Genesis Episodes

Markivus Nious from 40 Something Gamers is ready to run and gun through Contra: Hard Corps (Sega Genesis / Mega Drive, 1994) with Mike and Jaymo as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog. In this episode, Markivus shares his perspective as a musician on video game music, we discuss how the American version of Contra: Hard Corps was much more difficult than the Japanese version of the game in orde...

Jaymo’s brothers are back from outer space to see who will survive Alien Storm (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, 1991), joining Mike and Jaymo as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, Jaymo pulls back the curtain on Sega’s AM1 Division and Team Shinobi as the Amusement Machine behind Alien Storm, we compare this to its stylistic forebearer Golden Axe and speculate about how the continu...

Cyril from Defunct Games armors up for Ghosts ‘n Goblins (NES), Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive), and Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts (SNES) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we talk about the value of preserving contemporary game reviews of retro video games, Capcom’s mostly forgotten former mascot Captain Commando and the Captain Commando Challenge Se...

Don from the Cable Club League is powering up his mega buster for Mega Man: The Wily Wars (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, 1994) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! Mega Man: The Wily Wars is a compilation action platformer game combining Mega Man, Mega Man 2, and Mega Man 3 for the Nintendo Entertainment System plus a bonus game for the Sega Genesis, Wily Tower. In this episode,...

Ryan (Warboss5) is rejoining the party for another quest with Mike and Jaymo as they play Phantasy Star IV (Sega Genesis/Megadrive, 1993), continuing their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we discuss when it’s appropriate to search through someone else’s belongings, try to figure out just how much Phantasy Star IV was really borrowing from Star Wars, and examine the virtues of direct translation compared to reinterprete...

Brad from Arcadiology helps us mine for rare gems looking at two games from Treasure, Gunstar Heroes (Genesis, 1993) and Sin and Punishment (N64, 2000), as part of Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode we look at how Treasure cut their teeth with McDonalds, what giant robots and kaiju can teach us about dealing with loss, and why it is that Sin and Punishment has the weirdest grip on the Nintendo 64 controlle...

We scare up Nick and Josh from Smashing Game Time to blast through Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES, 1993) and Ghoul Patrol (SNES, 1994) as we take a detour from Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode we look at why chainsaws were replaced with axes when Zombies went overseas, Jaymo gets burned by how much difference a flamethrower can make, try to figure out how much of Ghoul Patrol’s original game design is pe...

Twitch streamer SSJ3Butch joins Mike and Jaymo for three animal platformers, Mappy-Land (NES, 1986), Flicky (Sega Genesis, 1991), and Spanky’s Quest (SNES, 1991), as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we also check out Mappy: The Beat, the 2013 Mappy animated series produced by webcomic creators Scott Kurtz and Kris Straub, discuss Flicky’s appearances in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and marvel at the h...

Mike, Jaymo, and ocean enthusiast Cori Gibb dive into "Ecco the Dolphin" (1992) on the Sega Genesis in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this splashy episode we explore the unseen alien invasion that sunk Atlantis, Jacques Cousteau's hilarious foray into 90's marketing, and the shockingly clever way dolphins get high beneath the waves. Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal for our catchy new theme son...

The Old Switch-a-roo is back and better than ever! Mike, Jaymo, and his boisterous brothers Justin and Jonathan spin dash through "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" (Sega Genesis/Mega Drive) in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this fast-paced episode, we deep-dive/debate to create a Zone Tier List, grapple with the moral gray areas of retro-gaming Robin Hoods, discuss if Tails really brings anything to the team, and mostly just try to avoid ...

Mike and Jaymo blast & bomb their way through Xevious: The Avenger and Star Soldier in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! Along the way, they'll fly through Vietnam war themes, hidden messages in source code, and the Foreigner Belt. Let us know if you think Star Soldier is a NintenDO or a NintenDON'T. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to Subscribe to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! Game on, everyone. (0:0...

Mike and Jaymo flip out with Justin and Jonathan as they play Pinball and Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! On the table will be how pinball become legal in the US, how to find success in Las Vegas, and the misleading works of author Betsy Byars. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to Subscribe to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! Game on, everyone. (0:00) Intro (14...

Mike, Jaymo, Justin, & Jonathan hack/slash their way through Golden Axe & Golden Axe 2 in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! Let them know whether you think these "classics" are Ninten-Do's or Ninten-Don'ts! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to Subscribe to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! Game on, everyone. (0:00) Intro (2:00) Golden Axe (26:52:00) Golden Axe 2 (39:38:00) NintenDO or Nin...

Mike, Jaymo, & Kristal spin-kick their way through Street Fighter 2 & Virtua Fighter 2 in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! Let them know whether you think these "classics" are Ninten-Do's or Ninten-Don'ts! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to Subscribe to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! Game on, everyone. (0:00) Intro (7:25) Street Fighter 2: Box Art & Trivia (33:09:00) Street Fighter Roster Ro...

Mike & Jaymo grind their way through Shining Force and Shining Force 2 in their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! Let them know whether you think these "classics" are Ninten-Do's or Ninten-Don'ts! Thanks for listening, and don't forget to Subscribe to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! Game on, everyone. (0:00) Intro (2:51) Shining Force (Joy Pros) (25:15) Shining Force or Shining Farce? (33:07) Shin...

It's morphin' time as Mike & Jaymo deep dive into shape-shifting platformers Kid Chameleon (Sega Genesis, 1992), Claymates (SNES, 1994), & Jelly Boy (SNES, 1995) on their epic quest to research & review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! Along the way they'll try to figure out why the early 90s seemed so obsessed with having kids get trapped in video games, how game manuals at rental stores used to be community resources, and some flashbacks to old lenticular covers. T...