Man, things have been busy! But we finally made it into the studio to bring you a new show. This time, we talk about what’s new in the retro scene, like the upcoming album from Doctor Octoroc, plus the comeback of Nintendo’s Punch-Out and A Boy and His Blob. We round out the news by covering some of the new movies coming out that have origins in the 80s: Terminator: Salvation, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and G. I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Sorry for the excessive use of colons. Next up, we feed our dark comedy appetites with a helping of Robocop. Violence, drugs, killer robots, and loud zippers–it’s got it all! And finally, we reveal our gluttony for punishment by concluding the show with a discussion of some of the hardest NES games known to man. Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 of the 10 Stupid-Hard NES Games series. Part 3 is on the way. “I’d buy that for a dollar.”

Download the mp3 (1:17:40 / 35.5MB)

External links mentioned in this show:
Preview Doctor Octoroc’s latest project
Punch-Out is back
So is A Boy and His Blob
The Onion Star Trek Report
G. I. Joe Resolute
Ghosts ‘N Goblins beaten

Looks like I forgot to put out the message about the poll question, so we’re leaving the current question up for a little while longer. Anyway, here’s your last chance to cast your vote on this one, people: Who’s your favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character? To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Today we continue with Part 2 of the 10 Stupid-Hard NES Games series in which I look back on some of the hardest NES games I’ve ever played. Then, and for no other reason than I just like abuse, I play them again and see how I fare against them today. Here are the next 4:

Ninja Gaiden

< Back in the Day: Ninja Gaiden, literally translated as “Ninja Story”, is an OK title, but I think Diabolical Ninja Story from Hell would probably be more accurate. It was actually one of the coolest NES games I’d ever played, even despite it’s difficulty. It was well designed, had really good music, featured some cool weapons and even cutscenes, but most importantly, it had ninjas. What more could a kid ask for? How about making it past level 3? Fortunately, Ninja Gaiden was a lot of fun, because it was hard as hell. I don’t remember the bosses being all that bad, but the stages (or Acts) that you had to traverse to get to them were, in a word, evil. You had to wonder what fiendish pleasure the designers drew from victims’ players’ constant failures. Infinite continues kept the game from becoming as crazy as Ghosts ‘N Goblins–that and the fact that you could take more than two hits. But there were parts of Ninja Gaiden that seemed almost completely unfair at times. Many of the enemies exhibited erratic behavior, and sometimes when you got hit, you kept getting hit by other enemies only to then fall off a ledge. Oh, and remember that boxer dude? You first encountered him in Act I. He’d trot up to you until he got close enough, then launch a nasty punch. He was easy enough to take out for the most part, but if he landed a punch, he kept punching you just as you started to recover. Another example is that enemies often regenerated right after you beat them if you had backtracked or advanced the screen by only a few pixels. I don’t think I ever made it all the way through Act III, but it was ultimately a fun game with high production value, which is probably what lead me to try Ninja Gaiden 2–another stupid-hard, but fun game.

> Today: I loaded up this game just a few days ago, fully expecting another beat down. So I was astonished when I made it all the way to Act VI, the final stage of the game. Oh sure, I did receive a healthy beat down, but I made it further than I ever had. Act I was a joke with a pushover boss. Come to think of it, once you learn their patterns, all the bosses are fairly easy. So when you finally make it to a boss’ lair, you feel a bit relieved, having fought through the more difficult part of the level, assuming you don’t screw it up at the last minute. The only one I haven’t confronted is the final boss. Anyway, I made it through Act II without much effort, but Act III gave me a few problems. With persistence, however, I was eventually able to pass. Act IV tried my patience. At this point, I wanted to strangle the designers’ necks. It took several continues, but I finally emerged victorious with another level behind me. Act V made me want to break my machine, and I had to take a break. I paused the game and walked away to grab a drink and watch some Tivo. Yes, it was that frustrating. An episode of Star Trek: TNG later, I resumed my game with a clear mind while chanting a mantra: “It’s just a game. It’s just a game.” Several minutes and continues later, my frustration level was returning to its peak. After dying for the 1,000,000th time, I was furious. I clenched my jaw and, with determination, hit continue again. With the utmost concentration, I began to systematically work my way through the level. I knew the patterns–where to jump, when to slice with the katana, when to throw a ninja star. I got hit a couple times, but was undeterred. Jumping, slicing, bouncing off the walls, dodging trolls, birds, ninjas, robotic blasters, and dudes with machine guns, I flew through the level to finally face off against the boss. After some dialog, I sprang forward with rage and just kept hacking at him with my sword. I ignored his thunderbolt attacks, and kept pursuing my enemy until he lay before me, bleeding and dying on the ground. After the cutscene, I continued to Act VI, got my ass handed to me, and decided to call it a day. The final boss will have to wait until I can obtain adequate mental health insurance.

Shadowgate

< Back in the Day: This was one of the hardest and longest games I ever played. But despite the numerous hours I put into Shadowgate, I still never beat it. One of the few NES games that fit into the puzzle category, Shadowgate’s premise was straightforward enough: You’re a lone hero who must battle the evil Warlock Lord before he summons something out of hell and destroys the world. But the Warlock Lord’s lair is well hidden, so you must venture through Castle Shadowgate and solve a series of puzzles to reveal it. Overall, the game was incredibly difficult and could become quite laborious over time. There were lots of steps involved to solve the puzzles and continue progressing, and there were more ways to die than to live. To make matters worse, you had to keep a lit torch in your inventory at all times. Otherwise, you would lose light, stumble around and fall to your death. With a limited amount of torches in Castle Shadowgate, it imposed a time limit of sorts on an already difficult game. But Shadowgate was still enjoyable in a macabre sort of way. I definitely died a lot, but at least in Shadowgate, you could die in any number of extremely creative ways. In fact, some of the depictions of death were so descriptive, you almost looked forward to it. Let’s see, you could be burned alive by dragon fire, devoured by sharks, sucked into a void, beaten to death by a huge cyclops, dissolved by slime, impaled by a troll’s spear, ripped to shreds by a mutated dog, choked to death by a wyvern’s tail, and so many more, not including suicide and the various castle traps. Ultimately, the game became less about winning and more about discovering new and more gruesome ways to die, which suited us kids just fine.

