battle your enemies using hack 'n slash melee attacks while mixing in some magic attacks as well. These enemies drop a lot of loot when they are killed. They are generous with giving you health potions, magic potions, and diamonds. These diamonds will give you an extra life when you collect 100 of them. They are all over the levels. All over the place, I say. Big ones give you ten diamonds, so as you can imagine getting 100 is quite easy to do. There are even stages where you can backtrack and farm items like health potions and diamonds by leaving and coming back over and over again.

Basic stage design consists of running through the stage, hacking enemies, jumping through some tough obstacles, hacking some more enemies, making it to the end of the stage, and sometimes fighting a boss character. While most stages are short and fairly easy, other stages involve some tough platforming challenges like jumping from falling rock to falling rock, riding fast moving elevators that race above hot lava, and the obligatory stage where your character is frantically climbing as the screen scrolls upwards. Touch the bottom of the screen and you die.

The boss battles are one of the best things about the game. They seem hard at first, but once you figure out their pattern, they are very easy to beat. Except for the underwater boss that shoots the eggs out. Screw that boss fight. Anyway, there is even a boss rush at the end of the game - and I actually enjoyed it for once. Usually I hate when games do this, but it is quite fun here. Plus the bosses are pretty easy, and the game is very generous filling your health and magic meters while keeping a giant flow of diamonds coming to constantly give you extra lives.

This game is fairly easy. That's not to say it is without some challenging segments. But I played through this game twice, and finished with over 20 extra lives in my inventory each time. In fact, that number was nearly 40 on my second playthrough. There are some challenging areas, like I said. They can eat into your extra life stockpile real quick if you aren't careful. The game can be a challenge the first time through it, but once you've seen everything and know what to expect, it really becomes quite easy.

But that's not to say it is not fun. It is a ton of fun. I think I would have loved this game if I grew up playing it as a kid. I couldn't put it down, and was completely pulled in by its classic 90s 16-bit charm.

Oh yeah, there are a couple bonus stages where you can fly around in Mode7 and collect diamonds in the sky. Another easy way to really rack up those extra lives.

Graphics:

This game looks fantastic. Its graphics are what drew me in to begin with. As soon as I saw these screenshots, I knew I had to play this game.

The characters are large and nicely detailed. The backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous. The special effects are terrific. The animation is top of the line. It feels like you're playing through a cartoon sometimes. It reminds me of Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts or Willow for the arcade in its graphical style. I just love how it looks.

Sound:

Unfortunately, the game's music is not terrific. Some of the game's tracks are nice, sure. Sound like they could be in a Final Fantasy game or something. But there are also some ugly sounding songs, like the theme that plays in between stages on the map screen. Seriously, WTF is that noise? All they had to do was make a cool, medieval sounding soundtrack. And while they succeeded on some fronts, they completely missed the mark on others. 

The sound effects? Good, I suppose. They do not stand out.

Overall:

This was a very good game. As I said, I have no doubt I would have loved this if I'd have played it when I was a kid. It's kind of like an easier Castlevania, with some wall-climby, high jumping platform elements mixed in. It also reminds me a little of the Sega Genesis Batman game for some reason. The action is fun and fast moving. You constantly are collecting power ups and diamonds as you play, which gives you that fulfilling feeling of collecting stuff. The boss battles are a blast. If you grew up playing games in the 16-bit era, but missed out on Skyblazer, you need to run out there and get this game. In fact, if you are a fan of gaming in general, I feel this is a game you need to play.

I don't think it's quite good enough to crack my upper echelon of gaming - the A range. The controls are floaty, the character momentum is weird, the hit detection is jank, and the game is also not very long. Despite these things, it still manages to be really fun to play. So I think a B+ fits it well.

Skyblazer: play it.

THE GRADE:

B+

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Video Game Review #503: Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy

PlayStation 4

Nostalgia Factor:

I always forget how you can check out games for free at my local library. They don't necessarily have a huge variety of games, but the ones they have do tend to be pretty decent. One of those options is Hogwarts Legacy. I remember putting this game on hold several months ago, and then just kind of forgetting about it for a while. All of a sudden in February I got an email that Hogwarts Legacy was ready for me to pick up, and I was like "oh, I forgot all I even put that on hold!" I went and picked the game up and immediately dived in.

While I am a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, I wouldn't say I'm crazy about it or anything like that. I didn't really care for the movies the first time I saw them, but then I read the books. I absolutely loved the books and read through them twice. I did eventually wind up going back and watching the movies again. While I still didn't like them that much, I was able to enjoy them a little better now that I was more familiar with the setting, the lore, the characters, etc.

To be honest, Harry Potter hasn't been relevant in my life for a while now. I'd say I last read the books in the mid/early 2010s. It's been a long time since I've seen the movies, too. And the Magical Beasts series? Haven't seen any of 'em. When this game came out, it piqued my interest, but I was in no rush to pick it up or anything. Harry Potter fever had long worn off for me. Still, I had high hopes for this game based on the things I'd read about it.

How would I like it? That's what we're here to find out!

Story:

You play as a 5th year student who is new to Hogwarts. You craft this character's appearance using a character customization system and give them a name. I named mine Rudy Boesch. 

Rudy is flying in to Hogwarts on a coach, with Professor Fig and a few other people. He detects traces of a mysterious magic on an ancient artifact that is shown to him. All of a sudden the coach is attacked mid-flight by a dragon. The characters are able to escape via a Portkey that is removed from the ancient artifact, and it takes them to a vault in Gringotts. 

A mysterious book is recovered from this vault and is taken by Professor Fig for examination. There are some fun action sequences that take place on the Gringotts mine carts. You're attacked, you get away. Eventually you wind up at Hogwarts, where you are sorted into a house (I was a Ravenclaw). From this point forward, the game opens up to you. You can advance the story by attending class and learning spells. As you take side missions for characters, you start to become immersed in the lifestyle of a student at Hogwarts. You learn all about your fellow students, taking part in quests with them that explore their backstories. The main quest of the game takes you into battle against goblins and dark wizards that are after an ancient magic that is more powerful than anything anyone has ever seen.

The game takes place DaVinci Code style throughout Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the surrounding lands. You uncover clues and penseive memories that lead you from place to place. You learn of the history of this repository of ancient magic and why the goblins and dark wizards are after it. You undergo trials to prove your worth. You defeat the bad guy at the end. I didn't think the storyline was anything too earth shattering, but I enjoyed it in the sense that it was more about the journey than the destination. The game as a whole delivered a pretty authentic Harry Potter (minus the actual Harry Potter character) experience.

Gameplay:

If you've played any recent open world 3D games, you should be able to pick up and play Hogwarts Legacy fairly easily. It takes place from a very familiar over the shoulder perspective. You run, you jump, you climb up on things, you use Revelio to make items that are hidden in the environment stand out. If you've played the Arkham series, the Horizon series, The Witcher, Assassin's Creed, any of these dang games, you've pretty much played Hogwarts Legacy.

You roam the grounds of Hogwarts, casting Revelio so you can uncover puzzles and solve them. There are hidden collectibles to pick up, such as flying books and hidden pages that can only be uncovered by the Revelio spell. Even if you put aside the main quest, you can always find something to do here. There are Merlin's Trials, which are little challenges or mini games you complete in order to expand your inventory slots. There are butterfly puzzles where you have to track down a butterfly that's shown in an image on a mirror, and then return it to the mirror. There are archways that contain hidden chests which can only be uncovered by solving math problems. There are raider camps to clear out. There are hidden caves filled with treasure. There are dozens of NPC side quests to take part in.

