Episode #97 - Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid North American Release Date - September 3, 1998

We've waited long enough. It's time to talk about the iconic Metal Gear Solid. We covered the sequel back on episode 73, and the last 6 months people have been asking me "when are you covering the original?" Well, here it is. Yes, it's a better game, and yes, we probably should have covered it first, and yes it's awesome and yes we waited too long and, well, you get it. 

Bradley McCue of The Movie Epidemic Podcast and I broke down the original Metal Gear Solid this week. And when I say we broke it down, I mean it. We cover the whole game, talk plot details, bosses, surprises, game mechanics. If you haven't played this game and still want to someday, maybe skip the second part of the show this week, because SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!

On the other hand, if that's why you're here, skip to 11:20. 

And before we get into the Playstation One gem that is MGS, I touch on a couple things. We're getting a new Paper Mario, and that's awesome! I think we're gonna get a smorgasbord of game announcements this Summer, and I can't wait. And speaking of this Summer, there are awesome games coming out every month from June - September! Who needs to go outside anyway??

And speaking of awesome, we're giving away a Nintendo Switch Lite! June 10th will be our 100th episode, and as a thank you for all the support, we're giving one listener a brand new Nintendo Switch Lite. And it's FREE TO ENTER!! 

Listen to this week's intro for details, and send your answer to the trivia question (along with your name) to: 

Memberthegame@gmail.com

Deadline is June 8th! And one entry per person, please. Don't be a douche. 

Good luck and enjoy the podcast! 

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Episode #94 - Spyro The Dragon

Spyro The Dragon North American Release Date - September 10, 1998

I say it every time I play a game I like for the first time, but one of the coolest things about this podcast is discover new games that I missed when they originally released. Shining Force, Shinobi 3 and Banjo-Kazooie have been my favourites so far, and you can add Spyro the Dragon to that list. This game is awesome! If that's all you're here for, skip to 18:00. 

3D platformers have always been very hit and miss for me, but the crew at Insomniac deserve a ton of credit for making a game that's fun, charming, and just the right level of difficulty. Growing up, I skipped this game because I thought Spyro was for babies. It might start out pretty easy, but the final few levels of this game really crank up the difficulty, particularly if you're collecting everything (which you should be). I enjoyed this game so much I 120% completed it, and I hardly ever 100% games.

Spyro won our March Patreon Poll, and as promised, here's an episode about it. My buddy and fellow comedian Darren joins me to talk about one of his favourite games of all-time; Spyro the freaking Dragon. 

And before we get into the little purple dragon that could, there's other stuff to talk about! I weigh in Expansion Pass returning to it's normal schedule after a shaky April. I'm trying to spend a *little* less time playing video games during these crazy times. And The Last of Us 2 has a new release date (YAY), because someone leaked the entire story and it's being spoiled all over the internet (Boo....). 

Thanks for listening, clean your controllers, and enjoy the episode!

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Episode #87 - Crash Bandicoot: Warped

Crash Bandicoot: Warped North American Release Date - October 31, 1998

It took us 87 episodes of the show to talk about Naughty Dog's apple collecting, box smashing, shirt not-wearing Bandicoot, and for that I apologize. But the day has finally come. We're talking Crash Bandicoot on the show this week, specifically Crash Bandicoot: Warped (3), and I'm damned excited. If you want to skip over my rambling and get right to Crash, skip to 17:20.

Also on this week's show:

- I give the second round of shout-outs to our Patreons for March.

- Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo fame has joined the video game nWo and is working with GameStop now. I don't want to see them go out of business, but is this too little, too late?

- Happy Mar10 day! Let's talk a little Mario.

And more! And once we're done with all that, my buddy Andre and I talk about Crash Bandicoot's third adventure on the original Playstation; Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Enjoy the show!

And please, toss us a good review and a follow, would ya? We'll follow you back!

Twitter - @memberthegame

Instagram - @memberthegame

And as always, $2/month will get you bonus podcasts, a shout-out on the show, and a chance to win 25% of our Patreon! Patreon.com/RememberTheGame

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Episode #69 - Twisted Metal (1-4)

Twisted Metal North American Release Date - November 5, 1995

**Game Talk starts at 14:10**

Over the last 69 (nice) episodes of this podcast, we've stumbled across a couple forgotten franchises, and it's really made me sad that they seem like they're just destined to wallow in the obscurity that is video game history for the rest of time. Franchises like BattleToads, Earthworm Jim, and now, Twisted Metal.

When I think OG Playstation, I think of the heavy hitters like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy. But I also think of the Twisted Metal series. I really liked these games. My fondest multiplayer experiences with Sony's little grey box were with wrestling games and Twisted Metal. They're the reason I have Rob Zombie music on my phone to this day, and for my money, Twisted Metal Black is still one of the best games on the Playstation 2. 

And dammit, these games were cool. Twisted Metal was the first game I played on my Playstation that really made it feel like a more "grown up" console, compared to my beloved Nintendo 64. It was the first system I bought with my own money, the first non-Nintendo console I ever owned, and Sweet Tooth and friends really made me feel like I hadn't wasted my cash. 

