Retro Spectives Podcast

Learning to survive in an unfair world.

Answering your questions faster than Santa

Prostagma?

I live…AGAIN!

I need scissors! 61!

Capitalistic Thrills

Just like one of my Japanese Animes

Max is a fair and balanced character.

Crawling in your skin.

Luigi May Cry.

Unreal or unfun?

Sins of the Daddies

Aam; Yok; Taar.

The Ultimate Underworld Fantasy

Give me puzzles or give me death.

Home is where the Homeworld is

How about a nice game of chicken kickin'?

A Bachelor, a Changling and a Haruspex walked into a bar.

Giving you the answers you deserve, not the ones you want.

The Prime reason to own a Gamecube?

Heeeeelp! Leooooon!

A Riddickulus Escape Plan

The future of motorised machines is here.

A new spin on a beloved franchise

Jack Black killed the beast

More human than human.

The game where archers are useless, and their lives don’t matter

Tripping Through Cyberspace

Grand Theft Clockwerk

Just a normal day in Poland

Space ramming simulator

An ecstatic experience

Featuring Banjo and Conker before they were cool

Are two agents better than one?

Service Guarantees Citizenship but does Republic Commando guarantee a good time?

Dancing with the Devil

The keyboard is mightier than the gun.

On paper Eternal Darkness is Pat and James’ dream game. What could be better than a spooky mansion filled with puzzles, ambient droning and third-person combat? Find out if it lives up to expectations on this fortnight’s episode.

Is Goldeneye 007 still the Golden standard for FPS games?

Bullet Hell is perhaps the most aptly named genre of all time.

Does Splinter Cell dazzle in the spotlight, or should it have just stuck to the shadows?

Pat and James dive deep on one of their favourite games from the modern era.

Each question was hand posted and travelled by ship to reach us.

Pat and James throw down in RSPodcast’s first versus only title!

Does Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom represent a glorious golden age of city builders? Or should it be subtitled Rise of the Middling Kingdom?

Is it worth your time to skate through the streets of Tokyo-to, or did video kill the Jet Set Radio Star?

Does Star Wars: Podracer deserve its status as a thrilling and intense competitor to the F-Zero games? Or is it coarse, and rough, and irritating, and gets everywhere?

Is Starfox 64 worth your time to play today, or should you play Starfox 1-63 first?

Is suffering through a pandemic in a video game just as much fun as it is in real life?

Is Space Channel 5 still groovy, or does it struggle to keep its rhythm?

Panzer General is a 1994 wargame set in the second world war. Can its huge breadth of tactical decisions still create compelling gameplay or is the whole experience just a big no tank-you?

Is this hybrid RTS/puzzle-game worth your time, or should you Pik another game to play?

Man, the pun for this one is far too obvious.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has you defend your clients for truth and justice. Does it deliver a satisfying result, or does Phoenix Wright get it all wrong?

Are Megaman 2’s action-platforming and non-linear structure still fun to battle through today? Or has its reputation simply been hyped by its Megafans?

Ys: The Oath in Felghana attempts to transform a side-scrolling NES adventure into a 3D Action RPG, powerups and all. Is it a blast to play today, or is criticising it just all too Ysy?

Pat and James return to the game that started it all in the sequel to their very first episode! Can Doom II live up to the high-bar set by the original or is this one game that was doomed from the beginning?

Is Resident Evil REmake still a scary and immersive experience? Or have its ‘outdated’ mechanics left it horrifying for all the wrong reasons?

War. War never changes. But the way in which we view it might.

Another World was truly revolutionary at the time of its release, but these days are you better off just playing another game?

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin dramatically expands on everything present in Codename 47. Can these changes solve the fundamental issues that plagued the first?

Is Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines as good as its cultish followers would have you believe? Or does this undead-monstrosity just outright suck?

Pat, James and special guest Drew punch, kick and throw their way through Streets of Rage 2 to find out if this side-scrolling beat ‘em up can still throw down with the best of them.

Aquanox continues the story of its DOS predecessor, Archimedean Dynasty, but drastically reduces the scope of the story, the presentation of the world, and the nature of the gameplay. Can a sequel change this much and still be brilliant in its own right?

Syberia sees you travel by windup train across a semi-surrealist, clockpunk inspired take on Europe. Is it a journey worth taking? Tune in to find out!

