Retronauts

Another year, another sizzling report (plus developer interviews) from Japan’s largest indie game festival from our senior indie game correspondent Diamond Feit.

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It’s the revenge of Shinobi… podcasts! Join Stuart Gipp, Diamond Feit, John Linneman and Thomas Nickel for a second look at the far-from-average Joe.

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Jeremy Parish spins up the turntable to take you—yes, you!—through two hours of recent classic game music releases, including a ton of Konami NES chiptunes, official Super Mario jazz arrangements, Super Hang-On, and more. Play it loud!

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The Stu, Dave, and Seumidh dream team returns to tackle the contentious issue of Sonic the Hedgehog’s rough transition into 3D gaming. We were there, and it was.

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What started as an attempt by Capcom to cash in on this new "online gaming" fad has escalated into the developer's biggest cash cow: Monster Hunter. Though the series saw more than its share of growing pains over the passing decades; despite the many attempts to make Monster Hunter a hit in the West, it's only become an incredibly popular crossover success in recent memory. So how did this idiosyncratic, grindy experience grow from niche audience to household name? On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Kat Bailey, and Brian Clark as the crew feasts on extraordinarily huge pieces of meat in preparation for the harrowing discussion ahead.

Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 100+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

ALL of the Retronauts (yes, that's a full six-pack of Jeremy, Bob, Diamond, Stuart, Nadia, and Kevin) come together to opine about the launch of Nintendo's latest console, the Switch 2, by framing it in the context of all the other Nintendo console launches over the past 40 years.

This is a preview a patron-exclusive episode! Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Kate Willaert, Chris Sims, and Stuart Gipp open the book on their next collaborative community playthrough (Prince of Persia: The Lost Sands) by discussing the game's heritage and sharing listener thoughts on the first half of the quest.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Diamond Feit, Stuart Gipp, & Richard Eisenbeis reflect on the Resident Evil Revelations spinoff series which nurtured the franchise's horror roots while the mainline games embraced blockbuster action.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 703: Back to the Future: The Game. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

We’ve got the old stuff back! Kevin Bunch, Diamond Feit, Will Cuevas, and Brian Clark return to Southtown to cover the rest of the Fatal Fury series.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Stuart Gipp dashes into the long-running, passionate world of Sonic fan games at a hundred Miles Prower with guests Ryan Langley (Rlan) and Lewis Clark!

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts

Good Giygas, EarthBound is 30 years old!? Yes, and because we gave this cult SNES RPG the standard Retronauts treatment nearly a decade ago, this time around, we'll be taking a slightly different approach. To celebrate three decades of EarthBound greatness, on this follow-up episode we're digging into the fandom behind the game, and the communities that rose in the wake of its unceremonious 1995 launch. So this week, join Bob Mackey, Reid Young, Charlie Verdin, and Everdraed (all of Fangamer) as the crew looks back on the dusty message boards of the past and the modest empires that grew from them. You'll never look at a fuzzy pickle the same way again!

Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 100+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

When is a prince not a prince? When he’s a frog or a snake! Diamond Feit, Christa Lee, and npckc laud one of Nintendo’s lesser-known games outside of Japan, The Frog For Whom The Bell Tolls.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 697: Fan Translations, Revisited. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Kevin Bunch, and Nadia Oxford may not be able to change fate, but they can certainly weigh in on Konami's PS1 RPG classic Suikoden and its place in history after revisiting the game through the recent HD remaster.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Kevin Bunch, Benj Edwards, and Jared Petty bring our 50-40-30-years-ago retrospective series for 2025 to a close by looking at the major events and games of 1995—just in time to get ready for 2026's Years-In-Review Revue!

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Kevin Bunch, and Brian Clark take a moment to reflect on the history of Capcom, beginning with the genre that got them started in the first place: shooting games where a little guy moves up the screen and blasts everything in sight.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Celebrating 25 years of Rare's other groundbreaking first-person shooter for the Nintendo 64, Diamond Feit, Kevin Bunch, and Cara Ellison share their mutual affection for Perfect Dark.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Two Mario RPG brands launched at the dawn of the 21st century, and while Paper Mario had the more immediate gimmick, Mario & Luigi devoted itself to standard RPG mechanics dressed up in Mushroom Kingdom finery. Though the series burned bright in its early years, the back half saw a decline with undercooked sequels, unpopular remakes, and the seeming death of Mario & Luigi—the brand, not the characters. And now that it's back once again, we must ask ourselves: is Mario & Luigi worth celebrating? This week on Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Mike Drucker (author of Good Game, No Rematch), and Stuart Gipp as the crew times out their button presses to deliver you a perfect podcast.

Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 100+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Nadia Oxford, William SRD, and Greg Melo talk about DragonStrike, a retro flight / combat game based around D&D's Dragonlance universe.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 688: Muppet Games. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Jeremy Parish, Nadia Oxford, Chris Sims, Benito Cereno, and Shivam Bhatt congregate once again to talk about video gaming's difficult relationship with the concept of "God." (This episode was a recorded a couple of months ago, so the opening quip is unrelated to/uninspired by recent world news!)

