This bonus episode for the Pop Culture Retrorama, Saturday Frights, and Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast - serves as an announcement and explanation for why I am retiring.
But it is not the end of the Pop Culture Retrorama site - as you will soon learn.
Friends, we have a very special episode for all three of the podcasts, a bonus episode as it were, that is meant to act as not only my official announcement but explanation for why I am retiring. I hope you will understand that for the past 12 years that I have been fortunate enough to be considered a blogger, writer, and podcaster…I have realized recently that I am very tired. I need more however than just a break or vacation from writing daily articles and producing podcasts – I truly need to step away from the laptop and microphone – it is the appropriate time to look back at what I, as well as my fellow Pop Culture Retrorama colleagues have accomplished.
As I state on the podcast itself, I am very proud of what Allison Venezio-Preston, Ashley Thomas, Rockford Jay, Earl Green, Brett Weiss, IseeRobots, Javier Ojst, Rob O’Hara, and Gary Burton have accomplished with this site. And while I will soon shutter the Pop Culture Retrorama site and step away from writing in general, I am extremely happy to announce that Earl Green has generously offered to host not only the content on this site – but any future articles that the Pop Culture Retrorama colleagues might decide to write – on theLogBook.com. So, while I am slipping into the shadows, Pop Culture Retrorama will most assuredly live on.
I do hope that those of you who have been so kind as to visit this page, or even remember my work on the Retroist, understand that I did not come to the decision to retire lightly. Having said that, it feels like this is right path to take, thanks in no small part to my new career.
Many thanks to all of you. You have made something that I originally tackled as a hobby feel far more important, giving me a desire to write over 6000 articles and produce over 300 podcasts in the past 11 -12 years. I am grateful for your time and support, but more importantly your friendship.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
“Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”
Feel free to keep in touch with me on Facebook or even Twitter. Or perhaps check out the Saturday Frights Facebook Page, and Diary of an Arcade Employee!
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Friends, thank you as always for taking the time to join us for a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – although this marks the last show for Season 2. Which is why I hope we are going out on a high note, as we will be discussing Qbert – that classic 1982 platformer from Gottlieb. As I try to do with every episode of the show, I not only share my first experiences with the subject of the episode, but do my level best to attempt to shine the spotlight on those talented people responsible for bringing the game to life. In the case with Qbert we have three co-creators to thank, those are Warren Davis, Jeff Lee, as well as David D. Thiel. I actually talked about the last two in the Krull episode of the podcast – but I was able to find an interview with Davis in addition to one with Lee, that when you have a moment you will want to read for yourselves.
Personally I have always thought that Qbert* was and is a pretty tough game – plus the difficulty seems to ramp up rather quickly. Which is why I was surprised to learn that Warren Davis had been working on a sequel to the hit game he co-created – one that managed to raise the bar for difficulty even higher!
Video Provided by Were1974. I am extremely happy to report that Earl Green was able to join me once again on this episode, in his segment he discusses the many ports of Qbert to the popular home consoles and computers of the day – plus the staggering amount of merchandise that was created for the character. While Gary Burton wasn’t able to appear on this last show of season 2 – as you will hear for yourself, he had a very good reason to miss submitting a segment. Furthermore I make mention on the episode itself that the Retroist has an amazing personal story about Qbert that he shared on his very own podcast.
While this season of the Diary podcast is coming to a close, after a brief two week hiatus, I will return with the first episode of Season 3 of the Saturday Frights podcast. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with us over these past 12 weeks and for all of the wonderful comments about the show. Now then, it is time you get hopping on those cubes along with Qbert* – just keep an eye peeled for Coily and his goons!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Q*bert is the subject for this last episode for Season 2 of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast!
Friends, thank you as always for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – this week we are tackling 1983’s Krull, the action adventure twin-stick shooter released by Gottlieb. As is standard with the Diary podcast I have shared my first encounter with Krull – in this case both the film as well as the arcade game tie-in. In addition I have done my best to shine the spotlight on not just the long history of Gottlieb but those responsible for bringing Krull to the arcades back in the day. If you have not have had the pleasure of playing the game yourself – while pretty faithfully following the events of the 1983 film – it is a game that is in all honesty pretty tough. Perhaps not as hard as actually attempting to face off against The Beast, the otherworldly villain of the film… but close!
As I mention in the show itself, I was able to locate an interview with Jeff Lee – courtesy of Good Deal Games. A brief excerpt where the co-creator of 1982’s Qbert is able to share his contribution to the Krull* arcade game – speaking of the former… you will be hearing more about Lee on next week’s episode.
I am afraid that Gary Burton was unable to join us for this episode of the podcast, quite frankly he has his hands full helping to get the Arkadia Retrocade back open. However we do have the esteemed Earl Green back for a new segment, this time talking about the equally difficult Atari 2600 game version of Krull.
I truly do hope that you have enjoyed the second season of the Diary podcast so far – I am extremely grateful for your support of the show, taking time out of your precious schedule to give us a listen. So without further ado I hope you will grab your glaive and then prepare to face The Beast for the fair hand of the Princess Lyssa on the Planet of Krull!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for checking in with us for a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – this week we are headed back to 1981 to discuss Exidy’s Venture, what many consider an early dungeon crawler. As I seem to always do with the Diary podcast I share my memories of first encountering the game that is the subject of the show. But in addition I have tried my best to shine the spotlight on those personally responsible for bringing Venture to life – and in this case a little history of Exidy as well. Having said that I was able to locate a quote by Venture designer and programmer, Howell Ivy, from the Retro Gamer magazine – you might want to check it out for a glimpse of what it was like in the early days of creating video games.
As I point out in the show itself, Venture is an arcade classic that tasks the Players with taking on the role of… Winky? No matter the name or even the fact it looks like a big red smiley face – Winky is most definitely a hero – and with the Players help will manage to brave a dungeon filled with Dragons, Ettins, and worse. Venture is a pretty tough game and after listening to it, you might understand why Players at the Arkadia Retrocade decided to give it a wide berth.
On this show I am afraid that neither Gary Burton or Earl Green were able to join me – real life matters as well as around the clock work on the arcade prevented it for this episode. I am sure they will be back for the next episode though!
I truly hope you are enjoying this second season of the Diary podcast and I am very appreciative that you have taken time from your busy schedule to check out the show. I do know there are thousands of gaming podcasts out there for your listening pleasure – far more detailed and knowledgeable than myself. Now pick up your bow and snatch up your quiver of arrows… you are heading into the dungeons of Venture!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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1981's Venture by Exidy is the subject for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Friends, it really is hard to believe but we’ve reached the 50th episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – when I started out on the Retroist with the show I could only dream we would make it this far. Having reached the 50th mark – I think I can honestly say there might even be an episode or possibly two that managed to be good. As I hinted at with the Kung-Fu Master episode last week – this week we are tackling Starcade – that iconic arcade video game show that aired on WTBS the Super Station beginning in 1982 and with it’s last first-run show broadcast in 1984. I have done my best to shine a spotlight on the creation of the series – which is thanks to James Caruso as well as Mavis Arthur of JM Productions. You might be surprised at just how many obstacles the duo had to overcome before Starcade was picked up by Ted Turner for his cable TV station – broadcast on December 27th of 1982. When all is said and done this is a television game show that can claim to have had four hosts – beginning with the original pilot in 1981 until it’s first broadcast on WTBS.
I am happy to say that Starcade has an official site where you can watch many of those classic episode – in addition they also have an official YouTube channel you can enjoy as well. As I mention in the show itself – I owe a great deal of thanks to Bleeding Cool, The Golden Age Arcade Historian, and Dragon’s Lair Project sites – as they managed to collect information and interviews with the likes of James Caruso and Mavis Arthur of JM Productions. Giving us fans of Starcade a glimpse behind the curtain of just how much work they put into the show to get it on our television sets. Thanks to this information we also learned why the game show managed to have so many hosts – including Mark Richards and of course Geoff Edwards.
