Play Retro Show

Jet Force Gemini, one of Rare’s final original IPs for the N64, brought cinematic sci-fi action together with run-and-gun combat, exploration, puzzle solving, collect-a-thon progression, and split-screen multiplayer in a surprisingly large and ambitious package. The game follows a pair of space twins and their dog, Lupus, as they battle giant ant-like drones while trying to avoid collateral damage to the local cute, bear-like inhabitants. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) brought the King of Pop to arcades and home consoles with two completely different takes on the same concepts - an isometric co-op arcade experience and a side-scrolling Genesis version built around exploration and music-driven combat. We also take a look at the earlier European computer adaptation, showing how differently the Moonwalker license was interpreted across platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taito’s Rastan (1987) brought sword-and-sorcery fantasy to the arcade with giant monsters, brutal platforming, and a barbarian hero straight out of a Conan paperback. We follow that path through Nastar (1989), released in Japan as Rastan Saga II, and briefly look at Warrior Blade, the rare triple-screen arcade finale that closed out the series in oversized style. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tobal No. 1 (1996) brought Square into the 3D fighting game arena with fast 60 FPS combat, full arena movement, and character designs by Akira Toriyama. Known both for its innovative Quest Mode and for including the famous Final Fantasy VII demo disc, it became one of PlayStation’s most memorable cult fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neverwinter Nights (2002) brought Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition to PC with character-driven storytelling, multiplayer persistent worlds, and the powerful Aurora Toolset. We also explore the 2003 expansions Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark, which expanded the campaign, raised level caps, and pushed the game into epic-level D&D adventures. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.