> Today: I finally beat this game last year. I think all you need to beat it is a sharp mind and a lot of time. So how did I beat it? Simple. An emulator and a walkthrough guide. Yeah, so I cheated. But it was interesting going through the entire game and learning all the secrets to all the puzzles. Some of those puzzles could be quite maniacal. I still died on purpose a few times. It just never gets old.

Tag Team Wrestling

< Back in the Day: OK, this was probably the most stupid-hard game I played–emphasis on stupid. The game wasn’t all that great in 2-player mode; it completely sucked when you were playing against the computer in 1-player mode. This was mainly due to the completely unfair AI. The computer literally cheated. During a match, you could get in a few hits every now and then, but as soon as you maintained any kind of streak, the computer’s wrestler would turn red and become temporarily invincible. There was nothing you could do about it. As soon as the computer transformed into Satan incarnate, all you could do was brace for impact. The computer would repeat this until your strength was drained, then pin you. You just had to get use to the phrase, “Game Over.”

> Today: This was probably the most surprising replay out of the whole list. I loaded up the game and prepared myself for failure, but I prevailed… for a little while at least. I actually won a few matches before I got bored. I developed a strategy: get thrown out of the ring, the computer follows, then proceed to spam-punch the computer until just before the 20 count is up. Your timing has to be perfect because the computer will hop back into the ring quickly if you don’t keep taking him down. I remember trying this strategy to no avail when I was a kid. Maybe I’m faster on the buttons now. Another thing–the computer seems to lose the ability to turn invincible when outside the ring. I tried a variation of this strategy inside the ring, and it worked OK for a while, but I was never able to pin him. The computer tags out too fast if you’re not positioned just right. I was going to keep trying, but I had already defeated the computer a few times, so I had nothing else to prove. I think winning on a technicality is a fair enough strategy against an intermittently invincible opponent.

Castlevania

< Back in the Day: Ah, Castlevania. What a great game. One of Konomi’s best, I’d say. In my experience, this game was the one people played the most on those Player’s Choice 10 cabinets. It was pretty popular on the NES as well. I remember most of my friends owned this cartridge. It was challenging for sure–so much so that I never beat it. But I definitely had fun trying. Like Ninja Gaiden, there are only 6 levels, which doesn’t sound so daunting at first, but the problem is getting through those levels. After the first 2 levels, things can get frustrating fast. Fortunately, you get a limitless supply of continues, but you really had to possess an inhuman amount of coordination to navigate through the Count’s castle. Sometimes I would get stuck at a certain spot that seemed almost insurmountable. Trying to time each jump, each crack of the whip, each boomerang so precisely could get maddening after a while. But finally getting past a spot like that did seem to bring its own sense of accomplishment. You quickly learned why there were only 6 levels. I remember the game having top-notch graphics and sound for the time, but the play control wasn’t the best. Controlling the main character wasn’t as responsive as in other games. In other Konami NES games, such as Contra, you could change directions in mid-air when jumping. Not so in Castlevania. Once you jumped, you were committed. Also, you couldn’t swing your whip diagonally or up and down. They fixed this in the Super Nintendo hit, Castlevania IV. Another vexing aspect of the game was that you had limited sight distance and couldn’t be as proactive at maneuvering at times. This was especially annoying when facing some of the more erratic enemies, like the flying Medusa heads. Still, Castlevania was good fun, even if it did seem hellish at times. Then again, I guess fighting your way through Dracula’s castle against hordes of undead probably shouldn’t be all that easy.

> Today: Still just as fun as it was back then. The graphics, although undeniably dated, are still serviceable. The visual indicators are clear and concise, and each item, enemy, and platform are precisely contoured. The 8-bit music is equally rousing and creepy. I made it past levels 1 and 2 without breaking a sweat. Level 3 gave me a few problems, but I eventually made it. Level 4 was insane, and the Frankenstein monster and Igor are probably the hardest bosses besides Dracula. It took several tries to beat them, but I finally prevailed. After a lengthy, and I mean lengthy, romp through level 5, I finally made it to the Grim Reaper, but I could never beat him. After getting so close to total victory, I may try it again another time. This game still offers a good challenge, although I didn’t have to use as many continues this time around. Consequently, my frustration level remained at a minimum. Castlevania is still one of my all time favorites even after all these years and is well deserving of a replay.

That’s all for now. I’ll be posting Part 3 in a few days. Feel free to leave comments about some stupid-hard games you’ve played and even your experiences with them today.

I’m not sure why lists are so popular on the Internet. Maybe it’s because they’re so easy to read (or write for that matter). Maybe people are brain dead zombies, limited to digesting information broken up into quantifiable, compartmentalized chunks. Maybe people enjoy inherently opinionated rankings of things in a particular category. Whatever the reasons, they’re undeniably popular. Just Google “Top 10″ and see for yourself.

That said, I’d like to introduce you to my latest list: 10 Stupid-Hard NES Games: Then and Now. It’s basically just a list of really hard NES games I played as a kid with descriptions about my experiences then and revisiting them today. But I wanted this list to be different from the usual Internet sludge. So I took the typical “top 10″ paradigm and flipped it on its head a bit. First, this list will be delivered in a three-part series. Today, I’ll be sharing 3 stupid-hard games, then 4 more in Part 2, then I’ll finish up with the final 3 and a conclusion in Part 3. Next, I will be including complementary screenshots to better illustrate the stupid-hardness of the games. Also, this list will be a bit more verbose, which should oppose the notion of instant gratification intrinsic in so many other lists. Finally, this list is in no particular order, so there’s really no “top” to it. Hey, I told you this list would be different. Plus it would just take too much effort to rank these games, and I don’t really feel like it Enough babble. On to the list:

Ghosts ‘N Goblins

< Back in the Day: Of all the games that elicited expletives from me as a kid, this one probably brought out the most. It was easier to catwalk on my BMX bike uphill for a mile while pulling my little brother on his skateboard than beat this game. In this game, you play as a knight, fighting against zombies, ghosts, wizards, and other monsters to finally save your betrothed from the clutches of a big, ugly, winged demon that kind of reminds me of Sardo Numspa at the end of the 1986 movie, The Golden Child. Anyway, if you like abuse, this is the game for you. The mechanics of the game are pretty simple. You run around jumping and throwing weapons at constantly spawning monsters until you or they die. The basic strategy is a combination of killing and running, not that any sort of strategy makes that much of a difference. You start the game throwing lances, which do an ok amount of damage, but are pretty slow. Stay away from the torch or flame weapon like it’s… well, fire. It sucks and has a limited effective range. The dagger is pretty decent; it does as much damage as the lance, and it’s faster. I don’t know anything about the axe, and I never found the shield or cross weapon, but I’ve read that you can use it to block enemy attacks as well as attack. You can only shoot laterally (unlike in Contra, where you can shoot up, down, and diagonally in all directions), so that doesn’t help. Oh, yeah, the monsters must all have acid blood, because if you get hit once, you lose your entire suit of armor and are reduced to your knightly boxers. The next hit turns you into a handsome pile of bones. If you can make it half-way through the level, then you start at the “half-way marker” after you die. Wow, thanks. One more thing: the designers must be masochists or something, because if you pull off a miracle and “beat” this game, you have to do it all over again to get the real ending. I have better things to do with my time… like write more lists.