On this show we have the return of Earl Green, who not only provided a clip from his Best of the Classic Gaming Expo 2003 DVD that features Richards, but also shares the time he attempted to become a contestant on Starcade. We also have Gary Burton with a new segment – not focusing on any one arcade title this go around but sharing a personal memory of how we became the best of friends.
As always I thank you one and all for supporting the podcast – I know there are hundreds of shows out there that tackle classic arcade and home console games – so the fact you would take the time out of your busy schedule to listen to mine is an absolute gift. So I hope you will enjoy this 50th episode of the Diary podcast and are ready to find out all about the Starcade TV series!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
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Starcade is the subject of this 50th episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast!
Friends, as always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your schedule to check out the latest episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. This week we are going to be tackling Kung-Fu Master – that classic arcade beat ’em up produced by Irem – although released in the States by Data East. As I mention in the show itself this was a title that I didn’t have the pleasure of playing in any of the arcades of my youth – not Showbiz Pizza or even Games People Play. I first came upon Kung-Fu Master at a local grocery store – although it quickly became one of my favorite arcade games to play when making a trip there. As always on the podcast I have made sure to do my level best in shining a spotlight on those iconic creators who brought the game to life – although in this case we have two gentlemen who would go on to help start the Street Fighter franchise as well as scoring two of the most legendary games of all time.
On this episode I have provided what I hope is a brief breakdown of the gameplay for Kung-Fu Master in addition to adding a few choice audio treats related to the game. While I am sad to say that Earl Green wasn’t able to join us for this particular episode – we do have Gary Burton back with us – who gives you a glimpse at the fighting games we are lucky enough to have at the Arkadia Retrocade.
Remember to check out the Old School Gamer magazine if you too are a fan of classic arcade and home console games.
I thank you once again for being kind enough to listen to the show – now prepare to storm the Devil’s Temple pagoda and rescue Sylvia from the dreaded Mr. X and his legion of minions with Kung-Fu Master!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
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Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – this week we are doing something different from the standard show. A few months ago on the Diary Facebook page I asked if the listeners might not want to break from the podcast focusing on a video game each week – the requests were for some shows to be on individual creators or even game companies. That is why this week I am tackling the career and legacy of Howard Scott Warshaw – the iconic game designer that created three successful Atari 2600 titles with Yars’ Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. As I mention in the episode itself – Warshaw has the distinct honor of being credited for ‘The Worst Atari Game Ever Created’ as well as ‘The Best Original Atari Game Ever Created’. I have a few things to say about the falsity of the former statement in addition to Howard Scott Warshaw being responsible for the decline of Atari.
While on this episode of the podcast I have refrained from going into all the details of the three games that Howard Scott Warshaw designed and programmed – I naturally included my memories of the games themselves. I also was able to include some exceptional quotes from Warshaw thanks to an interview by Scott Stilphen of the excellent Atari Compendium – in addition to an excerpt from Patrick Hickey Jr.’s fantastic book entitled The Minds Behind The Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers.
I am joined once again by the esteemed Earl Green – who not only met Warshaw in person but has a few things to say about E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial supposedly being the worst game Atari produced. I am happy to say that Gary Burton joins us on this episode and shares some of the hard work he had to do to bring the Atari 2600 back to life at the Arkadia Retrocade. By the way there are some wonderful articles by Howard Scott Warshaw on Yars’ Revenge in some of the Old School Gamer magazine.
As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to check out the podcast – it is very much appreciated. So go and grab your favorite snack and beverage and let us tell you a bit about Howard Scott Warshaw!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
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Howard Scott Warshaw is the subject for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast!
Friends, as always I thank you for joining us for another episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – although I have to admit right up front that the subject of this show had to be changed at the last minute. I mention this all on the show itself but originally this episode was going to be shining the spotlight on Howard Scott Warshaw – the iconic game designer from the Golden Age of Atari. The fact of the matter is two things threw a monkey wrench into that original plan, the first was that I had a co-worker at my day job go on vacation and I had to cover all week – which didn’t allow me the necessary time to do proper research. The other element that reared it’s head is I am now under the weather – I have no fear of it being COVID-19 or the like – I just think I have sadly caught a stomach bug. In fact I would be surprised if you can’t tell that I am a little off on this show… well, more than normal I mean. Having said all of that however the subject for the podcast became Games People Play – that arcade of my youth before Showbiz Pizza rolled into town.
Remember the days when a TV ad would show Robotron 2084? It would probably be best to kind of think of this as a bonus episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – it’s a little more loose than the standard show as well as being a bit shorter. I did my level best to attempt to share with you what it was like to not just walk into my first video game arcade – but the first arcade to open up in my neck of the woods. In addition I do share some of my first arcade game experiences on this episode – although a few of them in truth have been covered in past episodes.
On the last couple of episodes I have pointed you to the Old School Gamer magazine – while there wasn’t any need for this episode – you should still check them out. Normally I am joined by both Gary Burton as well as Earl Green – although they sit this show out as it is a more personal episode – they’ll be back on the next show though!
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So let me tell you about the electronic Xanadu that was Games People Play!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
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Friends, it is the Games People Play arcade that is the subject for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast!
Friends, thank you for joining us once again for a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – for this show we are tackling Smash TV – that twin stick multi-directional shooter from Williams that was originally released in arcades back in 1990. As I mention in the show itself, Smash TV was released long after the beloved Showbiz Pizza of my youth had gone away although at the very least I did play it in an actual arcade – just not one in my neck of the woods. As always I have done my level best to shine the spotlight on the talented individuals who are responsible for bringing the subject of the show to life – in this case it was an incredible team who have worked on the likes of NBA Jam, Defender, Mortal Kombat, CarnEvil to name just a few. One of the lead designers for Smash TV is none other than Eugene Jarvis – who was also responsible for Robotron 2084 – another memorable twin stick shooter. In fact I was able to find a fantastic article with Jarvis courtesy of the Arcade Attack Retro Gaming Network – I included a small excerpt from the interview in the show itself but it’s totally worth your time to follow that link and read the entire thing. I also mention on the show that one of the things that attracted me to Smash TV is the obvious influences of 1987’s The Running Man!
“…for more tokens!” On the last couple of episodes I have pointed you to the Old School Gamer magazine – before recording this show I wasn’t able to find time to go through their back issues. I am glad to say that I am joined once again by Earl Green – who not only talks about the ports of Smash TV to the popular home computers and consoles of the day but reveals a little of the difficulties of replicating a twin stick shooter on them. Gary Burton was not able to join us on this particular show but I do hope he will be back for next week’s podcast.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So gear up and prepare to enter the most popular game show in 1999 – the deadly Smash TV!
For even more pop culture related goodness by Earl – make sure to check out his own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
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Smash TV, the 1990 twin stick shooter from Williams is the subject of this Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast!
1981's Bosconian is the subject for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast!
Friends, thank you for joining us again for a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – on this show we tackle Bosconian, the space-themed multi-directional shooter released by Namco back in 1981. Unlike last week’s episode, Bosconian is an arcade title that I was able to experience at that Showbiz Pizza of my youth – sort of – although as I point out in the show itself, the Arkadia Retrocade does sport the game in it’s collection. As always I have done my level best to shine the spotlight on those individuals we have to thank for bringing the game to life – in this case that was a little tougher than usual as multiple sources online have claimed a handful of different people were responsible for Bosconian. In addition I was able to find a few helpful articles online that shed some light on the possible popularity of the Namco title, in particular on this episode I quote from Galaga Boss Fight Books #4 by Michael Kimball. As usual I have included some of the memorable sound effects of the game itself as well as a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
Condition Red! On the last couple of episodes I have pointed you to the Old School Gamer magazine – before recording this show I wasn’t able to find time to go through their back issues. However I am grateful to have both Earl Green and Gary Burton back on the show with two brand new segments. Earl goes into detail on the handful of Bosconian ports to the home computers of the day – to say nothing of a recent and unexpected port to the Atari 2600 thanks to the resourcefulness of the homebrew community. Gary on this episode shares another behind the scenes look at his work at the arcade – although in this case it has to do with another Namco title.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So strap into your nearest star destroyer fighter ship and blast off to face the threat of the onslaught of the galactic armada known as Bosconian!
