bucket list gamers

That's right, for our 30th Episode we've decided to SMASH the format of our show to celebrate a couple of big milestones!

Instead of talking about a game on this list, this week we're discussing September's Nintendo Direct, and all the interesting announcements that were made! That includes remakes of two Super Mario franchise games, a brand new outing for the Mushroom Kingdom's favourite Princess and Jay's favourite game getting a release on the Switch!

We'll be back to normal before you know it!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

This week we're donning our stupidly long red bandannas, pulling out our silenced pistols and plugging our controllers into port 2, as we look at two games in the Metal Gear Solid franchise! Metal Gear Solid (15) from 1998 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (97) from 2004 are our main targets, but we also talk Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear 5 too for good measure!

Hideo Kojima's stealthy action series has had it's fair share of ups and downs (definitely more downs in recent years) but with the news of an impending re-release, are the original 3 games still worth playing.

Come with us on a journey through Solid Snake's past as we try to find out! 

...Wait, did that cardboard box just sneeze?

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

Fus Roh Dah! This week we're dragon shouting about number 17 in the list, Bethesda's perennially released Elder Scrolls entry; Skyrim!

Is it full of bugs? Yes. Is it worth playing anyway? Definitely! Skyrim has been around for an unbelievable 12 years now, and with multiple versions released across a vast array of consoles, there's a reason people keep buying it!

We also take a look at Starfield, or rather the different prices players will have to pay to get their hands on it.

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

Take your armies out of your sleevies because we're back (a little later than usual!) and we're looking at 3 Real Time Strategy games... kind of.

This week we put Command and Conquer (80), UFO: Enemy Unknown (65) and Lemmings (46) under the microscope to see how the RTS genre evolved. We ponder questions such as; why did this originally get made for consoles, why did this get ported to consoles and... why god why would this get ported to N64... amongst other things.

Jay also reminisces about nightmare-inducing character costumes, and tests Eddie on his Command and Conquer knowledge!

Yuri really going to regret it if you miss this one!

Note to Ric Flair: Please don't sue us, we love you really! Woooo!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

It's time to fuel up your Kart, grab your Banana Skins and drift into Pole Position! This episode we're looking at Super Mario Kart (12), Mario Kart 64 (72) and Sega Rally (67).

Join us as we Power Slide down memory lane to discuss Sega's 'Arcade Classic', the unlikely creation of Super Mario Kart and how it evolved into the game we know (and mostly love) today!

As well as your Banana Skins and Green Shells, be sure to grab your motion sickness medicine too... you're going to need it!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

It's Bucket List Gamers 25th Episode, and we're discussing two action-adventure classics in the original Tomb Raider (38) and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves(77)!

Join us as we head back to a time when Lara Croft wasn't some whimpering teenager, and instead provided a badass female protagonist for gamers everywhere to admire and aspire to. Oh, and back to a time where she ACTUALLY raided tombs...

Then jump forward to arguably the best game in the Uncharted series, which sees Nathan Drake hunt for the fabled gold city of El Dorado.

Having run out of content, we also discuss games that are in a similar genre that don't feature in the 100 Games to Play Before You Die list, including the various iterations of Assassins Creed.

Plus there's a trademark technical glitch, and a couple of rants about games we regret buying.

Enjoy! 

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In Episode 24 Jay & Eddie go 1 on 1 to discuss arcade classic Street Fighter 2 (13) and its many variations, ports, re-skins and so on!

We also discover Jay's inner sweet summer child, as he instinctively chooses to believe the best of 80's and 90's Mexican arcade vendors, even in the face of damning evidence against them.

Not content with discussing just one 1 on 1 fighter (mainly because there isn't a lot to say!) they also discuss some other classics of the genre that didn't make the Retro Gamer List.

Jay also reveals some tasty information about a brand new Guilty Gear: Strive Board Game that is coming out soon, and touches briefly on a new Earthbound-inspired Roguelike that caught his attention.

If you'd like to find out more about Guilty Gear Strive: The Board Game you can read Jay's News article over on Zatu here:

https://www.board-game.co.uk/news-guilty-gear-strive-announcement/

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

It's episode 23 and the Bucket List Gamers are looking at The World of Warcraft (90)!

And for the first time in the main series we've invited a guest along to BLG HQ, partly because we haven't got a bloody clue about the game, but mostly because Austin knows his stuff and adds an air of professionalism to our usually chaotic recording sessions!