> Today: I’ll admit, as difficult as it still is, it was kind of fun to go back and play this one. I was determined to get to at least level 2, but it didn’t happen. I got all the way up to the first miniboss and got pulverized. I was actually better at this game when I was a kid. I still had a good time with it, though. With this game, you just have to embrace the inevitability of death. The game that I could only beat with the Game Genie will have to remain unbeaten.

Kid Icarus

< Back in the Day: Kid Icarus was kind of a weird game to me. My first experience was renting it from a mom and pop video rental store. I had heard good things about it, so I got the game home, popped it in, and started it up. It was different from any game I had ever played. The visual style was striking, and it seemed to mesh mechanics from Super Mario Bros, Metroid, and The Legend of Zelda. It had elements of a platformer, a scrolling shooter, and you could collect items throughout your journey. You could even earn experience points and level up. I remember the setting, loosely based on Greek mythology, and sound effects to be a bit eerie for some reason. And some of the monsters freaked me out. I’ve read that there’s a monster in the game called a “Komayto” that resembles a Metroid, which is understandable since Kid Icarus was based on the Metroid game engine. I never made it far enough to see one, however. The game was just too difficult. You had to have incredible platforming skills and a lot of patience, because this game was long. I wouldn’t say it was one of my all time favorites, but it was still a good game and offered a solid diversion, even if it did eventually end in frustration. I guess it’s safe to say I had mixed feelings for the game. It was interesting and entertaining, but ultimately the challenge of finishing it was a little too hardcore for me.

> Today: I recently loaded up this game to see how it’s aged over the years. I still like the style, although the sound effects and monsters still kinda freak me out. My performance has actually worsened, as I couldn’t even get past the first level. So I did what any sensible man would do: I gave up and entered the password to transport me to the final level with weapons and health maxed out. Only then was I able to vanquish the evil Medusa and rescue the Angel Princess. Yeah, yeah, I know I cheated, but I wanted to see the ending. I had only seen it once before when my friend beat it one morning before we went to school. I still don’t know how he pulled it off. Maybe he grabbed the password from a Nintendo Power or something.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out

< Back in the Day: Ok, this one deserves an explanation. The only real stupid-hard part of this game was Tyson. I remember being able to work my way up to him, but never defeating him. It was easier to play Doom on “Nightmare” mode than beat Tyson. Despite such an insanely difficult final bout, Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out was still one of my favorite NES games. If you took the title character out of the equation, I would describe the game as having the perfect balance of challenge and fun. The gameplay stood out in the early Nintendo landscape and offered some interesting mechanics. Each opponent had his own unique fighting style and brought to the match his own distinct challenges. If an opponent gave you trouble, you could press select in between a round to regain some of your strength. Everything felt right until you got to Tyson. Even if you knew his patterns, Tyson was still lightning quick and could knock you out with one punch. Come to think of it, I don’t even think I got past the first minute let alone the first round. It kinda makes you wonder what kind of deal Tyson made with Nintendo to use his name and 8-bit likeness to make him virtually invincible.

> Today: Not much has changed with this game. As before, I can battle my way up to Tyson, but I still can’t beat him. However, I was able to last through the whole first round, which is astonishing to me. Maybe my twitch reflexes have improved over the years. Given more time, I may be able to make it further, but it’s just not worth the effort. It’s not impossible to beat him; I know people have done it. But for me, it would be more repetition than a good challenge. So for now, I’ll just stick to knocking out Super Macho Man and call it a day.

Well, that’s all for now. Be sure to stop by in a few days to catch Part 2 of the series. And we’d love to hear about some of your hardest games. You can tell us all about ‘em in the comments.

Today marks the 20th birthday of the Nintendo Game Boy. Technically, it wasn’t released in the US until August of 1989, but since the Game Boy was born in Japan, we’re celebrating on its original release date. To a lot of people, the Game Boy was just a means to get their Tetris fix, which is understandable since Tetris is one of the most addictive puzzle games of all time. But the Game Boy was more than just a Tetris machine; there were some other cool games out there, as well. So in honor of the Game Boy’s birthday, I’ve listed my personal all time top 5 Game Boy games below. If you’d like to join in the celebration, be sure to include some of your favorites in the comments of this post. I would’ve listed more, but I think those were the only ones I played.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening - Other than Tetris, I think I logged the most time on my Game Boy playing this game. I savored the puzzles and whimsical story throughout the game, and it reminded me a lot of my favorite SNES game, A Link to the Past.

2. Tetris - One of the greatest games of all time. It provided me with hours of fun and my parents hours of quiet. How could this classic not be on my list?

3. Dr. Mario - Another great puzzle game. ‘Nuff said.

4. Metroid II: The Return of Samous - I never finished this game, I guess because I was more preoccupied with other Super Nintendo games, but what I played of it was awesome. This game is currently being remade into a PC version by DoctorM64.

5. Super Mario Land - Similar mechanics to the classic NES game, Super Mario Bros., but with a few extra abilities. Definitely one of the funnest Game Boy games in my opinion.

(Begin gruff, old, asian man voice here) Gather around, young ones, and I will tell you a tale from ancient time. A long time ago in 1984, a man known as Kevin Eastman partnered with Peter Laird to build one of the greatest empires in all the world. They created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! (End gruff, old, asian man voice) OK dramatics aside, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day last week, we’re going green. It’s the All Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Edition of the podcast. Fueled on pizza and Mountain Dew, we talk about the origins, cartoons, action figures, video games, and movies all about the heroes in a half shell. It’s an epic long show, but we felt we had to give the Turtles their due. After all, they entertained us for a countless number of hours. So sharpen your katanas and get ready to kick shell with the original lean, mean, green machines. It’s turtle time!