For even more pop culture related goodness by Earl – make sure to check out his own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
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Friends, welcome back to the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – for our third episode of this second season of the show we are going to be talking about The Empire Strikes Back from ’82. This was a game cartridge for the Atari 2600 but more importantly it also was the very first video game licensed for Star Wars from Lucasfilm – and while I touch upon it in the podcast itself – this also meant that Atari was unable to port their own arcade title to their very own home console! Now you might be wondering why we decided to go with the Parker Brothers release instead of say the 1985 arcade game by Atari – the simple truth is that it happens to be a very good game, quite challenging but fair. As usual I have done my best to shine the spotlight on those individuals responsible for designing and producing the game – in this case that was Rex E. Bradford and Sam Kjellman. In addition I share my first experience with playing The Empire Strikes Back and have brought along a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
“Wish we had some tow cables!” On the last couple of episodes I have pointed you to the Old School Gamer magazine – but for this show I found a fantastic interview with both Sam Kjellman and Rex E. Bradford on the Retro Gamer site. I included just a small piece of said interview – you owe it to yourself to check out the full article when you have the free time. In addition I am very happy to say that joining me on the show once again are Earl Green and Gary Burton with two new segments.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So everyone don your flight suits and get those Snowspeeders warmed up – because it is time to go face those AT-AT’s in The Empire Strikes Back!
For even more pop culture related goodness by Earl – make sure to check out his own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
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Friends, welcome back to the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – for this episode we are going to be tackling Elevator Action, which was released into the wilds of the arcades by Taito back in 1983. Right up front I will warn you this is one of those episodes where the majority of the people responsible for designing or programming a classic arcade title -is simply not known. Although having said that I still managed to shine a spotlight on Taito and Yoshio Imamura – the iconic composer responsible for a few themes and tunes from the heyday of the arcades. I do share my memories of experiencing Elevator Action for the first time – a rather surprisingly positive encounter with some teenagers at the local gas station. Of course as always I have brought along a few vintage audio treats for your listening enjoyment – plus with this episode there was some viewer mail from the Popeye show, giving me a chance to talk a little more about my duties at the Arkadia Retrocade.
On this episode I make mention of a publication that any of you fans of old school gaming should check out – the Old School Gamer magazine. For one thing, Brett Weiss, who frequently shares videos and articles on this site also provides content for the magazine. I am also happy to say that Earl Green joins me on the podcast again – in this case to discuss the many ports of Elevator Action to the home consoles and computers of the day. In addition we have a brand new segment featuring none other than Gary Burton – the chief tech at Arkadia who gives you a little insight as to what his job entails at the arcade.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So don your trench coats and sunglasses and prepare to hear the ups and downs of 1983’s Elevator Action!
For even more pop culture related goodness by Earl – make sure to check out his own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, I am proud to present the first episode of the second season of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – as promised on the River Raid show last month, today we have the classic 1982 platformer released by Nintendo – none other than Popeye. As always for podcast I share my first encounter with the subject of the episode in addition to shining the spotlight on those creative individuals who had a hand in bringing the game to life. Which in this case involves not just Nintendo but Ikegami Electronics – the company that appears to be responsible for a few of the more popular titles from the Golden Age of arcades. In addition we have the likes of Shigeru Miyamoto (Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros.) as well as Genyo Takeda to thank for not just the game design but the beautiful graphics of Popeye. I do touch upon the matter in the show itself but as most of you are already aware, if fate had gone a different route, instead of Nintendo creating a franchise for Donkey Kong they might have had a series of game focusing on the likes of Popeye, Bluto, and Olive Oyl!
On this episode I make mention of a publication that any of you fans of old school gaming should check out – the Old School Gamer magazine. For one thing, Brett Weiss, who frequently shares videos and articles on this site also provides content for the magazine. I am also happy to say that starting with this season of the show, Earl Green joins me on the podcast – in this case to discuss the many ports of Nintendo’s Popeye to the home consoles and computers of the day.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the show and I truly thank you for taking time out of your schedule to listen to the podcast. So grab your favorite beverage and down a can of spinach as I discuss Popeye! For even more pop culture related goodness by Earl – make sure to check out his own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast we are going to be taking a look at River Raid, that classic 1982 vertical scrolling shooter by Activision. In addition I delve a little deeper into the background information of it’s designer and programmer, the esteemed Carol Shaw – one of the first female game designers. As I do in every Diary podcast I have made sure to share my thoughts on River Raid as well as my personal memories involving the game. Furthermore I have included a few choice quotes and pieces of information in this 1UP episode, the latter is courtesy of an interview between Benj Edwards of Vintage Computing and Gaming and Shaw from back in 2011. The quote is from the September 1983 issue of Electronic Fun with Computer & Games – in which Carol Shaw explains how she came up with the original idea for River Raid.
Actually, while I do mention this in the show itself, River Raid was one of the top 5 greatest Activision titles picked by the Vault computer for an earlier 1UP episode of the podcast. In addition to those interviews, I also play a small clip from a special video that was created for the 2017 Game Awards – where Carol Shaw was rightfully presented the Industry Icon award.
Video Provided by thegameawards. While 1UP episodes have a tendency to run a little shorter than the standard episode – not to mention be a little looser in format, I have made sure to include a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
Friends, I truly do appreciate you taking the time to listen the show and hope you enjoy River Raid!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, with the end of March fast approaching I’ve found myself running out of time on producing the latest Pop Culture Retrorama podcast – which means in the end that it has been nearly two months since the last episode. Quite frankly with the way things have been going of late I haven’t quite felt I possessed the energy to do all of the research for the new show – that goes for both Diary of An Arcade Employee as well as the Saturday Frights podcast. So I thought I would sit down in front of the microphone and talk about the state of the shows and what has been weighing on my mind in regard to their direction and possible futures. Don’t worry, as I state in this bonus episode for all three podcasts (crosses fingers that it uploads to all three properly) – I’m not doing anything drastic like quitting writing or podcasting. This is just a situation where I can sit down and say “Hey, let’s talk about the podcasts”!
In addition I hope besides acting as an apology to all of you that have been loyal to the podcasts – you will understand the circumstances that have delayed the shows. As well perhaps as some new directions I might take – if you the listeners think that is prudent – with each podcast. As always with an episode I am honest with you – although in this case I hope in addition I been able to properly explain the situation I find myself in as a creator. Actually even though it is addressed in this bonus episode, if you possibly have thought about becoming a writer and might like to share your personal memories and experiences on pop culture or retro related subjects – throw me a line at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com!
All right then, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to this Let’s talk about the podcasts episode – to say nothing of your support and understanding in the matter of tardiness of said shows.
You can also contact me on Facebook or even Twitter. Or perhaps check out the Saturday Frights Facebook Page, Diary of an Arcade Employee, and Pop Culture Retrorama Facebook page?
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Friends, while I was unable to produce a new episode of the Diary podcast for the month of January – our first new episode of 2020 focuses on Wizard of Wor -that classic maze shooter from Midway that features the memorable synthesized taunts from the game itself. As always for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast I share my first encounter with the subject of the episode in addition to shining the spotlight on those creative individuals who had a hand in bringing the game to life. Which in this case involves Dave Nutting Associates – as you will learn from listening to the podcast itself, Dave Nutting is a pretty important part of the Golden Age of arcade games. Wizard of Wor might not have exactly set the video game world on fire back when it was originally released but it still stands as a solid game and is just as tough to play as it was back in ’81.
