Bad With Games

We played Pong which was released in the arcade in 1972, as well as some of its variants and successors - Breakout (1976), Video Olympics (1977), and Arkanoid (1986). Finally, it's back to basics for our last game of the season, as we make things simple with Atari's influential juggernaut. We discuss our struggles with paddle controls, first generation iPods, and what even is a video game.

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We played five Atari 2600 games as part of this special bundle episode: Adventure (1980), Pitfall! (1981), Yars' Revenge (1982), Demon Attack (1982), and E.T The Extra-terrestrial (1982). These are some of the most influential games of all time, as well as some of the worst. We discuss the limitations of a controller with only one button, what a terrible company Atari was to work for, and who's responsible for Five Nights a...

We played four racing games as part of our special racing bundle episode: Pole Position (1982), Excitebike (1984), Out Run (1986), and Rad Racer (1987). It's a deep dive into how these influential 80s classics approached the idea of racing differently. We discuss Sydney Sweeney, what exactly a gear shift is, and whether or not you should slow down around corners.

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We played Zelda II: The Adventure of Link which was released for the NES in 1987. This legendary series' first sequel changed the formula in some big ways, and it doesn't work for everybody - Does it work for us? We discuss what makes the game's combat such a challenge, "I am Error", and the experience of grinding for experience.

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We played Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness which was released on PC in 1981 (remade and re-released in 1986). This is yet another RPG progenitor which established many of the genre's hallmarks. We discuss bad maps, an alphabet of commands, and how one gets from a medieval fantasy world to outer space combat.

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We played Mega Man which was released for the NES in 1987. A boy robot takes on six "Robot Masters". Did we survive this notoriously difficult start to a beloved franchise? We discuss the merits of nonlinear weapon progression, disappearing blocks, and one of the worst boxarts ever drawn.

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We played Sid Meier's Pirates! which was released for PC in 1987. Before he became famous for Civilization, Sid Meier put his name on this pirate life simulation game, featuring sailing and swashbuckling aplenty. We discuss longitude and latitude, which nations we hate the most, and the lack of pirate based media.

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We played Castlevania which was released on the NES in 1986. Before the series stole all of Metroid's gameplay mechanics, it was about simple, thrilling action in a gothic horror setting. We discuss our struggles with stairs, which enemies we hate the most, and what the hell Simon Belmont is wearing.

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We played Donkey Kong which was released in arcades in 1981. Nintendo barreled their way into the gaming scene with this giant arcade smash, the world's introduction to Mario. We discuss our patience thresholds for boring games, the option of difficulty levels, and whether or not Universal Studios should've won their lawsuit.

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We played King's Quest which was released on PC in 1984. While not the very first graphic adventure game, this is almost certainly the most important and influential one, from legendary Sierra designer Roberta Williams. We discuss the value of online hints, the tedium of looking at trees, and the difference between a bowl and a well.

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We played Asteroids which was released in the arcade in 1979. This pew-pew rock blasting game overtook Space Invaders to become the next big arcade phenomenon. We discuss vector graphics, real life physics, and once again, the value of a high score.

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We played Super Mario Bros. 2 which was released on the NES in 1988. This is the re-skin of Doki Doki Panic which was originally only released in America. We discuss our vast cultural differences, whether things are dreams or real, and our great love for Mouser and Birdo.

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We played Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord which was originally released for PC in 1981. This old school dungeon crawl translates tabletop RPGs into a digital soup of text and numbers. We discuss the evolution of D&D, navigating mazes, and the joys of character creation.

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We played Double Dragon which was released in arcades in 1987 and ported to NES in 1988. It's time to beat 'em up old school style, as we experience two versions of this classic game in both single player and co-op. We discuss cultural appropriation, the benefits of friendship, and getting things vs. having things.

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We played Metroid which was released on the NES in 1986. This was the birth of the "Metroidvania" genre, but does it hold up next to its modern day descendants, or even later Metroid games? We discuss feminism in gaming, what Mother Brain is, and shafts. Also, our PATREON is NOW LIVE!!

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We played Zork I: The Great Underground Empire, which was made widely available on PCs in 1980. After dipping our toes into text adventures with Colossal Cave Adventure, we return to play what is essentially a remake of Colossal Cave Adventure. Did we find this experience to be an improvement over the original, or was it all a bit too grue-some (haha)?

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We played SimCity, both the original PC release from 1989 and the SNES version from 1991. Now that the thrill of podcasting has worn off, we need to live out our fantasies of godhood by playing Will Wright's original simulation game. Let's see if we have a promising career in urban planning.

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We played Final Fantasy, originally released on the NES in 1987. For our first foray into roleplaying games, we make our positions known on turn-based combat, random battles, grinding, and other genre staples. Find out if Will's Pokémon experience helped him survive the adventure.

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We played Space Invaders, originally released in arcades in 1978. Will's war against Gen X continues as we play the original high score chaser that revolutionized video games as we know them. Is he right to be a hater, or is there more to this classic than meets the eye?

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