The world of the game is surprisingly big. For some reason, I was under the impression that this entire game would take place inside the walls of Hogwarts, but this is not the case. Not at all. Early in the game, you visit nearby Hogsmeade. I again thought - okay, the entire game was going to take place in the distance between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. But no. The game is much, much bigger. It may not be the same size of the map of Red Dead 2 or anything like that, but it is big.

Luckily this game lets you fast travel with relative ease, as long as you've come within walking distance of the Floo checkpoint. Just open the map to transport from Floo to Floo. The downside to this: the loading times. They are very, very long in this game. Sometimes it feels like it takes minutes to fast travel from one location to the next. Often I found myself just hopping on my broom and flying manually to the next location, even if it takes a little bit longer. At least I'm doing something and keeping my mind engaged.

Speaking of flying on your broom, it couldn't possibly have been done any better than it was here. You can hop off and on your broom with great ease. You don't take damage if you run into stuff, and the game is very forgiving with not slowing you down to a grinding halt if you bump into something. Traveling to an fro is fast and very efficient. It's smooth. Plus it just feels cool, kind of like swinging from webs through the city in the Spider-Man game.

This game is filled with so much other stuff that I can't possibly mention it all. Saving mythical creatures from poachers, breeding them, brewing potions, growing plants, assigning things to the spell wheel, leveling up, using Talent points, trading in old equipment, picking locks, all that good stuff. The nice part of the game is that it even though it is chock full of content, it is fairly user friendly and I rarely found myself wondering how the heck I was supposed to do something.

Where the game exceeded my expectations was the combat system. Battles are a ton of fun. You start out with simple spark damage, but as you progress through the game and learn new spells, they are added to your battle repertoire. There are several fire spells which come in great handy. There are also spells you can use to grab your enemies and lift them up into the air and other spells you can use to throw them around. You can use R1 to throw things in the environment. When your magic meter maxes out, you can press both shoulder buttons to do massive damage to one enemy. 

There is a dueling system where sometimes enemies will use a shield that protects them from your basic attacks. These shields are color coded. If they have a red shield, use a fire spell. A purple shield, use a grab attack, etc. Once the shield it broken, you can unload on the enemy. Learning how to counter attack is key as well. If an alert icon appears dark red over your head while in battle - you should use a dodge move, as this indicates an unblockable attack. If it lights up orange, press the shield button to protect yourself. Continue to hold it down to unleash a counter attack which knocks your enemy off balance and makes him more vulnerable to your standard attack.

The difficulty balance of the game is fairly good. There were areas where I found myself dying left and right. And there are some very tough boss battles, particularly if you come into them low on healing items. But overall I found the majority of the game to be fairly easy. I always viewed the tougher battles as a welcome challenge considering the game as a whole isn't too overly difficult. 

Puzzles are pretty simple as well. They almost never stumped me. Much easier than they were in Immortals Fenyx Rising or the new Tomb Raider series.

Graphics:

This game looks fantastic, even playing it on a regular 'ol PS4. Why exactly did we need a PS5 again? I'm sure it looks slightly better on a newer system, but to me that is not enough to justify going out and buying a brand new console - for a slight graphical upgrade and shorter load times. And they wonder why the PS5 has been a bit of a flop. 

The landscapes of the game are big and amazing. Hogwarts itself looks terrific. So does Hogsmeade. So does everything, really. It does both the movies and the books justice. It really does feel like you are walking around in a living, magical world. I could dive into all the game's nice little touches, (like the authenticity of the details you see in the teachers' rooms, or walking inside Honeydukes and checking out the effects of all the candy you can taste) but there is simply way too much to list here. You're just going to have to "trust me bro" and play this one yourself.

Sound:

The game sounds as good as it looks. You don't hear the classic Harry Potter theme in full, but there are small clips of it that play from time to time, like when you complete a task or uncover a hidden secret. The music in general is grand, sweeping, and orchestral - like something you'd hear in a movie.

The game can be quiet when it needs to be quiet, pulling you into its magical world with its atmospheric ambient sound effects. Voice acting is also top notch. This game does a really tremendous job bringing the world of Harry Potter to life, from top to bottom. The graphics, the music, the sound effects, the voice acting, everything.

Overall:

This game was a lot better than I thought it would be. If you want a full, complete adventure set in the world of Harry Potter, look no further. If you're a giant fan of the series, this game is probably a dream come true. It's so authentic an experience, down to the finest detail. Even a casual fan like me who hasn't consumed any Harry Potter content in nearly 10 years was quite impressed.

The only thing keeping this from being an upper echelon game is its repetitive nature. Yeah the world is big and there is lots to do, but it gets old quick. Maybe I'm just burnt out from all the open world 3D games I've played in the past few years, but there was not much new or innovative here that really blew me away. I supposed the combat was probably the closest thing, but even that gets old after a while. This is essentially Immortals Fenyx Rising/Horizon/Assassin's Creed/Arkham etc but with a Harry Potter skin. If that's what you are looking for - great. I do like these sorts of games (and in fact this used to be my favorite genre) but I am starting to tire of them. I didn't even bother completing all the side missions or going for the platinum on this one. Once I completed the main story mode, I was done here. I also didn't think the story was anything too riveting or compelling either.

So while I agree that this is a very good game, it comes up just short of A range for me. Is it worth playing, though? 100%.

THE GRADE:

B+

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Video Game Review #502: Ecco: The Tides of Time

Ecco: The Tides of Time

Sega CD

Nostalgia Factor:

I've gone back and played both the Genesis and Sega CD versions of the first Ecco The Dolphin game. Why not do the same for The Tides of Time as well? As I mentioned in my Pepsiman review, I am sort of at an in-between point when it comes to the games I am playing. I feel like I want to tackle something big and time consuming soon, but in the meantime I'm going to knock out some shorter games. Tides of Time definitely fits that bill.

I reviewed the Genesis version of this game back in 2020, when I gave it a B. While I liked the game, I didn't find it as fun or endearing as the original Ecco, which is funny because when I was a kid Tides of Time was actually the game I preferred. I was curious how I'd feel about the game now, here in 2024.

I don't want to get too ahead of myself, but while I do find that this version of the game is better than the Genesis version, I still prefer the original Ecco instead. Keep reading for my full analysis.

Story:

I already recapped the story of the game in my Genesis review of Tides of Time. Since I'm a lazy fuck, I am just going to copy and paste what I wrote here. Ready?

"When you sit down to play an Ecco the Dolphin game, it is important to know what you're getting into. Aliens, time travel, a dolphin destined to save the Earth. It probably sounds really horrible to the average person, but it really isn't as bad as it sounds. It is quite interesting actually.

Ecco 2 picks up where the first game left off. Ecco suddenly loses the powers granted to him by the Asterite, and quickly discovers that the Asterite has been killed. He is brought to the future by time traveling dolphins, where he learns that in this timeline the Asterite is still alive. Ecco is informed that when he used the time machine in the first game, he split the timeline in two - one where dolphins evolve and live in peace, and one where the Vortex Queen kills the Asterite and the Vortex take over Earth. 

Ecco goes back to save the Asterite by reassembling its pieces. His journeys take him from the ocean depths to the dark Vortex future, where the final pieces of the Asterite have been taken. Once reassembled, the Asterite gives Ecco his powers back, and Ecco leads his pod on an attack to destroy the Vortex once and for all.

You think the game is over here, but it is not. In fact, when I first played this as a kid I am not even sure I discovered the game's "real" ending. If you keep playing after the final credits roll, the Asterite tells Ecco that he must destroy the time machine to prevent any time splits from happening again.