In this particular episode I was able to share a quote from the Golden Age Arcade Historian blog – concerning how Dave Nutting found himself entering into the business of producing video games. It is an interesting read and worthy of your time to check out – I only wish that everyone who had a hand in the Golden Age of video games were being interviewed, their knowledge and viewpoints are too important to let slip away with time.
Friends, as always I do hope you will enjoy the episode – thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to check out the show – The Wizard of Wor awaits those brave enough to enter his deadly dungeon maze!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, we have reached the end of 2019 and with it comes the last Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast for the year – although having said that I have chosen to tackle Star Castle for this episode. Granted as I mention in the show itself that is NOT the game I had originally set out to record for the show. Star Castle was a popular title released by Cinematronics in 1980 – one that was designed by Tim Skelly – who you might know best for being the designer and programmer on Gottlieb’s 1982 hit Reactor. Although in addition with this particular show I also take a moment to shine the spotlight on another iconic game designer, Larry Rosenthal, who just happened to be the designer for the first wave of Vector graphic games such as Space Wars. With this show I must beg your indulgence on two matters, one is the fact that I am quite sick… so I am not sure how the quality of the episode is going to sound. The second matter is that there is a not so happy memory attached to Star Castle that I share with you – one that I think explains why my Father has never cared for video games.
“GIVE ME ANOTHER TOKEN!” As always with a Diary podcast I attempt to breakdown the gameplay of Star Castle and provide a few interesting tidbits about the game itself. Which in this case is how many times that it has managed to appear in movies and television since it was released to the wilds of the arcades back in 1980. I also manage to briefly discuss Yars’ Revenge and the efforts of the legendary Howard Scott Warshaw to bring Star Castle from the arcades to the Atari 2600. Furthermore I managed to find an extremely interesting interview with Tim Skelly from back in 1999 – one that you might want to take the time and check out.
Friends, I hope you will have a very safe and Happy New Year and enjoy the Star Castle podcast! If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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For this brand new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podast we have a 1UP show – the subject of this episode is 1982’s Night Stalker, the classic maze shooter that was produced for Mattel Electronic’s Intellivision home console. As I mention in the show itself, the Intellivision was a console that found a lot of love in the household of my youth – in particular thanks to the home port of Data East’s Lock ‘n’ Chase as well as Night Stalker. The latter has a lot going for it and stands as a solid game even today. As usual I have done my level best to shine a spotlight on those talented individuals who helped to bring the game to life in addition to providing some interesting anecdotes about the game itself. I mention towards the end of the podcast that Night Stalker appears to be getting a new incarnation – courtesy of the Intellivision Amico console – which is set to debut in October of 2020. Here is the 2019 Gamescom trailer that not only shows off what this new Night Stalker might look like… but a few other classic Intellivision titles and even arcade game ports!
Video Provided by Intellivision’s YouTube Channel. As always with the Diary podcasts, I give a rundown of how the game itself plays and have even provided some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure. In addition I mention something odd that occurred with iTunes on the Asteroids episode of the podcast – it turns out that you might want to subscribe to make sure you are hearing the latest offering – as it took over a month for the last one to show up on the iTunes page. I really have no clue why that happened but I desperately hope that was just a one time occurrence.
Friends, I truly do appreciate you taking the time to listen the show and hope you enjoy Night Stalker. If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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For this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast I am tackling a big one – none other than 1979’s Asteroids by Atari. As I mention in the show itself this classic arcade game was only the second title produced by Atari that featured Vector graphics although it most certainly overshadowed the first title in popularity. Asteroids really is one of those iconic games that broke new ground when it first was released to the arcades back in November of ’79 – even if it borrowed some elements from other games at that time. Thanks to the likes of Ed Logg, Lyle Rains, and technician Howard Delman among others – Asteroids ended up becoming one of the highest selling games for Atari, a company that already had more than a few arcade hits under it’s belt at that time. For what it might be worth -I had originally intended on producing a Halloween episode of the podcast… but since for the last two Diary 1UP shows I have been promising Asteroids I felt that it was only fair to make sure it was finally recorded.
As I touch upon in the podcast itself, while the gameplay for Asteroids is a little on the simple side – the truth is there is quite a bit of history to share about the game. I lucked out for this show and found issue #68 of the Retro Gamer magazine on the Internet Archive… that features an exceptional interview with Lyle Rains, Ed Logg, and Howard Delman among others. Trust me when I say you are going to want to check out that interview when you have a moment to spare – it will open your eyes to the kind of magic these guys were pulling off at Atari at the time. In addition there is a quote I located on the Arcade History site that was of great interest in regards to how Delman was able to pull off the sounds on the arcade game – especially since there were no sound chips available for Asteroids!
Atari as I’ve mentioned was no stranger to making popular arcade games at the time but in all honesty they had no idea how popular Asteroids was going to become. Beyond the usual interesting trivia and facts in the show – I have made sure to include some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure. That includes a surprising number of records that were released for fans of the classic arcade title to snap up – like the Kid Stuff produced book and record!
Video Provided by JR Todd‘s YouTube Channel. Friends, thank you as always for taking the time to listen to the show – now have a token on me as I tackle 1979’s Asteroids!
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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It is time for a new Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast and this time we have a 1UP offering – focusing on the top 5 Activision games that were released for the Atari 2600. As I mention in this podcast episode, I had originally intended for this show to be focusing on Atari’s Asteroids from 1979. The truth of the matter is that at this time of year – both the arcade and my day job are extremely busy – special events and the like and time just simply got away from me. So for this show we are instead focusing on a company whose name – at least in my household – stood for quality games. I am referring to Activision of course, a company that is still rather well known as I hear tell – this gaming juggernaut though got it’s start making titles for the Atari 2600. And while I understand that perhaps you will disagree with the Vault computer’s decisions – I am willing to bet there are going to be a few on the top 5 Activision games list that you will see coming.
Can you hear that 8-Bit Tarzan yell in your head? I tried to keep it pretty light for this 1UP podcast episode – to make it a little more fun I hope than the standard show. I certainly attempted to keep away from just loading the episode up with information as I typically do – focusing on what made Activision games and their designers stand out. There are more than a few vintage television commercials for your listening entertainment in this podcast – perhaps even some that you may not have heard before? I can tell you though at least one of the titles on the top 5 Activision games list has a connection to this very year… which I was rather surprised by when I first heard it.
With nearly 50 games produced by Activision this list was hard to whittle down, thankfully I had the Vault computer to help me make some of the hard decisions. I do mention it on the show but I would absolutely love to hear which games you feel would be on your own top 5 Activision games list – make sure to let us know in the comments section. No matter what I feel it cannot be argued that while Activision was borne out of a desire for recognition from it’s designers and programmers – and a much deserved piece of the profit – it too helped to make the Atari 2600 a worthy home console.
Video Provided by Jack Taylor‘s YouTube Channel. Friends, plop down on that comfy couch in the basement and pick up your favorite joystick and join us as we count down the Top 5 Activision Games – here on the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast!
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, the latest 1UP episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast is done and ready for your listening pleasure – this show is all about Nintendo’s Ice Climber which was originally released in 1985. Although as I have pointed out on the podcast it actually didn’t get it’s start in the arcades but as home console offerings for both the Nintendo Entertainment System as well as the Famicom. Fair warning though, even if this is a 1UP episode which is meant to be a shorter digest-sized offering – this show clocked in at a little over 25 minutes.