We approached this episode the same way we tackled the original Tony Hawk games. I don't feel like there's enough meat on the bone to give each of the original 4 titles it's own episode, so we're just looking back the original quartet as a whole. My buddy Andre likes these games as much as I do, and we had a hell of a time cracking open a cold bottle of nostalgia this week. Enjoy the show!

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Episode #41 - Spider-Man

Spider-Man North American Release Date -  August 30th, 2000

Spider-Man is my favourite superhero. Even if you ignore all of the "he's a normal guy trying to do the right thing/with great power comes great responsibility" stuff and just focus on superpowers, the guy is sick. Climbing walls, super strength, agility, and of course, web-slinging. He seems like he'd be perfect for video games. And unfortunately, that wasn't really the case for a long time. Then came Spider-Man for the PlayStation.

Developed by Neversoft, Spider-Man initially released on the PlayStation in the summer of 2000. It later found it's way onto the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast, but for me and most my friends, this game's practically a PlayStation exclusive. It's one of the games I most wanted to see on the PS Classic last year - although I didn't expect it because of licensing and the fact that the PS Classic is garbage - and aside from Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and the Tony Hawk series, it's one of the titles I most associate with Sony's first foray into the console world.

(On a side note, Neversoft developed the Tony Hawk games along with Spider-Man. That's a pretty sick track record. They were definitely one of the original PlayStation's MVP developers)

You (obviously) play the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. You fight bad guys, climb walls, and yep, web-sling around New York. Kind of. Doctor Octopus and Carnage release a fog across the city, and it blocks out the lower half of New York for the duration of the game. Obviously a way to work within the limitations of the PlayStation's hardware capabilities (I assume anyway), you web-sling along the skyline of the city without ever seeing the streets, traffic, and people. It actually works really well, and doesn't take away from the game.

Where this game truly shines, in my opinion, is it's story. It absolutely captures the feel of the modern Marvel movies, and the roster of characters that make appearances in Spider-Man is INSANE! Spider-Man, Venom (my other favourite. And they team up, which is the best!), Punisher, Captain America, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Carnage, Human Torch, Daredevil, Rhino; the list goes on and on. Stan Lee even shows up! I say it during the podcast this week, but nothing makes me happier than when I see a game developer truly cares, and it's obvious while playing this game that Neversoft set out to make something special. And they succeeded.

An original story, incredible gameplay and graphics, and a little TLC, Spider-Man has it all. My buddy Tyler and I had a great time talking about one of the stand out (and occasionally forgotten) gems on the PlayStation. It's all about Spider-Man this week on 'Remember The Game?'!

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Episode #36 - Resident Evil

Resident Evil North American Release Date - March 22, 1996

When you think of platformers, Super Mario Bros jumps to mind as the most influential to the genre. First Person Shooters, that nod might go to Wolfenstein or Doom. And when you get into the world of horror video games, the undisputed king is the Playstation classic, Resident Evil. 

Admittedly, I'm a wuss when it comes to horror and scary things. I don't watch a lot of the movies, and I haven't played many of the video games. My first experience with the Resident Evil franchise was Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube. I adored it. And it made me want to go back and try some of it's predecessors. When I finally got a chance to play the game that started it all, I was....underwhelmed. 

However, in retrospect, Resident Evil deserves a lot of credit. You can certainly criticize the control scheme and the God awful voice acting (although I think the cheesy voice acting adds to the game, like a bad 80's horror movie), but what you can't deny is that this game defined a genre. Capcom did something new with Resident Evil. They tried to take a horror movie that you'd see in a theatre, and make it into a video game. The Playstation had the technical capabilities to do what the 16-bit era consoles couldn't, and the end result is a game that may be laughable today, but was revolutionary and down-right scary in it's prime. The franchise has gone on to become one of the most famous in gaming, spawning countless video games and several films, and horror games like Outlast, The Evil Within, and (my personal favourite) Dead Space, owe a great debt to Resident Evil. 

Like I said, the horror genre in gaming isn't my forte. But my buddy Tyler knows this game like the back of his hand. He's my guest this week, and we had a blast remembering the crazy, campy, crappy controlling world of Resident Evil.

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Episode #34 - WWF Attitude

WWF Attitude North American Release Date  -  July 31st, 1999 (Playstation & Nintendo 64)

Pro wrestling is probably the only thing on the planet on par with retro video games when it comes to making me feel nostalgic. Being a teenager during the Monday Night Wars and the Attitude Era was something special. If you liked wrestling in those days (and who didn't?), you know what I'm saying. Combine the Attitude Era with the Playstation and the Nintendo 64, and you have nostalgia overload. 

Enter WWF Attitude.

When people talk wrestling games from the 90's and early 2000's, the instant focus falls on THQ. WCW/nWo Revenge, Wrestlemania 2000, and of course, WWF No Mercy are all absolutely incredible. But before the WWF got in bed with THQ, Akklaim was in charge of bringing Stone Cold and friends into the world of video games. And while WWF Attitude doesn't have anything close to the legacy WWF No Mercy (or even SmackDown does), it doesn't deserve to be overlooked like it usually is.

