Play Retro Show

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1990) and Elvira II: The Jaws of Cerberus (1991) from HorrorSoft — two Amiga and DOS adventure titles that combined RPG elements, point-and-click mechanics, and horror themes under the Accolade label. We also review Elvira: The Arcade Game (1991), a platform-action title from Flair Software, and briefly discuss the licensed pinball machines Elvira and the Party Monsters (1989) and Scared Stiff (1996). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clock Tower, the horror adventure series that helped define the “chase-and-hide” genre. Beginning with Clock Tower: The First Fear (1995, Super Famicom), we follow orphan Jennifer Simpson’s desperate escape from the mansion of the murderous Scissorman, through its 3D PlayStation sequel, the psychological spin-off The Struggle Within and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q*bert (Arcade, 1982), Gottlieb’s isometric puzzle-action game that became one of the most recognizable mascots of the golden age of arcades. We’ll also look at its sequels Q*bert’s Qubes (1983) and Q*bert 3 (1992, SNES) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (1992, DOS/Amiga), Interplay’s episodic adventure that combined bridge command, away team puzzles, and space combat to capture the feel of The Original Series. Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1993), which refined the formula with stronger puzzles and full cast voice acting, and compare them with the action-focused NES and Game Boy versions released under the same name. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deus Ex (2000) on PC, developed by Ion Storm and directed by Warren Spector, is a cyberpunk-themed immersive sim that combined first-person shooting with RPG systems, dialogue choices, and multiple paths through each mission. Players controlled JC Denton, a nano-augmented agent navigating a world of conspiracies, branching choices, and emergent gameplay. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bubsy the Bobcat debuted in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind (1993) on the SNES and Genesis, a colorful platformer built around speed and Bubsy’s glide ability. The series continued with Bubsy II (1994), adding hub-based level selection, multiplayer, and gadgets; Fractured Furry Tales (1994) on Atari Jaguar, which rethemed the action around fairy tales; and Bubsy 3D (1996) on PlayStation, which attempted early 3D platforming with exploration and collectibles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s Play Retro is a special episode! Scott and Brian talking about the making of great soundtracks in games, retro or otherwise, and why it might just be the best source of music for anyone trying to find something that reaches them in a deeper way. Video: https://youtu.be/2Pey9lj1xlE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Metal Slug debuted in 1996 on SNK’s Neo Geo hardware, developed by Nazca Corporation. It quickly became known for its fluid hand-drawn animation, chaotic run-and-gun action, and humorous take on war. The original game introduced the iconic Metal Slug tank, prisoner rescues, and over-the-top boss battles that set the tone for the series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Data East side-scrolling action-platformer where two cavemen battle rival tribes, dinosaurs, and prehistoric beasts to rescue kidnapped cavewomen. Known for its humor, colorful design, and 2-player co-op. The game was later ported to SNES, Genesis, and NES with varying changes to difficulty, level design, and presentation. The series continued with Joe & Mac Returns (1994, Arcade) and Joe & Mac 3: Lost in the Tropics (1994, SNES), while Congo’s Caper (1992, SNES) served as a spin-off. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we discuss 90s era Shadowrunl; The SNES version (1993, Beam Software/Data East) presents an isometric action-adventure with a strong narrative focus, following protagonist Jake Armitage as he uncovers a conspiracy in a cyberpunk Seattle. The Genesis version (1994, BlueSky Software/Sega) takes an open-world approach with real-time combat, Matrix hacking, and more direct role-playing elements. We also briefly discuss Shadowrun for Sega CD, an unfinished and unreleased version in development by Compile. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.