As always with the Diary podcasts, I have done my best to give you some interesting facts about those creators who helped to create Ice Climbers. I also share my memories of how I first encountered the game and go into a little detail on it’s port to the arcades and the differences between the original release and arcade variety. I even managed to bring along a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
So grab your blue and pink parkas and bundle up as I discuss Ice Climbers on this 1UP episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee Podcast. Thanks for taking the time to listen and I hope you will enjoy the show! If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for joining us once again for the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast, on this show I am going to be tackling that legendary 1981 platformer from Nintendo – the one and only Donkey Kong! As always I do my level best to share with you interesting facts about the game as well as those responsible for it’s creation – like Shigeru Miyamoto (Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda) and Gunpei Yokoi (Nintendo’s Game Boy). In addition to making sure that I provide my memories of first encountering Donkey Kong in my youth – I have even managed to provide a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure during the podcast.
There is a lot to love about Donkey Kong and a reason the character itself is still around 38 years after he was first introduced. One of those reasons I believe is that the gameplay is simple enough to pick up quickly after just a few seconds of reading the instructions on the arcade cabinet. In addition while the difficulty of Donkey Kong is legendary – I would argue it succeeds by being fair and straightforward and not discouraging a Player for losing their last life.
Well, if Donkey Kong ran at this speed…. then it would be unfair. As I have tried to do in all of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcasts, I fill you in on the history of the Donkey Kong game as it relates to the Arkadia Retrocade. The arcade in my neck of the woods that I have the privilege of working at – perhaps I should say as an arcade employee I am better suited as it’s chronicler?
So without further ado, please have a token on me and step up as I discuss the history and legacy of Nintendo’s Donkey Kong on the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast! If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for joining us once again for the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast, on this 1UP show I am going to be discussing Mattel Electronics TRON: Deadly Discs – which was released in 1982 for the Intellivision home console. As always I do my level best to share with you interesting facts about the game as well as those responsible for it’s creation – like Don Daglow (Utopia, Mail Order Monsters) and Steve Sents. In addition to making sure that I provide my memories of first encountering TRON: Deadly Discs in my youth as well as some of my fond recollections of the Intellivision itself – I have even managed to provide a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure during the podcast.
TRON: Deadly Discs is absolutely one of my favorite Intellivision games – not just because of it being a tie-in to Walt Disney’s excellent film, which was also released in 1982. A big reason I enjoy it so much is due the gameplay itself, it allows fans of TRON to relive those exciting moment from the film… being on the Game Grid and defending yourself from the evil of the MCP and it’s warriors.
Remember that with this being a Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP episode – it is intended to be a little more loose and a little shorter in running time… although that isn’t always the case.
So without further ado, act as my Player Two and step up as I discuss the history and legacy of TRON: Deadly Discs on this Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP show! If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for joining us once again for the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast, on this 1UP show I am going to be discussing Activision‘s Pressure Cooker – which was released in 1983 for the Atari 2600 home console. As always I do my level best to share with you interesting facts about the game as well as those responsible for it’s creation – like the legendary Garry Kitchen (Keystone Kapers, Battletank) . In addition to making sure that I provide my memories of first encountering Pressure Cooker in my youth as well as some of my fond recollections of playing the game – I have even managed to provide a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure during the podcast.
No tomatoes! Pressure Cooker is one of Activision’s best games – which is probably saying a lot as they also released the likes of Pitfall!, H.E.R.O., Kaboom!, and Robot Tank to name a few. As is the case with many of the early video games of the ’80s – while the gameplay might be considered simple it is still very challenging.
Remember that with this being a Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP episode – it is intended to be a little more loose and a little shorter in running time… although that isn’t always the case.
So without further ado, act as my Player Two and step up as I discuss the history and legacy of Pressure Cooker on this Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP show! If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for joining us once again for the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast, on this 1UP show I am going to be counting down the Top 5 Imagic Games for the Atari 2600 home console. As always I do my level best to share with you interesting facts about the games as well as those responsible for their creation – like Rob Fulop (Cosmic Ark), Bob Smith (Star Wars: The Arcade Game), and Dennis Koble (Atlantis). In addition to making sure that I provide my memories of first encountering these 5 titles in my youth as well as some of my fond recollections of playing the games – I have even managed to provide a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure during the podcast.
Save those Space Creatures and escape in the Cosmic Ark! Much like with Activision, as I explain in this Diary of An Arcade Employee 1UP episode, when it came to companies you could trust back in the day – Imagic was one of the top three game studios. While the Vault computer was responsible for tallying up which of the five Image games made the list – I will gladly admit that Dragonfire is in fact one of my favorite Atari 2600 games of all time.
Remember that with this being a Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP episode – it is intended to be a little more loose and a little shorter in running time… although that isn’t always the case.
So without further ado, act as my Player Two and step up as I discuss the history and legacies of the Top 5 Imagic Games for the Atari 2600 on this Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast 1UP show! If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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For this latest episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast I have answered a listener request – two listeners actually who kindly asked if I could tackle 1986’s Bubble Bobble by Taito. While this game wasn’t one I was able to experience at the Showbiz Pizza of my youth, I did get to actually play it – just in a movie theater lobby instead of at a local arcade. On this episode I do my best to give you a detailed overview of the game play for Bubble Bobble as well as touching upon – briefly – the vast amount of point and special items… that will make your head spin. As I mention in the show itself – you will start to get dizzy once you begin to dive down into the rabbit hole that is all of the secrets and special power-up’s that Bubble Bobble designer, Fukio Mitsuji, seeded throughout the 100 stages of the game!
Speaking of Mitsuji, I came across a wonderful article on Everything Amiga that does a great job of shining a spotlight on his individuality – such as he wasn’t willing to just roll over and create a sequel to Bubble Bobble when it became a hit title. He thought that if a company was to follow that line of thinking it was basically just turning the game itself – which is rather unique – into the equivalent of a cash cow. From reading that remembrance of Fukio Mitsuji, who sadly passed away back in 2008, it sounds like he most certainly had an overabundance of heart.
As usual on the show, I have done my best to point out the folks behind the scenes who were responsible for bringing Bubble Bobble to the arcades. This Platformer as I’ve already mentioned has a staggering amount of special items that a Player can collect in their attempt to help everyone’s favorite dragons/dinosaurs Bob and Bub to rescue their girlfriends – who are being held hostage by the evil Grumple Gromit. While I think I’ve given a deep dive as it is on those items – the truth is there is so much more and I have the Bubble Bobble StrategyWiki to thank for the heads up on them all. When you have time, hop on over there and check out how packed this game truly is.
If you’ve not played Bubble Bobble before, the gameplay might sound a little on the simple side. By pressing the bubble button – the Player’s dragon will spit out a bubble that when it comes in contact with one of the numerous enemies, traps it – allowing the Player to pop the bubble on the horns or spikes of Bub and Bob. Through 100 stages a Player must content with the likes of Bubble Busters and Belugas and many more – all in an effort to reach one of the three endings of the game!
I hope you will enjoy this latest episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast as we shine the spotlight on 1986’s Bubble Bobble!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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For this latest episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast I tackle Pac-Land – the side-scrolling platformer release by Namco in 1984. This is yet another title that I sadly didn’t get to enjoy at the Showbiz Pizza of my youth or at one of the local arcades in my neck of the woods. As I mention in the show itself I didn’t get to play it until 1997’s Namco Museum Volume 4 for the Playstation – although thankfully the arcade received a cabaret cabinet a couple of years back. Pac-Land has most certainly become one of my favorite arcade games at the arcade – it’s also worth pointing out that there are some elements of the gameplay that would be echoed by Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. a mere year later. Pac-Land features multiple power-up’s and some impressive platforming – all in the attempt to help Pac-Man get a lost fairy home!