Ecco returns to Atlantis and finds that the Vortex Queen is still alive. She uses the time machine to travel back to prehistoric times, but finds that she is no match for the creatures of that era. Forced to survive in such a harsh environment, the Vortex evolve into arthropod insects.

Rather than destroy the time machine, Ecco uses it to send himself... somewhere. The game never tells us where he went. Real responsible, Ecco! Just ignore the Asterite and leave the dangerous time machine there for someone else to fuck things up in the future. Good job! 

My theory: he returns to the "good" future to chase after some futuristic flying dolphin tail. I mean, can you blame him? Get it, Ecco!"

All of this still pretty much rings true. There are a few added story sequences in this game, like the introduction where it shows the Vortex Queen descend to Earth after the events of the original game. Or was that in the Genesis version? I don't remember. The biggest difference for me: the grainy animated cutscenes that recap the events of the first Ecco game. You find these sequences contained within hidden glyphs that you uncover as you play the game. The animation is terrible and outdated by today's standards, but I find that these sequences actually added a lot to the game. 

Gameplay:

Literally nothing has changed from the Genesis version of the game as far as the gameplay is concerned. I'm such a lazy ass, and I hate myself for doing this, but I'm copying and pasting again. New readers of this blog are going to be so put off. I'm sorry in advance. 

Actually, nah. If you don't like it you can fuck off.

"Basic gameplay is the same as it was in the first game, so if you are an Ecco veteran you should have no problem picking this one up and playing it.

There are some variations added to this game to diversify the gameplay. Most notable are the 3D stages where the camera changes to a behind the back view as you try to steer Ecco through some fast travel rings. While these stages are for the most part pretty easy, occasionally you'll encounter rings located above the water that are very hard to jump through. Additionally, you can use your sonar to kill enemies in front of you but you have to be careful as if you hit a ring with your sonar you destroy it and can not collect it anymore.

Ecco 2 also offers you the ability to morph into other animals as you progress through the game's story. You can change into a bird to fly over impassable cliffs. You can turn into jellyfish and sharks to navigate the harsh ocean wildlife. Towards the end of the game you can even morph into a school of fish as you make your way through the bowels of Atlantis. In a fun little twist, dolphins become your enemy when you morph into these sea creatures. What were once your allies you now find yourself running for your life from.

Aside from that, this is pretty much the Ecco you already know and love (or hate). You swim, you charge, you use your sonar, you push things around and you solve puzzles. The level variety introduces new gameplay elements like the ability to swim through above-ground water tunnels and to flop yourself around on dry land much easier than you could in the last game. Makes some of those tough jumps a lot more manageable."

I then went on to complain that the game was too easy - although this time around I'd have to slightly disagree. There are two difficulty paths you can take - the hard one or the easy one. I must have taken the easy one on my last playthrough. I took the hard one this time. I wouldn't say the game is particularly frustrating or challenging, but it ain't easy. There were some tough parts that would have driven me nuts if I was not playing with save states, like those freaking scrolling machine stages or that one with the giant globe that can crush you against the wall. Anyway, here is what I had to say.

"The game is too easy. You heard me, too easy. The first Ecco the Dolphin is legendary in its difficulty, to the point where people bickered and complained about it. I think the makers of this game must have heard those complaints and dumbed down its sequel to make it more accessible to people who gave up on the first game. But I don't want easier! I want a challenge! Too many of these stages are laughably short and easy. There are stages I beat in one or two minutes, and that is not an exaggeration. I missed the dogged difficulty of the first game, and the feeling of relief and satisfaction that would wash over me when I'd make it through a particularly challenging level. That feeling is sorely missing from this game.

Sure there are some tough levels to be found here, but most of the challenges from these levels stem from unfair frustration rather than genuine difficulty. The Medusa stages? Ugh. The Moray Abyss? Ugh. Dealing with the unpredictable gravity situation aboard the Vortex vessel? Ugh. I'm all for a challenging game, but it is like they knew that this game was too easy so every once in a while they'd throw in an unfairly difficult stage just to make players curse and throw things.

Another complaint I have is the repetitive nature of some of the stages where you have to collect the Asterite parts. It would be one thing if you just had to collect a few pieces to bring him back to life, but you literally have to find EVERY missing Asterite orb, and the thing is freaking huge. It becomes a big grind that slows things to a halt in the middle of the game, and it is the reason it took me nearly two months to slog through this game after finishing the original Ecco in less than a week."

Graphics:

Honestly, this graphics in this game look exactly the same as in the Genesis version. But don't worry, I am not going to copy and paste comments from my last review this time around. I'm just going to say that the game developers really nailed the underwater aesthetic of the game. I don't think I've seen another 16-bit game replicate the eeriness and the loneliness of the deep ocean, while at the same time maintaining a bright and colorful presence with the backgrounds and the environments.

You visit a ton of locales in this game, from tropical islands, to futuristic water passages, to the tubes of an alien vessel. And it all looks fantastic. This has got to be one of the better looking side scrollers of the 16-bit era. The aforementioned FMV sequences, while grainy and primitive looking, do really add to the magical atmosphere of the game.

Sound:

This game has a very similar soundtrack as the Sega CD version of the original Ecco. Don't come into this game expecting to hear something similar to the Genesis games. All the original tunes have been replaced by orchestral sounding musical scores, similar to something you'd hear in the background of an underwater nature documentary. And that's not a bad thing. I liked this game's music.

I didn't like this change for the original Ecco on Sega CD, but for some reason I didn't mind it here. I think it is because I am not as attached to the Genesis Tides of Time soundtrack as I am the original Ecco soundtrack. I didn't feel like I was missing anything this time around.

Overall:

I think this version of The Tides of Time is clearly better than the Genesis version. Better music, added cutscenes, and... well, uh... That's pretty much it. But it's enough.

As far as gameplay goes, it is the exact same thing. And I mean the exact same thing. So even though I liked some of the game's added features, I still have to give it the same grade as the Genesis version: a B. If you have both copies and you can only play one of them, pick the Sega CD version. It isn't reflected in the letter grade I gave it, but it is the slightly superior version of the game.

If you have never played The Tides of Time before, I'd suggest checking it out, especially if you liked the original Ecco. While I prefer the more simplistic, puzzle oriented pace of the original game, its sequel makes a lot of changes that help keep things fresh and exciting. If you've never played Ecco period, definitely start with the first game. If you play this one first, you are going to be confused as hell. I've never given it a second of thought before, but now that it has crossed my mind, I wonder if there are any 90s kids that got Tides of Time for Christmas or their birthday back in the day without ever having played the original game. I can't imagine what they thought of this.

I digress. Tides of Time: good. Now that I've played through multiple versions of this game several times in my life, will I return to it again? I don't know. There's just so many games out there to play and experience. I won't say never, but I think this chapter of my life can safely be closed. Thanks, Ecco, for all the good memories.

THE GRADE:

B

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Video Game Review #501: Pepsiman

Pepsiman

PlayStation

Nostalgia Factor:

Pepsiman came out in Japan in 1999, but never made its way over to the United States. I didn't even hear about this game until just a few years ago, around 2020, after I had joined some retro gaming groups on Facebook. Every once in a while someone would mention this game, and it would start a big discussion about how it was surprisingly good and how it was a shame it never made it to the US.

I didn't really give the game much thought. How good could a game called Pepsiman be? I mean, I liked Cool Spot and everything, but Pepsiman? What a ridiculous concept.

Despite this, I continued to constantly encounter online discussion threads about this game. What was it about Pepsiman that I went from never hearing about it for 20 years to not being able to avoid it online? It was like some higher power was trying to get me to play it. I finally caved in and told myself: if I ever have the means to play it, sure I'll check this game out.

Well, thanks to the power of my RetroPie, I now have the means to play it. I just finished my 500th game review, and I don't really have any big plans for any games I want to play in the near future. I am kind of at an in-between point in what I want to play right now. Seems like a perfect time to give Pepsiman a shot.

Let's check it out.

Story:

This is one wild game. Story sequences are told through live action cutscenes. A man (one who makes me very uncomfortable for some reason) drinks a Pepsi on the street corner and every time he takes a sip, the Pepsiman theme song plays. He buys a shit ton of Pepsi and potato chips, goes home, and plops down in front of the TV. It appears he is watching the TV show Pepsiman.

Pepsiman is a superhero who saves people from catastrophes, such as earthquakes, fire, and running out of Pepsi. The world of Pepsiman seems to be some kind of dystopian future where people are hooked on Pepsi like it is some kind of drug. If they don't have it, there is rioting in the streets. Flaming cars, businesses on fire. Biker gangs running wild. These people take their Pepsi seriously.

Each time a level is complete, the game returns to live action, where the man who makes me uncomfortable is parked in front of the TV. He gets more and more excited as he watches the TV and guzzles can after can of Pepsi. He poses for the camera and says weird little catchphrases that I think have to be the result of bad Japanese translation. Here are some examples:

"Pepsi for TV game."

"Pepsi for pizza."

"Everybody Pepsi."

"Pepsi only my choice."

After you've made it through all four of the game's levels, the game ends with the man getting up and going to the bathroom to go pee. The end.

A tale as old as time.

Gameplay:

It's hard to compare the gameplay of Pepsiman to anything else, but it is almost like a racing game with platformer mechanics. Action takes place from a behind the back perspective. There is a timer that counts down as you move forward through the game's stages. The goal of the game is to make it to the end of the stage before the timer runs out, collecting as many Pepsi cans as you can. Everything runs on-rails fashion on a predetermined track. You can't really pick which direction you go, but you can move your character around on the screen to react accordingly. You can go left and right. You can jump, you can duck, and you can dash forward with a special speed boost.

The biggest trick of the game is staying alive. Everything is trying to kill you. Pedestrians, crazy drivers, falling signs, trains, barricades, everything. You can suffer a number of hits before your health icon (the Pepsi symbol) disappears. You have to collect 10 Pepsi cans to restore your health. Not only can you die from taking damage, Pepsiman is also very slow to recover when he gets hit. If you don't make it to the end of the stage before the timer runs out, guess what? You die.

This game is surprisingly difficult. I found myself dying left and right. This is one of those games where things pop out at you seemingly at random. Gotcha! The only way to beat the game is through trial and error, memorizing when things come out at you and how to avoid them. So much relies on muscle memory, almost like a rhythm game. I just said the same thing about Punch-Out, the last game I reviewed - and I am saying the same thing here. In this regard these two games share a bit of similarity. There you have it - the first and only video game review in the world to compare Pepsiman to Punch Out.

The game does have an "NES hard" old school feel to it, though. Trial and error, unlimited lives to keep powering through no matter the cost. I thought this game was so tough my first time through it. I had to resort to using save states to beat the game. I hate having to do that. It seems like I've been doing it too much for my retro game reviews lately. It's just so hard not to do it. The tool is right there. Why not make the game less frustrating?

I waited a few days after beating the game and then came back to it to play it "the right way" the second time through. I still found that the game was a ton of fun, and not as mind-numbingly hard as I had originally thought. It just takes some practice. It actually becomes easy after a while. I bet if I came back to this game a year or two down the road, I'd be able to jump right back into it with no problem. It's like learning how to ride a bike. Once you "figure out" Pepsiman, you never forget it.

My biggest complaint about the game? The final stage of each level. Each of the four levels is broken into three stages. The first two stages are standard behind-the-back stages where you have to make it to the end before the timer runs out. The third stage is the one I hate. They flip things around and you have to run towards the camera as something chases after you. Think of the infamous boulder scene from Crash Bandicoot. These levels are like that, except a thousand times harder. You can't see where you are going, you can't react quickly enough to avoid things, and getting hit three times means you die and have to start the whole thing over again. Ugh. I lost so many lives on these stages. Easily the worst part of the game for me.

All in all, however, I enjoyed the game and had fun with it. 

Graphics:

I like the way this game looks. It is oozing that classic PS1 charm. It may be a little blocky or jagged around the edges, but I don't care. It's colorful, and the stages are full of energy and personality. It actually feels like it should have been made by Sega. It has that "Virtua" vibe to it. Super cheesy, super Japanese. Any fan of late 90s/early 2000s Sega should know what I mean. This game would be right at home alongside Die Hard Arcade, Sonic R, Daytona USA, and Virtua Cop.  

Sound:

I said it before and I'll say it again: this feels like a Sega game. Not only in the graphics, but in the music too. Remember the cheesy singing in games like Sonic R and Daytona USA? It's present here, as well. It's so over the top and so very Japanese. Pepsimaaaaannn! It may be annoying at first, but trust me: the more you play, the more you'll start to dig it. You'll be singing along yourself before you know it.

Voice acting is terrible, and very reminiscent of the Resident Evil games. In fact, the little briefing scenes that take place before each stage are very RE reminiscent. First I compare Pepsiman to Punch Out, now I am comparing it to Resident Evil. We really are breaking new ground here, huh?

Overall:

I am not ashamed to say that I like this game. It's challenging, fun, addicting, and the bizarre theme gives it an added appeal and quirkiness that makes it so unique. It really does remind me of an NES game in a way. It takes about two hours to beat (if you know what you are doing), it's tough, you learn through trial and error, and it can be frustrating at times. But it is a load of fun, too! I can easily see this game sneaking its way into my rotation of games that I throw on for a little while when I have nothing better to do. Contra, Castlevania, Punch-Out, Pepsiman. Why not?

I'm not going to say this is a world beating game, and I'm not going to run around calling it some kind of all-time amazing classic. But it is enjoyable. If you are like me and you are interested in the concept of the game, but think it will be rubbish, take the plunge! It is definitely worth it. 

THE GRADE:

B+

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

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500 Video Game Reviews. What an Amazing Achievement!

500 reviews, baby! Can you believe it? When I started this blog back in 2015, I didn't know how long I was going to be able to keep it going. Here we are, 9 years later, and I've just reached a pretty big milestone with my 500th game review.

I reached 400 game reviews on August 15, 2022. It is now March 8th, 2024. That means it took me a little over a year and a half to review 100 games. I suck at math, but that averages out to something like a review every 6 days or so.

My most reviewed console is the PlayStation 4, with 86 reviewed games for the console. I had reviewed 66 PS4 games when I hit 400 reviews, so that means that 20 of my last 100 reviews (20% of total games played) have been PS4 games. 

My next 5 most reviewed systems are as follows: PS3 (52), Genesis (50),  Arcade (48), NES (41), PS1 (34). My least reviewed systems are Nintendo DS, Turbo-GrafxCD, and Sega Game Gear with 1 game reviewed apiece.

