Retrologic

RetroLogic

Retro gaming in the modern world! Each week Dan, John and Sam chat about current retro gaming news, reviews, collecting, and more!

  1. 17 Jun

    Ep 149 - RetroLogic Goes Live! Remakes and Remaster Talk!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins, and Adam Caporello! Intros   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games   Housekeeping John - New retrologic content coming!   On Topic Retro - Gradius Interstellar Assault for Game Boy The Price Is Retro If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list.    At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shannon's List Dan's List Adam's list John's List Show Topic - remake/remaster/reimagining  Which do you prefer?   What is your favorite game that has had one of these treatments? Third Strongest Mole — 6/13/26, 8:47 AM I'll try to give my condensed thoughts here since I wont' make it onto next week's show. The only remakes that I consider justified are games that truly had potential they failed to live up to. Games that are perfectly good as they are don't need remakes - just ports. While I appreciate keeping classic games available for people who don't have original hardware, ports address that problem in a much more cost effective way - and the "need" for remasters is selling a solution to a problem created by the planned obsolescence of the idea of console generations. We don't actually need new hardware (at least not to play old games)- console makers just need new hardware and software to sell. By all means keep the classics available through reprints and officially licensed emulation. But those aren't new releases and we shouldn't pretend they are. If you really "can't wait to play Ocarina of time again" - plug in the N64, or boot up the NSO app. Community Couch Savannah the Hyena Queen — 6/12/26, 6:59 PM I like remakes, for two reasons. One, they allow a new generation of players to experience an old game with the conveniences of the modern era. And two, they give fans a brand new way to experience their favorite games. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire was the first point for me, and Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl was the second. That being said, I think Nintendo has been doing too many remakes and updates to old games recently and not enough new ones. But maybe that's just cause I'm not super interested in Star Fox or Ocarina of Time Drex1981 [ARC],  — 6/12/26, 7:04 PM Remakes are tricky things. One of the side they can fix issues that at the time couldn't be addressed. They can expand on storylines and tell the story with more detail. They can introduce new players to these games and create new fans. On the other side they can be souless cash grabs and change what makes these games great. MooseGooseNinja [SEAF],  — 6/12/26, 7:18 PM I like remakes as long as they do the original game justice (looking at RE3R), but otherwise I do like the idea of remakes for the same reasons Savannah mentions. I generally try to judge remakes on a case-by-case basis though, and my personal favorite part of remakes is playing both versions (if I can get my hands on the original) and comparing and contrasting the two. I also try not to decide which is better or anything, but just objectively finding differences. It was the most fun for RE4 because I LOVE those games. My favorite game that got a remake was probably Dead Space. DoubleD — 6/12/26, 8:57 PM I've been mulling this over for a bit now and I think I like remasters the most. Making older games accessible to a new audience while improving the graphics and QoL features will get me every time (Don't ask me how many versions of the various Final Fantasy games I've bought through the years). Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is probably my favorite remaster though. It kept one of my favorite games mostly the same but added amazing voice acting that let me experience one of my favorite video game stories in a completely different way! Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 6/13/26, 12:16 AM I prefer remakes that change stuff more than faithful remakes. They are more interesting to analyze, and they provide more of a reason to play them if you have access to the original. Solo [nDAD],  — 6/13/26, 8:37 AM I welcome a remaster of the game. The trend now in console camps is to remaster games to bring them into the contemporary level of graphics and/or new art design to make them more appealing to new generation of gamers. OoT is a cherished entry into the Zelda series. Off of this one entry we get the branches into the Downfall causing BoTW/ToTK, Child and Adult timelines of Zelda lore. Would be interesting if in the remaster then made methods to connect the game to others; for example the lore we see in BoTW/ToTK that many have played (even those that are not deep dive Zelda fanboys and just played off IP recognition alone). Hoping myself the remaster is not a lockstep redo of the original since that version is already out there. I find it more exciting if they were to add new story beat elements into a new artwork scheme. adam — 6/13/26, 9:25 AM i find the discourse around remakes and remasters to be kind of pointless, because if you don't like them, just don't play them.   is there a conversation to be had about companies rereleasing games instead of taking risks on new ips? yeah absolutely. but i think that's different then should these remakes/remasters exist.   emulation and ports are important in the preservation of media, but remakes/remasters   update games to be more accessible on modern hardware.   remakes/remasters recontextualize their stories into the modern broader canon.   i think people are excited to play oot remake/remaster because of the first two reasons. i don't think anyone would pretend that the z targeting and camera controls in the original are good. (innovative for the time but obviously not great in comparison to today) so updated qol features, coupled with excitement to see how they will recontextualize oot to better fit with the current branch of botw/totk, and hopefully give us a glimpse of what's to come next   (In response to adam) Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 7:56 AM People get annoyed about remakes because of the opportunity cost. Time you take developing a remake/remaster is time you could have spent developing something new. So there are some stakes to the discussion. Also, as a community based around gaming, we like talking about games. So we wanna talk about whether remakes/remasters are interesting to us, and listen to how other like minded people feel about them. The discussion itself is often the point. (Adam thinks the opportunity cost argument doesn't hold water because plenty of studios are able to output both) (Flightsy says there is STILL an opportunity cost. And resources were spent) (Adam responds) adam — 12:16 PM I can't recall a situation where a new game or a game that's in development was sidelined by a remake/remaster. if anything the remakes and remasters make studios more money to put into new titles.   …   but like i said i think really the bigger issue in the industry is the live service model/microtransactions being pushed by suits in c-suites. it's why naughty dog hasn't dropped anything, it's why xbox is in such a bad spot financially. *and then to fill the void of canceled games companies just rerelease or remaster something   …   i think it's an interesting topic, and i think that the recent uptick in remakes/remasters is a barometer for the health of the current industry. and if it's good or bad is up to interpretation, or more likely somewhere in the middle Xomber — 1:35 PM Have mixed feelings on remakes. Some games are just classics and it doesn't really do much to put a fresh coat of paint on a classic. I will still play them, however, hence the mixed feelings. Like when Last of Us 2 was remade on the PS5, it seemed, pointless to me, but since I hadn't played it up until that point that'd be the option I would go with. I still like good games being remade to a certain extent, but are we going to do that every 5-10 years or every 2-3 generations? Xomber — 1:39 PM Another thing I wonder, would a remake make some bad games good? I'm curious about that. Could a story be fleshed out more, or an annoying game mechanic be improved to where it's not cumbersome? That's what actually interests me. Flightsy: I was definitely disappointed by the OOT remake announcement, and in general by the large amount of old content on the Switch 2. But in the end, that's not actually what I'm disappointed about. I'm disappointed that a year in, I still don't really feel compelled to buy the Switch 2. I'm annoyed about the remasters because it reminds me of that core issue, but it isn't actually the issue itself. And there's no way to know if a decision not to make those remasters would have actually led to a world that fixes that issue… Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome

    2h 9m
  2. 4 Jun

    Ep - 148 Puzzalooza!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Sam Wagers, Shannon Eno and John Cummins, Special Guest Ryan (Games With Coffee) Intros   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming FE Path of Radiance and Armored Core 2   On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV Gradius   Backlog recap   The Price Is Retro - 13:55 If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Dan's List Sam's list John's List Shannon's List   Spot the fake Pikmin treasure Show Topic - 5   Puzzle games SameGame/CHAINSHOT (1985) Tetris and all its iterations (what's your favorite?) (1988)   The many attempts to make a real "sequel" to tetris (or market something unrelated as one) Tetris 2/Tetris Flash (1993) Breakthru (1994) Tetris attack (1996) 3D tetris (1996) Tetrisphere (1997)   Pajitnov's other puzzle games: Welltris (1989) Hatris (1990) Faces…tris III (1990) Wordtris (1992)   Never had the staying power of the original   The other titans of the genre: Columns (1989) Dr Mario (1990) Puyo Puyo (1991) Yoshi (1991) Vs Puzzle games really took off Cosmo gang the puzzle (1992) Yoshi's Cookie (1992) Wario's woods (1994) Bomberman Panic bomber (1994) Puzzle bobble (1994) Panel De pon (1995) Magical Drop (1995) Super Puzzle Fighter II turbo (1996) (characters actually have unique patterns they send to opponents)   Largely fell out of fashion, but seem to be coming back Dr. Luigi (2013) Puyo Puyo Tetris (2014) Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (2020) Tetris effect: connected (2020)   Tetris 99 (2019) Crystal Crisis (2019)   Licensing opportunities (some already mentioned), spinoffs Aforementioned puzzle fighter, yoshi's cookie, dr mario, puyo puyo Dr Robotnik's mean bean machine (1993) Pac attack (1993) Panel de pon's "tetris attack" and "pokemon puzzle league" forms Kirby's avalanche (1995) Hebereke's Popoitto (1994) Kirby Star Stacker (1997) Rampage Puzzle Attack (2001) Pokemon Trozei (2005) Puzzle & dragons Super mario edition (2015)   Snood (1996) This game is on like every platform.  I'm not sure how it displaced puzzle bobble but it did. Bejeweled (2001) Bejeweled-likes (Zoo Keeper, Jewel Quest, Chuzzle)   Meteos (2005)   Mobile as the new haven for matching puzzle games   Block puzzle hybrids Block Hole/Quarth Puzzle Quest Puzzle & Dragons Henry Hatsworth   Suika game (2024) Community Couch Savannah the Hyena Queen — 5/29/2026 9:27 PMFriday, May 29, 2026 9:27 PM Does Mario's Super Picross count? That game is fun, specially the Wario levels   Savannah the Hyena Queen — 5/29/2026 9:30 PM I'm really bad at picross so my clear times are abysmal, but it's still a really relaxing loop that's nice if I don't really want to play something more involved   Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 5/29/2026 9:33 PM Mario's Super Picross is what got me into Picross, a past time I have become thoroughly engrossed. It's the perfect thing to do while paying attention to something else. In fact, I used to catch up on Retro Logic episodes while playing Mario's Super Picross...   SNES_is_Life — 5/29/2026 9:44 PM Yoshis cookie!   Drex1981 [ARC],  — 5/30/2026 9:37 AM I don't know if this counts or not but in the original Metal Gear Solid when fighting Psycho Mantis. You had to switch to controller port 2 to avoid being controlled by him. Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    1hr 42min
  3. 21 May ·  Video

    Ep - 147 Star Fox and Coffee!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Dan Caporello here with Sam Wagers and John Cummins, Special Guest Ryan (Games With Coffee) Intros   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming   On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV Gradius The Price Is Retro - 13:55 If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Dan's List Sam's list John's List Ryan's List Show Topic - 1:07:40 1:10:20   Starfox   Star Fox - SNES NA: March 1, 1993 developed by Nintendo EAD and programmed by Argonaut Games, who created the Super FX chip to enable the 3D graphics seen in the game.   Star Fox 64 - N64 NA: July 1, 1997 Developed by Nintendo EAD. Star Fox 64 was the first game to feature support for the Rumble Pak peripheral.   Star Fox Adventures - GCN NA: September 22, 2002 The last game developed by second-party Nintendo developer Rare before its acquisition by Microsoft.   Star Fox: Assault - GCN NA: February 14, 2005 Developed by Namco Originally slated to be developed by the Ace Combat team, but that version was allegedly scrapped and the Klonoa team took over instead. In an unusual twist, the game as we know it began development in the multiplayer mode. Star Fox Command - DS NA: August 28, 2006 Developed by Q-Games. Directed by Dylan Cuthbert, who previously served as a lead programmer of the original Star Fox and 64 at Argonaut. According to Cuthbert, Miyamoto approached him and his company because he wanted to see more of the ideas from the then-unreleased Star Fox 2 (who Cuthbert was heavily involved with during its development) Star Fox 64 3D - 3DS NA: September 11, 2011 Developed by Nintendo EAD "At the annual E3 event during the Nintendo Q&A session held in June 2011, Miyamoto jokingly stated that he warned the developers that if Star Fox 64 3D was not the best game in the series, or did not make a lot of money, the franchise would have to be discontinued." Star Fox Zero - Wii U NA/EU: April 22, 2016 Developed by PlatinumGames A "reimagining" of Starfox 64 The game's development began with experimentation on leftover assets from a never-released Star Fox game for the Wii that had been worked on by a small group since about 2008.   Star Fox 2 - SNES NA/EU: September 29, 2017 Release years by system: Cancelled – Super Nintendo Entertainment System 2017 – Super NES Classic Edition 2019 – Nintendo Switch Online Developed by Argonaut Games. Was originally canceled due to its proposed release date's proximity with the release of the Nintendo 64 and internal development problems.   Star Fox - Switch 2 JP/NA/EU: June 25, 2026 Community Couch Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    2h 25m
  4. 7 May