This is also one of the few arcade titles where you can see a church! In the show I make sure to cover the basics of the gameplay for Pac-Land as well as the team that helped usher the game into existence. In addition I cover the legacy in video games of those creators where applicable – like Hiroshi Ono who just so happened to have had a hand in the designing of another Namco classic arcade title – 1982’s Xevious.
Pac-Land in my honest opinion is truly an exceptional game and one that doesn’t get the amount of love that it rightfully deserves. One of the reasons I chose it as the game to cover in this episode is the many secrets it has – for example – pushing on a fire hydrant at a certain spot in the game will reward a Player with a power-up, etc. It’s almost like peeling an onion, when you think you’ve discovered everything there remains another layer to surprise you. I hope that after listening to this particular show you’ll check out Pac-Land yourself and you might see why I find it so special.
Oh, I should mention that on this episode I am joined by a very special guest – none other than Henry Holder, one of the Arkadian Kids I am constantly referring to as well as the holder of many of the high scores at the arcade. He has something to share in regards to Pac-Land – a first for this show – a challenge to a fellow Player at the Arkadia Retrocade!
As always I hope you will enjoy this latest episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast – now join us as we shine a spotlight on 1984’s Pac-Land!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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For this latest episode of the Diary podcast I answered a fan request as the arcade does not currently have Bionic Commando in it’s collection. I’m not sure when you might have come across Capcom’s 1987 arcade platformer – for myself it was thanks not to playing the arcade game at my local Showbiz Pizza or gas station but on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It wasn’t until a few year after that 1988 home port that I had an opportunity to play the actual arcade game – both versions of the title feature an extremely unique control system – namely that you aren’t able to jump and must swing as well as climb with your grappling arm. This is what I did on long afternoons when playing the NES version of Bionic Commando – just combating the evil forces of the ‘Baads’ and… you know… hanging around.
In this episode for Bionic Commando I made sure to attempt and deliver an in-depth study of game creator Tokuro Fujiwara – that includes an actual explanation as to why he felt that jumping shouldn’t be allowed in the game. That interview came courtesy of Glitterberri’s Game Translations page and as I mention in the show itself, it’s certainly worth your time to read the entire interview as Tokuro has worked on everything from Pooyan to Resident Evil.
In addition I give a brief look at the work of Bionic Commando‘s composer – Harumi Fujita. As with all Diary episode I do my very best to cover the gameplay mechanics as well as interesting facts or observations – such as the complicated history of the game’s hero ‘Super Joe’. I also have managed to include a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure related to the game and Capcom.
As always I hope you will enjoy this episode of the Diary podcast as we shine a spotlight on 1988’s Bionic Commando – and I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the show.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, welcome back to a new episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast – for this show we are tackling BurgerTime, Data East’s 1982 classic platform arcade game. I didn’t think many of you would be stumped by BurgerTime being the subject of the show for this go around but I will admit I was a little surprised by how many private messages and e-mails I received with the answer – I guess everyone enjoyed that Centipede episode? BurgerTime did extremely well and that meant there were ports of the arcade game to the more popular home consoles and personal computers of the day. As an audio treat I’ve included three original commercials for these home ports on this episode – including that iconic live-action version… that just so happens to feature the terrifying Mr. Hot Dog ending!
Video Provided by Consumer Time Capsule. On this podcast I give you a bit of history on Data East, the developer and producer of BurgerTime – in particular how it was designed for their novel DECO cassette system. As I explain in a little more detail on the show itself – it was a system that was meant to make it easier for an arcade owner to switch up the games they had on the floor, once the popularity of a title was wearing out. As mentioned on this BurgerTime episode, I found this YouTube video that shows not just the DECO cassette system in action but what might be the only arcade in the World still using it!
Video Provided by Harcore Gaming 101. As always I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to listen to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast – so I hope you are hungry because it’s time to make the burgers as we take a look at 1982’s BurgerTime!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, with the start of a brand new year, it’s time to roll out another episode of the Diary podcast. For this show I discuss Atari’s 1981 classic fixed shooter, Centipede! As I mention on the episode itself this show was supposed to be published much sooner but due to time constraints like work obligations and with my computer dying on me – Centipede is making a debut in 2019 instead of 2018. Hopefully you will find the show itself worth the wait as I feel it’s safe to say we tackle one of the greatest video games of all time!
On this show I make sure to shine a spotlight on Centipede co-creator, Donna Bailey, the first female programmer hired by Atari back in the day. Thanks to some vintage audio interviews and from the likes of a 1983 Video Games magazine article – I feel you get a little taste of what it was like for Bailey during the Golden Age of Atari. Furthermore I add some quotes from her co-creator and fellow legend, Ed Logg in the show – I even managed to find an incredible interview with former Centipede champion Eric Ginnis in the pages of Joystik magazine to share with you all!
Centipede really broke records when it was released to the arcades back in the day. Which naturally meant that it received a lion’s share of home ports to the consoles and computers of the time. In this episode I share how in 1983 DC Comics along with Atari finally gave fans of the game a rather whimsical backstory for Centipede.
In addition on this show I have a wonderful segment provided by Jacob Ashley – who just so happens to create beautiful pieces of art that you can check out and purchase on his Wooden Arcade Etsy store. In this episode, Jacob shares his first memories with the classic arcade game in addition to attempting to find an arcade cabinet of his very own!
Last but not least for this show I reference and include an audio clip from 2015 interview with Dona Bailey by Motherboard – which you can watch for yourself.
Video Provided by Motherboard. As always I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast – I hope you will find this episode on Centipede entertaining and informative.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, a very Happy Halloween to you one and all! This episode of the Diary podcast was originally going to be all about Atari’s Centipede – however a good friend to the show pointed out that since this was the Season – a more spooky game might be better suited. Which is why on the Diary Facebook page, Rich Adams made a request to discuss 1982’s Satan’s Hollow. Released to the wilds of the arcades by Bally/Midway, a game where Players must contend with an army of Gargoyles and dastardly devils – well – it kind of made Satan’s Hollow seem like the perfect game to talk about on the show, right?
In this episode, which to be upfront is a little shorter than the average show, I touch upon some of the people responsible for bringing Satan’s Hollow to the arcades. While Bill Adams was the main designer for the arcade title, he had help from both Jim Love and Jeff Nauman. Between the three they were responsible for the likes of such arcade classics as Rampage, Tron, and even Spy Hunter. The latter of which in the podcast I share a TV commercial from Pontiac that was inspired by the arcade title – which you can see in it’s entirety below.
Video Provided by mastercomtube. As in all of the Diary episodes, I do share my personal first experiences with the game in question, in addition I have done my best to find vintage ads – in this case a few that fit the spirit of the season.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast we are tackling 1982’s Pooyan – a game that we do not have at the arcade but this episode was a special request. This is one of my favorite classic arcade titles even if it appears I am in the minority in seeing the virtue of this classic fixed shooter from Konami. Now as I touch upon in the podcast episode itself, it was Stern Electronics that handled the releasing of Pooyan for North America. As always I try my best to provide you with some of the more interesting elements of the game – such as background information on those responsible for bringing Pooyan to the arcades. Or even going so far as to touch on the the legacy of the game – which I will go ahead and say you might be surprised find where Konami has decided to Pooyan a tip of the hat.
Of course as with all Diary podcasts, I give a rundown of not just the gameplay for Pooyan but my personal memories of when I first encountered the game. In addition to finding a few vintage audio treats related to Pooyan – Now then, make sure all of your little Pooyan are safely secure and enjoy the episode!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, back in the day on the Retroist site we engaged in something we called Atari Day, where on the 26th of every month – a date chosen by fans to celebrate all things related to Atari. What better way than talking about 1982’s Dig Dug on a new Diary of an Arcade Employee podcast? Bear in mind that it was indeed the legendary Namco that developed and produced Dig Dug – however it was Atari that handled the distribution of the classic game here in North America as well as in Europe.