My most reviewed gaming franchises are:

Batman: 15

Resident Evil: 14

Mario: 13

Star Wars: 13

Sonic: 13 (counted Knuckles Chaotix and Mean Bean Machine as Sonic games)

Castlevania: 9

Final Fantasy: 9

Contra: 8

Tomb Raider: 7

What are some classics that I still haven't tackled yet for this blog? Let's see. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy Tactics, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Super Mario RPG, Sonic CD, the original Legend of Zelda, Link's Awakening, Doom, Warhawk, Bully, Okami, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, God of War Ragnarok, Beyond Oasis, Shadowrun, Shining Force 2, Earthbound, Suikoden, Bloodborne, Perfect Dark Zero, Comix Zone, Golden Sun, the Rogue Squadron series, Banjo-Tooie, Jersey Devil, Croc, Diddy Kong Racing, and the Xenosaga games have all been on my mind lately. I was going to play Metroid Prime recently, but I discovered that the Trilogy disc I have for the Wii doesn't work on any of my Wiis anymore! I'll have to find another way to play those games somehow. But still, it's crazy to think I've tackled 500 games already and there are still so many good ones out there! I still haven't even reviewed a single Street Fighter game yet. Wow! 

There are some games I've been avoiding on purpose, either because I've already played them and I know they suck or I'll think they be too difficult. Some examples include: The Adventures of Bayou Billy, Superman 64, Zelda II, The rebooted Ninja Gaiden series, Sonic Spinball, Quest 64, Cuphead, Spider-Man and X-Men in Arcade's Revenge, Myst, the Donkey Kong Country sequels, etc. I'm sure I'll force myself to play through these someday.

I currently sit at 987 overall games played in my life. 500 reviews means that I've reviewed over 50% of every game I've ever played. That's pretty impressive, considering I just started this 9 years ago and I am 41 years old. That still means, however, that there are 487 games out there in my mental "backlog" that I need to track down, play through, and review. It's my eventual goal to have a review posted for every game I've played. Which sucks because that means at some point I'll have to play through Final Fantasy XIII again in order to review it.

That's about all I really have, for now. If you are reading this, thank you for reading. I post these mainly for my own enjoyment, but if there is anyone else out there who enjoys my content or relates to some of the things I have to say about these games, I am very glad I'm able to provide you some enjoyment with these reviews.

My next major milestone is hitting the 1000 games played mark, and as I mentioned, I am currently sitting at 987 games played in my life. When I hit 1000, I have something special planned that I hope you'll really enjoy. Aside from that, I'm planning to just keep plugging along and playing games and reviewing them. Eventually I will reach a point where I am struggling to find games to play and review, but I am nowhere even remotely close to that yet - and I think that's awesome.

Thanks again for reading! Y'all come back now, ya here?

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

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Video Game Review #500: Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!

Nintendo Entertainment System

Nostalgia Factor:

Ahh, Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! I wanted to do something special for my 500th video game review. Why not pick the game that may have singlehandedly gotten me hooked on video games when I was a kid? When the family first got our Nintendo Entertainment System, it came with the usual Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt combo cartridge. But we also got Punch-Out on the side. This was the game that I put the most time and effort into. I had already played through Super Mario Bros before, while Duck Hunt never really excited me that much. This game was new territory.

I poured so much time into this game. They had to pry me away from the NES to go play outside or do something else. It was the first time I remember being hooked on a game and giving it my complete attention. I became really good at the game. It was just so fun, with its big and colorful cast of characters and all the different tactics you needed in order to defeat them in battle. I loved it so much.

Believe it or not, I did end up eventually beating the game. I did it a couple of times, too. But it was always very difficult to pull off. Mike Tyson's difficulty is legendary among retro video game fans. But I did it, darn it. As a young kid, too!

I haven't played the game in a very, very long time. It's the year 2024. I'd say I last played it on my NES in the early 90s. I did end up emulating the game in 2006 or so, but I never was able to complete it. I remember still loving it, though. That was the last time I had played the game. So that means about 18 years have passed since my last attempt to beat this game. The life span of a whole grown up individual. Geez! I'm feeling older and more decrepit every day.

Anyway, as I said, I always love to pick a game that means something to me whenever I have a milestone review. And this is my 500th review. I couldn't think of a better game to play than something I've loved for so many years, and something that really cemented me as a gamer for life when I was a young kid huddled in front of the big boxy television set in the 1980s. 

Let's dive into Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! and see if it holds up as well as I think it will.

Story:

There isn't much of a story here, which is to be expected. You play as Little Mac, a 17 year old boxer who is new to the boxing circuit. You must fight your way through the various ranks of boxers until you face off against the greatest of them all at the end of the game: Mike Tyson. Beat him, and you become the new champ.

It's a very basic storyline, but the colorful cast of characters and the workout scenes with your personal trainer give the game a ton of personality.

Gameplay:

This was the part of the game I was worried about the most when I came back to revisit it. Would the gameplay still hold up? Turns out I had nothing to worry about, as it most definitely holds up.

Playing as Little Mac, you have to make your way through 13 different boxing matchups. Beat Mike Tyson at the end and you beat the game. Things start out very easily with Glass Joe. This is to help teach you the mechanics of the game. As the game progresses, things get harder and harder to the point where its difficulty has become a thing of legend. 

Action takes place from a behind the back perspective. This is one of the first games I can remember playing that wasn't isometric or a side scroller. The A and B buttons throw right and left punches. Press them while holding up to aim for your opponent's head. Left and right on the d-pad makes your character perform a side-step move. This is essential for avoiding enemy attacks. The down button blocks. You can tap down twice to do a backwards evasive maneuver as well. If you hit an enemy and it makes a star appear above his head, this earns you a special uppercut move, good for one use. Activate it by pressing the start button. It delivers extra damage if you can get the punch to land. Be aware, however, that it is very slow and can be easily dodged by the enemy. It's best to use it when the enemy is stunned after getting punched in the face.

The entire game revolves around memorizing your enemies' attack patterns and strategizing around them. You can't just go after an enemy with a constant barrage of punches and expect to win the fight. It might work with Glass Joe, but not with anyone else. You have to learn to dodge enemy attacks and counter them accordingly.

I've heard this game described as sort of a rhythm game, and I can kinda see that. Some enemies, especially later in the game, don't have strong "tells" when they are going to attack, and a lot of my dodging and blocking was a result of guesswork or getting into a rhythm with my dodges. Wait a second, dodge, wait a second, dodge, wait a second, dodge, okay now you can hit him! If you're off by even a fraction of a second, the enemy could strike you and throw everything off.

All 13 fighters have different attack patterns that you must exploit if you want to have any chance of beating this game. Some of the later fights are absolutely brutal in their difficulty. Everyone knows about Mike Tyson, but Sandman was always someone who gave me fits as a kid. I remember I always struggled with the Great Tiger as well. He has this move where you have to block successfully five times in a row, and it ALWAYS tripped me up when I was a kid. I could just never get that timing right.

I played this game for two straight nights before I finally was able to beat it. Not gonna lie, I may or may not have resorted to "save scumming" during some of those last few fights. I have no doubt that I could have beaten the game without cheating if I had dedicated another night or two to it. After beating the game, I came back and started from the beginning without save scumming and made it a good portion of the way through the game before I had to turn it off for bed time. If I could do it as a kid, with no internet and no save states, I could do it as an adult. 

I can easily see myself continuing to play this game, even though I'm officially "done" with it now after writing this review. If I need something to play for ten minutes, why not throw on Punch-Out? If I am between games and I can't think of a new one to start, how about running through Punch-Out one more time? I can guarantee you it will not fall out of my gaming rotation for another 18 years.

