Noobscast

Chris Regan & Peter Regan

Two lifelong gamers, Chris and Peter Regan, discuss videogame-adjacent media. In the first season, we're talking about the 90s show ReBoot, which was a kids TV series set inside a computer system. Each episode of ReBoot featured the characters playing a videogame, so as well as discussing the episode itself we'll also use the games featured in the episode to talk about our video game memories.

  1. Aug 3

    The Season 1 Finale of ReBoot, 007 First Light and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (ReBoot s1e12&13)

    Chris and Peter reach the end of ReBoot Season 1, discussing the two-part finale, "Identity Crisis, Part 1" and "Identity Crisis, Part 2." After a season of increasingly ambitious storytelling, the brothers look at how these episodes raise the stakes, expand the world of Mainframe, and hint at the darker, more serialized direction the series would later become famous for.  Before returning to Mainframe, they catch up on the games they've been playing, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, whose cinematic approach prompts a conversation about games that genuinely make you feel like you're starring in an action film. They also discuss 007: First Light, discussing why James Bond games have always been such a natural fit for the medium and how modern developers are blurring the line between movies and videogames. Along the way, Chris and Peter reflect on the role nostalgia plays in gaming, why some games are remembered long after the credits roll, and how satisfying gameplay doesn't always have to be complicated. From blockbuster adventures to classic inspirations, they explore how storytelling and game design have evolved over the decades while still capturing the same sense of excitement that first got them hooked. It's a fitting end to Season 1 of both ReBoot and Noobscast—celebrating the series' first major finale while looking back at the games and ideas that continue to shape the medium today. Noobs by C.G. Regan Cover Art by Charlotte Regan Music by Peter Regan

  2. Jul 20

    Indie games, Storyteller, Before Your Eyes, The Witness and the limitations of villains in 90s kids TV (ReBoot s1e11)

    This week, Chris and Pete return to Mainframe for Season 1, Episode 11 of ReBoot, Talent Night. Before they get there, however, they take a detour through the world of videogames, discussing mobile gaming, the inventive puzzle game Storyteller, the emotional narrative adventure Before Your Eyes, and why smaller indie titles can often leave a bigger impression than blockbuster releases. The conversation also touches on Here They Lie and The Witness, leading to a wider discussion about creativity, experimentation, and the kinds of games that stick with you long after you've finished playing them. When the brothers finally arrive at Talent Night, they discover an episode packed with oddities, including a cameo from the iconic characters of Dire Straits' Money For Nothing video. This sparks another look at the early CGI pioneers behind ReBoot and raises the question: how did all these random ideas find their way into the episode? The discussion then turns to the evolving relationship between Megabyte and Enzo, and how ReBoot gradually develops its characters beyond the simple hero-versus-villain format of most children's television. Chris and Peter explore how villains in 80s and 90s kids' shows often had to function like pantomime villains because there were limits on how threatening they could be, and how ReBoot was part of a broader shift towards more complex storytelling and season-long story arcs. From indie games and emotional storytelling to CGI history, pantomime villains, and talent shows inside a computer system, it's another nostalgic trip through gaming and pop culture history. Noobs by C.G. Regan Cover Art by Charlotte Regan Music by Peter Regan

  3. Jun 8

    Frogwares' Sherlock Holmes series, the Wishmaster movies and button-bashing sports games (ReBoot s1e8)

    Chris and Peter begin this episode with a discussion of Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, leading into a wider conversation about the detective games of Frogwares and why they've become one of gaming's most reliable developers of mystery adventures. Chris shares his enthusiasm for Sherlock Holmes Chapter One, while also somehow mixing up Arsène Lupin, C. Auguste Dupin, and Pierre Dupont. The conversation then drifts into the early days of PC gaming, when downloading a full game seemed like science fiction, dial-up internet was painfully slow, and deciphering PC specifications felt like solving a mystery worthy of Holmes himself. Eventually, they return to Mainframe for Episode 8 of ReBoot, "Enzo the Smart." After Enzo overclocks himself to become a genius, he accidentally turns everyone else into 8-bit idiots. Naturally, this prompts a debate about whether the episode is more like Wishmaster or Saw, the invention of the phrase "to be Wishmastered," and a lengthy detour into the Wishmaster franchise, including an unproduced sequel script by the Wishmaster himself, Andrew Divoff. The casting of Chris Lemmon inevitably leads to a discussion of the gloriously 90s TV series Thunder in Paradise, co-starring Hulk Hogan. The episode's sports-themed game sparks memories of frantic button-bashing classics such as Track & Field, Daley Thompson's Decathlon, and California Games, before the brothers chart the evolution of the genre all the way to Wii Sports. Back to ReBoot, and a minecart sequence triggers a conversation about similar sections in games like Resident Evil 4, which inevitably derails into an unexpectedly passionate debate about the strengths and weaknesses of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. From Sherlock Holmes to Wishmaster, from dial-up internet to minecart chases, it's another episode that ends up somewhere completely different from where it started. Noobs by C.G. Regan Cover Art by Charlotte Regan Music by Peter Regan

  4. May 4

    Mouse: P.I. for Hire, Money for Nothing and sidekick episodes in retro cartoons (ReBoot s1e6)

    After a slightly time-bending return (it’s been a year… sort of), Chris and Peter are back in the system and catching up on what they’ve been playing. Chris dives into the cartoon-styled shooter Mouse: P.I. For Hire, a rubber-hose animated throwback in the spirit of classic 30s cartoons, while reflecting on difficulty, storytelling, and the strange modern obsession with bolting extra systems like card games onto everything. From there, things spiral (as they tend to) into a deep and entirely necessary discussion about lockpicking mini-games, wrestling briefcases, and why some mechanics stick in your brain long after the rest of the game has faded. They then jack back into ReBoot to tackle Season 1, Episode 6: “The Belly of the Beast.” It’s another surprising departure from the expected “game of the week” format, instead focusing on Enzo and Frisket in what feels like an early sidekick episode. The brothers question why the series pivots away from its core concept so quickly, explore the odd low-stakes nature of kidnapping in Mainframe, and inevitably Chris brings up the topic of bowel movements inside a computer system. Along the way, there’s talk of the origins of CGI animation (including connections to the iconic Money for Nothing music video), the quirks of 80s and 90s kids’ TV structure, and the enduring mystery of why sidekick characters are almost always the worst. Noobs by C.G. Regan Cover Art by Charlotte Regan Music by Peter Regan

About

Two lifelong gamers, Chris and Peter Regan, discuss videogame-adjacent media. In the first season, we're talking about the 90s show ReBoot, which was a kids TV series set inside a computer system. Each episode of ReBoot featured the characters playing a videogame, so as well as discussing the episode itself we'll also use the games featured in the episode to talk about our video game memories.