On the show I do cover the basics of Dig Dug as well as some strategies and a bit of the more interesting trivia concerning the game. I try my best to point out the people of interest that had a hand in creating such a classic arcade title – in addition I discuss my feelings on the similarities of the gameplay to another 1982 classic title, I am referring of course to Universal’s Mr. Do!.
For what it might be worth, on this episode I was able to share a really amazing and sort of rare piece of audio – related to the advertising of Dig Dug. Which was graciously uploaded by Matt Osborne, who just happens to have been the Son of the then Vice President of Atari. I have also included an interview with Matt and The Video Game Preservation Dump on his memories of this special audio treasure.
Now then, equip your best mining gear and join us as we delve into 1982’s Dig Dug!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Wait a minute, just wait a minute. Didn’t we have two brand new Diary podcasts just last month? That is indeed a fact – so you might be wondering why we already have another new episode. Well, it could certainly be that I am spending more time at the arcade these days and it helps to get the juices flowing, my overwhelming desire to share my personal memories with all of you. On the other hand it might also have a just a little to do with the fact that the big screen blockbuster entitled Rampage is hitting theaters today. Although I think with this show I have managed to put together some great memories to share with you in addition to some interesting information on the 1986 arcade classic that the film is based upon!
On this episode, I will admit that I share a rather embarrassing event from my youth – all tied to Rampage of course. In addition I was able to include some pretty special interviews on this particular podcast – interviews featuring Brian Colin, one of the co-developers of the arcade title. Furthermore I share not just my first encounters with Rampage but touch upon the gameplay as well as the legacy of the game series. To say nothing of the fact that as always I have included a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
Video Provided by Warner Bros. Pictures. Perhaps you will find that learning about 1986’s Rampage is a good way to spend time while you are standing in line at the movie theater – prepared to see Dwayne Johnson going toe to toe with rampaging monsters?
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, can you believe that we have two Diary podcasts in one month, have I possibly gone insane? Some of you listeners might think that is indeed the case, but today just so happens to see the release of Ready Player One. Judging by the trailers that have been released, it appears that the classic 1978 Space Invaders makes an appearance in the film. Which is of course why I decided to release this episode of the Diary podcast today – in the hopes that it you might perhaps listen to it while standing in line for this latest Steven Spielberg film. And what better way to wile away that wait than listening to the history of Space Invaders?
In this episode as always I give you a rundown on the origins of Space Invaders – in addition to what I hope is a a fascinating look at it’s creator, Tomohiro Nishikado. To be upfront, this episode is a bit longer than the usual Diary podcast – the reason being of course that such a monumental and groundbreaking arcade title as Space Invaders has a lot of aspects to discuss. Naturally I share my first encounter with the legendary game in my youth – furthermore I talk about the “shocking night” we received the game at the arcade.
In all honesty, my friends. I probably could have gone an entire hour with this episode when all is said and done – the game simply helped to change the landscape for video games as much as the likes of Pong, Pac-Man, or Street Fighter II. So without further ado, I hope you will join us for this episode of the Diary podcast as we tackle the 1978 phenomenon that was Space Invaders!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, thank you for joining us for another episode of the Diary of an Arcade Employee Podcast. On this go around I discuss the 1983 classic arcade game, Crystal Castles – which was of course released to the wilds of the arcade by Atari. Crystal Castles is an trimetric projected maze game and a classic arcade title that is certainly one of my favorites. Although as you will hear for yourself in this episode, Crystal Castles also happens to have been an arcade title that caused me some very memorable physical pain at the Showbiz Pizza of my youth!
In this episode as always I have done my level best to shine the spotlight on those notable employees of Atari that had a hand in creating Crystal Castles. As well as giving you the general rundown on the gameplay, and hopefully some interesting tidbits of trivia concerning the game. Of course I also have managed to share some vintage audio treats related to Crystal Castles – furthermore I share an exciting bit of news in regards to a game that Atari was working on at the time -but sadly was never released due to the Video Game crash of 1983. I certainly think that after you hear what had been planned you are going to wish things had played out differently to say the very least.
I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule and listening to the show – so without further ado, let us join Bentley Bear on his quest through Crystal Castles!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, welcome back to possibly an unexpected but I hope nonetheless welcome episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast. This special is all about Atari’s fantastic 1980 arcade classic Warlords. In addition with this of course being the 26th episode as well as the 26th of the month – you know what that means, right? Happy Atari Day! Seriously, what better way to celebrate that fan chosen day that honors the lasting legacy of Atari than discussing Warlords, right? Now I do of course realize it has been nearly a year since the last episode – that hiatus from podcasting was something that needed to be done. However I honestly felt that with the recent Saturday Frights Podcast specials I should go ahead and tackle Warlords – after all I did kind of tease it on the Sunset Riders episode.
On this episode as always I do my level best to try and shine the spotlight on those who had a hand in creating Warlords – giving a brief overview of the gameplay itself and talking about some of the differences between the upright and cocktail cabinets. I was able to find some vintage audio treats to you share with you as well as some interesting trivia that you are going to enjoy.
Furthermore, I was lucky enough to stumble upon an absolutely amazing interview from over on the AtariAge forums that you will want to check out for yourself. It is an interview by Will Nicholes who has the pleasure of chatting with Carla Meninsky, the programmer for the popular port on the Atari 2600.
As always I really do appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule and being kind enough to listen to the show – but without further ado, don your stoutest suit of armor and prepare yourself for Warlords!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
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Friends, with November having finally passed us by, the self-imposed month long hiatus on podcasting is over. To celebrate the return of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast, I am going to be discussing 1991’s Sunset Riders from Konami. For what it might be worth this marks the first episode where I tackle a classic 4-Player arcade title – in addition, on this episode I am joined by a very special guest. Quite possibly the youngest fan we have in fact, the esteemed William Burton – who just happens to be as big a fan of Sunset Riders as I am. You might be interested to know that William is the Son of Gary Burton – a fellow writer for this site as well as being the chief technician now at the Arkadia Retrocade.
DRAW! As always I have tried my level best to shine a spotlight on those talented individuals responsible for bringing Sunset Riders to life and to the arcades. In addition I have managed to find a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure – to say nothing of giving a brief rundown on the gameplay for the title.
I do thank you for taking time out of your very busy schedule to check out the show – I think you will find this is a special show, I had an amazing amount of fun with it and hope you will enjoy it. Strap on your six-shooters and saddle up as we tackle 1991’s Sunset Riders!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
Our ending theme which is entitled “River Raid“, was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth. If you like what you hear you can listen to more of his work over on his SoundCloud page.
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, it is very nearly Halloween, so it only makes sense that for this episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast that I talk about 1988’s Splatterhouse – the arcade title by Namco. In fact while I share my memories of the game for the Turbografx-16 home console – I also tackle the confusion on if Splatterhouse was released in North American arcades at all. As usual for a Diary episode, I have done my level best to try and shine the spotlight on those responsible for helping to create Splatterhouse and I have even managed to find a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
It is hard to believe that we have already reached episode 24 of the show – I suppose you could consider this the second Halloween Special for the podcast too. In addition to the usual information I share about the game itself – I also talk a bit about why I am taking a month long hiatus from all of the podcasts I have a hand in. I am sure you will understand the need for a break but it felt like I should give a little explanation for why I am feeling stretched a little thin at the moment.
By the way, our ending theme which is entitled “River Raid”, was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth. If you like what you hear you can listen to more of his work over on his SoundCloud page.
