Nostalgium Arcanum
A Repository For The Pop Culture That Made Us Who We Are
Displaying items 1-10 of 21 in total of Nostalgium Arcanum with the tag "video 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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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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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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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!
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Blockbuster Video
April 28th, 2025 | 1 hr 21 mins
1980s, 1990s, 80s, 90s, blockbuster, dvd, entertainment, film, films, games, gaming, genesis, movie, movies, nes, nintendo, sega, snes, super nintendo, vhs, video, video game, video games
It's time to be kind and rewind back to the days when home media rental was a pillar of daily life. Whether it was Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, or your local mom-and-pop shop, renting movies and games was a ritual of living in the 80s an 90s that is now lost to the dominance of streaming. We're joined by Chris Coplien of the Retro Hangover podcast to rack up a few very late fees in service to the lost world of video rental.
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The Wizard
May 6th, 2024 | 1 hr 33 mins
1980s, 80s, fred savage, gamer, games, gaming, movies, nes, nintendo, power glove, rain man, retrogamer, retrogames, retrogaming, rilo kiley, super mario brothers, video games, videogaming
Part cross-country child road trip, part Nintendo commercial, The Wizard is a time capsule of 1980s nostalgia that holds up better than its corporately calculated premise would suggest. Players Jonathan Cardoso and Tania Newton don their power gloves to join us in retaking the road to Video Armageddon.
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ActRaiser
December 18th, 2023 | 35 mins 58 secs
enix, faith, gamer, gamers, games, gaming, god, nintendo, religion, retrogamer, retrogamers, retrogames, retrogaming, rpg, rpgs, sim-city, snes, square, supernintendo, urban planning, video games, videogames, videogaming
Lo and behold! In ActRaiser you get to play God, literally. In this SNES classic combines two different gameplay modes (hack/slash and city-building sim) to create an overall experience that is still worshipped today.