Episodes

In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, Mike and Jaymo give their first thoughts on last week’s Super Mario Galaxy movie Nintendo direct, and talk about the games that they’ve been playing during the season break. We start off with a bit of discussion about both the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros and the 2023 The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Illumination before going over the new footage from the Nintendo Direct and if it’s moved the needle on our expectations. Mike gives his firs...

In this Lite Switch episode of The Old SwitchAroo, we have some bonus content that couldn't fit in out Season 3 16th bit retrospective. See if you can beat Jaymo at our returning trivia game RTFM, or Read The F---ing Manual, where he's challenged to see how many characters and places he can name based off of how they're described in the original video game manuals that the retro games we played this year would've come with. Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal Fields of ...

On this episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, we take a break from our usual quest to cover all 300+ games in the Nintendo Classics catalog to explore the horrific secrets of the Little Nightmares series with Twitch's RiRiYells! We explore the obscurest regions of Mike's horror movie collection, draw parallels between Six and the demons she fights, and theorize the ways the latest entry, Little Nightmares 3, could come to a chilling end! Be sure to check out Riri on Twitch and tune i...

It’s time to celebrate the end of another season of The Old SwitchAroo with the 16th-bit Retro-spective Season 3 Finale as Mike and Jaymo reflect on their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we bring back “Guess Hosts” so Mike and Jaymo can go head-to-head in a trivia competition with questions brought to us by this season’s great guests, the Old Switcharoonies give a chance to mark the highs and lows of all the games play...

Happney is as good as his sword when he talks Crystalis (NES, 1990) 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 influence of Studio Ghibli films like Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind on Crystalis, try to figure out if this was SNK’s answer to The Legend of Zelda, and the ways that the aesthetics of this game seem to overla...

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,...

Chico D Mar is at the starting line for F-Zero (SNES, 1990) and F-Zero 99 (Switch, 2023) as he joins Mike and 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 appreciate the character design from Takaya Imamura and the comic book artwork from Valiant Comics, including both the box art and an in-manual comic drawn by Arthur Nichols. We also learn how Captain Falcon was originally inten...

Andrew Linde from “Nothing New: A Remake Podcast” uncovers hard truths about Clu Clu Land (NES, 1985), Mario’s Picross (Game Boy, 1995), and Mario’s Super Picross (SNES, 1995) 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 revealing episode, we discuss how Animal Crossing helped expose a new generation to retro titles, how Bubbles the balloonfish made waves as a female protag...

Nate Brown (Twitch’s @nateblackest) brings down the house as he talks Blast Corps (N64, 1997) 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 explosive episode, we explore the astronomical precision of the level select screen, the suspected censorship of a problematic televised roadster, and the timeless appeal of Nate’s hunt for the most “mid” movies of all time. Plus, we cre...

It’s-a him, Dempsey from the Overthinking Games podcast! In this colorful episode he links up with Mike and Jaymo to play Super Mario World (SNES, 1991) and its 2001 Game Boy Advance port, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, 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, we unveil Yoshi’s unexpected upbringing in Christianity, expose the alleged animal abuse that did and did not m...

It’s an absolute punch-up as Timmy Williams from The Whitest Kids U’ Know joins Mike and Jaymo as they play the all-time classic Ninja Gaiden (NES, 1988) and the not-so-classic Kung Fu Heroes (NES, 1989) as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog! In this episode, we explore how the Whitest Kids can be used as teaching tools,, learn why the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles weren’t allowed in Europe, behold the retu...

It’s music to our ears as RiriYells returns with fellow Twitch streamer KylTheSheikah to join Mike and Jaymo in Hyrule as they play The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64, 1998) as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we find Hyrule’s hidden Arwings, discuss the highs and lows of Z-targeting, the coming-of-age moments spurred by the Great Fairies, and why Ocarina of Time is considered a milestone in puzzle-...