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Sigma Start listening to this Saga of sound as Stuart Gipp chats to WayForward’s Matt Bozon and Adam Tierney about a GBA gem. Psyme me up!

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Kevin Bunch, and Brian Clark regale a packed Milwaukee convention hall with tales of the greatness of Chrono Trigger—and then Jeremy and Kevin explore the wonders of 1980s Japanese game tapes (and LaserDiscs!).

This is a preview of a Patreon-exclusive episode. Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more and enjoy this full episode (plus countless other exclusives!) at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Now it's time to have the REAL answer: who is THE STRONGEST!? Diamond Feit? Kevin Bunch? John Learned? TheSeventhForce? We're ALL winners when we remember the SNK vs CAPCOM series of fighting games.

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Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Nadia Oxford, Stuart Gipp, Chris Sims, and Kate Willaert kick off a new feature to play and discuss great metroidvania in depth. Play along and join the conversation! This time: we tackle the first half of the final true Castlevania game.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more and join our Discord to take part in this ongoing metroidvania chat at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 682: Bloodborne. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

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Aliens are on the move! Kevin Bunch, Brian Clark, Matt Alt and Diamond Feit talk about 1978’s Space Invaders and its legacy.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish and Diamond Feit chat with Tom Happ and Dan Adelman about origins, design, and 10th anniversary (it's retro now!) of the indie metroidvania tour-de-force, Axiom Verge.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 679: Doom (The 2005 Movie). To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

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Jeremy Parish, Benj Edwards, Kevin Bunch, Chris Sims, and Jared Petty channel the power of five to continue their discussion of the ’5s (1975, ’85, and ’95). This time, the focus is on the pivotal gaming events of the year 1985.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Kevin Bunch, Dustin Hubbard, and Ozidual talk about the joy of type-in game programs and the process of preserving them in this Retronauts.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Nadia Oxford gathers with Jeremy Parish and translator Alexander O. Smith to talk about Vagrant Story's 25th anniversary and its localization.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more and listen to the full Vagrant Story episode at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts!

With the series poised for a comeback in 2025, Diamond Feit, Stuart Gipp, and Thomas Nickel uncover the secrets of the ninja in this first podcast about Sega's Shinobi games.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Benj Edwards, Chris Sims, Kevin Bunch, and Jared Petty look backward in time 40, even 50 years to discuss some of the biggest and most personally beloved video gaming events of 1975 and ’85. To be continued...

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 673: SimCity 2000. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

What's up with all those JRPGs making you kill God? Having weathered the ’80s Satanic Panic, Jeremy Parish, Chris Sims, Benito Cereno, and Shivam Bhatt seek the answers by tracing the history of Christianity's spread into Japan—including JRPGs.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

The screen scrolls ever onward to the end of the stage, as the second part of Retronauts’ Golden Axe-tion is upon us. Linneman, Nickel, Feit, Gipp!

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Nadia Oxford, Kate Willaert, and Kurt Kalata tip their fedoras to the ladies who save the world with minimal encumbrance penalties, diving into the history of the "heroines in bikini armor" trend that exploded in Japan in the mid ’80s.

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Radio? Check. Pocket flashlight? Check. Ultra high-res graphics? Check! Diamond Feit, Jess O'Brien and Josh Stinson tick all the boxes as they break down the 2024 remake of Silent Hill 2.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

We’ve reached the Doomsday Zone. At last, the final instalment of Gipp, Bulmer, and MacDonald’s investigation of Sega’s greatest game is upon us.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 667: Gaming in the Year 2005. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

The devil is in the details as Jeremy Parish, Diamond Feit, Chris Sims, and Benito Cereno look back at a major cultural moment for America in the 1980s—the so-called Satanic Panic—and the knock-on effect it had on video games and other media.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Are you OK? Fatal Fury busts out, as hungry wolves Kevin Bunch, Diamond Feit, Brian Clark and Will Cuevas discuss the early years of SNK’s breakout hit fighting game series.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Ax Battler! Tyris Flare! Gilius Thunderhead! And the rest. Gipp, Linneman, Nickel and Feit begin their exploration of Sega’s belt-scrolling behemoth.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Jeremy Parish, Shane Bettenhausen, and Tomm Hulett dial in their Codecs and resume their transmission about the story of the Metal Gear series from where it left off. Don't expect things to suddenly start making sense, though...

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

You're listening to a free preview of Retronauts Episode 661: Nintendo Museum. To hear the rest, and get two exclusive extra episodes every month, access to our previous Patreon-exclusive episodes, and early access to ad-free podcasts, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

Nadia Oxford joins Kat Bailey and Victor Hunter as they recall the best snow levels in retro games.

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts 

Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get two full-length exclusive episodes every month, as well as access to 50+ previous bonus episodes, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon at patreon.com/retronauts.

No need to get blue spheres! The penultimate part of Stuart, Dave, and Shay’s forensic examination of Sonic’s greatest adventure is finally upon you!

Retronauts is made possible by listener support through Patreon! Support the show to enjoy ad-free early access, better audio quality, and great exclusive content. Learn more at http://www.patreon.com/retronauts