Download the mp3 (1:25:10 / 39.0MB)

External links mentioned in this show:
ninjaturtles.com
first episode of the TMNT cartoon on Youtube

Researchers at Yale have officially determined the statistical likelihood of finding the Princess in the NES classic, Super Mario Bros. According to the study, players only have a 12.5% chance of finding her, which means you’ll run into the dreaded mushroom retainers for the other 7 out of 8 times. The proof is on the T-shirt, literally. Chances that I want that T-shirt = 100%.

It’s been a while since the last podcast, but now we’re back in action to bring you the first show of 2009. We’re also bringing a fourth crew member on board. Good to have you with us, Chad. Now stop reading this and get back to work! On the show this week, we explore the theme of “chicks in space” as it relates to the 80s. The 1986 movie, Aliens, is up for discussion first. Ripley’s horrible luck, Bill Paxton’s off-the-wall performance, and old-school special effects are just some of the subjects mentioned. Next up is a retrospective of the 1987 NES classic, Metroid, as we recount the first time we entered the “Justin Bailey” code and beheld Samus Aran in all her feminine glory. We then share the results of last show’s poll question and pose a new one (don’t forget to vote). Lastly, and for no other reason than we just felt like it, we remember that old 30-minute animated commercial for Nintendo that passed for entertainment when we were kids: Captain N the Game Master. Rest in peace, Mr. Stubbs. You were one sassy Mother Brain.

Download the mp3 (1:00:49 / 27.8MB)

External links mentioned in this show:
Download the VGAT (Video Game Aptitude Test)
Download the VGAT Answer Key
Dr. Octoroc
Metroid II Remake

New poll here. Your question: Who’s your favorite female G. I. Joe / Cobra? To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page. You don’t want to miss out on voting in this one, because whoever gets the most votes will be the subject of our next G. I. Joe Hall of Fame.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Please join me in welcoming the newest member of the Back in the Day Show crew, Chad. He’s been a longtime friend of ours, but has only recently discovered the show through our MySpace page. He began listening to the shows and was instantly hooked. After listening to episode #2, Chad e-mailed us with the answer to the “Name That Game” question of that show. He guessed correctly, but unfortunately, we stopped playing that game a while back due to listener disinterest. So instead of awarding him a T-shirt, we decided to offer him a position on the show, and he actually agreed to join us (sucker!).

Chad’s movie and TV knowledge is impeccable, but since he didn’t own as many video games as a kid, we were a little concerned about his familiarity with the video gaming realm. So we administered a basic video game knowledge test that we have deemed the VGAT (Video Game Aptitude Test). Chad performed admirably, obtaining a solid “B”. Sure, he may not have received a “Super Job!” sticker, but he passed well enough for our purposes, which is a relief because we really didn’t want to fire him and refuse him a T-shirt.

Chad’s debut can be heard on episode #10, which I will be posting up tomorrow. I will also post a copy of the VGAT with an answer key so you, our wonderful listeners, can test your own video gaming knowledge.

Welcome to the show, Chad. We look forward to your input on the podcast and blog. Just don’t screw it up

Well okay, very nerdy.  But also very awesome.

This graffiti of Link went up(and down) in Melbourne in 2006, but it’s new to me. Maybe it’s new to you, too. Another look:

Turns out it wasn’t actually spraypaint, but painted beer coasters that were taped to the wall. Does that still count as graffiti? Maybe. Is it still awesome? Absolutely.

Also, Link appears to be right handed in this…but that’s a minor technicality.

I meant to mention this a while back: DoctorM64 is remaking Metroid II, a Gameboy classic from 1992, for PC. It’s a fan-made remake, so it’s not official, but it looks like it will do the original game justice. It’s nice to see the transition from the bland green-monochrome of the old Gameboy to vivid, Super Nintendo-like color. Check out the website to download the demo and view video samples of the game in action.

This is the Holiday Edition of the podcast, and since it only comes once a year, it’s quite epic. Rob, Ashley, Josh, and Chris reminisce for over two hours about all kinds of Christmas-related retro stuff. The guys kick off the show with a lengthy discussion of 80s Christmas Movies with Ashley joining in later with her thoughts on Home Alone. The foursome then remember some of their favorite toys of the 80s, including Mad Balls, Micro Machines, and the lovable teddy bear/cassette player, Teddy Ruxpin, to name a few. Then Ashley bids the boys farewell as they continue on to name their Top 5 Favorite NES Games. Hope you enjoy the show, and Merry Christmas (or whatever the heck you celebrate) from the Back in the Day Show Crew!

Download the mp3 (2:08:07 / 58.6MB)

Special thanks to Doctor Octoroc for some great holiday chip-tunes from his latest album, 8-Bit Jesus. Keep rockin’ it 8-bit style, man, and we’re glad your dog is doing better.

Notes: This episode was originally posted on December 25, 2008 on a temporary page since our blog went down (which is getting old). So this is just the official episode #9 post to the blog so our subscribers will know we’re still here. Thanks for listening, and sorry for any inconvenience.

While Christmas music is slaughtering the airwaves, the lovers of 8-bit music get no release. All the songs you hear are the “good old” classics. Well, make room in your stockings kids. If you enjoy listening to the 8-bit music from the NES video games, then you’ll get a kick out of Doctor Octoroc’s “8-Bit Jesus: Full Album Release.” Check it out here.

Don’t bother calling yourself a serious gamer unless you know most of these quotes. That’s Syd Lexia’s charge, more or less, and he’s right. Any self-respecting gamer should be familiar with this kind of video game minutia. To quote Lexia, “we determine whether or not another human being is worthy of our attentions by testing them with pop culture quotes and references.” So true, and we do this constantly–most of the time without even thinking about it. The very theme of our podcast was born from this idea. So check out the list of quotes and see how many you know. You’ll either enjoy the trip down memory lane or learn some new, totally useless information. Either way, his list is humorously written with complimentary screenshots. And be sure to check out his Website as he’s also a fan of 80s and early 90s pop culture.

