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!
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
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!
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
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!
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
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
The hits keep on coming as the Video Wizards travel back to the heydays of ninja related crimes in May 1987 and discuss monumental arcade games like Double Dragon, Taito’s Rastan Saga and Super Hang-On. But there is also Konami’s Combat School, which failed to prepare Ben and Michiel for its final level in the White House, and the rather anticlimactic The Real Ghostbusters by Data East to delve into, as well as talk of Karnov, Contra and Bionic Commando.
European home gaming in May 1987 is all about the micros as remarkable games like The Sentinel, Saboteur 2 and Ranarama see a release, whereas Nintendo’s 8-bit hitter is still a would-be import gamer’s dream. In the world of music Guns’N Roses are about to change Metal forever and in the world of cinema Axel Foley makes his return for more sun drenched action and comedy in Beverly Hills, while Michael Dudikoff and Steve James bring it all the way back with the silly shinobi stylings of American Ninja 2.
Brace yourself for more than 5 hours of new Video Wizards podcast content and listen out for the announcement at the end to get the lowdown on what’s next for the show!
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 16, L-R: Rastan Saga, Super Hang-On, Combat School, The Real Ghostbusters
In this episode of the Video Wizards Podcast we’re traveling back to April 1992 to an arcade landscape that differs wildly from the one we left in the last episode. In the wake of 1991’s Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, we find the scene reinvigorated, with big budget games and showy machines occupying the floors and the 6-player, double screen behemoth cabinet of Konami’s X-men taking center stage. Meanwhile, the first named revision of Capcom’s Street Fighter II keeps rivalries and competitions heated and Konami introduce another licensed machine with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero. More niche video game experiences come in ADK’s bizarre hilarious Ninja Commando and the prickly-yet-explosive Bubble Bobble-like Saboten Bombers by NMK.
In the home, all eyes are on that 16-bit powerhouse called the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, which sees its launch in the UK this month. In other geographically pinpointed goings on, John Woo releases his action fest master piece Hard Boiled to Hong Kong movie theaters and across the Atlantic Ocean, the music genre of Hip-Hop is deeply impacted by the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
All that and your monthly dose of Local Dutch News, Trash from the Classifieds and Video Wizards Quizzing is here for you, with more than 5 hours of audio goodness to indulge in.
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 15, L-R: Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Saboten Bombers, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Ninja Commando
In this episode, the Video Wizards find themselves in March 1984, where they are confronted with the wreckage left by Atari on the North American video game market and its effect on releases in European arcades. It’s nothing but obscure coin-ops this month as SNK quietly introduce the now little known sequel to Vanguard, Coreland and SEGA put out the bizarre and misleadingly named SWAT, Data East try their hands at a vertical shoot ’em up that’s been lost to time… and then there is Dynamic Ski by the far from prolific Taiyo System. To Ben and Michiel’s surprise there is actually a lot to enjoy there! Plus they also dig out some hits released in the months prior to March, such as Pole Position II, Punch-Out!! and Tapper.
While it’s quiet on the home gaming front, there is never a shortage of Trash from the Classifieds to dive into. And where the gaming industry struggles, there is a lot going on in the world of music, with Run-DMC showing fellow Hip-Hop artists how to make an album and give shape to the music in its recorded form, and a torrent of Local Dutch Metal being released by Roadrunner Records. And what exactly is the story behind that familiar voice on the chorus of Rockwell’s paranoid R&B hit Somebody’s Watching Me?
Musical strengths continue into cinema as the lads discuss the pioneering mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, before being slightly shocked by the original Police Academy and its contents. You’ll find all this and much more in one of the most interesting Video Wizards episodes up until now. Get involved with the choppiest and sockiest podcast around!
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 14, L-R: SWAT, Hunchback Olympics/Herbie at the Olympics, Zaviga, Dynamic Ski
In this episode, the Video Wizards travel back further in time than they ever have, all the way to February 1982. In this month, SEGA make a splash with the visually striking axonometric space shooter Zaxxon while Atari revisits Asteroids in a tethered fashion for Space Duel. Gaming’s first diva appears in the form of a yellow orb with a red bow and a beauty mark and chef Peter Pepper has ingredients coming after him in Burger Time by Data East. And then there is the pioneering, but rather mad Jump Bug by the fledgling Alpha Denshi.