Graphics:

Maybe I am just biased but I still think the game looks really good. It may not look like much from the screenshots. I'll admit it is a very basic looking game. But the detail put into the characters is always something I've found impressive. The cast of fighters is big, and they all have their fun and unique looks and personalities.

The short cutscenes with Little Mac training are something I've always found impressive, too. It is one of the first NES games I've played with cutscenes and I just remember thinking they were so fun when I was a kid. Honestly, they do add a lot of charm to this game. Punch-Out wouldn't be the same without 'em!

Sound:

I absolutely love this game's soundtrack. As soon as I turned it on and heard that sweet introduction music, it brought back a flood of warm memories to my brain. The fight music is great. The intro music before each fight is great. I love how some of the fighters have their own personal intro music. One of the guys even has this super awesome, villainous laugh. 

Shout out to the music during the training segments as well. They didn't have to go that hard, but they did anyway. This has to be one of the best and most iconic NES soundtracks out there.

Overall:

I had such a fun time with this game. I don't know why I was so resistant to coming back and playing through it again. I think maybe it had to do with the game's legendary difficulty level. It's tough, yeah, but it really isn't that bad. A lot of memorization and pattern recognition. If you put a lot of time and effort into the game, you'll be able to figure it out though.

Aside from being fun to play, the game just oozes classic retro charm. The music, the graphics, the sound effects, the cutscenes, just the overall presentation of the game is absolutely wonderful. This is peak NES gaming right here.

I came into this review thinking I'd give it just an A. But after seeing in words how much I enjoyed this game and how much it meant to me growing up, I think it would be a disservice to give it anything but an A+. It is a truly fantastic game, and one of the absolute best NES titles out there. If you love NES gaming and you have never played Punch-Out, you are doing yourself a massive, massive disservice. It's an all-time classic and I couldn't have dreamed of a single game I'd rather review for #500 than this. 

THE GRADE:

A+

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The Beatdown Part Three: Ranking every podcast in my current rotation from best to worst!

Forget March Madness, this has become the March tradition that everyone in the universe looks forward to: my annual podcast ranking. For those unfamiliar with this, I did one of these rankings back in 2022 and one in 2023. Now it is time for the 2024 edition. Yay.

Please note, this is only for podcasts in my current rotation. I'll give a shout out to my completed podcasts at the bottom of this post.

#1:

Staff Picks

Hosted by Mario Lanza

For the second year in a row, Staff Picks sits atop this list. It is easily the best podcast in my rotation. It is a discussion podcast for movies that need a little bit more love. What I love about the podcast is how it can sell me on literally any movie. Sometimes I come into an episode completely uninterested in the movie, only to leave wanting to track it down and watch it.

There's not much else I can say about this podcast that I didn't already say when it won last year. I guess I can add that this is a podcast that I always set aside time to listen to. A lot of podcasts just wind up as background noise as I drive or do things around the house. And that's ok, because they are filled with a lot of jibber jabber that doesn't really add much to anything. But every second of this podcast I feel is essential listening. If you haven't listened to this podcast, I advise checking it out. To me it is the quintessential movie podcast.

Last episode played: The Prestige

Next episode in line: The Illusionist

#2:

The Retrograde: A Video Game Podcast

Hosted by Andrew Bascom and Mikey Ehrenworth

This podcast has performed consistently well on my ranking. In the 3 years I've been doing this, it has ranked 3rd, 2nd, and now 2nd again.

I feel as if there is not much I can say here that I haven't said already in my last 2 rankings. The hosts are funny, I love their off-topic banter, and I disagree with about 90% of their retro gaming opinions. I've come to accept the fact that we just have wildly different tastes. They absolutely love stuff like Sim City, Civilization, Age of Empires, and sports games. Games that don't really mean anything to me. Meanwhile they rip on some of my all-time favorites like Resident Evil 2, Ecco, Star Fox, and Max Payne. It seems like they've been getting better at not hating everything, though. I don't know if it was an intentional shift in philosophy based on some of the backlash they get, or if they've simply gotten used to playing retro games and are more lenient now than they were before.

Regardless, this is a podcast I can put on anytime, anywhere, and know that I am going to enjoy it. It's my go-to podcast for when I am simply not in the mood to listen to anything else. I am ALWAYS in the mood to listen to this one. It's great. If you like retro gaming this one absolutely needs to be in your podcast rotation.

Last episode played: Episode 155: Sim City 2000

Next episode in line: Episode 157: Pokemon Snap Revisited

#3:

Dynasty Happy Hour

Hosted by James, Doug, and Tyler

2023 was the year I fell down the dynasty fantasy football rabbit hole. I remember adding this podcast to my rotation in about May or so, because I wanted to hear about the upcoming rookies in the draft class. I quickly became addicted to dynasty football content, and this podcast was a big part of that. I wanted to hear all about Quentin Johnston and Kendre Miller and Sam LaPorta and Zach Charbonnet, etc. I loved hearing their projections and listening to all their mock drafts. It inspired me to create a family and friends dynasty league of my own! 

I'm sure there are other dynasty podcasts out there, but this is all I need for the time being. It is one of my favorite podcasts, and I always instantly jump out and download a new episode as soon as it lands. I always debate between listening to it immediately or delaying my gratification and saving it as long as possible. 

The good news about this podcast is that it has so many episodes to go back and listen to. I started in the 2023 offseason, but I could easily go back and listen to everything that came before that. With a long dynasty offseason staring at me, I'm probably going to have to do so. Kudos to the hosts for all having great podcast voices, and great personalities as well. Everyone gets along with one another and I love the dissenting opinions. The Trophy Smack and Manscape advertisements get old, but I understand they gotta do what they gotta do to get that money!

Last episode played: Episode 389: Tight End Landscape for 2024

Next episode in line: Episode 390: Trading Etiquette w/ Leo Paciga

#4:

Collateral Gaming Video Game Podcast

Hosted by Ashley Chancellor, Megan Gomez, and Zachary Guillot

What are the odds? Collateral Gaming has come in fourth place every single year I've done this ranking. If anything, it is remarkably consistent. Again, as with all the other podcasts I've been listening to for a long time, I don't really have anything new to add about this podcast. I summed it all up pretty well the last two years.

I guess I can say that this is one of the few podcasts in my rotation that I'm all caught up with. Luckily this podcast pops out new content quite frequently, so it doesn't have to worry about dropping out of my rotation and losing its spot on my ranking. Unlike the other gaming podcasts I listen to, this one is not solely focused on retro gaming, and it talks about a lot of newer stuff. While I am a big gamer, I don't really follow new releases or gaming news anymore, so I am thankful to this podcast for keeping me in the loop.

Collateral Gaming is one of those admirable podcasts that I can put on anytime, anywhere, and still enjoy. Certain podcasts I have to be in the mood for, but this one is always welcome. I think it is because the host Ash seems like such a nice and pleasant guy. The cohosts are great, too. I've always liked Beaux. I feel like I'd fit right in talking games with these people and just hanging out and shooting the shit, and that is part of why I enjoy it so much. 

Last episode played: Game Launch Edition: Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy

Next episode in line: Anniversary Special Part 1 - Fable 2004

#5:

The 7th Rule: A Star Trek Podcast

Hosted by Cirroc Lofton, Ryan T Husk, and Denise Crosby

This is a new entry on my list this year. Last year, I remember searching for some kind of Star Trek podcast to add to my rotation, and this is one of the first ones to show up. I'm glad I decided to pick this one to listen to, as it is great. It was originally started with Cirroc Lofton and Aron Eisenberg (Jake and Nog from DS9) but it has been forced to change and evolve over the years, especially after Aron's passing.

