The Retrograde: A Video Game Podcast!

Turn off those consoles, D-Pads.

We've been spending too long talking about "the best," and "our favourites."

It's about time we grind things to a halt and talk about our least favourite video games of all time.

Are these the worst video games of all time?

Not necessarily.

In fact: more often than not, not at all! Instead, these are the games which for one reason or another really bothered us.

Maybe they didn't live up to a promise?

Maybe they ruined our favourite franchise? Maybe everyone else loved them and we simply couldn't see why?

Plus: The Last of Us: No Return, the Silent Hill 2 Trailer, and Dune 2 impressions Let us know your least favourite games of all time!

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Find a partner and mash your medallions together, D-Pads!

You asked, and we watched: this week we finally take a look at the heavily requested film adaptation of Double Dragon (1994) featuring the likes of Scott Wolf, Robert Patrick, and... Alyssa Milano's brother?

With all the conversation surrounding the success of video game adaptations, from 2023's Super Mario Bros. and The Last of Us, to 2024's announcement of Borderlands, and season 2 of Halo, we figured we'd revisit the roots of these vague remakes!

This was truly one of the most baffling films we've ever seen, but believe it or not there was actually a pretty interesting movie buried somewhere in there!

It's available on Prime Video, so you might want to give it a watch before you give us a listen!

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Call your dads, D-Pads!

It's time to boot up that old grey PC in your basement, click on over to Start - Program Files - Games, and see what you've got!

If you were lucky enough to be born 30 or so years ago, you'll know what this is all about, and you'll likely have some opinions on what were some of the best Windows Based and Microsoft Entertainment Pack games!

Is Solitaire better than Minesweeper?

Does Jezzball deserve to be higher than B tier?

What even is Jezzball?

Plus: our final thoughts on Prince of Persia The Lost Crown.

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Time for a pit-stop, D-Pads!

As gamers we're still early enough into the lifecycle of our favourite medium to have been blessed with more fantastic years than bad ones.

After the gaming crash of the 1980s, it looked like the sky was the limite!

That is, until 1995.

While no year is without a few stand-out games, some years brought more misery than excitement. Join us as we draft some of the best AND worst games from 1995.

Does the glory of Earthbound outweigh the shame of Penn and Teller's Smoke and Mirrors?

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Time to dust off that Blockbuster card, D-Pads!

This week we sit down side by side on a sofa built for two to discuss a style of gaming which just doesn't seem to exist anymore.

While the introduction of online multiplayer games felt promising, the unforeseen casualty was the tried and true practice of couch co-op!

We wanted to relive some of our best memories playing videogames side by side with our buddies by drafting a team of 6 of our favourites!

Whether it's a strict co-op game, split screen multiplayer, or just a classic single player game which is well suited to passing the controller back and forth, it's all on the table (or, in this case, the couch).

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We've been feeling the love since our 300th episode, so we wanted to give back to the listeners!

This week we decided to open up the mail bag again and answer some of your burning questions.

Why isn't there more sex in video games?

What are our least favourite peripherals of all time?

What makes a mediocre game worth playing?

And more!

Plus, we break down some of the biggest moments from last week's Sony State of Play, and catch up on our recent gaming habits like Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and Dave the Diver!

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It's our 300th Episode, D-Pads!

When we first started this podcast roughly 6 years ago, the world had no idea what it was in for: a few weeks of poorly produced banter before the feed went silent?

A forgotten corner of the internet where two friends catch one another up about their gaming habits?

Mikey's ultimate manifesto?

Regardless, we've made it to 300 episodes and we couldn't have done it without the massive support of our listeners (and the modest YouTube viewership).

To celebrate where we are, we wanted to look back on where it all started with Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).

Largely credited with saving console gaming after the crash of 1983, this game would live on as one of Nintendo's crowning achievements, and one of the most memorable games of all time. ...but is it still worth playing in the modern day?

Join us to find out!

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Kick, Push, D-Pads!

This week we strap on the elbow pads, slip into the knee pads, throw on a helmet, and take to the streets!

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is one of the original franchises which inspired this podcast, and as we get closer to episode 300 we wanted to take a week to play a game which is near and dear to our heart: it's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2!

We easily remember this game being near perfect, but how does a version of the franchise without classic mechanics like Reverts and Modifiers hold up in the modern day?

Join us as we run down the history of the franchise, and our history of enjoying it.

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This week we party like it's 1999!

All this talk about how great 2023 was for gaming stirred our ongoing debate over which years have been the best in gaming history.

So far on the show we've done deep dives into 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2007, but somehow we missed one of the most fruitful years of all time: 1999!

From Silent Hill and Legacy of Kain, to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Super Smash Bros., the onslaught of great games is almost unmatched!

Join us as we wade through the launch window of Dreamcast, and the heard of pokemania while we each draft a team of 7 games to see who can put together the best lineup.

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Happy New Year, D-Pads! This week we look forward to some of the year's biggest and most interesting releases.

2023 was an absolute powerhouse, but is it even possible to consider that 2024 might have just as much to offer?

From The Plucky Squire, to Hades 2, to Star Wars: Outlaws, there are still plenty of games to keep us geared up for what's in store.

Plus: we look at how our 2023 most anticipated lists compared to the year's best releases.

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