50 NES Quotes Every Gamer Should Know

The list of quotes is pretty awesome (my favorite is 13), but I do have a few additional NES quotes of my own that I’d like to share:

Quote: “HELP!”
What it’s from: Jackal
Context: Several structures can be blown open allowing the POWs within to escape. You can pick them up or drive away.
Comments: Back in the day, Konami took the traditional shooter and added a vehicle element. So you essentially got Contra with jeeps, and it turned out to be a pretty decent game called Jackal. In the game, there are several destructible buildings that house POWs. After blowing open a building, you’d see the POWs cry, “HELP!” and run towards you to be rescued. All you had to do was drive over to them, and you’d get a point bonus and sometimes a special weapon. Of course being the devious miscreant that I am, I would often drive just close enough to them to laugh in their faces, then leave them behind to rot. It was probably the funnest and funniest part of the game. Unfortunately, friendly fire is turned off in the game, so you can’t shoot them. And you can’t run over them like the other foot soldiers. Try to flatten the POWs with your jeep, and you’ll only end up rescuing them. Sometimes I would pick up a handful, then drive into the heat of battle and intentionally get blown up just to see the POWs scatter as they try to get away. The story in the game was supposedly based on a rescue mission, but I guess I didn’t see it that way.

Quote: “Raphael got caught. Who fights next?”
What it’s from: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Context: Whichever ninja turtle you’re playing as (Raphael for example) is captured when your life meter is reduced to zero.
Comments: What the heck is this all about? In this game, you could be shot, stabbed, blown to pieces, ripped to shreds, and even flattened, such as in the screenshot above. But no matter how many ways you “died,” you’d only end up being captured. I’m not advocating turtlecide; I’m just pointing out an inconstancy that diminishes the sense of danger and urgency in the game. Yeah, I know, it’s probably asking too much from a video game. But even if you do survive, why the heck are the ninja turtles trying to take on the entire Foot Clan one by one? They always fight as a team; that’s what makes them such formidable adversaries. Instead, you have to pick a turtle and give it your best shot on your own. The fact that you could rescue your fallen comrades was pretty cool, though.

Quote: “UP! UP!”
What it’s from: Top Gun
Context: The last task in completing a mission is the landing sequence. As you approach the aircraft carrier, you are given instructions on how to crash land.
Comments: Top Gun was not a stellar game by any means. I mean, if you look at all the piece-of-crap NES games based on movies, it definitely wasn’t the worst. That honor goes to Total Recall. Heh, I guess that’s not saying much, but still, Top Gun had its moments. The best part of the game was probably the 2-player verses mode, but the bane of the single player mode was having to land after each mission. As you approached the aircraft carrier, you would receive instructions on how to land. “UP! UP! DOWN! DOWN! LEFT! RIGHT! What the… dang, that Konami Code is everywhere. Anyway, the instructions were vague at best. I had a friend who ignored the instructions, stating that they were bogus anyway. So he just went on instincts, and I swear, he could land the plane every friggin’ time. Not me, though. I’d invariably crash and burn just like in the screenshot above. All because of those stupid instructions, but hey, I’m sure that’s exactly how the Navy trains its top aviators.

Here’s your obligatory note that we have a new poll. Your question this time: What’s your favorite Back to the Future movie? To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

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Rob, Josh, and Chris rev up to 88 miles per hour to bring you the 1.21 gigawatts edition of the podcast. First, the guys talk about the films that the show’s logo is based on, the Back to the Future Trilogy. Next up is a discussion of the best and worst video games based on movies. Some of the bad: Friday the 13th, Total Recall, Jaws, and more. Some of the good: Batman, Willow, and Goonies II among others. Finally in honor of Doc Brown, the scientist, the guys reminisce about some of their favorite 80s educational TV shows. This show is great, but you don’t have to take my word for it.

Download the mp3 (1:21:00 / 37.0MB)

Notes: Covering the full Back to the Future Trilogy easily makes this the longest Back in the Day show so far. As a result, this week’s G. I. Joe Hall of Fame segment will be released separately at a later date. Also, Chris was right about I Missed the Bus, the song that Josh refers to in the podcast as a Will Smith song. It’s actually a Kris Kross tune.

In honor of Halloween last week, here are a few photos of us in our Halloween costumes from years past, which were described in detail in episode #7. These are some of the most awesome homemade costumes you’ll ever see! Hit the link below to see larger versions of the same photos.

First up, we have Chris dressed up as Skeletor from Halloween 2006. Skeletor was the main villain in the 80s cartoon, He-man. Here, it looks like someone is trying to steal his drink. You’d think an evil guy like Skeletor would be able to chill out on Halloween of all days. Tough break. Although constructing this costume mostly just invovled a lot of time in the garage with spray paint, it was no easy task. The mask was just a run-of-the-mill, store-bought thing; the challenge was finding a muscle suit that didn’t have a superhero logo attached. The solution? South Park’s Satan. And for those of you who think turning a red, foam bodysuit bluish-purple is an easy process, you’ve obviously never tried. It’s also kind of hard to go barhopping when your costume doesn’t have pockets, but any true supervillain knows how to get around that.

Next, there’s me (Rob) as a kid, clearly influenced by one of the most iconic heroes in video game history, Link from The Legend of Zelda. The precise time frame of the photo is unknown, but since the game came out in August of 1987 and I didn’t play it until later, we’re going to put this one at Halloween ‘88 or ‘89. Notice all of the elements of the perfect Link costume are in place: the magic word, the shield, the green tunic and cap, and the homemade cloth boots pulled over the sneakers. The accessories completing the outfit are the belt and sheath, elf ears, and you can’t see it, but I’m wearing the magic blue ring. As it turns out, the magic boomerang (referenced in episode #7) was discovered later at a toy store, and it actually worked… sometimes.

We move now to Josh’s Dracula costume also from Halloween ‘88 or ‘89. Whether Josh was representing the arch villain of Castlevania or he was just attracted by the traditional Dracula character hardly matters. Thanks to mom’s handiwork, Josh is the epitome of the evil, blood-sucking Count. While the typical dress shirt, pants, and shoes form the foundation of the costume, the cape, vest, and tie are all homemade. The teeth with enlarged canines are there, although you can’t see them. Add white makeup for a gaunt look, mom’s red lipstick, some generic, artificial blood, and don’t forget the slicked-back hair. Now you’ve got a pretty intimidating Dracula… or at least as intimidating as you can be at seven years old.