I actually started listening to this podcast in the middle of it. Normally I start from the very beginning of a podcast and listen in chronological order. But not here. I started with episode 203, which is when they review the TNG episode Code of Honor. I think I was testing the waters to see if the show was worth listening to, and it immediately hooked me. I don't think Denise is actually a full time host, but her humor and her insight into the filming of some of these old episodes really impressed me. I backed up and listened to the first few episodes of the TNG rewatch. And then continued listening after Code of Honor.

The whole podcast is such a joy to listen to, especially if you grew up with Star Trek like me. I love the hosts. They are so funny and insightful. It's surprising to me that Cirroc has not seen any of these TNG episodes, when he grew up playing Jake on an what was essentially a spinoff of The Next Generation. It's been a treat listening to his observations as he watches these episodes for the first time. Denise's recollections are great, too. I think it's funny how sometimes she completely doesn't even remember filming some of this stuff, though. I suppose, would I remember some random things that happened on a job I was working over 30 years ago? Ryan is a great cohost, too. He has the best "podcast voice" of any of the hosts.

The podcast also seems to have a panel of people that join every episode. Random fans from the Internet that give their opinion on the episodes they watch. It's always the same people every episode. I want to know how they were picked! But I've grown to really enjoy some of these guests. I love the "Aruken!" exclamation when they are reading off the big list of names. I don't think anyone has ever passed on the opportunity to say it like the Street Fighter sound effect. Some guests I can do without. I don't want to throw any shade, because you never know who is going to read this, but I have always found the limericks to be a bit lame. The awkward silence from the hosts every time the guest recites the limerick says everything.

If I had to offer one constructive criticism it would be to focus more on a cohesive recap of each episode they review. Sometimes they just talk about a few specific scenes that happened in an episode or how impressed they are with the costumes and the guest actors, and I am just sitting over here like "BUT WHAT EPISODE IS THIS????" I think that is more of a me problem than anything, though.

Coincidentally, the next episode I listen to is the one where Tasha Yar is killed off the show. I really hope Denise sticks around! Also, a side note: I have only been listening to the TNG recap episodes and skipping everything else. I'll return to the DS9 content and everything else at a later time.

Last episode played: Episode 225: Symbiosis

Next episode in line: Episode 226: Skin of Evil

#6:

Arcade Attack

Hosted by Keith, Adrian, Dillon, and Rob

Arcade Attack comes in strong at #6 on my ranking - one place higher in the ranking than it got last year. I really enjoy this podcast. All the hosts seem like a great group of friends that are very tight knit. Most of the time this is a good thing, but other times as a listener you feel like less of a member of their group and more of an outside observer.

This podcast is at its best when they are having fun. I like the music episodes and the episodes where they play little quiz games. I also enjoy the Secret Santa episodes where they give each other gifts. I love their wide variety of knowledge of retro gaming consoles. I'm glad someone out there appreciates the Atari Jaguar. Some episodes seem a little dry, however. Like when they talk about the history of some dull sounding Amiga game I've never heard of for more than an hour. I also am not a huge fan of the interview episodes, which I mentioned in my ranking last year. There was a recent interview, however, that had me laughing because of how off the wall it was. I wish I could remember which episode. I think the man being interviewed was yelling at his dog or something. I can't remember the specifics, just that it was funny. I should have written it down. Anyway, it was fantastic.

I feel like I have been listening to this podcast forever. It's been a few years now, I think. And the great thing about it is that I still have a long way to go. The final episode of the podcast was from September of 2023 and I am still back in January of 2020 where I am listening. The fact that I have so many more episodes left listening to these guys brings a smile to my face.

Last episode played: 2010 to 2020: A Decade of Retro Gaming

Next episode in line: Bonus Podcast: PlayStation Classic Wrongness

#7:

The Cartridge Club

Hosted by P1 and P2

Hard to believe that the Cartridge Club has slipped from 5th to 7th place in my ranking, but I think that says more about the quality of the podcasts above it than anything else. I think the main reason it is ranking so low is because I'm bogged down with the weekly episodes right now. I enjoyed the podcast the most when it was just a game of the month podcast, but all the weekly update shows are driving me nuts. Honestly, I probably should have just went and skipped them, but the completionist in me wants to listen to every single episode in this podcast's backlog. If anything they serve a purpose as a good "background" podcast that I can put on, and it doesn't really matter if I am paying attention or if I miss anything or not.

It's not that the weekly episodes are bad or anything, I just prefer the variety of games they talk about for game of the month. Spoiler alert: I was actually on an episode as a guest last year. My first podcast appearance. Anyway, the weekly episodes tend to focus around the members of the club and what they are up to. It's a lot of club gossip and discussion from the forums, which apparently were hopping back in 2017. Hard to believe I am still 7 years behind on this podcast! They also talk about new games and consoles being released around that time. It's interesting to see them react to things that are considered old news here in 2024. Anyway, I know that the weekly episodes eventually stop around 80 something. I'm on 55 right now. Eventually once I get through these, I'll start catching up to real time pretty quickly.

Last episode played: CC Portable #2 - Tetris DS

Next episode in line: CC Weekly #55 - July 30th 2017

#8:

The Loser's Club

Hosted by Randall Colburn, Dan Caffrey, McKenzie and Justin Gerber, and more!

The Loser's Club rises one spot in my ranking from last year. What I have come to appreciate about these guys is their enthusiasm and love for Stephen King, even through some of his not so good books and some of his cringe worthy dialogue that hasn't held up well over time. The poundcake section is something I always look forward to in every episode. The hosts do such a good job recapping the highs and lows of these books, all while laughing and having a great time the whole way throughout.

I just finished the Four Past Midnight episode, and will be moving onto some It Chapter Two movie episodes before moving onto the third Dark Tower book: The Wastelands. I am so excited for The Dark Tower and so excited for The Wastelands. The fact that I have been listening to this podcast for so many years now, and I still have so much more content to listen to is really awesome. I don't have much time to read anymore, so listening to this podcast on the go and reliving some of my favorite Stephen King moments, and moments I've completely forgotten about, is such a great thing.

Last episode played: The Sun Dog

Next episode in line: Behind the Scenes of It: Chapter Two with Anthony Breznican

#9:

Fantasy Football Happy Hour 

with Matthew Berry

I started listening to this podcast in 2023 to supplement the other Happy Hour podcast I listen to (DHH). I don't like this one as much. First of all, it doesn't focus on dynasty. That's not the podcast's fault, but it is more of what I am interested in right now. Second: there is too much content. During the NFL season they were pumping out an episode every single day. It was way too much to keep up with. I can listen to maybe an episode or two a week. But not one a day.

 As a result, I only listen to a sporadic episode here and there. There is no way I am going to be able to listen to every episode, so I am not going to even try. The content of the podcast is good. These guys definitely do their research. And I can see them doing some episodes that are more dynasty relevant in the offseason (they already talked about the NFL combine and the incoming rookie class). So this is definitely a podcast I'll continue to listen to. But I won't get caught up in trying to listen to every episode. It's just not going to happen.

Last episode played: NFL Combine headlines, Top Prospects + Andy Reid, Dan Quinn Interviews

Next episode in line: whichever of the hundreds of previously unlistened to episodes I feel like listening to

#10:

Collateral Cinema

Hosted by Beau Maddox and a plethora of cohosts

Well, Collateral Cinema has moved up two spots from #12 to #10 on my ranking. I really liked this podcast when I first started listening to it, and thought it would shoot to the top of my ranking, but that hasn't quite happened. I like the hosts. Beaux is awesome and seems like someone I would be comfortable kicking it with any day of the week. If you know me, you know that is pretty high praise.

