The Video Wizards Podcast

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 25: Winter 1983/1984

For this 25th episode of Video Wizards, we find ourselves back in the earlier 1980s, when health and safety regulations were of a lesser concern. It’s the cold, cold winter of 1983 going on 1984 and the arcade industry was rocked to the core by the “Atari Shock”. Picking up the pieces and strapped for cash, developers West and East had to make do with what they had, with incredibly varied results, ranging from Midway’s Tapper to Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! and even complete oddities such as unkowns Diatec’s Uncle Poo. Irem, meanwhile, released the influential 10-Yard Fight, Konami put out the cute and clownesque Circus Charlie and our good friends at Atari dropped a not-half-bad laserdisc game with a title that’s tough to look info up on in Altavista: Firefox.

With consoles such as the mighty Vectrex failing to etch out anything even resembling a lucrative piece of the market, it was up to computers like the MSX, C64, the freshly launched Macintosh and the ZX Spectrum to bring home some gaming goodness. All while Slayer released their first LP and Hip Hop’s early beginnings were documented with the original soundtrack of the film Wild Style. And while we’re on the topic of film, how about some iconic 80s silver screen fare like Brian de Palma’s Scarface and Footloose, as well as the incredibly poor Hot Dog… The Movie.

Grab a blanket, grab a hot beverage and get ready to warm yourself with a new four and a half hours of seasonal Video Wizards fun!

10-Yard Fight

By ?, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19644699

Uncle Poo

Tapper

Circus Charlie

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22487941

Punch-Out!!

Firefox — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 20, L-R-T-B: 10-Yard Fight, Uncle Poo, Tapper, Circus Charlie, Punch-Out!!, Firefox

Other music used in this episode:

Track 3 – by Rick Hicaro for Tapper, 1984
Track 2 – by ??? for Circus Charlie, 1984
All Night Long – by Lionel Richie, 1983
Subway Theme – by Grand Wizard Theodore, 1983
The Final Command – by Slayer, 1983
Bark at the Moon – by Ozzy Osbourne, 1983
Radio Ga Ga – by Queen, 1984
Relax – by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 1983
Holiday – by Madonna, 1983
Hey You (The Rocksteady Crew) – by Rocksteady Crew, 1983
Owner of a Lonely Heart – by Yes, 1983
Just Be Good to Me – by S.O.S. Band, 1983
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Theme – by Keith Stachan, 1998
Intro Theme for The Snowman – Howard Blake, 1982

Episode edited by: Juli Reed

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 24: Autumn 1998

In the 24th episode of Video Wizards, we travel to a time close to the “mark of the millennium”, as we find ourselves covering the autumnal months of September, October and November of 1998 for yet another very substantial seasonal spectacular. Arcade games increasingly lose floor space to slot machines and the ones that don’t have specialised cabinets often see very accurate home ports. In that category we find the monumental 2D fighting game Street Fighter Alpha 3, Taito’s 3rd game in the “Ray” series of vertical shoot ’em ups, RayCrisis, and to some extent Gauntlet Legends by our good friends at Atari. Cave’s odd disco themed shoot ’em up Dangun Feveron DID get a home port, but that would come only 18 years later. And Neo Geo games like Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad being available at home as well is nothing new… if you had the funds, that is. On the other hand, we of course still get SEGA spectacle cabs, as we take a closer look at the zeitgeist friendly Star Wars Trilogy Arcade.

Gaming at home, then, is massive in the fall of 1998, with Half-Life coming out for the PC, Tekken 3 coming out for the PlayStation, Japanese import favourite Marvel Super Heroes Vs Street Fighter coming out for the Saturn and F-Zero X coming out for the N64. As well as a whole host of other titles. And with the U.S. president fighting off impeachment in the midst of an adulterous sex scandal at the background, we see everything from Google getting founded, Hip-Hop concept albums seeing the light of day, the rise of Nu-Metal, Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker teaming up on the silver screen and Edward Norton taking a paycut for a defining role in the incendiary American History X to the first airing of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in the UK and everyday people living our their odd sexual fantasies on Local Dutch National TV. That’s right, the world is getting ready to party like it’s 1999.