If you're a Warcraft affectionado you can take a stroll down memory lane with us, and if you know nothing at all about it you can sit back and be educated just like we were!

Either way, sit back, relax and enjoy!

Please Note: Jay was still quite ill when we recorded this one and as a result sounds like death warmed up. He also vehemently claims this is why he mixed up Elder Scrolls Online and Fallout 76, but the rest of us aren't so sure.  

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

It's time for another DLC episode! This time we talk about the three latest Nintendo consoles, and how they spanned from generation-traversing success, to abject commercial failure... and back again.

This was initially a Patreon Timed Exclusive, but now it's available here for your listening pleasure!

If you want to hear DLC episodes as soon as they come out, head over to our Patreon and sign up now!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In episode 22 of the Bucket List Gamers we return to the Mushroom Kingdom to take a look at 1985's Super Mario Brothers (40) and Super Mario Brothers 3 (11), before jumping into Miracle World to talk about Alex Kidd (92)!

Super Mario Brothers is the quintessential side-scrolling platform game, and if you believe the hype it single-handedly rescued the dying console gaming market after Atari's disastrous E.T. debacle! SMB3 builds on all the goodness of the first game (not so much the second, but we'll get into that) and gives it a good old polish.

Over in Segaland, Alex Kidd stepped up to the plate in 1986 looking to topple Mario's dominance and assert himself as Sega's new mascot. We all know how that went, but is Miracle world really a bad game? Listen in now to find out!

Episode 22 also marks the half-way point in our journey to look at all Retro Gamers 100 Games to Play Before You Die, so that's something, isn't it!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

Episode 21 sees Jay and Eddie dip their toes into the nefarious underworld of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto series, by taking a look at three of the biggest hits... and one cowboy outing for good measure.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (25), Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (85), Grand Theft Auto V (31) and Red Dead Redemption (71) are all under varying degrees of scrutiny this week, as the Bucket List Gamers try to work out just what is so alluring about taking control of some thoroughly unlikeable people.

So grab yourself a Cluckin' Bell and join us as we explore the criminal underbellies of Vice City, San Andreas and Los Santos, before taking a quick detour to New Austin!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

Grab your tricorn hat and your pieces of eight, strap on your eyepatch and wooden leg, and make sure your wit is as sharp as your cutlass, because for episode 20 of the Bucket List Gamers podcast we're setting sail to Monkey Island!

The Secret of Monkey Island (19) and Monkey Island 2: Le Chuck's Revenge (35) to be precise!

Journey back with us to the 90's, where point and click games were all the rage! From pirate adventures and missions in to space, to royal romps and mutated tentacles bent on world domination, the genre covered it all... and that's before we get to lounge lizards, frontier pharmacists and anthropomorphic animal investigators.

Do you want to know the secret of Monkey Island? Well you're not on your own...

*Slight correction"
During the episode we discuss Full Throttle and a particularly random puzzle which involves kicking a brick wall. We claimed that you have to stop and stare at it for a certain amount of time, but this is incorrect. The actual puzzle requires you to stand in a VERY specific spot, wait for some gauges to stop flashing and THEN kick the wall. Not quite as frustrating as we made out, but still pretty tricky.

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In Episode 19 we take a trip to Raccoon City and it's horrifying outskirts to look at Resident Evil (43), Resident Evil Remake (83) and Resident Evil 2 (32).

Umbrella have caused a whole lotta trouble in Racoon City, and it's up to the members of S.T.A.R.S, rookie cop Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield to get to the bottom of it... all without succumbing to a grizzly fate at the hands of a whole raft of genetic horrors.

Zombies, Dogs, Hunters, Lickers, Snakes, Spiders, Sharks, Alligators, Moths, even mutant plants, all these things and more are out to get you in the early Resident Evil Games, and we're looking at the influence these titles had on the gaming landscape.

So grab a shotgun, a green herb and a handful of small keys and come join us in Spencer Mansion for the latest instalment of the Bucket List Gamers Podcast! 

Itchy. Tasty. Enjoy.

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In episode 18 the Bucket List Gamers punch, kick and piledrive their way through three side scrolling Beat-em-ups! 

Final Fight (86), Streets of Rage (89) and Streets of Rage 2 (18) are under the microscope, along with a selection of other fist-flying arcade classics and the recent Nintendo Direct reveal.

Having almost got into a fight with his microphone, rage is very much the theme of the episode for Jay, and it seems nobody is safe... not least Sega and Nintendo!