    Ep - 146 The 3DS Turns 15!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games Tell me one thing that happened this week!   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming Armored Core Master of Arena (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!   On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV   FilmLogic: Tubi Decided: Redline (2009) The Price Is Retro - If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shan's list Sam's list John's List Trivia Show Topic -  3DS Top 5   Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    2 hr
  5. 24 Apr

    Ep - 145 When Renting Video Games Was A Thing!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games Tell me one thing that happened this week!   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming Armored Core Master of Arena (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!   On Topic Retro: Zelda Skyward Sword Retro Rewind Super Castlevania IV   FilmLogic: Tubi Decided: Redline (2009) The Price Is Retro - 20 If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shan's list Sam's list John's List Spot the fake Trivia Show Topic - 30:54 Rentals! Favorite rentals Sam: (Kirby Super Star, Joe and Mac, Paper Mario, Vigilante 8, Rogue Squadron, Chameleon Twist, PLOK) Bullets dodged (glad I didn't purchase fully) Sam: Balls 3D, Mega Man 64, Quest 64 The place of rentals Games expensive Not allowed in japan (this affected some games!) Alternatives new and old Libraries Gamefly redbox Digital demos Gamepass and NSO free trials Free to play/Free to start games     Community Couch Eric Plunk [nDAD], nDAD — 4/19/2026 9:30 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:30 AM The small town I grew up in had one gas station and in it you could rent VHS tapes and video games. Just roaming the isles and looking at cover art was a joy in and of itself. There was no way to have a bad weekend when you went home with Fievel Goes West, Bugs Bunny's Crazy Castle, and a bottle of Yoo-Hoo. If I had to guess I'd say my most rented games were Ducktales and A Link to the Past. I inherited a copy of Back to the Future II & III for the NES from a friend that passed that still has rental sticker on it from the gas station. I'll never get rid of it. (edited)Sunday, April 19, 2026 9:42 AM   Drex1981 [ARC], ARC — 4/19/2026 9:34 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:34 AM I remember waiting at my local Hollywood Video  for Mortal Kombat 4. I went back and forth to store throughout the day and when I got it the game was terrible lol SchonerTod [TINK], TINK — 4/19/2026 9:54 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 9:54 AM i didnt get into renting game until the N64. When I was a kid video games were always a side thing we did on the weekends and typically it was a sleep over. so friday evening my buddies and i would ride our bikes down to the local blockbuster and rented a couple games then hit up the local store for sodas and pizza before going back to my place and playing an all nighter. Typically it was stuff like 007, mario kart, perfect dark nfl blitz and such.   Xomber — 4/19/2026 10:01 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 10:01 AM My first rentals were N64 games as well. I think they forced me to get better at the games, since I knew I had to give them back or some such. I remember being unable to finish OOT the first time(couldn't get out of the forest) and the second time I made it to the Water Temple. After that, I was good at the game I think. Eric Plunk [nDAD], nDAD — 4/19/2026 11:07 AMSunday, April 19, 2026 11:07 AM I don't have many memories of renting N64 games other than Paper Mario from Blockbuster which I beat in two 5-day rental periods (edited)Sunday, April 19, 2026 11:08 AM   @Solo Growing up I would rent from one, not sure if it was across the nation in the 80's, that was called National Home Video.  I would rent NES games weekly as games back then were pricey so parents only bought me like 4.  Point being here that one time we went out of town for 2 weeks to Myrtle Beach vacation.  When we got back my parents laughed as the recording had a message from the store asking if I was ok as they have not heard from me wanting to know what game to reserve for me to make sure it was not rented out before me.   Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 4/19/2026 4:08 PMSunday, April 19, 2026 4:08 PM I never rented.  But I did take some games out at the library.  The only one I really remember is Super Mario Galaxy.  I remember erasing my save file for the next person, because I was under the impression it was stored on the disc...   DoubleD — 4/19/2026 5:46 PMSunday, April 19, 2026 5:46 PM Renting movies and games was a regular occurrence in my house growing up, probably every other weekend or so. We rented games mainly from NES, SNES, and N64, but I have the fondest memories of the SNES era. I remember renting Final Fantasy 3 for a couple weeks when it first released, knowing full well that I was about to get it for my birthday a couple months afterwards. Well, I got to a point in the game where it seems like it's the end, but it's really just the mid-point, but I remember being so mad thinking I was about to beat the game right before I get it for my birthday. After opening up the second half of the game, I was so happy that there was more to it, that I stupidly rented the game for another week, but still didn't beat it. I then got it for my birthday and tried to trade my copy for the rental store's, but they wouldn't do it, so I spent the entire Christmas break playing through my new copy and beat it in 2 weeks.   Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    1hr 31min
  6. 10 Apr

