Nostalgium Arcanum
A Repository For The Pop Culture That Made Us Who We Are
Displaying items 1-10 of 31 in total of Nostalgium Arcanum with the tag "games".
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NBA Jam
August 24th, 2026 | 52 mins 55 secs
arcade, athletics, basketball, games, gaming, genesis, michael jordan, retro games, snes, sport, sports, super nintendo, video games
Boom shakalaka! In 1993 NBA Jam abandoned videogame basketball verisimilitude in favor of wild 2-on-2 arcade action and like its playable athletes, caught fire. Comedian and improviser Rich Baker (www.daretofailimprov.com) is ON FIRE! He joins us to revisit this classic game, its impressive (and sometimes even presidential) roster of all-stars, and the phenomenon that ensued when hoops gave way to havoc.
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Final Fantasy X
August 17th, 2026 | 3 hrs 47 secs
00s, 2000s, fantasy, final fantasy, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, jrpgs, nobuo uematsu, playstation, ps2, religion, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, square, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
Final Fantasy X dives deep into complex themes of religion and race, love and sacrifice. From the opening strains of its memorable score, the game immediately grabs its audience with its narrative ambition, and unique aesthetic beauty. We recruit game critic Luis Aguasvivas (NPR) and podcaster Dave Jackson (Tales From The Backlog, https://talesfromthebacklog.fireside.fm/) to join our pilgrimage to slay god, religion itself, and some scrub Blitzball teams along the way.
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Video Game Soundtracks
August 10th, 2026 | 4 hrs 9 mins
chiptunes, games, gaming, genesis, jrpg, jrpgs, music, nes, nintendo, playstation, ps1, ps2, psx, retro games, rpg, rpgs, score, snes, super nintendo, video games
From the moment you pop in a quarter or press start, video games have used music to enthrall, entice, and plumb even more complex emotions, far more than one might expect from the push of a button. On this podcast we celebrate the composers who have wrestled microchips, midi, and mp3s into the rich sonic (and sometimes Sonic) tapestries that elevate simple zeroes and ones into powerful musical experiences. We're joined by a full panel of games podcasters including Dave Jackson (Tales From The Backlog), Rick Firestone (Pixel Project Radio) and Chris Coplien (Retro Hangover) to roundtable our favorite game soundtracks.
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Shadow of the Colossus
August 3rd, 2026 | 2 hrs 30 mins
bluepoint, fumito ueda, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, ico, jrpg, playstation, ps2, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, sony, the last guardian, ueda, video game, video games, videogame, videogames
"Shadow of the Colossus" truly casts a colossal shadow. When the question arises as to whether video games are art, this game is always Exhibit A in favor. Haunting, simultaneously minimalist and maximalist, Fumito Ueda's masterpiece challenged gameplay design in order to perfectly meld play with emotion. We're joined by guests Professors Funky and Aria from the Tabletop Hot Takes podcast (https://tabletop-hot-takes.captivate.fm/) to wander the Forbidden Lands and go aggro on skyscraper-sized beasts, but perhaps at the cost of our souls.
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Paper Mario
May 18th, 2026 | 1 hr 34 mins
game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, mario, n64, nintendo, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, video game, video games, videogame, videogames
Far from, leaving us flat, Paper Mario injected whimsy and dimensionally creative play into the standard turn-based RPG formula for an unforgettable romp through the Mushroom Kingdom. We're joined by Emily Merritt (@aspecificegg) of the No Small Games podcast (https://nosmallgames.com/) to unfold why this highly unusual game is so special.
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Final Fantasy VII
April 20th, 2026 | 2 hrs 55 mins
1990s, 90s, fantasy, final fantasy, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, jrpg, jrpgs, nobuo uematsu, playstation, ps1, psx, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
By 1997 SquareSoft had honed its turn-based JRPG engine and operatic story to a fine point. Although Final Fantasy VII followed on its exquisite predecessor, no one could have predicted what a groundbreaking phenomenon the series' first 3D entry would be. The fusion of cyberpunk and medieval motifs, its melancholy but striving world, emotional soundtrack, and unforgettable characters have stood the test of time. Guest podcaster Gen Moonen ("Fun" and Games, www.genmoonen.com) joins our party to celebrate nearly 30 years of Final Fantasy VII casting a planet-changing spell.
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Super Mario Kart
January 12th, 2026 | 1 hr 20 mins
16 bit, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, mario, nintendo, racing, racing game, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, snes, super nintendo, video game, video games, videogame, videogames
3... 2... 1... Go!!! By 1992 Mario had conquered koopas, rescued the princess (again and again), played tennis, practiced medicine, and more, but that year launched a new venture, Super Mario Kart. Buoyed by the Mode 7 chip, a new racing genre was born as beloved Nintendo characters zipped around tracks, blasting each other with shells, lightning bolts and more. Guest comedian Rich Baker (@richbakeractor) grabs a controller and joins us to revisit the first entry in this venerable franchise.
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Super Mario World
September 8th, 2025 | 1 hr 37 mins
16 bit, 1990s, 90s, computer, computers, console, consoles, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, mario, nintendo, platformer, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, snes, super nintendo, videogame, videogamer, videogamers, videogames, videogaming
35 years later Super Mario World remains a high watermark in video games. The venerable plumber and new pal Yoshi the dinosaur's adventure features pixel perfect platforming, satisfying secret scouring, and whimsical wonder. Guests podcaster Matt Storm a.k.a. Stormageddon ("Fun" and Games, Reignite) and comedian Rich Baker (richbakercoaching.com) hit the Star Road to celebrate a classic that is still tubular, groovy, and funky today.
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Ninja Gaiden
August 4th, 2025 | 1 hr 20 mins
game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, nes, ninja, nintendo, nintendo entertainment system, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, video game, video gamer, video games, video gaming
1988's Ninja Gaiden was a leap forward in video game storytelling, featuring splashy cut scenes, a propulsive soundtrack, and notorious difficulty. Ryu Hayabusa faces off against military goons, relentless wildlife, and otherworldly grotesque demons in his quest to keep Jaquio and the forces of darkness at bay. Guest comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching) joins us to give this unforgiving landmark game the Nintendo seal of quality.
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Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!
June 2nd, 2025 | 1 hr 18 mins
arcade, boxing, game, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, mike tyson, nes, nintendo, retrogame, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, sports, video game, video gamer, video games, video gaming
We get in the ring with Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! (later known as just Punch-Out!!). This NES classic cleverly disguises puzzles and pattern recognition within its colorful cast of memorable pugilists. Comedian Rich Baker (@richbakercoaching) joins us to put the smackdown on one of the most beloved titles in Nintendo's library. TKO!