Josh Covel from the Still Loading podcast and his frequent guest Dexter Morrill join Mike and Jaymo to fly too close to the sun in Kid Icarus (NES, 1987) as part of an epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, Mike finally gets to talk too much about Captain N: The Game Master as we learn about Still Loading’s episode-by-episode watch through mini-series, how Kid Icarus was one of the first games to use the MMC1 mapper chip to s...

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...

Our theme song-genius Kristal Fields is back on board with her friend Nick to talk Metroid (NES, 1987) and Metroid II: Return of Samus (Game Boy, 1991) with Mike and Jaymo as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll work out just what a Metroid really is, where the Narpas Sword that World of Warcraft ‘borrowed’ from this series came from, in way the Alien franchise influenced Planet Zebes, and how Justin Bai...

Colleen is taking off into Pilotwings (SNES) and Pilotwings 64 (N64, 1996) with Mike and Jaymo on board as part of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll look at how Mode 7 graphics were originally destined for flying insects, argue over both American sea monsters and if these games should count as Mario games, remember the shuttle program, and spoil one of the big twists of The Phantom Menace (but an album did it...

Sarah and Kyle Ford from Stream Team party down with Instagram’s Jaclynfrances in the hit party game that birthed a franchise: Mario Party on the Nintendo 64. Mike and Jaymo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog has never been more wild! In this raucous episode, we kick off the first annual Blooper Games! Play along with a series of wacky mini-games as our guest hosts attempt to match their auras with retro title screens, test their memory ...

Twitch streamer RiRiYells and the Underrated movie podcast’s Derick McDuff are instrumental in exploring The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (Game Boy / Game Boy Color 1993/1998) as Mike and Jaymo continue on season 3 of their epic quest to research and review every retro game in the Nintendo Switch Online catalog! In this episode, we’ll learn t how Link’s Awakening was like an afterschool project with a life of its own, try to figure out the boundaries of reality in this Lynchian entry of ...

As we wrap up our season-break episodes of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, Mike and Jaymo dive into their gaming adventures during this downtime. Mike shares his experience with the emotional journey of the To the Moon series, discussing its unique storytelling and how it resonates on a personal level. Jaymo, on the other hand, introduces listeners to the exciting open beta of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, a long-awaited sequel that blends 2D fighting with modern graphics. The duo also exp...

It’s time to cross swords over Animal Crossing! In this episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, Jaymo continues his break from researching, reviewing, and playfully ribbing all 250+ games in the Nintendo Switch Online retro catalog. Today, he faces off against returning guest Lisa from the Geek Pop Podcast in a competition to see whose Animal Crossing island has the best house, villagers, and overall theming. Their guest judge is fellow Geek Popper and Animal Crossing aficionado, Big Chris; ...

Join Mike and Jaymo for another engaging episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, as they continue their break from the usual Nintendo Switch Online catalog to dive into Jaymo's top twenty games of all time. This episode is packed with nostalgia, excitement, and a few surprises as they explore the games that shaped Jaymo's gaming journey. The discussion kicks off with the thrilling announcement of the Switch 2, sparking debates about backward compatibility and the potential for enhanced ga...

Join Mike and Jaymo for a laid-back season-break episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, where they take a breather from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what they've been playing during the offseason. This time, it's all about the games that have captured their attention while they gear up for the exciting launch of Season 3. Jaymo kicks things off with his love for retro fighting games, diving into his experience on the Cable Club League podcast wh...

Join Mike and Jaymo for a special episode of The Old SwitchAroo: Lite Switch, where they take a break from their usual deep dives into the Nintendo Switch Online catalog to share what gaming and gaming-related activities they've been up to during the offseason. In this special SPOILER-FILLED episode, the boys are joined by two lifelong Sonic fans, Jaymo’s brothers Justin & Jonathan, to recap and review the 2024 hit movie, Sonic the Hedgehog 3. After a quick rundown of Sonic’s various multi...