A Trip Down Memory Card Lane

In 1982, Journey Escape hit the Atari 2600 and kicked off a wave of video games built around famous musicians. We look back at how Journey dodged groupies in a scarab-shaped escape vehicle, how Bally Midway followed up with an arcade game complete with digitized band heads, and how bands like the Thompson Twins, Papa Dance, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood experimented with flexi discs and cassette tie-ins. The episode highlights oddities like Paul McCartney’s Give My Regards to Broad Street, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, Sega CD’s Make My Video series, Aerosmith’s Revolution X, and Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style. Our conversation explores these quirky attempts to merge pop culture and gaming. Join us as we play, dance, and rock through music history on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1991, Action 52 promised fifty-two exciting games in one NES cartridge but instead delivered one of the most infamous disasters in gaming history. We look back at Miami businessman Vince Perri’s idea to legally replicate bootleg multicarts and how he recruited three young developers with just a week of NES training to make the impossible. The episode highlights broken games like Star Evil, Ooze, and Streemerz, alongside curiosities like Bubble Gum Rosie and Storm Over the Desert. We also talk about the planned franchise star, the Cheetahmen, complete with a comic, merchandise plans, and an unfinished sequel unearthed years later. Our conversation explores hilarious glitches, wild user reviews, and why collectors still chase this mess. Join us as we glitch, crash, and laugh through Action 52 on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.

In 1981, Frogger hopped onto arcade screens and became one of Konami’s biggest hits, though its journey to North America was almost cut short. We look back at how Akira Hashimoto’s traffic-jam inspiration turned into a game of dodging cars and crossing rivers, and how Elizabeth Falconer fought executives at Sega/Gremlin to secure Frogger’s release in the United States. The episode explores the barroom playtests that proved its appeal, the many ways to die that gave it challenge, and the colorful cast of hazards from snakes to alligators. Our conversation digs into critic and fan reviews, later sequels like Frogger 2: ThreeeDeep!, and the quirky spinoffs that kept the franchise alive. Join us as we jump, dodge, and leap into history on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 2001, RuneScape launched as a free-to-play browser game and grew into one of the most popular MMORPGs in the world. We look back at Andrew, Paul, and Ian Gower’s journey from their early project DeviousMUD to founding Jagex in their parents’ kitchen, complete with bacon-sizzling sound effects recorded by their mom. The episode highlights the game’s evolving engines, the creation of RuneScript, and how community demand eventually split it into RuneScape 3 and Old School RuneScape. We also talk about skill mastery, grinding for experience, and quirky details like Hans, the game’s oldest NPC. Our conversation digs into the unique memories RuneScape created for millions of players, including Rob’s 17 years in Gielinor. Join us as we mine, quest, and grind on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

Its our annual year end review. We're looking back at the entirety of 2021, talking about our favorite episode topics and video games. After looking back, we look forward to 2022, and reveal some of our upcoming topics, and games that we're looking forward to in the following year. Happy New Year's, Everyone....let's take one last 2021 trip down Memory Card Lane.

In 2004, Cave Story emerged from Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya’s five years of solo development and became one of the most influential indie games of all time. We look back at how Amaya balanced his day job with creating music, sprites, and code for a retro-inspired platformer that channeled Metroid and Castlevania. The episode highlights Quote’s amnesia-driven journey, the Mimiga’s tragic plight, and gameplay that rewarded exploration while punishing mistakes. Critics praised it as a modern classic with NES-era charm, while fans marveled that one person could achieve so much. Our conversation explores its free PC release, later ports, quirky fan memories, and how Cave Story paved the way for indie hits like Braid and Super Meat Boy. Join us as we jump, shoot, and rediscover this indie gem on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1983, Tapper hit arcades with brass footrails, drink holders, and Budweiser-branded tap handles, making it one of the first widely recognized advergames. Developed by Marvin Glass and Associates and released by Bally Midway, it cast players as bartenders sliding beers to thirsty patrons while snagging empty mugs and tips. Our conversation explores its sponsorship roots, Sega’s Japanese distribution, and the later switch to Root Beer Tapper after concerns about marketing alcohol to kids. From there, we widen the lens to the advergame genre, revisiting oddities like Chex Quest, Yo! Noid, M.C. Kids, Pepsiman, and Burger King’s Sneak King. We even touch on America’s Army and unreleased curiosities like Drac’s Night Out. Join us as we pour one out for corporate gaming tie-ins on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1982, Atari rushed out E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the 2600 in just five weeks, hoping to cash in on Spielberg’s holiday blockbuster. Designed by Howard Scott Warshaw, fresh off Yars’ Revenge and Raiders of the Lost Ark, it tasked players with collecting phone parts and calling home while dodging FBI agents, scientists, and endless pits. Our conversation explores how the impossible deadline, lack of playtesting, and awkward mechanics made it a notorious flop, often branded one of the worst games ever. But E.T. wasn’t solely to blame for the crash of 1983. We trace the oversaturated console market, competition from home computers, and flood of poor-quality releases that shattered consumer trust. Join us as we revisit gaming’s first great crash on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1971, three teachers in Minnesota—Don Rawitsch, Bill Heinemann, and Paul Dillenberger—created The Oregon Trail as a classroom project, unknowingly sparking the edutainment genre. Our conversation traces its humble start on a school district mainframe, where kids lined up after class to ford rivers, hunt, and hope to avoid dysentery. We follow its evolution through the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium, which polished the program and distributed it statewide, before the Apple II port in 1980 added graphics and a trail map. We also revisit the 1985 edition most players remember, with landmarks, NPCs, and family members that deepened the journey. From sequels to cultural recognition, The Oregon Trail proved that learning and fun could coexist. Join us as we revisit gaming’s most iconic pioneer trek on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1990, Super Mario World debuted on the Super Famicom, ushering Mario into the 16-bit era with bigger worlds, vibrant colors, and one unforgettable dinosaur. Our story explores how Nintendo R&D4, led by Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka, tackled the challenge of designing for brand-new hardware—first porting Super Mario Bros. 3 before charting new territory. We highlight Yoshi’s origins, born from Miyamoto’s long-desired “dinosaur buddy” concept, and the humorous detail that Mario may actually be punching him to extend his tongue. We also dive into the cape’s tricky flight mechanics, early builds resembling SMB3, and Koji Kondo’s soundtrack, which used the SNES sound chip to expand the series’ charm. Critics praised its polish, secrets, and 90+ levels. Join us as we revisit this dinosaur-riding classic on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript