VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 29: Summer 1997

Follow us to the transitional, warm summer glow of 1997 for episode 29 of the Video Wizards podcast. It’s a tumultuous and fisticuffs filled time in the arcades as we look at a range of fighting games that would go on to have a keen audience at home as well, such as The King ofContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 29: Summer 1997”

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 28: May 1993

In episode 28 of the Video Wizards podcast, we are confronted with a persisting theme of assassinations and gun violence in popular media as we head back to the month May in 1993. In the arcades, Frank Castle drags Nick Fury with him into a cycle of carnage on a rampage through the underworld, inContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 28: May 1993”

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 27: April 1989

In the 27th episode of Video Wizards, we close in on the end of the Cold War as the political system of communism takes hits left, right and center, in the month of April, 1989. Not in the least as Strider Hiryu bowls into Moscow and assassinates all members of the Duma, in Capcom’s arcadeContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 27: April 1989”

VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 26: March 1985

In episode 26 of Video Wizards, we get sucked into the cultural maelstrom of March 1985, where the global arcade industry has picked up the pieces and is striking back with, well, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by our good friends at Atari and Konami’s cutesy, sugary vertical shoot ’em up TwinBee. Namco, meanwhile,Continue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 26: March 1985”

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 forContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 25: Winter 1983/1984”

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’tContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 24: Autumn 1998”

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 byContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 22: May 1988”

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 newContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 20: March 1981”

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 ofContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 19: Winter 1990 / 1991”

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 timeContinue reading “VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 18: Autumn 1986”