FROGPANTS! Podcasts, Art, Newsletter, MORE!: Play Retro!

PLAY RETRO 230: Road Rash

Scott Johnson — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:10:15 GMT

Road Rash: the motorcycle combat-racing series that mixes illegal street racing with hand-to-hand fighting, traffic hazards, police chases, and bike progression. Players earn cash, upgrade to faster motorcycles, and use fists, kicks, and weapons to knock rivals off their bikes while trying to survive increasingly dangerous roads.

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PLAY RETRO 229: Golden Sun

Scott Johnson — Thu, 13 Aug 2026 00:24:02 GMT

A turn-based RPG developed by Camelot Software Planning for the Game Boy Advance that follows Isaac and his companions across the world of Weyard. Combat centers on collectible elemental Djinn that alter character classes, abilities, and summons, while Psynergy is also used outside battle to solve environmental puzzles and uncover hidden paths. The game…

PLAY RETRO 228: Demon’s Crest

Scott Johnson — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:20:14 GMT

Demon’s Crest for the Super Nintendo. Firebrand escapes captivity and takes flight across a dark fantasy world, recovering magical crests that let him smash through stone, soar through the sky, explore underwater ruins and transform into increasingly powerful gargoyles. We revisit Capcom’s overlooked action-adventure and check out its nonlinear stages, …

PLAY RETRO 227: Treasures Of The Deep

Scott Johnson — Sun, 02 Aug 2026 20:17:57 GMT

Treasures of the Deep for the PlayStation wraps up our Retro Summer series. It’s part arcade shooter, part treasure hunt, and all underwater sub adventure as we revisit one of the PS1’s hidden gems and discover why there still aren’t many games quite like it.

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PLAY RETRO 226: Sega Bass Fishing

Scott Johnson — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:18:14 GMT

On today’s Play Retro episode: Sega Bass Fishing from the Arcade to the Dreamcast. This week we cast our retro reels into the dream lakes of the late 90s / early 2000s where we fish out some huge bass... ok.. that is a lot of fishing puns. Sega’s action fishing game series SEGA BASS FISHING where the player picks a lake, location, lure and casts into th…

PLAY RETRO 225: Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer

Scott Johnson — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:15:06 GMT

Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer (2002) takes Activision’s early-2000s extreme-sports formula into the ocean, turning waves into moving skate parks filled with barrels, aerial tricks, and combo lines. We hit the console and Game Boy Advance versions and paddle back to TransWorld Surf, the tougher 2001 rival that was already trying to figure out how surfing sho…

PLAY RETRO 224: JAWS

Scott Johnson — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:01:16 GMT

Jaws (1987) on the NES, where players hunt the infamous great white through open-water exploration, collecting shells and harpooning everything in sight to work our way up to the big bad boss named Bruce.Then we compare it to the very different 1989 computer adaptation. We also dive into Atari’s unofficial Shark JAWS arcade game, released just months af…

PLAY RETRO 223: Devil May Cry

Scott Johnson — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:09:32 GMT

Devil May Cry (2001) began life as an early Resident Evil 4 prototype before evolving into one of Capcom’s most influential action games. Blending gothic horror, fast-paced swordplay, acrobatic gun combat, and a style ranking system that rewarded creativity over button mashing, it introduced the world to Dante and laid the foundation for the modern char…

PLAY RETRO 222: NARC

Scott Johnson — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 01:02:18 GMT

NARC (1988) brought digitized graphics, massive explosions, and War-on-Drugs satire to arcades in one of the most controversial games of its era. Players take on the roles of narcotics officers Max Force and Hit Man as they blast their way through a criminal empire using machine guns, rocket launchers, and sheer excess. We explore the arcade original an…

PLAY RETRO 221: Star Control II

Scott Johnson — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:45:18 GMT

Star Control II (1992) transformed the original game’s fleet battles into a sprawling space adventure, tasking players with rebuilding humanity’s resistance against the Ur-Quan through exploration, diplomacy, and discovery. With memorable alien races, open-ended galaxy traversal, and one of PC gaming’s most beloved stories, it remains a landmark of scie…