The reason this podcast doesn't rank higher is because of its structure. Look at Staff Picks, which ranked #1. It's such a well plotted out podcast. They talk about their memories with the movie, who is in the movie, a basic plot summary, a detailed recap of all major plot points, including many breakdowns of individual scenes, etc. It has a beginning, middle, and end. This podcast is a bit of a free for all in comparison. Oftentimes I can listen to an entire episode and still have no idea what the movie is even about. I also feel like the movie selection is a little weird. It is very dude bro-ish. Not a lot of movies on here that I would watch or enjoy. A lot of stoner comedies, low budget horror movies, and movies that are just flat out bizarre, like Foodfight, Gummo, and Freddy Got Fingered.  

I think that if and when they get around to movies I actually care about, and as they round their way into form, I'll begin enjoying this podcast more. Next episode is an awesome start with Martyrs. I love that movie, especially the version they are watching.

Last episode played: Ep 26: Leprechaun Returns

Next episode in line: Ep 27: Pascal Laugier's Martyrs 

#11:

Digging Six Feet Under

Hosted by Victor Rubio

This podcast took the biggest tumble of any on my list, falling from 6th to 11th. It's not that I don't like the podcast. I really do. The host is great. I emailed him a while back because there were some episodes missing and he kindly provided me the links to be able to listen to them. He has a great podcasting persona and is always very personable with the guests he has on each week.

I think the reason this podcast has fallen so much is because of my disconnect with Six Feet Under. Last year when I started listening to this, the show was fresh in my mind and I was really digging the podcast. Now, a year later, I am a year removed from the show and have moved onto other shows that I am invested in. So I'm really in no giant rush to make my way through this podcast. I will finish it, though. I'm currently right around the middle mark. Season 3 of the show was my least favorite season, so I could see myself struggling a bit to listen through these episodes.

Last episode played: Bonus Episode (True Blood)

Next episode in line: S03E04 Nobody Sleeps

#12:

Sega Saturn, Shiro

Hosted by Patrick, Dave, Ke

Sega Saturn, Shiro has slipped a little bit in my rankings, falling from 8th last year to 12th this year. It is not anything that the podcast has done wrong. It's just fallen out of my rotation for some reason. I think I've only listened to about 20 episodes or so since the last ranking.

I have to give a special shout out to the people running this podcast. They have such a love for the Saturn and they do such a great job keeping the system alive and relevant. Their work can't be appreciated enough. It's a shame that this podcast has dropped to the bottom of my rotation. I just find it's not something I can listen to one episode after another like I can with other podcasts. I have to be in a certain mood for it. 

I noticed I'm coming up to a bunch of weekly live shows. I've decided to skip these for the time being. I am listening to all the weekly episodes of the Cartridge Club, and it is making my listen-through of their backlog take so freaking long. If I start listening to the weekly episodes of Sega Saturn, Shiro, I'll never finish with this podcast. So I am skipping them for now and only listening to the numbered episodes or bonus episodes.

Last episode played: EPISODE 44: "Pinball Games!"

Next episode in line: BONUS: "Bulk Slash English Translation Patch Discussion"

#13:

Stephen King Cast

Hosted by Constant Reader

My Stephen King podcasts kind of fell out of my rotation for a while, and it negatively affected the Stephen King Cast the most. I still listen to this podcast, but it takes a backseat to the Loser's Club, which I find infinitely more enjoyable. I am trying to listen to the book episodes in chronological order of when they were released. I always listen to the King Cast episode first, as it is generally pretty short and more of a cut and dry recap of the book's events. It gets me ready for the Loser's Club, which I consider the meat and potatoes of the Stephen King meal.

I'll still listen to this podcast, because I like the host and I like that the episodes are a lot shorter and easier to consume. But we can't kid ourselves that it is a particularly fun or enjoyable podcast. It is very dry.

Last episode played: Episode Fifty Nine-The Sun Dog

Next episode in line: Episode Sixty-Needful, Things Part One

#14:

Ear Biscuits

Hosted by Rhett and Link

Can you believe Ear Biscuits is last on my ranking for the second year in a row? Dead last. I love Rhett and Link, but this podcast hasn't been Micah Pufftea. The reason is because it focuses on the boys interviewing fellow YouTube sensations. They dive into their past, how they got into making videos, and what their plans are for the future. Most of these YouTubers I either haven't heard of, or they haven't been relevant in 10 years. And plus, I don't really care about these people. I am listening for Rhett and Link.

Eventually they move away from the interview format and gets to the type of podcast I am here for: Rhett and Link picking a topic and bantering about it for an hour. To heck with these YouTube people. Unfortunately, I am only on episode 32 and I have about 80 more of these interviews to sit through before the podcast becomes more of what I am looking for. Why don't I just skip ahead? Simple. OCD. 

When I did my ranking last year, I was on episode 10. That means I've listened to 21 episodes in the last year. Another 4 years and I'll be through the interview phase. Yay!

Last episode played: Ep. 31 Swoozie

Next episode in line: Ep. 32 Smosh

Special shout out to all the podcasts that are not in my current rotation:

Worth it or Worthless: Where are you guys?? After releasing 2 episodes a month for 4 years, they suddenly fell off the face of the earth. Just 6 total episodes were released in 2023, and none so far in 2024. I have a feeling they are done. Noooo! This was the show that got me hooked on podcasts, and I feel as if they still have so many retro games out there to cover. Hopefully they return someday.

The Edge of Sleep: This was my first podcast that was a fictional story rather than non fiction or a group of people talking about a movie, book, TV show, or video game. I have to say it was absolutely fantastic. I binged all 8 episodes in about a week. If it was still in my current rotation it could be #1. Really, really good.

The Survivor Historians: They actually just dropped a new episode less than 2 weeks ago, after going almost a year and a half with no new episodes. I was all caught up and was just waiting for them to finish Redemption Island. Now that they have, I can listen to these episodes and rewatch this season along with them. I'm looking forward to it!

Birds of Empire: I'm in the middle of the first episode, so I didn't think it would be appropriate to put it on the ranking considering I haven't listened to a full episode yet. It's okay so far. The premise sounds good. Very Horizon Zero Dawn reminiscent. I'm only listening to this because it is from the Edge of Sleep people, and I liked that so much.

Post Show Recaps: This is my first podcast ranking without PSR in there somewhere. As soon as I finish off something in my rotation, I'm immediately seeking out a PSR series to start. Maybe Better Call Saul or Game of Thrones? On a side note, I just heard that Post Show Recaps is coming to an end. Why????? It seemed so popular. I guess it is good I have a giant backlog of their episodes to listen through.

Big Brother Blockumentary: I loved these recaps of seasons 2, 3, and 4 of Big Brother. It's a shame there aren't any more to listen to. It's like Survivor Historians but for Big Brother fans.

Retrovaniacs, Do You Want to Keep Playing, and I Finally Watched...: I listened to 1 episode of each of these to see if they were anything I would be interested in. I liked all of them, but none of them were strong enough to join my rotation yet. They'll be getting more chances as the years go on. My queue is not going anywhere.

HEY

Hope you all enjoyed reading this. If I said anything bad about your podcast, I am sorry! Do not take it personally. If I didn't like your podcast, I wouldn't be listening to it. I feel as if honest opinions are always the way to go. No need to sugar coat anything. Feel free to criticize me and my shitty writing style all you want. I'm a big boy and I can take it.

Until next year!

For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click

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