Finally, we have me and Josh from the Halloween of… I have no idea, but I’m pretty sure we were a bit younger in this one. I’m dressed up as Rambo, and Josh is Dracula. Apparently, Josh had a taste for blood as well as candy. As you can see, mom’s creativity shines once again. The makeshift, canvass shirt (homemade), beat-up jeans, and work boots are clear indicators that my costume is the Rambo from First Blood. Then of course there’s the signature headband (homemade) and combat knife. The camo facepaint was thrown in for effect as well as some weird pistol that shot penny-sized, plastic discs instead of suction-cup darts. Josh is pretty much wearing the same kind of Dracula costume as before except with a black vest instead of gray and no dripping, fake blood. Here it looks like Dracula is a bit more vulnerable up against the deadly Green Beret Vietnam vet.

Hope you enjoyed this small collection of Halloween photos. Go ahead, tell us about some of your costumes from years past in the comments. Again, to see larger versions of our photos, click the link below.

^ Can't a guy enjoy a drink in peace? ^

^ Where the hell is that blasted Triforce? Under the stove maybe? ^

^ The smuggest Dracula you'll ever see. ^

^ Hand over the candy or the Count gets it. ^

Well, guys, you’ve probably figured out by now that we won’t be posting a podcast this week. Sorry, I completely forgot to make the announcement. My bad. But if everything goes as planned, you can expect a new podcast next week. Also, we’ve decided it would be in our best interests to limit our podcasting to one show per month for November and December only. This plan is designed to help us retain any sanity we might lose during an otherwise enjoyable holiday season. I’m sure you guys know how busy things can get. So we’ll be posting up a new show next week and then our Christmas Edition sometime next month. In the meantime, I’ll be posting up some photos of us in our past Halloween costumes either today or tomorrow. So be sure to check back later.

Break out your holy water and wooden steaks, because Rob, Josh, and Chris have awoken from their coffins to bring you a chilling Halloween edition of the Back in the Day Show. First they recall some of their favorite 80s horror movie moments: the old guy from Poltergeist II, the persistent, undead hitchhiker from Creepshow 2, and of course Chucky from Child’s Play. Then the guys whip it with an in-depth discussion of Castlevania and how it’s so much better than a puppy. The next segment includes fond memories of costumes, candy, and Chris’ plan to legitimize his trick-or-treating as a grown man. Finally, the guys talk about the Cobra master of disguise, Zartan. What better G. I. Joe to discuss on the Halloween show than the man who dresses up in costumes for a living? So sit back and relax, grab a “fun” size Snickers, and enjoy the show. Muahahahaha…

Download the mp3 (1:13:04 / 33.4MB)

Special thanks to Overclocked Remix and Sixto Sounds and Danneman & Silverknekt for some great Castlevania remixes.

Just something to help bear the wait for the next podcast, I think the above artwork speaks for itself. But if it doesn’t speak to you right away, give it a minute. Once you get it, the laughter will be impossible to suppress.

After a slight delay, Rob, Josh, and Chris are back with the latest episode of the Back in the Day Show. It’s the Part Man, Part Machine edition of the show this week, and kicking it off is a thorough discourse about the 1984 movie, The Terminator, as well as subsequent Terminator flicks. Following that, the guys reminisce about the little, blue guy from one of their favorite NES series, Mega Man. The B.A.T. would have been the most appropriate Joe for this show, but since it’s already been covered, the guys round out the show with a hilarious discussion about one of the coolest and probably least celebrated G. I. Joes ever. Seriously, you need to stick around to hear the segment on Barbecue; it’s probably the most entertaining part of the show. Heck, if you don’t have time for anything else, we’ll allow you to skip ahead to the 37:09 mark… just this once, though Enjoy.

Download the mp3 (52:39 / 24.1MB)

Special thanks to 8bitpeoples.com and Anamanaguchi for some great 8-bit chip tunes.

What’s your favorite Terminator movie? You know what to do. To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Well, guys, it looks like this week’s podcast is going to be a little late. We’ve already recorded the show; it’s just that I won’t have a chance to edit the raw audio until later tomorrow night. That’s because I’m going to be helping out Ashley today with her class. It’s field trip day for the kiddies. W00t! I could’ve stayed up super late last night to get it done, but that would’ve required way too much effort. Anyway, I’ll be posting the next podcast on Sunday, October 12. Too bad the flux capacitor is busted on my DeLoreon.

So Mega Man 9 has recently been released for all the current-generation consoles’ respective online services: WiiWare, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade. The little, blue guy has been in so many video games for over 20 years that he’s transcended from video game character to icon. He’s not as ubiquitous as Mario, but he’s definitely popular enough to warrant a fitting tribute. So join me as we look back over the years at one of the most beloved characters in video gaming history. I give you the ultimate Mega Man retrospective. And be sure to tune in next week as we’ll be talking about all our favorite Mega Man moments on our next podcast.

Change can be good. And that’s the attitude we have towards the latest change we’re implementing this week. We’re going to change our weekly podcast schedule to a biweekly schedule. No that doesn’t mean twice a week–that’s semiweekly, foo. It means we’ll be posting a show up every two weeks. So there will be no podcast tomorrow, but we’ll pick it back up next week on October 10. Why the deviation? With all of our busy schedules, this was probably inevitable. Job changes, other commitments, that fact that we’re slackers, blah blah blah. But ultimately it means a better quality podcast for you, our listeners. It will allow us a little flexibility in our schedules and enable us to better meet our deadline every other week. It will also give us more time in post-production to keep the quality of the recordings as high as possible. So we’re going to try the new schedule and see how things work. Thanks, as always, for listening. More interesting stuff is on the way.

What’s your favorite movie directed by John Hughes? You know the drill. To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

After pulling a Ferris Bueller themselves last week, your pals, Rob, Josh, and Chris, are back with the latest edition of the Back in the Day Show to discuss, of all things, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Then the guys retrospect about arcades and their favorite arcade games in a sweet 80s Culture Shock / video game fusion segment… thingy. A scant conversation on Snake Eyes’ ninja clan brother, Storm Shadow, follows. And apparently the guys make plenty of mistakes while recording the show, with one of the longest outtake reels at the end of this show being proof. You get all that plus commentary on the Von Steuben Day Parade, the evolution of quarters to tokens, Chinese hexagrams, social engineering, and arcade game and G. I. Joe action figure inflation on this week’s show. So who wants to have a listen? “Bueller? Bueller?”