PLAY RETRO 220: Ratchet & Clank (2002)

Scott Johnson — Thu, 28 May 2026 00:20:56 GMT

Ratchet & Clank (2002) launched Insomniac’s long-running PlayStation franchise by combining platforming, explosive weapon-based combat, gadget progression, and satirical sci-fi storytelling into one of the PlayStation 2’s defining early action games. We focus on the original release that introduced Ratchet, Clank, Captain Qwark, Gadgetron weaponry, and …

PLAY RETRO 219: Gunstar Heroes

Scott Johnson — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:59:03 GMT

This week on Play Retro, Scott and Brian take aim at Gunstar Heroes (1993), which helped launch Treasure from the loins of Konami when former employees gave us this title with explosive run-and-gun action, massive bosses, and one of the most inventive weapon systems on the Sega Genesis.

PLAY RETRO 218: Jet Force Gemini

Scott Johnson — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:57:01 GMT

Jet Force Gemini, one of Rare’s final original IPs for the N64, brought cinematic sci-fi action together with run-and-gun combat, exploration, puzzle solving, collect-a-thon progression, and split-screen multiplayer in a surprisingly large and ambitious package. The game follows a pair of space twins and their dog, Lupus, as they battle giant ant-like d…

PLAY RETRO 217: Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker

Scott Johnson — Thu, 07 May 2026 01:00:03 GMT

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) brought the King of Pop to arcades and home consoles with two completely different takes on the same concepts - an isometric co-op arcade experience and a side-scrolling Genesis version built around exploration and music-driven combat. We also take a look at the earlier European computer adaptation, showing how differ…

PLAY RETRO 216: Rastan

Scott Johnson — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:54:02 GMT

Taito’s Rastan (1987) brought sword-and-sorcery fantasy to the arcade with giant monsters, brutal platforming, and a barbarian hero straight out of a Conan paperback. We follow that path through Nastar (1989), released in Japan as Rastan Saga II, and briefly look at Warrior Blade, the rare triple-screen arcade finale that closed out the series in oversi…

PLAY RETRO 215: Tobal No. 1

Scott Johnson — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:25:18 GMT

Tobal No. 1 (1996) brought Square into the 3D fighting game arena with fast 60 FPS combat, full arena movement, and character designs by Akira Toriyama. Known both for its innovative Quest Mode and for including the famous Final Fantasy VII demo disc, it became one of PlayStation’s most memorable cult fighters.

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PLAY RETRO 214: Neverwinter Nights (2002)

Scott Johnson — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 19:47:56 GMT

Neverwinter Nights (2002) brought Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition to PC with character-driven storytelling, multiplayer persistent worlds, and the powerful Aurora Toolset. We also explore the 2003 expansions Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark, which expanded the campaign, raised level caps, and pushed the game into epic-level D&D adventure…

PLAY RETRO 213: PaRappa The Rapper

Scott Johnson — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:58:01 GMT

PaRappa The Rapper (1996) introduced call-and-response rap gameplay, memorable instructors, and stylized visuals that helped define the rhythm genre. We also look at Um Jammer Lammy (1999), the guitar-driven spiritual successor that expanded the formula with jam sessions, effects, and multiplayer rhythm gameplay.

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PLAY RETRO 212: Chibi-Robo!

Scott Johnson — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:37:51 GMT

A small household robot helps a struggling family by cleaning, solving problems, and exploring a home where everyday objects become towering environments. With limited battery life, unlockable tools, and a day-night cycle. Chibi-Robo!Plug into Adventure for the Gamecube blends exploration, light puzzles, and character-driven storytelling into a quiet, u…

PLAY RETRO 211: Sam & Max Hit the Road

Scott Johnson — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 02:09:14 GMT

Sam & Max Hit the Road (1993) follows freelance police Sam and Max as they investigate a missing Bigfoot, leading them on a cross-country adventure through bizarre tourist attractions and absurd encounters. Using classic point-and-click gameplay, players gather clues, solve puzzles, and unlock new locations while navigating the game’s signature humor an…