Get extra comfortable as this all makes for the lengthiest episode of our podcast yet. For the next 8 and a half hours we’ve got you covered with another riveting, uproarious and nostalgic audio journey, right back to the later half of 1998.

Other music used in this episode:

Steeple Chase – by Howard Drossin for Dynamite Cop, 1998
Prismatic Stars (Theme of R. Mika) – by Takayuki Iwai for Street Fighter Alpha 3, 1998
Dancing Bomber – by T’s Music for Dangun Feveron, 1998
2nd Mission – by Masaki Kase for Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad, 1998
Lavender Blue – by Zuntata for RayCrisis, 1998
Opening – by Nobuyoshi Sano, Keiichi Okabe, Yū Miyake, Hiroyuki Kawada, Yoshie Arakawa, Minamo Takahashi & Hideki Tobeta for Tekken 3, 1998
Second Round K.O. – by Canibus, 1998
Can I Get A… (Instrumental) – by Irv Gotti, 1998
Let the Games Begin (Instrumental) – by Young Trey, 1994
Ha (Instrumental) – by Mannie Fresh, 1998
John Blaze – by Fat Joe featuring Nas, Big Punisher, Jadakiss & Raekwon, 1998
Definition – by Black Star, 1998
Aquemini – by OutKast, 1998
Pad & Pen – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1998
Magnum Force – by Heltah Skeltah featuring Representativz & Ruste Juxx
Tha Game – by Pete Rock featuring Prodigy, Raekwon & Ghostface Killah, 1998
Take Your Time – by Pete Rock featuring Carl McIntosh & Jane Eugene of Loose Ends, 1998
Spazzola – by Method Man featuring Masta Killa, Streetlife, Inspectah Deck, Killa Sin & Raekwon, 1998
Holocaust (Silkworm) – by RZA as Bobby Digital featuring Holocaust, Doc Doom, Ghostface Killah & Ms. Roxy
Freak on a Leash – by Korn, 1998
Faith (Live at the UNO Lakefront Arena 1998) – by Limp Bizkit, 1998
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next – by Manic Street Preachers, 1998
Tsunami – by Manic Street Preachers, 1998
The Bartender and the Thief – by Stereophonics, 1998
Music Sounds Better with You – by Stardust, 1998
Doo Wop (That Thing) – by Lauryn Hill, 1998
Are You That Somebody? – by Aaliyah, 1998
Cocktail – by Postmen, 1998
More Days to Come – by E-Life featuring The Anonymous Mis & Karima, 1998
Intergalactic – by Beastie Boys, 1998
Deeper Underground – by Jamiroquai, 1998
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Theme – by Keith Stachan, 1998
BBC News Theme – by David Lowe, 1999

Episode edited by: Juli Reed & Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to テクノワールド奥州.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 23: Summer 1994

In episode 23 of Video Wizards, we return to the year 1994 to bask in the sunrays of the summer, for another seasonal spectacular. With the midpoint of the ’90s just one year away and the ’80s now full and well behind us, we find ourselves in a period of cultural turmoil, where the arcade industry, the music industry AND the film industry seem to lack a general direction and focus and throw a lot at the wall to see what sticks. In the arcades, we deal with the hodge podge of flat shaded polygonal experiments Wing War and Desert Tank by SEGA and Midway’s bizarre attempt to put aging rockers Aerosmith forward as dangerous symbols of youth culture that need to be silenced by a sinister fascist government in the lightgun shooter Revolution X. Atari, meanwhile, goes full stop motion animation for the feral fighter Primal rage, as we can still count on Capcom and SNK to deliver noteworthy, quality fighting games in the shape of Darkstalkers and the first entry in the The King of Fighters series.