    Ep 144 - 3D Mario Discussion!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games Tell me one thing that happened this week!   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming Armored Core (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!   On Topic Retro: Zelda Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks   FilmLogic: RatPocalypse The Price Is Retro - 20 If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shan's list Sam's list John's List SPOT THE FAKE  Show Topic - 44 3D Mario! The games Super Mario 64 - 1996 Super Mario Sunshine - 2002 Super Mario 64 DS -2004 Super Mario Galaxy - 2007 Super Mario Galaxy 2 - 2010 Super Mario 3D Land - 2010 Super Mario 3D World - 2013 Super Mario Odyssey - 2017 Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury - 2021 ?????? - The future   Some other points: Our favorites "Obstacle Course" vs. "Open World-ish" Design Ideas for the future of 3D Mario Does DK Bananza Scratch the itch? 3D Yoshi….   Community Couch See discord   Dan - RetroLogic — 4/3/2026 12:04 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 12:04 AM The best is probably Mario Galaxy.   But my favorite is Sunshine. 1 - Mario Sunshine pushed the "themed worlds" motif in a wholly new direction that hasn't been replicated since. All locations take place on 1 Island, and they never lose that aesthetic. But each world also has its own striking identity. 2 - "What are we going to do to Mario so it feels different from 64?" Give him a water gun/jet pack/rocket/speed boat. And the Splatoon-like muck cleaning is one of the most satisfying things in gaming to date. 3 - the major complaint I hear about this game is the few difficulty spikes which inform the unfinished nature of the shipped product. And I don't disagree. But I believe this game is worth more than the sum of it's parts. Isle Delphino is a place I want to live in. The secrets hiding in Delphino Plaza alone make this game worth playing. Your Wallet's Defense Attorney — 4/3/2026 12:33 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 12:33 AM Gotta go with Galaxy.  My first 3D Mario was Super Mario Galaxy 2.  For a long time the original Super Mario Galaxy was a game I had only gotten to play once, through the library.  Which definitely added to the mystique of the game.  The quiet moments in that game really make it's vibe, and they're something I think the Galaxy movie could have used.  Also, the gravity stuff is probably my favorite mechanic in any Mario game.   Gotta give some flowers to Sunshine though.  Not my favorite game to actually play, but I love a lot of what it was going for.  I love the interconnected world, and the fact they decided to zoom in really close to one theme.  Really think it'd be cool to see another Mario game do something like that, maybe with a city or something like that?  Also, you won't hear many people give the blue coins a lotta love, cause they were implemented in such a completionist unfriendly way.  And as a completionist, that does suck, but I can't deny that they really give you a nice reason to explore the island.  Also, I really like that each of the levels tries to tell a storyline with its missions.  Almost feels like a precursor to what Odyssey would end up doing.   neoprime33 (TimA) [nDAD], nDAD — 4/3/2026 1:12 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 1:12 AM The best, I've been told, is Galaxy, but I haven't played those, so the best for me is 3D Land. It's literately in 3D ... lol.    I can't articulate why it is the best for me as well as you all do with your "bests" but that 3D Mario game made me smile and probably was the most I've ever wanted to squeeze out of a Mario game than any other I've played before.    Maybe it is the best for me because it is the "Gateway Drug" for other 3D Marios - it eases me away from 2D Marios. lol   Although, I also support the Mario Sunshine pick - I loved playing that game on the Game Cube. It was so different I didn't care that Mario went 3D.   Hootz — 4/3/2026 9:27 AMFriday, April 3, 2026 9:27 AM Best: Super Mario Odyssey. That game is pure joy distilled into a video game. And honestly, the other games are great, but it's not even close. (Please note; I'm  answering before I've had a chance to play Super Mario Odyssey 2: Donkey Kong Bananza)    As for the next entry, just give us more joy. That's it. Don't know what that means gameplay-wise, so I'll let the developers figure that out.    Also, Super Mario Sunshine is underrated, and better than Super Mario Galaxy and 64. That is all. Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    1hr 57min
  7. 27 Mar