A lot of features that are common place in wrestling games today began with WWF Attitude. Things like super deep rosters, in depth create a wrestler, and even the ability to create an event all started with this game. While the THQ titles were taking the game in an "easy to approach and simple to control" direction, Akklaim focused on trying to make their wrestling games a more complicated, simulation type of experience. And while it's easy to look back on some of their decisions and laugh - and believe me, we do on the podcast this week - I think the powers that be behind this game deserve a little bit of credit for trying something different. It may not have worked all that well, but they helped lay the groundwork for what wrestling games would become. 

My guest this week is fellow wrestling nerd and podcast host Kyle Shaw, and we had a great time sharing stories about not only playing video games, but watching wrestling as well. Enjoy the podcast!

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Episode #21 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 Original Release Date - September 19, 2000

I was in High School in the year 2000. When I think about those days, some of the things that pop into my head are MSN Messenger, baggy jeans, how awesome pro wrestling was, and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. 

Is there a video game series from this era that stole more collective hours of an entire generation's lives than the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series? EVERYONE played these games. You didn't have to be a skater in real life, or athletic, or even that good at video games to play Tony Hawk. The first one laid the groundwork, but number 2 is when the series exploded. It was a phenomenon.

When I bought my original Playstation (which I have a soft spot for because it was the first gaming console I bought with my own money), I didn't have enough cash left for a game. So I had a "Jampack" demo disk that I played for two weeks until I got paid again. I don't remember what all was on that disk, but I remember there was a Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 demo. One single level I think. I proceeded to probably put 30 hours into just that one demo level over the next couple of weeks. 

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 had air tight controls, an absolutely insane soundtrack, and, well, Tony Hawk. Literally anything I know about skateboarding now, I learned playing the Pro Skater games. You were able to create yourself and be a pro skateboarder. As someone that always thought skating looked awesome, but sucked at it in real life, I could turn these games on and be as cool as the guys I saw on tv. The formula was perfect. To this day, the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater games are placed on a pedestal with some of the greatest games of all time. Kids that grew up in that era can't help but smile and get excited when they talk about those games and the memories they created.

My buddy Tyler is on the show this week, and we had a great time dropping into the nostalgia halfpipe (I don't skate, is that how you say it?) and remembering the great times we had with the Tony Hawk series, and specifically, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2. I hope you nerds have as much fun with this episode as we did.

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Episode #20 - Final Fantasy IX

Final Fantasy IX North American Release Date - November 13, 2000

For my money, Final Fantasy IX isn't just the best Final Fantasy game on the original Playstation, it's the best Final Fantasy game, period.

When people think of Final Fantasy and the PSOne, they almost default to Final Fantasy VII. IX came out later into the Playstation's life cycle, and after the mixed taste that Final Fantasy VIII left in people's mouths, I think there was a little hesitancy to plop down the money for another disappointing RPG. 

I never played VIII, and skipped over IX until years and years later. I thought it looked great, I had just drifted away from RPGs as a whole at the time. A few years ago, I was looking for something to play on my PS Vita (which is a tragic story in itself), and noticed the Final Fantasy IX was on sale for a few bucks. I figured "what the hell?' and downloaded it before leaving on a three week work trip. 

I fell in love over those three weeks.

I couldn't wait to get back to my hotel to play it so more. The universe, the characters, the mechanics. As a die hard Final Fantasy IV fan, I had longed for the game to return to it's "old school, fantasy" roots. Final Fantasy IX felt like a 3D version of the SNES titles. I almost felt like I had done something wrong by waiting all those years to play it. I was searching for something that was right in front of me the entire time....

Well, it's time for Final Fantasy IX to get it's due. My buddy Andre is here this week, and the two of us had a great time singing the praises of Zidane and friends. Except Vivi. He's a wiener. 

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Episode #12 - Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII North American Release Date - September 7, 1997

I'm a little concerned that nobody has heard of this week's game, but they can't all be home runs...

It's Final Fantasy VII. Even people that don't play video games have probably heard of this game. It's Cloud and friends versus Sephiroth and a giant rock. There's huge robot weapons, an amusement park, and a guy with a gun where his hand should be. Pretty bad ass.

This is the game I (and a lot of other people) most associate with the original Playstation. After two incredible games on the SNES, Final Fantasy switched sides and went with Sony's new console (the cartridges on the Nintendo 64 just couldn't handle a game the size of FF VII). I remember the insane lead up to this game. Going online for the latest rumours, reading about it in gaming magazines - remember those??? Everyone was so excited for the first 3D Final Fantasy! 

And it lived up to the hype. It's absolutely the most talked about game in the series. Many people call it their favourite Final Fantasy game, their favourite RPG, and in some cases, even their favourite game of all time. I've played through it multiple times. It's a great game, and the characters and world are iconic. It's getting an remake from the ground up. Cloud has crossed over to Smash Bros. It got a movie for a sequel!! It's Final Fantasy VII!!!!

But, is it, maybe, just a little bit overrated?

My buddy Tyler is my guest this week, and we spent almost an hour going back to Midgar, trying to get Barrett to go on a date with us, and talking about the legacy of Final Fantasy VII. Enjoy!

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