And what about those other industries? The pop charts in the UK and the Netherlands are generally a mess, but there is a lot of solid music being made in the scenes of Hip-Hop and metal. And in theaters we see more scattershot releases, with a massive, animated movie centered around a family of lions by Disney, a bit of 20th century history viewed through the eyes of a lovable simpleton who has a knack for cutting to the core of things and the comedic exploits of a band called The Lone Rangers, as they take a radio station hostage to get their demo played on air.

With the Atari Jaguar out on shelves and a new generation of CD-based consoles around the corner, all bets are off when it comes to this chaotic period in the late-early nineties. But these are still simpler times, and we invite you into their comforting, sun drenched embrace, for the next 6 and a half hours.

Wing War

By http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=&id=1368, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45394221

Revolution X

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24918181

Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors

By Capcom - http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=276&image=1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41639608

Desert Tank

Primal Rage

May be found at the following website: The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24936497

The King of Fighters '94

By SNK - https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=3456, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65224308 — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 20, L-R-T-B: Wing War, Revolution X, Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, Desert Tank, Primal Rage, The King of Fighters ’94

Other music used in this episode:

Cracking! (Stage 4) – by Tamayo Kawamoto / Zuntata for RayForce, 1994
Title / Yak 141 – by Tomoyuki Kawamura for Wing War, 1994
Wake Up! & Up Against the Wall – by Chris Granner for Revolution X, 1994
Felicia’s Theme – by Takayuki Iwai & Hideki Okugawa for Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, 1994
The Cove – by Jeanne Parson for Primal Rage, 1994
Napolitan Blues – by Masahiko Hataya, Bros.Hige, Pearl Sibakiti & Akihiro Uchida for The King of Fighters ’94, 1994
Brinstar (Underground Depths) – by Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano for Super Metroid, 1994
Stress – by Organized Konfusion, 1994
Regulate – by Warren G featuring Nate Dogg, 1994
Props Over Here – by The Beatnuts, 1994
Under the Sun – by Terminator X & The Godfathers of Threatt featuring Joe Sinistr, 1994
Represent – by Grand Daddy I.U., 1994
Where My Homiez? – by Ill Al Skratch, 1994
Oh My God (Remix) – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1994
Wrong Side Of Da Tracks – by Artifacts, 1994
Tears of the Dragon – by Bruce Dickinson, 1994
Vasoline – by Stone Temple Pilots, 1994
Get Your Gunn – by Marilyn Manson, 1994
Davidian – by Machine Head, 1994
Faster – by Manic Street Preachers, 1994
Live Forever – by Oasis, 1994
100% Pure Love – by Crystal Waters, 1994
Dissident – by Pearl Jam, 1994
Big Time Sensuality – by Björk, 1994
Bombtrack – by Rage Against The Machine, 1993
Feel What You Want – by Kristine W, 1994
Liar – by Rollins Band, 1994
Te Land, Ter Zee en in de Lucht Leader (1994) – by Hans van Eijck, 1994
No Mean City (Theme from Taggart) – by Mike Moran, 1985

Episode edited by: Juli Reed & Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 22: May 1988

In episode 22 of Video Wizards, we find ourselves in the glorious year of 1988, where the 2D shoot ’em up still reigned supreme as the most dominant video game genre. In the arcades we see releases of heavy hitters like Vulcan Venture a.k.a. Gradius II by Konami, Forgotten Worlds by Capcom and Silkworm by Tecmo, the three of them pushing boundaries and technology all in their own particular way. And then there is the oddball 1 versus 1 brawler Kageki by Kaneko, taking super deformed fisticuffs to new extremes.

In terms of gaming at home, SEGA and Nintendo are continuing their efforts to break the choke hold that micros like the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore C64 and MSX have over the European game industry, with their 8-bit consoles. Music, meanwhile, is in a very interesting place, as Hip Hop has landed in its most revolutionary era and a line is drawn in the sand, glam rockers Poison are trying to stink up metal, while Judas Priest and Living Colour fight back, and the charts are incredibly varied, with a bit of a theme of sociopolitical engagement running through more than one song. We also look at the successes and failings of the mega expensive silver screen blockbusters Willow and Rambo III and delve into some interesting stories from the world of television at the time.

