Enjoyable, but still your typical gaming snob-fest
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“I have been listening to this podcast for two years now. Early on, the show had a more diverse selection of guests, which made the sessions much more enjoyable. Most guests seemed knowledgable, with the exception of a few guests who were intent on using their cameo solely to spew hate. That episode on the Street Fighter series, for example, had this boorish guest who insulted the game, the audience and at times his cohosts (I took an extended break from the show after that particular episode). Jeremy Parish attempts to maintain a structured show, which works well for Retronauts most of the time. My problem with this podcast is that the views represented on that show can come off as elitist. And this happens in every episode. A recent example: Parish covers portable gaming and mentions the Tiger Handheld series of gaming devices of the late 80's. Now listen to his remarks about it: "I didn't play it because I didn't want to subject myself to something like that" Wait a minute. I owned the "Castlevania: Simon's Quest" version of this device while I owned the actual NES game. Yet I still have fond memories and impressons of both. Was it fair of him to compare a $50 game targeted at middle-class America with a $15 handheld aimed at a wider demographic? Probably not, but we can't blame him because that kind of snobbish attitude is typical of gamers.
In that same episode on early portable gaming devices he mentions the Sega Gamegear. He sums up the system by saying something like "The games were all terrible anyway." Wow. As someone who has heard an MIT lecturer wax nostalgiac about that system's port of Mortal Kombat 2, I was shocked. It was like hearing Tarantino talk about the history of filmmaking saying "Oh, John Waters and Russ Meyers made some films in the 20th century, but their films were terrible so let's look at the magnificence that was Spielberg."
Do I still recommend Retronauts? Yes, but listen to it with the intention of experiencing a podcast with good production values and reminders of games gone by. Don't expect balanced history and positive nostalgia.
(And for those of you who say such a podcast is impossible, listen to the 11 O'clock Comics podcast. *That's* how you run a retro podcast. It helps that the main host, Vince, simply adores comics. He wants the medium to succeed and you can feel it. When I listen to that podcast, I never feel ashamed for having had excitement for something I experienced as a child. And I also rush out and read pretty much every title they mention. Am I saying every comic/gaming review should be glowing? Not from one single person, no.)”
ezara via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
08/26/09
More reviews of 1UP.com - Retronauts
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“Have to agree with Ken D. This is terrible. It may appeal to the American market but I dont see anyone else getting benefit from this. ken D was spot on..it really is like listening to Beavis and Butthead. When I was listening i got the impression is was one big private chat between hosts and...”Read full review »
GoldstoneNS87 via Apple Podcasts ·
Great Britain ·
03/11/08
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“This show has really picked up steam since the virtual console was launched. The music episode remains one of the best podcasts I've listened to thus far. Keep up the good work!”
NVisalva via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
03/07/07
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“This is a great show for people from the generation of gamers who still have SNES and Saturn games proudly displayed upon their shelves and a CRT TV somewhere in ther house just for gametapes. Only negative is the hum-drum "here we go again" approach the host sometimes brings to the discussion. I...”Read full review »
Cledus 2000 via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
03/31/10
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