Does Burnout 3 deserve its place amongst the kings of arcade racing? Or is it just another over-hyped game that needs to be taken down a peg?

Is the cult following behind Civ IV deserved? We go beyond the words of praise showered on the title to see if it's still worth playing today!

We cover the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, and the creamy middles of our time playing retro games in 2020!

We’re approaching the end of the year, so it's time for Mailbag 2: Electric Boogaloo!

We’re finally talking about Dark Souls. Is it truly deserving of the unending praise piled upon it, or was it simply a game of its time?

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War brought the world famous tabletop game to life like never before on the PC. Did it bring glory to the Emperor or is this one game that should burn with the heretics?

Join Pat and James as they dive deep into Super Metroid, a game many consider to be one of the best of all time.
Can it live up to the hype?
Find out on this fortnight’s episode.

Thief 2: The Metal Age brings steam, machines and factories to The City. Can Garret still sneak undetected in this brave new world?

2D-platformers are one of the rare genres that Pat and James both love, find out if they still agree after putting one of the genre's most revered titles through its paces.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers promises to let you relive the movie in all its glory. How well does it deliver on that promise?

It's a third-person action-brawler crossed with a real-time strategy RPG.

Oh, and you play it with a controller.

No One Lives Forever joyfully riffs on James Bond, Get Smart and even Austin Powers in its cheeky satire of spy films. Does it stand up on its own merits, or is it just a glorified homage?

In Dark Messiah, you play an apprentice sorcerer skilled in the dark arts of kicking. But just how many kicks can you get out of it all these years later?

Does Splinter Cell successfully carve out a niche as a linear stealth game, or has it been superseded by modern titles?

Earthworm Jim oozes pure style and is filled with novelty and quirky jokes. But does its irreverent mix of fart jokes, vertical level design and grooviness combine into a game that's still fun to play today?

Codename 47 marked the beginning of a hugely successful franchise. But just how fun is the first foray of our bald, barcode-headed killer? Is it still a hit, man?

Lunar: Silver Star Story blends whimsical romance with epic adventure in this fantastical JRPG.
Is it a match made in heaven, or are some things just not meant to be?

Castlevania was the beginning of a legendary series, beloved even to this day. But has this old game stood the test of time or is this one skeleton best left in it's crypt?
Join Pat and James as they return to Dracula's castle in their never-ending hunt for truly classic games!

Freelancer puts you in the shoes of a freelancer named Edison Trent, who supposedly free-lances as his primary occupation.  But are you actually as free as you think in this free-flying, space-lancing adventure?

Before Thief, Deus Ex and Prey came System Shock, the grandfather of Immersive Sims.
Has this aged adventure stood the test of time, or have generations of innovation left this a shocking experience?

Join Pat and James as they argue over the greatness that is Sly Cooper, or as Pat puts it: Sly Pooper.

On the back of a glitch, Tribes was born.  Does its single player entry, Tribes: Vengeance, do its multiplayer legacy proud?

Hundreds of years into the future, mankind has descended deep below the sea and an unexplained thread attempts to remake the world for its own gain. Join Pat and James as they review Archimedian Dynasty and attempt to explain its complex political climate.

F-Zero GX taught Patrick never to mix high-speeds with the colour blue, but can Sonic’s enduring charms get him back on the track? Tune in to find out!

Crystalis is a cult classic, revered as being secretly one of the best NES titles ever made.  But how well does this hodgepodge of scifi and fantasy hold up 30 years later?

Heroes of Might and Magic III is widely regarded as one of the greatest turn based strategy games ever made. Is it still a brilliant game for newcomers, or has it been eclipsed entirely by modern strategy titles?

Katamari Damacy is a bizarre yet strangely charming game about rolling things up in a big sticky ball.  Just how big can the Katamari grow? Probably larger than you think!

In the second part of their 2019 wrap-up, Pat and James discuss the best and worst games they played over the past year!  Listen in to hear them breakdown the best and worst experiences they had while playing the classics of yesteryear.

On this special episode, Pat and James answer questions from their discord community about games from both the past and present!  Tune in to hear them get into an argument over every single question!

Before From Software took the world by fire with Dark Souls, they made a series of Mecha games called Armored Core.  But is its first entry a timeless classic to rival From’s best? Join Pat and James to find out!