What relevant movie quote does editor Juli drop in the middle of this month’s Video Wizards Quiz? Can Ben hold it together as Michiel drops yet more culturally significant Dutch TV personality names? Does the fact that Gradius II is the main arcade game talking point this month lead to a rift between Michiel and Ben? Will doors be slammed and angry letters be written? Find out in a new 5 and a half hours Video Wizards throwback audio tour extravaganza!

Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou

By http://caesar.logiqx.com/php/game_group.php?id=gradius2, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15135005

Forgotten Worlds

By http://caesar.logiqx.com/php/game_group.php?id=gradius2, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15135005

Silkworm

Kageki — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 20, L-R: Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, Forgotten Worlds, Silkworm, Kageki

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Theme from Butsuzou – by Masahiko Ishida for Ninja Spirit, 1988
Burning Heat – by Shinji Tasaka, Motoaki Furukawa, Kenichi Matsubara & Seiichi Fukami for Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, 1988
A Shooting Star – by Shinji Tasaka, Motoaki Furukawa, Kenichi Matsubara & Seiichi Fukami for Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, 1988
Stage Four – by Tamayo Kawamoto & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi for Forgotten Worlds, 1988
Main Theme – by ??? for Silkworm, 1988
Street Theme – by Hirokazu Tanaka for Gumshoe, 1986
My Philosophy – by BDP, 1988
Just Got Paid – by Johnny Kemp, 1988
Run’s House – by Run-D.M.C., 1988
Keep Risin’ to the Top – by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, 1988
I’m Still #1 – by BDP, 1988
Are You Ready for Freddy – by Fat Boys (featuring Robert Englund), 1988
Every Rose Has Its Thorn – by Poison, 1988
Cult of Personality – by Living Colour, 1988
Ram it Down – by Judas Priest, 1988
Blue Monday – by New Order, 1983
Theme from S’Express – by S’Express, 1988
Everywhere – by Fleetwood Mac, 1987
Yé Ké Yé Ké – by Mory Kanté, 1987
Beds Are Burning – by Midnight Oil, 1988
Alphabet St. – by Prince, 1988
Preparations – by Jerry Goldsmith for the motion picture Rambo III, 1988
Theme from M.A.S.K. – by Shuki Levy & Haim Saban, 1985

Episode edited by: Juli Reed & Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 21: April 1995

In episode 21 of Video Wizards, we return to the mid nineties, in that period before Sony’s PlayStation was released to change the gaming landscape forever. In the arcades of April 1995, there is a lot of fighting and a lot of flying going on, as Midway drops the much anticipated third instalment in the dominating “kultural” force that is the Mortal Kombat series, Capcom once again combines martial arts and monsters in the Darkstalkers sequel Night Warriors, Namco takes to the skies with spectacle cab Air Combat 22 and Jaleco and NMK team up for a very late shoot ’em up sequel in the form of P-47 Aces.

At home we see SNES and Mega Drive owners especially still being well catered to with a slew of releases of varying quality, among which some reluctant support for the more or less maligned SEGA add-on known as the 32X, as the PlayStation approaches and Spain finally gets to savour the delights of Atari’s Jaguar system. Recovering from a strong early start that year, Hip Hop album releases are a bit thin on the ground, save for Mobb Deep’s seminal The Infamous. And in the world of guitar music, there are some major machinations taking place behind the scenes. Moviegoers, meanwhile, get to enjoy the comedic exploits of Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys and Ice Cube and Chris Tucker in Friday.

The result of all this is yet another meaty show brought to you by Video Wizards. Here’s to learning something new and sharing a laugh, a cry and a pensive moment or two in almost 6 more hours of prime nostalgic podcasting.