    Ep - 143 Let's Map This Retro Dungeon!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with Shannon Eno and John Cummins   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games Tell me one thing that happened this week!   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming Armored Core (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!   On Topic Retro: Zelda Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks   FilmLogic: Armed and Dangerous   Backlog Challenge Round 2 Results: We're letting the community decide which games we play for round 2 of our backlog challenge! Sam Grabbed by the Ghoulies (Xbox) Glory of Heracles (DS) Zak and Wiki: the quest for Barbaros Treasure (Wii)   Shannon Secret of Mana (SNES)  Kirby and the Amazing Mirror (GBA)  Harvest Moon (SNES)   John Final Fantasy Grandia II Drill Dozer   Dan- Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon (DS) The Price Is Retro -  If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shan's list Sam's list John's List Flightsy's Spot the Fake Show Topic - 4 Dungeon Crawlers!   What is a dungeon crawler anyway? -loosely, focus on a single dungeon - though perhaps with interconnected zones.  And exploring it while powering up a character/party and gathering loot, going deeper each time.     Inherited term from a scenario type in tabletop rpgs. The term has been used somewhat loosely of any game that has a dungeon though. Games: Wizardry Series- probably the main archetype -hard to understate the impact these games had on RPGs generally, especially in Japan. Rogue - better known for other elements Eye of the Beholder (SNES) Arcana  Neverwinter Nights (AOL 1991 - not the later one so much) Mado monogatari (technically Puyo Puyo is a spinoff of this) The Bard's Tale Trilogy Many (but not all?) Might and Magic games Early Elder Scrolls games (Arena and Daggerfall)-Dungeon Crawls with basic overworld content in Arena that grew in Daggerfall, but retained the Dungeon Crawling Princess Tomato 🙂   Etrian odyssey - keeping this old-school style genre alive- and developing it further -Retro in the truest sense of the word. The interesting aspects here (IMO): Party Customization Mapping/exploration - another layer of progression Challenging/strategic turn based battles EO made mapping a gameplay mechanic   More: Shining in the darkness Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Persona Q Labyrinth   https://dungeoncrawlers.org/games/  (ngl I have very little familiarity with almost all of these)   It's kind of like shmups, a really niche old genre that is rare these days, but has a following.   These days, mainstream RPGs almost always opt for the "open world" approach. Games I have seen called dungeon crawlers but question that nomenclature: The Legend of Zelda Diablo Enter the Gungeon Hades Mystery Dungeon Arx Fatalis Slay the Spire Darkest dungeon X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance Community Couch See discord Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games

    1hr 60min
  8. 11 Mar

    Ep 142 - Fire Emblem's Morals!

