Remember The Game? Retro Gaming Podcast

Remember The Game #28 - Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

I vividly remember getting this game for my birthday the year it came out. And despite the fact that I had a house full of my friends over for a party, and this was a single player game, it was all I did for the rest of the day. No regrets.

 

The first thing that stands out about this game are the graphics. It's simply gorgeous. It was released less than a year before the Nintendo 64 launch, and the advancement Nintendo made between the original Super Mario World that debuted alongside the SNES and this game are undeniable. Clearly, the powers that be had a firm handle on what the Super Nintendo was capable of at this point. I consider this game to be the SNES's swan song. It's a hell of a way to go out.

 

Everyone had fallen in love with Yoshi after his appearance in Super Mario World a few years earlier, and we were excited for the opportunity to play as him some more. It took one game (if you don't count spinoff appearances and the awful Super Scope game) for the dinosaur/sacrificial lamb to leap into a starring role. It took poor Luigi like 20 years to do that! (Again, no spinoffs. Looking at YOU, Mario Is Missing.....)

 

This game featured some new gameplay mechanics, like launching eggs and the debut of Yoshi's "flutter" jump. The levels are deep and lengthy, and I *think* this was the first "Mario" game to feature collectibles in each level that you had to seek out if you wanted to 100% the game. And 100%ing this game was hard. I haven't done it to this day, although it's something I intend to do at some point. It gave you a ton of bang for your buck, and while it isn't really a sequel to the original Super Mario World per say, it lives up to the name sake from a quality perspective.

 

I'd be curious to know how it would've sold it they had simply called it "Yoshi's Island", without slapping Super Mario World 2 on the cover. I have to assume it would have hurt sales somewhat, especially after Yoshi's Safari was such a disappointment a couple years prior. And without the success of this game, Yoshi might not be as big of character in the Nintendo universe as he is today. People forget that Yoshi didn't appear as a "power up" in a Mario game again until Super Mario Galaxy 2 15 years later.

 

It doesn't really matter in the end, I suppose. Yoshi is awesome, and so is this game. My buddy Kyle and I had a great time explaining why on this week's podcast. Enjoy.

 

You can find everything 'Remember The Game?' at our new website; rememberthegamepodcast.com!

 

We're on the social media, too! Instagram & Twitter @memberthegame

Remember The Game #27 - Sonic The Hedgehog 3 / Sonic & Knuckles

If Mario was the video game Heavyweight Champion in the 90's, Sonic The Hedgehog was the #1 contender. I didn't own a Sega Genesis growing up, but I played all the Sonic games. I watched the cartoon. I read the comic books. Sonic was everywhere! He was fast, he was cool, and he was the face of SEGA. But, were his games fun to play? 

My buddy Andre was a Sega kid, and he returns to the podcast this week to help me remember not one, but TWO Sega Genesis games that are attached at the hip (thanks to "cutting edge, lock on technology"); Sonic The Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles. Enjoy!

'Remember The Game?' is on Facebook! facebook.com/rememberthegame

AND Twitter! @memberthegame

AND NOW Instagram! @memberthegame

Thanks for listening!

Remember The Game #26 - Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels

Happy new year! I hope you had a great holiday season, and the "January Blues" aren't hitting you too hard. And if they are, hopefully a new podcast will help snap you out of it!

We're going with a bit of a black sheep this week (there are only so many Chrono Triggers and Tony Hawk games out there!). My buddy and fellow comic Dave Rae returns to the show, and we decided to have a chat about the Cousin Oliver of the NES Mario family; the REAL Super Mario Bros 2. You may know it as Super Mario Bros - The Lost Levels. 

Originally finding it's way over to North America in the Super Mario All Stars compilation on the SNES, the original version has popped up on Virtual Consoles over the years as well. It's unquestionably the most difficult core Mario Bros game, and I like it a lot. If you've played it, you know just how brutally challenging it is. If you haven't, this probably won't sell you on it, but it should. Give it a shot!

We've seen a crazy spike in downloads the last couple weeks, which I can only chalk up to people discovering the podcast for the first time, and exploring the back catalogue. So THANK YOU to all of you for listening to, supporting, and sharing the podcast with your friends. I really do appreciate it, and I can't wait to see where we end up in 2019!

We're also on Twitter! @memberthegame

AND facebook! facebook.com/memberthegame

Remember The Game #25 - Chrono Trigger

Happy Boxing Day! I have a late Christmas present for all you nerds. An episode of Remember The Game about the single most requested game we've had since we launched the podcast earlier this year; Chrono Trigger!!