The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 20, L-R: Mortal Kombat 3, Air Combat 22, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge, P-47 Aces

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Ride the Tiger (Akira’s Theme) – by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Takayuki Nakamura & Akiko Hashimoto for Virtua Fighter 2, 1994
Prologue – by Dan Forden for Mortal Kombat 3, 1995
The Soul Chamber – by Dan Forden for Mortal Kombat 3, 1995
If the Sky is Burnin’ Out – by Keiichi Okabe for Air Combat 22, 1995
Demitri Stage (Romania) – by Hideki Okugawa for Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge, 1995
Stage 4 – by Manabu Namiki for P-47 Aces, 1995
Runner/AD2025 – by Norio Hanzawa for Alien Soldier, 1995
Shook Ones (Part II) – by Mobb Deep, 1995
Wontime – by Smif-N-Wessun (featuring Rockness Monsta), 1995
Distortion to Static – by The Roots, 1994
Return of da Baby Killa – by Brotha Lynch Hung (featuring Sicx), 1995
DAAAM! – by Tha Alkaholiks (featuring Les July), 1994
Put it On – by Big L, 1994
Goin’ Down – by Ol’ Dirty Bastard, 1995
Eye for a Eye (Your Beef is Mines) – by Mobb Deep (featuring Nas & Raekwon), 1995
Super-Charger Heaven – by White Zombie, 1995
Nothing Else Matters (Live in London, 1995) – by Metallica, 1992
Urban Discipline (Live at Dynamo Eindhoven, 1995) – by Biohazard, 1992
Sour Times – by Portishead, 1994
Some Might Say – by Oasis, 1995
Purple Medley – by Prince, 1995
The Bomb! (These Sounds Fall into My Mind) – by Kenny Dope presents… The Bucketheads, 1995
Self Esteem – by The Offspring, 1994
Keep Their Heads Ringin’ (Instrumental) – by Dr. Dre, 1995
Songs of Love (Theme for Father Ted) – by The Divine Comedy, 1995

Episode edited by: Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to テクノワールド奥州.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 20: March 1981

In episode number 20 of Video Wizards, we travel back the furthest yet: all the way to March 1981. With baby Ben keeping his parents awake all night with his lung and vocal chord exercises and Michiel celebrating his 5th birthday, the arcade game scene is typified by innovation and the establishing of brand new genres, with seminal releases like Scramble by Konami and Defender by Williams. Bally Midway are less interested in innovation, however, as they dare to release the plagiarism heavy Gorf, as developed by Dave Nutting Associates. And in the meantime, Namco introduce Rally-X, a vehicle based variation on their very own Pac-Man.

Home gaming is still ruled by the likes of the Atari f***ing 2600, but we also witness the release of Sir Clive’s ZX80 home computer, the imaginatively titled ZX81. Trash from the Classifieds morphs to The Classifieds Report, for a more dynamic dive into the sales ad pages of computer and video games magazines, Hip Hop music sees some truly foundational releases and in the world of guitars, the UK spearheads a new wave of domestic metal music production. Those looking to hit up the movie theaters are advised to stay home, however, as Sam Neil’s antichrist and Gary Coleman himself tag team terrorise the silver screen in this time period.

So you see, despite the early goings, there is no shortage of video games and popular culture to discover and discuss in March 1981. Enjoy 5 more hours of Video Wizards audio goodness!

Scramble

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14554195

Rally-X

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20490828

Defender

By http://www.retrocpu.com/mame/images/roms/d/defender_red_label.flyer.png, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25426048

Gorf

By http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=460&image=1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49864247 — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 20, L-R: Scramble, Rally-X, Defender, Gorf