So without further ado, pull on your terror mask and prepare to brave the horrors of the West Mansion with Splatterhouse!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, welcome back to a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – on this show I am going to be discussing 1983’s Congo Bongo by Sega. A classic isometric platformer that manages to meld elements of both Donkey Kong and Frogger into a rather unique if difficult game. A word of warning on this episode – I kind of hit a brick wall in regards to finding any information on who was responsible for creating Congo Bongo. As you will hear for yourself in the episode, while Congo Bongo wasn’t a success in the arcades, Sega managed to get a port out for pretty much all of the popular home consoles and computers of the day.
As always I want to thank you for taking time of your very busy schedule to listen to the podcast – so without further ado, don your pith helmet and prepare to trek into Congo Bongo!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
By the way, our ending theme which is entitled “River Raid”, was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth. If you like what you hear you can listen to more of his work over on his SoundCloud page.
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for joining us once again for a new episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – the subject for this show focuses on both Street Fighter II: The World Warrior as well as Street Fighter II: Championship Edition. This episode is a tad longer than the standard Diary podcast because quite frankly, there is a ton to touch upon when discussing Capcom’s Street Fighter II. As always I do my level best to attempt to shine the a spotlight on those responsible for creating such a classic arcade fighting game – such as Yoshiki Okamoto (Gyruss, Time Pilot). In addition on this Street Fighter II episode I am joined by none other than Andy Pickle, my co-worker at the Arkadia Retrocade and one of my best friends.
For this Street Fighter II episode – I alter the discussion of the standard show to focus more on the creation of the game instead of giving you a rundown on how it is played, etc. Besides sharing my personal memories with the game – I also take just a moment and talk about the time I oversaw the Street Fighter II home game competition at the video store I worked at back in the day.
By the way, our ending theme which is entitled “River Raid”, was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth. If you like what you hear you can listen to more of his work over on his SoundCloud page.
So without further ado, start practicing on your Hadouken and Hundred Hand Slap as we tackled Street Fighter II!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
On this episode I will be discussing the fondly remembered Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator from SEGA, which was originally released to the wilds of the arcades back in ’82. As a special treat, the ending theme for this episode was provided by the esteemed Earl Green – courtesy of the Kasatochi chip tune cover band!
Remember that for even more pop culture related goodness – make sure to check out Earl’s own website, the Logbook.Com – absolutely one of the best and longest running sites for all your retro needs.
Without further ado, have a quarter on me as we discuss 1982’s Star Trek: Strategic Operations Simulator.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
Having said that though, we have something of a special episode for this particular podcast, as I will be talking about that magical arcade of my youth – ShowBiz Pizza Place. I talk a bit about not only my first experience at the arcade with the likes of the iconic Rock-afire Explosion, but all of those many classic arcade games of the day.
By the way, the new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Sega/Gremlin’s 1982 arcade classic “Zaxxon” and we also have a special guest for this episode, John Monkus – one of the chief techs at the Arkadia Retrocade. As always I have made sure to share a few vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure during the podcast.
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
With this show I will be talking about Mappy, the 1983 arcade classic by Namco…although in all honesty, I might very well be in the minority when it comes to how much I love this platformer.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Williams Electronic’s 1982 arcade classic “Joust”. In this episode I do not have any vintage commercials to share as I am fortunate enough to have something far more awesome, audio featuring Lonnie “Lon” McDonald from when he visited the Arkadia Retrocade to roll our Joust machine to Ten Million points, making it the 106th Joust cabinet that he has done this on!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Nintendo’s 1983 classic arcade game and the first step in a gaming dynasty with Mario Bros. I also share some of the more interesting history on the creation of the game as well as a few choice vintage home video game commercials for your listening pleasure.
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Williams Electronics’ 1983 classic arcade game, Sinistar, I also share some of the more interesting history on the creation of the game as well as a few choice vintage video game commercials…and a special bit of vintage awesomeness at the end of the show.
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Stern Electronics’ 1980 arcade classic “Berzerk”, I also share some of the more interesting history on the creation of the game as well as a few choice vintage video game commercials.
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss Nichibutsu/Taito’s 1980 arcade classic “Crazy Climber” as well as talk a bit about the first arcade that was in my neck of the woods as well as some of the fond memories I have of it.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Our new ending theme by the way is entitled “River Raid”, and was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link and make sure to hop on over to his SoundCloud Page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
For this show I discuss not an arcade game or what it’s like to be an employee of a fully functioning retro arcade but talk about Atari’s hit 1982 cartridge entitled Haunted House!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link or hopping over to his SoundCloud Page!
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
Each show I will not only discuss a particular classic arcade game but share some behind the scenes information of what it’s like to work at a retro arcade. Since it’s October I felt like we should talk about Capcom’s 1985 arcade hit “Ghosts ‘N Goblins” – possibly one of the hardest arcade titles ever produced.
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link or hopping over to his Soundcloud Page!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
Each show I will not only discuss a particular classic arcade game but share some behind the scenes information of what it’s like to work at a retro arcade. On this show I discuss the 1988 Atari Games’ classic Toobin’!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
n this show I discuss the 1982 Bally/Midway classic “TRON” and have former Aladdin’s Castle arcade manager Gary Burton join me for an interview! This episode is quite a bit longer than usual with the info on TRON and the interview but I also announce the winner of the T-Shirt giveaway.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link or hopping over to his Soundcloud page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
This episode I talk about Namco’s WWII themed vertical shooter 1942 and have an interview with special guest and Arkadia Retrocade gaming guru Michael Dietrich!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
Our new ending theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth (Congrats on the Retribution gig!), you can visit his official site by clicking that link or hopping over to his Soundcloud page!
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
This episode I discuss Bally/Midway’s second unofficial sequel to Pac-Man with 1982’s Pac-Man Plus – a game that I quite like…even if it appears hard to keep it running at the Arkadia Retrocade.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
Our new end theme entitled “River Raid” was graciously provided by the talented Tony Longworth, you can visit his official site by clicking that link or hopping over to his Soundcloud page!
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
This episode I discuss 1987’s Double Dragon as well as share some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
This episode I discuss 1981’s Warp Warp, which I will admit that I came up mostly empty on useful information on those who helped create the title – so this is a very, very short episode. In addition however I did make sure to share some vintage audio treats for your listening pleasure.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
This episode I discuss 1989’s Hack and Slash classic, Golden Axe. I am also joined on this show for an interview segment by my good friend and co-worker at the arcade, Andy Pickle!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
The subject for the show today is none other than 1982’s Mr. Do! – a title that as I point out on the show itself, I originally thought was a clone of Atari’s Dig-Dug…how wrong I was!
For more information on Mr. Do! why not give Episode 105 of the Retroist Podcast a listen?
To take a closer look at what the Japanese version of Mr. Do! looked like hop on over to the Arcade Flyer Archive!
For more interesting arcade information from the golden age you need only visit Earl Green’s Phosphor Dot Fossils site.
I also certainly hope you will share your own memories of not just Mr. Do! but your favorite arcades in the comments section. Thank you for your listening time and May the 4th Be With You!
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)
Friends, thank you for taking the time to join us once again for an episode of the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast. On the show today we are taking a little time to check out another arcade game or home console title that are rightfully considered classics in video games. As always I attempt to share my own personal memories on the subject of the podcast, in addition to trying to shine the spotlight on those who helped to bring these classic games to the arcades and home consoles back in the day.
If you have a moment, why not help us reach new listeners? Not only subscribe but leave us a rating and review for the Diary of An Arcade Employee podcast – whether that be on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify?
If you possibly have suggestions for future episodes or want to chat about the current show – you can reach me at VicSagePopCulture@gmail.com. You can find me on Facebook or Twitter and make sure to check out the Arkadia Retrocade Facebook page. Or for daily updates you can hop on over to the Diary of an Arcade Employee Facebook page – heck -you can see videos and more fun a couple of times a week by checking out my Instagram page!
Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast.
Download the Diary of An Arcade Employee Podcast:
Episode Mirror #1 (MP3)
Episode Mirror #2 (OGG)