Download the mp3 (1:14:55 / 34.3MB)

Special thanks to some talented OverClocked Remixers, including Sixto Sounds, Norrin Radd, and Chris Abbott, for some great arcade game music remixes.

We should also mention that discontinued by popular disinterest is the Name That Game segment. Unfortunately, we had zero–not virtually zero–but zero participation in playing the game. Maybe we’ll bring it back in subsequent episodes, but for now, it’s game over

I thought this was hilarious becuase a couple of my friends from high school are actually doctors now. This technique still works on the NES today!

Rob, Josh, Hannah, and Ashley are back at it again to bring you more 80s and early 90s retrocity (made up word). Sadly, our pal, Chris, had to call in sick, so he wasn’t able to join in the insanity that comprises this week’s show. Kicking it off with WarGames (arguably the best hacker movie committed to film), the guys talk about its awesomeness while the girls are smitten by Matthew Broderick. Then Ashley and Hannah are given their next movie-watching assignment, Terminator, and speculate on what it’s about with hilarious results. The gang then discusses their Tetris addiction and Ashley’s life-long dream to play it on a bigger screen via the NES version. The Game Boy is given some love along with some truly ridiculous peripherals, and then the crew wraps things up with part 2 of their Nickelodeon discussion. Hope you enjoy the show.

Download the mp3 (54:46 / 25.7MB)

Special thanks to 8bitpeoples and Paza for some great 8bit chip tunes.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that there will be no show for next week unfortunately as we’ll be taking a break; however, we will return the following week with plenty of retrospection (actual word).

What Nickelodeon game show did you want to be on? To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

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I’ll admit, physics was never my strong point in college, but I’m assuming that this plane is going faster than 88 MPH…

http://view.break.com/558731 - Watch more free videos

And let’s just assume that a lightning bolt creates more than the necessary 1.21 Gigawatts of electricity.

So my question is this:

WHY THE HELL DIDN’T THIS PLANE GET SENT TO 1955????

…I’ll bet those Libyan ‘Terrorists’ were a lie too. Probably just his crack dealers that he owed money to…

Yeah! We’re going retro on ourselves. That’s how retro we are. It’s episode #0 of the Back in the Day Show, the very first show that started it all, even predating episode #1. It was originally intended to be a practice run to test out the recording equipment and to feel out the structure of the show. Now it’s being released under the guise of “bonus material.” The audio quality is a little flaky, but the entertainment value definitely trumps any inconvenience. The guys talk about the 1989 movie, The Wizard, along with Josh’s disdain for the Power Glove and the guys’ fond memories of Nintendo Pocket Power. Then Ashley joins in to discuss recollections of Super Mario Bros. 3 as well has her endearing emotional attachment to Mario. The guys then bust out another NES tune to give listeners another chance to win a free T-shirt from 80stees.com in Name That Game. Finally, Snake-eyes is given his due in this week’s G. I. Joe Hall of Fame. Now, “just sit down and have fun, damnit!”

Download the mp3 (59:50 / 27.3MB)

Special thanks to 8bitpeoples and Trash80 for some great 8bit chip tunes.

What’s your favorite world in Super Mario Bros. 3? To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

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Here’s some nostalgic gaming goodness to help ease the wait for our next podcast. Check out this GamesRadar feature of an insanely comprehensive list of gaming Consoles of the 80s. Yeah, this is kinda old, but I think that’s the point. I’ve never heard of some of these machines, but among the ones I played the most are the NES of course, Apple IIe, Sega Genesis, and Game Boy. The article also contains lists of Consoles of the 70s, 90s, and 2000s. So what are some of your favorites?

Just a quick note, the next podcast will be available tomorrow, as scheduled. w00t!

Josh, Rob, and Chris blow the crap out of episode #3, the “aliens and guns edition” of the Back in the Day Show. And yes, we really do talk a lot about guns. In fact, this week, the guys discuss the 1987 movie, Predator, and Rob can’t shut up about Billy’s M16/shotgun combo. Love for the NES game, Contra, is also given while Chris recounts his experience in Athens listening to Cinemechanica, moonlighting as Contraband. Still no winner for Name That Game. Who will be the first? Our listeners get another shot this week. The complexity of Falcon (and his awesome gun) is discussed as he’s inducted into the G. I. Joe Hall of Fame, and the guys remember their favorite shows from Nickelodeon in this week’s 80s Culture Shock. So go ahead and have a listen. It’s better than bad. It’s good!

Download the mp3 (1:11:11 / 32.5MB)

Special thanks to OverClocked Remix and Goat for the awesome Contra music. Also, special thanks to 8bitpeoples and Phlogiston and Anamanaguchi for some great 8bit chip tunes.

This time we’re asking who your favorite character is in the 1987 movie, Predator. To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page.

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This is just the obligatory post necessary to publish the Back in the Day Show to the Podcast Alley directory. More interesting posts on the way. My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-b9cb068fb326bb7382ee9a016a9d3760}

You have to love technology sometimes. We’ve been informed that some of our users were having problems downloading the entirety of our podcasts. Some would only get the first 30 minutes, while others would only get the first 10 minutes. The problem lies with our Web hosting provider, so while they patch things up on their end, we’re going to be hosting our mp3s on another server. What does this mean for you? Nothing. The entire operation should be transparent to you, our merciful listeners. So now you should be able to listen to any of our podcasts without them cutting off too early. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for listening. Hit the jump below if you’d like more details.

The sporadic nature of the problem leads us to believe it’s an issue with our Web hosting provider. As some of you may have noticed earlier this week, our Website went down due to a database problem. I believe the technical terminology for the problem was that our Website took a dump. We contacted our Web hosting provider who resolved the problem, and within about 18 hours we were back up again. Now we’re having this mp3 downloading issue.

As a temporary fix, we’re hosting the mp3 files on a different server until we get the Website set up with our new Web hosting provider. Our current provider is obviously not up to the task. When we switch over to the new servers, you may notice some temporary downtime. We’ll inform everyone when we’re ready to hit the switch, but for the most part, the change should be transparent.