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Main Theme – by Toshio Kai for Rally-X, 1981
Fantastic Voyage – by Lakeside, 1981
Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) – by The Gap Band, 1980
Don’t Stop The Music – by Yarbrough & Peoples, 1980
Rapture – by Blondie, 1981
Put the Boogie in Your Body – by The Treacherous Three, 1981
Jazzy Sensation – by Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5, 1981
The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel – by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5, 1981
Wrathchild – by Iron Maiden, 1981
Bringin’ On the Heartbreak – by Def Leppard, 1981
In League with Satan – by Venom, 1981
Once in a Lifetime – by Talking Heads, 1981
Planet Earth – by Duran Duran, 1981
Kids in America – by Kim Wilde, 1981
In the Air Tonight – by Phil Collins, 1981
Embarassment – by Madness, 1980
Vienna – by Ultravox, 1981
Theme of Robin’s Nest – by Brian Bennett, 1981

Episode edited by: Juli Reed

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Patreon Announcement Minicast

In this special Video Wizards minicast, Ben and Michiel briefly look back at 2 years of the podcast and announce a new era, as we introduce our Patreon page. Learn more about the why, the how and the extras you get when you support us!

Enjoy this shorter conversation and check out our page at patreon.com/videowizards!

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 19: Winter 1990 / 1991

In the 19th episode of Video Wizards, we again travel back to 3 months in one single episode: December 1990 and January and February in 1991. And we find ourselves in a tumultuous time, with a lot of political twists and turns on the world stage and the arcade industry being on the brink of changing forever, with the impending release of Street Fighter II, in March.

As if they sense the big shift coming, Japanese STG (or shoot ’em up) developers push out a slew of releases: Taito releases the crazy passion project Gun Frontier and Technosoft bring their Mega Drive hit Thunder Force III to the arcades in the guise of Thunder Force AC, all following the likes of U.N. Squadron follow-up Carrier Air Wing by Capcom and Raiden by Seibu Kaihatsu.

But there is more than just shooting games in the arcades in this winter as we also get 8 player linked up sit down cab racing with Namco’s Final Lap 2, monster brawling action with Mutant Fighter by Data East, ecological activist fire fights and fisticuffs mayhem with Taito’s Growl and an oddball trackball affair called Rampart by our old friends at Atari… that actually kind of works!

Gaming in European homes, meanwhile, is undergoing a transition as well, as consoles such as the Master System, Mega Drive and even NES are gaining more of a foothold over the home computers, which are of course still very much around, making for a varied palette indeed.

In the world of music we see that the cold winter months off 1990/1991 are getting heated up by sexually explicit material from the likes of H.W.A., Madonna and Candyman and there is your usual quality selection of Hip Hop and Metal to go over as well. And in cinemas we can enjoy yet another varied palette in the form of Kindergarten Cop, Lionheart and Silence of the Lambs… with a nice glass of Chianti, of course!

We say this every time, but get comfortable and savour yet another record breaking Video Wizards episode, in terms of length, density and variety!

The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 19, L-R-T-B: Thunder Force AC, Gun Frontier, Final Lap 2, Mutant Fighter/Death Brade, Rampart, Growl

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Mission 3 – by Manami Matsumae for Carrier Airwing, 1990
Back to the Fire – by Toshiharu Yamanishi & Tomomi Ōtani for Thunder Force AC, 1990
Desert Mountain Storm – by Yasuhisa Watanabe & Hisayoshi Ogura for Gun Frontier, 1990
Paean of Body – by Hiroaki Yoshida & Akira Takemoto for Mutant Fighter, 1991
Select – by Brad Fuller & Don Diekneite for Rampart, 1991
RuNArk – by Yasuhisa Watanabe & Zuntata for Growl, 1991
World Tree 1 – by Jun Chikuma for Faxanadu, 1987
Justify My Love (Hip Hop Mix) (Instrumental) – by Andre Betts, 1990
Eat This – by H.W.A., 1990
Freaky Daze – by H.W.A., 1990
Funk Me – by H.W.A., 1990
1-900-BITCHES – by H.W.A., 1990
All For One – by Brand Nubian, 1990
Hardcore – by EPMD (featuring Redman), 1990
Brothers on my Jock – by EPMD (featuring Redman), 1990
Step in the Arena – by Gang Starr, 1991
Come Do Me – by The Genius, 1990
You Could Be Mine – by Guns N’ Roses, 1991
Man in the Box – by Alice In Chains, 1991
These Are the Days of Our Lives – by Queen, 1991
Unbelievable – by EMF, 1990
Bring Your Daughter… to the Slaughter – by Iron Maiden, 1990
Crazy for You – by Madonna, 1985
Justify My Love – by Madonna, 1990
Knockin’ Boots – by Candyman, 1990
Can I Kick It? – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1990
Yo Home to Bel-Air – by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air televised series, 1990

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Android, Google Podcasts, Player FM or via RSS.