My pal Tyler is a Chrono Trigger junkie, and we spent a good 45 minutes looking back at one of the most celebrated and beloved RPGs of all time. I hope this episode helps you kill some time while you're standing in a Boxing Day sale line. Maybe it just provides an escape from the in-laws for an hour. Regardless of how you're spending your holidays, I hope they're going well, Santa came through for ya, and I really appreciate you spending an hour of them geeking out with us.

I'm really excited to see where this podcast goes in 2019, and thank all of you so much for supporting it like you have.

And hey, we're on Twitter! @memberthegame

AND Facebook! facebook.com/memberthegame

Happy New Year!

 

Remember The Game #24 - Sega vs Nintendo

Playstation vs Nintendo 64. PS3 vs Xbox 360. Virtual Boy vs sanity. All among the greatest rivalries in video game history. But none of them can touch the blood feud that was Nintendo vs Sega in the 90's.

This week, my buddy Miklos joins me, and we take a look back at what it was like growing up during the premier Console Wars. Miklos was a Sega Genesis kid, I had my Super Nintendo. We probably would have fought as kids. As adults, the wounds have healed. Enough time has passed. We were finally able to sit in the same room, shake hands, and talk about what it was like on the other side of the fence.

I really enjoyed this episode, it was one we've kicked around for quite a while. I hope you all enjoy it, too.

And hey, we're on twitter! @memberthegame

And hey, we're on Facebook! facebook.com/memberthegame

And hey, thanks for listening. Merry Christmas!

Remember The Game #23 - Mario Paint

Do you still have your SNES mouse??? That big, boring grey mousepad?? Is there any reason to play Mario Paint in 2018?? 

Of course there is; the fly swatter game!

My fellow gaming nerd Mark McCue is back this week, and we took a trip down memory lane and remember Mario Paint for the SNES. In a time before iPads, smart phones, and even home computers, we had Mario Paint. Colour pictures, make stupid songs, create comics, and yep, swat flies. Everyone played with this game in the '90s. I really feel this was the launching pad for some of Nintendo's "outside of the box" ideas that would come down the road. 

If you're enjoying the podcast, follow us on Twitter! @memberthegame

OR/AND join our Facebook group! facebook.com/memberthegame

Thanks for listening!

Remember The Game #22 - Super Smash Bros. Melee

*NOTE: We recorded this episode several weeks ago. We do talk a little Smash Bros Ultimate, and address some rumours floating around at the time that turned out not to be true. Please don't email us to tell us we're dumb. At least, not because of that*

With Super Smash Bros Ultimate releasing this week, we thought it would be a great week to remember one of the best fighting/party games of the last 25 years; Super Smash Bros Melee!

My pal Mark McCue is back this week, and we took a trip down memory lane and reminisced about the premier Smash Bros game. This game still has an insanely active competitive scene almost 20 years after it's initial release! Nintendo has released Gamecube controllers and adapters for the Wii U AND the Switch specifically for the franchise, and more importantly, because of this game. 

I love Smash Bros. Melee, and so should you. If you don't, hopefully this week's episode changes your mind!

If you're a Facebooker, join us! facebook.com/memberthegame

If you're a Twitterer, follow us! @memberthegame

And thank you for listening. You guys are the best!

 

Remember The Game #21 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Is there a video game series from the late 90's/early 2000's that stole more hours of our lives than the Tony Hawk series?? EVERYONE played these games!

The wicked soundtracks, the tight controls, the insanely addictive gameplay; this series had it all. My buddy Tyler is back this week, and we take a trip down memory lane and look back at the legendary Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. Enjoy!

Find 'Remember The Game?' on Twitter! @memberthegame

AND join our Facebook group! facebook.com/memberthegame

Remember The Game #20 - Final Fantasy IX

For my money, this isn't just the best Final Fantasy on the original Playstation, it might be the best Final Fantasy game, period.

My buddy Andre returns to the show this week, and we look back at the masterpiece that is Final Fantasy 9. I don't know if it's possible to describe a Final Fantasy game as "overlooked", but I think if there's one core title in the series that might be, it's this one. I love this game, and you should, too.

Did you know this podcast has a twitter account?? @memberthegame

AND it has a Facebook page!? facebook.com/memberthegame

Thanks for listening!

Remember The Game #19 - Earthbound

"SAY FUZZY PICKLES!"

When it was originally released, Earthbound was an absolutely criminally overlooked game on the SNES. Years later, it became one of the most expensive and sought after cartridges on the console in the eyes of collectors. These days (fortunately), it's available everywhere; Wii U Virtual Console, the SNES classic, it's even on the new 3DS. 

My buddy Chris returns to the show this week, and we spend some time explaining why you HAVE to play this masterpiece, if you haven't already. 

Find 'Remember The Game?' on Twitter! @memberthegame

And on our Facebook group! facebook.com/memberthegame