Much like Video Wizard Ben in 1982, both gaming at home and the Hip-Hop genre of music in its recorded form are still in their relative infancy, with gaming consoles not being a widely adopted commodity in Europe yet and the home computer boom just barely waiting around the corner in the former’s case and record labels adopting a wait-and-see kind of attitude in the latter’s case. But the music charts bring the goods this time, with a lot of diversity and musicianship on full display. And movie theaters are blessed by the well performing cult flicks Swamp Thing and Death Wish 2.
All this, some shocking memories of gruesome accidents and much, much more is what you’ll find in this new episode of the Video Wizards podcast!
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 13, L-R: Burger Time, Ms. Pac-Man, Space Duel, Jump Bug
In this episode of Video Wizards, we travel to January 1997 to witness the sad slow demise of the arcades in Western Europe, with cabinets getting replaced by slot machines in all but the last remaining dedicated gaming halls. But in these bright and colourful sanctuaries, there’s still a lot of video game fun to be had, with head to head combat and driving being the running themes. Capcom and Arika’s first 3D entry in their leading fighting franchise, Street Fighter EX, is presented to the masses, while the Osaka giants also get a bit experimental with their first CPSIII game: Red Earth. This is set off by Sunsoft’s oddball parody fighting game Waku Waku 7 and the crowd pleasing, jaw dropping spectacle cab of Model 3 powerhouse SCUD Race. And then there is Cruis’n World by Midway.
With home gaming becoming the more emphasised side of our hobby, Sony’s PlayStation is going especially strong, with Cool Boarders, Destruction Derby 2 and the Japanese release of the seismic Final Fantasy 7, while Europe is gearing up for the release of the Nintendo 64. In the world of Metal, acts like Marilyn Manson and Limp Bizkit carve new paths, where Hip-Hop artists find themselves at a crossroads. And the beginning of the year in cinema is lit up with the theatrical release of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope – Special Edition. You want more? How about titanic local Dutch skating tours? A new instalment of the Video Wizards Quiz? The Dan Clark Baller of the Month Award?
This near 6 hour throwback audio experience contains way too much content to detail here, so get very comfortable indeed and enjoy the first Video Wizards podcast episode of the new year!
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 12, L-R: SCUD Race, Red Earth, Waku Waku 7, Cruis’n World
In this final Video Wizards Podcast episode of 2020, we travel back 31 years, to the month of December 1989. With the last holiday season of the 1980s upon us, we are visited by Santa Haggar, backed up by Cody and Guy, for Capcom’s genre redefining Final Fight. Konami, meanwhile, set out their own brawling path with their first arcade beat ’em up carrying an animated series license, while simultaneously unleashing the terrors of Gradius III on unsuspecting arcade goers and Mitchell and SNK keep things varied with Pang and Beast Busters respectively.
At home, European NES owners might just receive the first Mega Man in their stockings, as Master System owning kids are hopeful to receive a copy of Psycho Fox. And while Hip Hop’s golden era is winding down to the sounds of Biz Markie, the Geto Boys’ Willie D and 3rd Bass, the UK and Dutch charts are bombarded with tacky Christmas pop songs, blaring out the speakers of Chris Rea’s car radio. In cinemas, the police brutality of Tango & Cash shares the spotlight with the holiday brutality of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and in global politics, Bush senior and Gorbachev keep things extra festive by jointly announcing the end of the Cold War.
We hope you enjoy this mammoth podcast about the past and wish you a happy future in 2021!
Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 11, L-R: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gradius III, Pang/Buster Bros., Beast Busters
![Thunder Force AC
Gun Frontier
By The Arcade Flyer Archive [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12132391
Final Lap 2
By The poster art can or could be obtained from Namco., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44536466
Mutant Fighter / Death Brade
Rampart
By http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=flyer&db=videodb&id=869&image=1, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23716993
Growl
By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21348156](https://videowizardspodcast.files.wordpress.com/2022/03/topbillin19.png?w=912)
The Video Wizards Podcast 