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 18: Autumn 1986

In the 18th episode of Video Wizards, we again travel back to 3 months in one single episode: September, October and November, all in the year 1986. And do things get more 1980s than this one? Perhaps not when arcade games like Out Run and movies like Top Gun see a release in this time period.

It’s a true golden era of mid eighties arcade gaming, with staples Bubble Bobble, Rampage and Arkanoid being wheeled onto floors everywhere. Meanwhile, we also see more hidden gems like Xain’d Sleena by Technōs and Legendary Wings by Capcom appear.

Gaming at home in Europe is dominated by the micros, such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore C64 and the MSX, but Sega’s Master System and Nintendo’s NES are also quietly launched in this moment in time!

And what about music in the autumn of 1986? Well, it’s as varied as ever, with a lot of 80s R&B, metal, rap and rock crossovers and the usual dose of synth based pop blasting out of speakers around the world. In movie theaters meanwhile, it’s not just Top Gun, but also the very creepy Poltergeist 2 and indisputable sci-fi-horror-action mashup classic Aliens that find their way to the silver screen.

This lenghtiest Video Wizards episode yet of course also contains all the Local Dutch News, Trash from the Classifieds and Video Wizards Quiz shenanigans you’ve come to expect from us.

Get very, very comfortable as you follow Ben and Michiel all the way back to the golden autumn of 1986!

Out Run

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24082862

Xain'd Sleena

Bubble Bobble

Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8337934

Rampage

By From Arcadeflyers.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27931911

Arkanoid

By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21709056

Legendary Wings

By CAESAR, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15318116 — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 18, L-R-T-B: Out Run, Xain’d Sleena, Bubble Bobble, Rampage, Arkanoid, Legendary Wings

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Magical Sound Shower – by Hiroshi Kawaguchi for Out Run, 1986
Lagto Soa – by ??? for Xain’d Sleena, 1986
Main Theme – by Tadashi Kimijima for Bubble Bobble, 1986
All Clear (Ending Theme) – by Hisayoshi Ogura for Arkanoid, 1986
Area 1 – by Tamayo Kawamoto for Legendary Wings, 1986
Main Theme – by Mark Cooksey for Ghosts’n Goblins (Commodore C64 version), 1986
The Rain – by Oran “Juice” Jones, 1986
Hollywood Boulevard – by L.A. Dream Team, 1986
No Sleep Till Brooklyn – by Beastie Boys, 1986
Open the Gate – by Vortex, 1986
Stranger in a Strange Land – by Iron Maiden, 1986
Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On but the Rent – by Gwen Guthrie, 1986
Walk This Way – by Run D.M.C. (featuring Aerosmith), 1986
We Don’t Have to Take Our Clothes Off – by Jermaine Stewart, 1986
When I Think of You – by Janet Jackson, 1986
What’s the Colour of Money? – by Hollywood Beyond, 1986
Love Can’t Turn Around – by Farley “Jackmaster” Funk & Jesse Saunders (featuring Darryl Pandy), 1986
Theme for The Equalizer, by Stuart Copeland, 1985

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

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VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 17: Summer 1996

In this episode of Video Wizards, we ambitiously travel back to 3 months in one single episode: June, July and August, all in the year 1996. In this Olympic summer, arcade floors are dominated by 3D fighting games like Last Bronx, Star Gladiator and errr… Fighters’ Impact by Taito. SNK, meanwhile, represent two dimensions with the fantastic The King of Fighters ’96 and SEGA take the beat ’em up genre into 3D for Die Hard Arcade. And then there is Konami, riding the current events wave with the happy button mashy athletics mini game fest Hyper Athlete, which nicely derives from their lineage of Track & Field games.