So if you’ve been listening to our shows and have noticed them ending at odd spots, give it another try. The track duration for Episode #1 should be 56:01; Episode #2 should be 1:04:28. Let us know if you have any other problems. Thanks for your patience as we put the beatdown on our Website problems for good.

Episode #2 is now available for your listening pleasure. This week, the Back in the Day Interns, Ashley and Hannah, join Rob, Josh, and Chris as they wax nostalgic about The Karate Kid. The girls will be on the show from time to time to provide fresh views on some of the classic 80s movies they are shamefully just now seeing for the first time. The guys then send the interns back to work and kick it with Double Dragon for the NES. Favorite moves, NES limitations, and 2 player mode B are discussed in detail along with plenty of other banter. No winner for last week’s Name That Game, but our listeners get another shot this week with another NES tune. The Cobra B.A.T. is inducted into the G. I. Joe Hall of Fame and the guys recount their experiences with VHS and the beginnings of the video renting business. Good times. Enjoy the show.

Download the mp3 (1:04:28 / 29.5MB)

Special thanks to 8bitpeoples and Animal Style for some great 8bit chip tunes.

For as great an 80s movie as The Karate Kid was, I find it a little disheartening that most of the actors(with the exception Elisabeth of Shue) never amounted to anything outside of the franchise(William Zabka= one of the greatest villain actors…EVER). Which is why I was happy to find this….I doubt the band had to pay anyone in this video(Including Dennis ‘Mr. Belding’ Haskins) much of anything.

Yeah, they’re pretty much all there…William Zabka, Ralph Macchio…Even Rob ‘Body Bag’ Garrison(who is the best part of the movie). No Elisabeth Shue(real career), and Pat Morita(dirt nap). Definitely a case of a video making the song better.

My first thought is, “wow!” My second thought is, “It’s about effing time!” When I first heard this was happening I couldn’t believe it. I immediately searched for it on IMDB and read all I could. Then I got depressed… I see that the director is Stephen Sommers, the guy who brought us such awesome titles as The Mummy series, Van Helsing, and Deep Rising. WTF? The only thing of any merit this guy directed was Catch Me If You Can…wait a second, that’s the 1989 version, damnit! Oh well, there goes another one, down the drain.

We’ll just have to wait and see what comes of this disaster in the making. Oh, and don’t look over the fact that he brought Brendan Fraser with him. Does the studio know who their target audience will be on this one? I would think the major audience would be the kids who played with the toys and watched the cartoons. Most of those “kids” are dudes, dudes in their 20s - early 30s. I’m not excited. Sorry for the abundant negativity and sarcasm, but I’m not too happy about this.

We are happy to present the very first episode of the Back in the Day Show, a retrospective podcast focused on the 80s and early 90s! If this is your first visit to our Website, we welcome and invite you to join us as we reminisce about all things nostalgic during that time. On this week’s show, we talk about the 1985 movie, The Goonies, and The Legend of Zelda for the NES. We play Name That Game to give you, our listeners, a chance to win a T-shirt from 80stees.com. We also induct Destro into our G. I. Joe Hall of Fame and find out why Chris wants Seal to play the silver-masked Cobra in the upcoming G. I. Joe movie. Finally, the Trapper Keeper is the object of our affection in this week’s 80s Culture Shock. Hope you enjoy the show.

Download the mp3 (56:01 / 26.2MB)

Special thanks to 8bitpeoples and Yerzmyey for some great 8bit chip tunes.

Capcom is releasing Bionic Commando Rearmed, the updated version of the classic 1988 NES game, Bionic Commando, today for the Xbox and tomorrow for the PS3 and PC. Here are the prices: 800 Microsoft Points for Xbox, $9.99 for PS3, and $14.99 for PC. If it seems like PC users are getting a raw deal, not to worry. Producer Ben Judd from Capcom explains:

“I can give you a song and dance about PC digital content being more expensive as a general rule… but nobody wants to hear that crap. I can say this: for the PC version we are planning on uploading some additional PC-only challenge rooms via a free patch so you will get more bang for your buck.”

I’ll definitely be buying this one. And since we’re on the subject, what other classic games would you like to see “rearmed”? Zelda, Contra, Metroid, Castlevania, Metal Gear, and Final Fantasy, among many others, have all been revisioned on their respective platforms. Not to mention Megaman; although it still tickles the nostalgic bone, on it’s 9th iteration, it has long since shown it’s age. How about some more obscure titles like Blaster Master, Crystalis, or Kid Icarus? I’d like to see those games “rearmed” as well. Go ahead, post your ideas in the comments. You know you want to

If you happen to be in the Hollywood area next week, you might want to check out the 4th annual “i am 8-bit” art show here. The show starts on Thursday, August 14 at 8:00 pm. Check out the official site and blog for more details. For everyone else, you can check out the book or Flickr search to see some great artwork inspired by classic 80s video games. I have a feeling the book will be on my Christmas list this year.

Introducing our new Back in the Day Poll. We’ve just installed the new polling system, and now it’s time to test it out. The plan is to post a poll every week with questions on various topics and then announce the results on the show. This time we’re asking what you think about our Website so far. To cast your vote, hit the link below or view the poll on the sidebar on the right side of the page. Let us know what you think.

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They’re bringing the greatest hacker movie back to select theatres nationwide this Thursday, July 24, 7:30pm. Check out the Website for more info. Sounds like a good time, although I wish they would bring back more great flicks from back in the day. I can think of a few off hand that I’d like to see back in theatres: The Goonies, Back to the Future, Die Hard, Ghostbusters. How about you? What would you like to see back on the big screen?

Well it looks like Nike may be finally coming out with those shoes featured in Back to the Future II. Until they actually do, you can go bid on these prototypes from the actual movie. You have 2 days, 7hours left. The current bid is $2,550. Perhaps by 2015 they will have created the actual thing. Here’s what they’ve come up with thus far. More info at Gizmodo.

Awesome! An 8bit 3D shooter with mouse and WASD controls. It’s a cool little PC game with great lo-fi music and sound effects and tons of 8bit gore. If you’re a fan of retro games, put down your NES controller for a few minutes and download this game now. Here’s the page in English if your Spanish is a little shabby.

This would have saved all those kids from having to deal with nagging mothers about that old wives tale that sitting too close to the T.V. caused damage to your eyes.