We also find out just how petty he can be, and hear about the time he had a real-life 'and then everybody stood up and clapped' moment.

Unfortunately as a result of nearly getting KO'd by a Blue Yeti, Jay's audio has gone a bit strange in places, which we can only apologise for!

Anyway, what are you wasting time reading this for? Get listening!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In our first ever DLC episode, we talk about The Arcade Warehouse in Scunthorpe, and other similar Retro Gaming locations, as well as the troubled release of Dead Island 2!

This was initially a Patreon Timed Exclusive, but now it's available here for your listening pleasure!

If you want to hear DLC episodes as soon as they come out, head over to our Patreon and sign up now!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

Episode 17 sees the Bucket List Gamers look at Matthew Smith's surreal ZX Spectrum Miner saga, with 1983's Manic Miner (30) and the 1984 follow-up Jet Set Willy (55).

Hints of Monty Python cross with imagery that wouldn't be out of place on an LSD trip, as Willy the Miner makes his way through a plethora of bizarre locations including The Nightmare Room, The Cuckoo's Nest, The Entrance to Hades, The Endorian Forest and Eugene's Lair.

You're going to need to perform a Quirkafleeg to get through this one!

We also discuss some games that SHOULD have been on the list that aren't, namely Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon, and the mysterious ways in which Retro Gamer's list was put together.

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

It's a RARE old affair on Episode 16 of the Bucket List Gamers Podcast as we look at THREE titles from the legendary British video game developer.

Break out your banana stash as we look at Donkey Kong Country (78), re-jig your jiggies in preparation for Banjo-Kazooie (64) and dust off your Dostovei to take on the epic N64 classic Goldeneye (10)!

In true Bucket List Gamers style we drift off into tangents about other games such as Earthbound, Conkers Bad Fur Day and Perfect Dark.

Because someone will undoubtedly complain about it... we do have a few corrections to make regarding our lack of knowledge on Donkey Kong (particularly DK 64.)

• Kiddy Kong featured in Donkey Kong Country 3, not Baby as we stated
• There were 5 playable Kongs in DK 64
  • We forgot Chunky, and thought one of them was Dixie when actually it was her sister Tiny

We also couldn't find the Mr. Saturn noise, so we put the theme in instead (which is a lot nicer on the ears anyway!)

Enjoy!

Pssst! Did you know we have a sister podcast about Board Games? Well, we do! Check them out at www.bucketlistboardgamers.com!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In Episode 15 the Bucket List Gamers take a look at the original Legend of Zelda for NES (87) and The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker (36).

Yes, we take to the high seas in the King of Red Lions and sail all the way back to 1986, when Link first burst onto the scene to rescue Princess Zelda from the wicked Pig-like Demon King; Ganon.

Then we navigate our way to 2003 to cast our spyglass over The Great Sea, and Toon Link's exploits in The Windwaker.

Did the original Zelda set the precedent for what was to come?  Or did Nintendo take some huge risks with the franchise? Join us to find out!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In Episode 14 The Bucket List Gamers tackle FOUR influential First Person Shooters in the form of Doom (8), Doom 2 (50), Quake (88) and Halo: Combat Evolved (24)!

We jump on board the first space ship to hell with Doom Slayer (or DoomGuy as he's probably better known), explore the very brown world of Quake and try to hold back The Flood alongside everyone's favourite Spartan; Master Chief.

Probably not the best time to point out Jay isn't very good at First Person Shooters...

Oh, and we also talk about Wolfenstein 3D, because it wouldn't be an episode of BLG without us inadvertently bringing up 'those guys' again. It'll be the last time, we promise!

Enjoy!

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama

In unlucky Episode 13 of the Bucket List Gamers the subject of our attention is none other than Sega's iconic mascot Sonic!

In terms of the list we are carefully considering, and ranking Sonic 1 (28), Sonic 2 (14) and Sonic 3 & Knuckles (75)! But we don't stop there, discussing the 3D offerings, the cartoons, the entire Sonic Game Gear library, the Blue Blur's appearances in Nintendo games and why you should never lick a Switch cartridge.

Trust us, it all ties together... sort of. We also talk about the time Tails dies...

Just remember when it comes to Sonic... it's Robotnik, never... and we mean NEVER... Eggman!

Enjoy!

(All sonic sound clips used are copyright of Sega, please don't sue us, we need every penny we have to fight the inevitable lawsuit from Dino Dini.)

• Harry Flynn
• RicFlair
• lee jones
• thesweatyllama