While the Nintendo 64 and its killer app Super Mario 64 see a release in Japan, SEGA is already fighting a losing battle against Sony’s PlayStation monster, over here in Europe. This while the seismic Quake finds its way to those that play games on their personal computers.

With some exceptionally trashy chart music assaulting our ears, we find refuge in the import record shops, where one great Hip Hop album after another can be lifted from the crates. Heltah Skeltah and Jay-Z make their debut and OutKast release their confident and unapologetically eclectic sophomore joint. Meanwhile, 2pac drops the extra inflammatory diss record Hit ‘Em Up, which unfortunately does not help to lead him off his destructive path.

And then there are 2 major summer block busting movies we’re looking at, namely Independence Day and The Rock, as well as the more slow burning, but more enduring Matilda and The Cable Guy. Plus there is all the Local Dutch News, Trash from the Classifieds and Video Wizards Quiz material you’re used to from us.

Follow Ben and Michiel on this enormous marathon of a Video Wizards podcast episode and warm yourself in the sunrays of the 1996 summer!

Star Gladiator

Hyper Athlete

Last Bronx

By http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=587&image=1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18913027

The King of Fighters '96

By SNK - https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=4879, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62790012

Dynamite Deka

Fighters Impact — The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 17, L-R-T-B: Star Gladiator, Hyper Athlete, Last Bronx, The King of Fighters ’96, Dynamite Deka/Die Hard Arcade, Fighters’ Impact

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Federal Headquarters (Elevator) – by Isao Abe, Yūko Takehara & Michio Sakurai (XTC) for Star Gladiator, 1996
Score Board – by Kosuke Soeda for Hyper Athlete, 1996
Lust Subway (Yoko’s Stage) – by Tomoyuki Kawamura for Last Bronx, 1996
Arashi no Saxophone 2 – by Hideki Asanaka, Kazuhiro Nishida, Masahiko Hataya, Toshio Shimizu, Yasumasa Yamada, Yasuo Yamate, Brother-Hige, Akihiro Uchida & Miwa for The King of Fighters ’96, 1996
Track 3 – by Howard Drossin for Dynamite Deka, 1996
Be Cool (Sanson’s Stage) – by Yasuhisa Watanabe for Fighters’ Impact, 1996
Street (TJ Combo’s Theme) – by Robin Beanland for Killer Instinct 2, 1996
Main Theme – by Kōji Kondō for Super Mario 64, 1996
Drop a Gem on ‘Em – by Mobb Deep, 1996
Music Makes Me High – by Lost Boyz, 1996
8 Steps to Perfection – by Company Flow, 1996
My Kinda N***a – by Heather B (featuring M.O.P.), 1996
Undastand – by Heltah Skeltah, 1996
Dead Presidents – by Jay-Z, 1996
Stakes is High – by De La Soul, 1996
Get a Hold – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1996
Ridin’ Dirty – by UGK, 1996
Elevators (Me & You) – by OutKast, 1996
Hit ‘Em Up – by 2Pac (featuring Outlawz), 1996
Mama Said – by Metallica, 1996
Nancy Boy – by Placebo, 1996
Call It in the Air – by Jimmy Eat World, 1996
Got me Wrong (Unplugged) – by Alice in Chains, 1996
3 Lions – by Skinner, Baddiel & Lightning Seeds, 1996
Born Slippy – by Underworld, 1996
Trash – by Suede, 1996
Fu-Gee-La – by The Fugees, 1996
Fastlove – by George Michael, 1996
Twisted – by Keith Sweat (featuring Kut Klose), 1996
Return of the Mack – by Mark Morrison, 1996

And finally: our special thanks to テクノワールド奥州.

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