    Welcome to RetroLogic! I'm Sam Wagers here with John Cummis and Shannon Eno   But RetroLogic isn't just a podcast. It's a community of retro gamers! - We've got an active, friendly, and free discord. - Giveaways - Contests - AND Dive into our family of Retro podcasts! Like RetroGroove, a music history podcast, and On Topic Retro, a podcast dedicated to 1 video game per episode hosted by our very own John Cummins. - you can find everything at our website retrologic.games Tell me one thing that happened this week!   Housekeeping   Sam: Streaming Armored Core (Mon) and Path of Radiance Saturday!   On Topic Retro: Zelda Phantom Hourglass & Spirit Tracks   FilmLogic: The Guyver The Price Is Retro -  If this is your first time playing Price Is Retro, here's how we play. I'm going to list off 4 or 5 games and everyone has to guess how much the lot is worth in total. Whoever is closest to the actual value wins that round! Everyone has a list and everyone guesses on each other's list. At the end, the player that won the most rounds wins the episode! But watch out for the robot Deus Guess Machina! He averages all of our guesses together for his own guess Dinosaur - Leonard - adds up original costs, retail value Ghost - Polterguest - always guesses 300 Shan's list Sam's list John's List Rampage -  Sam's Spot the Fake   Backlog Challenge Round 2: Community Vote We're letting the community decide which games we play for round 2 of our backlog challenge!  Vote on discord before next show! Sam Grabbed by the Ghoulies (Xbox) Glory of Heracles (DS) Zak and Wiki: the quest for Barbaros Treasure (Wii)   Shannon Secret of Mana (SNES)  Kirby and the Magic Mirror (GBA)  Harvest Moon (SNES)   John Final Fantasy Grandia II Drill Dozer   Show Topic - 37:30 44:18 Fire Emblem used to be good: (I'm trolling)    Our history with the series: Games list and timeline: Japan era: 1990  [FE1] Shadow Dragon and the Blade of light (Famicom) 1992 [FE2] Gaiden (Famicom) 1994 [FE3] Mystery of the Emblem (SFC) (remake + of FE1) 1996 [FE4] Genealogy of the Holy War (SFC) 1999 [FE5] Thracia 776 (SFC)   Yes, those are the actual release dates for super famicom. They just ignored the N64. Shozou Kaga leaves Intelligent systems in 1999 after Thracia releases, founds Tirnanog as an independent studio to create TearRing Saga. (very similar to fire emblem)   International era (classic) 2001 Smash Bros. Melee introduces the world to Marth and Roy 2002 [FE6] The Binding Blade (Ok, this one didn't release outside japan) (GBA) 2003 [FE7] The Blazing Blade (AKA "Fire Emblem") (GBA) 2004 [FE8] The Sacred Stones (GBA) 2005 [FE9] Path of Radiance (GC) 2007 [FE10] Radiant Dawn (Wii)  2008 [FE11] Shadow Dragon (DS) remake of FE1 2010 [FE12] New Mystery of the Emblem (DS) remake of FE3 Japan only   Awakening 2012 [FE13] Fire Emblem Awakening 3DS 2015 [FE14] Fates 3DS 2015 [] Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U) 2017 Heroes (mobile) 2017 [FE15] Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadow of Valentia (3DS) - Remake of FE2 2019 [FE16] Three Houses (switch) 2020 [] Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Switch) 2022 Fire Emblem Warriors: 3 hopes (switch) 2023 [FE17] Engage (switch) 2025 Shadows (mobile) 2026 [FE18] Fortune's Weave - Switch 2 Some thoughts: What makes Fire emblem Fire emblem?  Has that answer changed in each era?   https://www.animelyrics.com/game/fireemblem/fireemblemcm.htm   -Is Tellius all that different?   Comparing: -Permanent death vs. casual mode - game design -Character design/aesthetics -Player Avatars -Character Relationships -Map design -Newer gimmicks (combat arts, squadrons, emblem rings, dragon veins, pair up) -Grindability (arena, optional maps, bonus exp) -reclassing   Series future: -Remakes of FE4, FE5, FE6? -What direction would it take to win Sam back? Community Couch See discord   Thanks for listening to the RetroLogic Podcast! We are proudly part of the Nintendo Dads family of podcasts. If you like what you hear, check me out on Bluesky at @retrologicgames.bsky.social. You're also welcome to jump into our friendly and 100% non-toxic Discord Community! The link to that is in my Blusky bio. You can also find everything on our website Retrologic.games Discord Link Join Today!

    2h 28m

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Retro gaming in the modern world! Each week Dan, John and Sam chat about current retro gaming news, reviews, collecting, and more!

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