Viewtiful Joe received critical acclaim for both its stylistic charm and movie-inspired take on beat ‘em up mechanics. But has this 2D brawler stood up against its 3D successors like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta? Listen in to find out!

Halo invented a lot of the tropes that defined console FPS games for years to follow. We have it to thank for the popularity of the two-weapon system and regenerating health. But is it still fun to play today? Join Patrick, James and special guest Cameron to find out!

Vagrant story mixes rhythm games, box pushing, Fallout’s VAT system, a complex crafting system, even more complicated combat systems and Shakespearean inspired plot into a Frankenstein monster of a video game. Does this unholy amalgamation of ideas come together into an enjoyable whole, or is Vagrant Story just a mess?

Call of Duty is a Goliath of the video-game industry, with 15 titles to its name. It defined both single player spectacle and multiplayer experience systems for an entire generation. But where did it all start? Is the very first Call of Duty still a game worth experiencing today?

Long before Blizzard was revolutionising the industry with Diablo and Starcraft, they released The Lost Vikings, a bizarre three-way puzzle platformer. Tune in as Pat and James dissect whether this game is a forgotten masterpiece or a dated relic of the past.

Diablo 1 almost single-handedly invented the isometric ARPG genre, from which exploded an entire industry of high-octane looting action. But just how much fun is the granddaddy of ARPGS today, when we have more games than space in our inventories? Tune in to find out!

Cave Story is well known as one of the most successful indie titles of all time. Will it only ever be remembered for its impact on history, or is it still a fun game to play all these years later?

Join Pat and James as they dive deep into mental world of Psychonauts, an eccentric 3D platformer about psychic powers, twisted inner worlds and a charming cast of characters. Has Psychonauts stood the test of time or is it one circus act best left forgotten? Tune in to find out!

Hideo Kojima's Policenauts. It's Lethal Weapon, but in space!

Thief was the progenitor of FPS stealth games, heralding now familiar concepts such as hiding in shadows and being wary of footsteps. Have modern takes on stealth revealed its weakness for all to see, or has it managed to stay in the shadows and avoid detection? Listen in to find out!

Kirby’s Nightmare in Dreamland is a fluffy, floaty adventure through a childhood dream. Is this game as joyful as we remember, or is Kirby’s nightmare one we both share?

Max Payne tells a neo-noir tale of revenge set in a snowstorm beridden New York City. Does its story and gameplay rise above the cliches it so dearly hangs on to? Find out in this fortnight’s episode!

Pokémon Snap was the renowned series' first and final foray into the world of photography. Is this truly unique game a forgotten masterpiece, or is there a very good reason it never got a sequel? Tune in to find out!

Does Tony Hawk's Pro Skater pull of its 900 and somehow stick the landing, all these years later? Listen in to find out!

What happens when you cross Undertale, Hearthstone, Pokemon and Harry Potter?  You get Megaman: Battle Network 3! Is this mix a potent and enjoyable combination, or does it ferment into a muddy slush?

Quake set the industry standard for shooters for years to come in making the leap to full 3D.  Is it still fun to play today, more than 20 years later, or does it awkwardly grenade jump to its death?

In our restless dreams, we see that town. Silent Hill (2).  Join Pat and James as they wander through its foggy streets, trying to decipher what brought them there…

The Apes have Escaped and are rewriting human history!  Join Pat and James as they try to restore the timeline and avoid the ending where it was Earth all along!

In F-Zero GX, you go round and round in circles, really, really fast.  Did we end up going too fast for either of us to handle?  Listen in to find out!

Has Red Alert 2’s perpetual war between the Soviet Union and the Capitalist West led to a far better timeline than the one we’re inhabiting?  Listen in to find out, comrades!

Castlevania may have birthed an entire genre, but does it still have what it takes to captivate a modern audience? Find out on this week's episode of Retro Spectives!

The Prince is the epitome of edginess, but can he stand up to the razor sharp criticism that Pat and James bring to this acrobatic warrior?

One of the most well received collectathons ever released, is this game still fun or is it just plain unbearable?

Join Pat and James as they investigate whether Doom is all its hyped up to be - Has it stood the test of time, or has it become outdated and clunky?