YPB: Episode 094 – Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers (1990)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are lifting huge apples and boxes to save our scantily clad mouse friend! From 1990, we’re playing Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers by Capcom for the NES.

You can manually download this week’s chiptastic podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.

As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win!

Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 – Intro, which features the excellent title theme from the game.
• 29:00 – Emails! How ARE your wife and kids?
• 44:30 – We can’t end the episode without helping some people, in… Ask The Sweet Boys.
• 50:00 – Snifferoo. Can we save Professor Einstein in next week’s game?

SHOW NOTES

- According to Price Charting, and mentioned on the show, the first Rescue Rangers game is affordable, at $17 for the loose cart, although it’s $55 for the box, manual and cart. But the sequel? Much like DuckTales 2, it was another Capcom-Disney collaboration that came out toward the end of the NES’ lifespan. So, it’s $217 for the loose cart of Rescue Rangers 2, and $593 for the box, manual and cart.

- You can read more about Rescue Rangers here. As mentioned on the show, the title themes are done by the same guy, and they’re both fantastic.

- As the often do, Uproxx’s Lindsay Kimble has five facts about Rescue Rangers here.

- Also, from Disney’s Twitter account, Rescue Rangers with real chipmunks.

YPB: Episode 091 – Final Fight (1989, 1991)

This week in Your Parents Basement, we are punching our way to peace! From 1989 and 1991, we’re the arcade and Super Nintendo versions of Final Fight by Capcom.

You can manually download this week’s podcast here or subscribe to the show via the iTunes store. To manually subscribe, use this link in the device / podcast player of choice. You can also follow us on Twitter, or ‘like’ us on Facebook.

As always, if you like the show, support us by buying from Amazon! You can use this link to go to Amazon, and any purchase you make will kick a couple bucks to the show, with no extra cost to you. It’s a win-win!

Want to have an email or comment read on the air? Send us a message on the ole Twitter or Facebook, or, shoot that mail to parentsbasementpodcast@gmail.com.

TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00 – Intro, which features the character select screen from the arcade version, and the awesome laughing of a bad guy.
• 37:00 – Emails! We hear from an important diplomat, and others.
• 53:45 – Ask the sweet boys! Got kicked in the balls extremely hard two hours ago?
• 58:45 – Snifferoo. A special guest returns to the show next week for a super cool NES game!

SHOW NOTES

- According to Price Charting, pretty much all of the Final Fight games are worth money. They range from $14 for the loose cart of the original, to $172 for the NES spinoff.

Inexplicable Video Game Review: Mega Man Soccer

In honor of the World Cup and my love for retro junk, let's talk about Mega Man Soccer. Back in the 1990s, Capcom was basically known for two things - Mega Man and Street Fighter 2. They also had some minor successes, such as the Breath of Fire series, Final Fight, a bunch of fun Disney adaptations, and Ghouls and Ghosts.

Notice that there was not a sports game on that list, nevermind a soccer game. Yet for some reason, when Capcom thought of ways to spin off the Mega Man series, they somehow settled on soccer, of all things. This seems especially odd given that the game isn't that popular in North America or Japan, as compared to other sports. Why not Mega Man Baseball or Mega Man Football? In both of those games, having robot players would have a much greater effect.

Anyway, there are several fundamental problems with Mega Man Soccer. First and foremost, the soccer action really sucks. It's almost impossible to dribble any significant length of the field, which is also truncated as compared to a regular soccer field. The regular shots also suck, and it's impossible to score unless you do it on a rebound.

There is little difference between the robot players, except that they have different special power-up shots that you can use. For each team you beat, you get access to a player, which gives you more special shots and makes things easier. However, the game is pretty easy anyway, since you can go up by a goal and easily play keep-away the rest of the match.

Frankly, Mega Man Soccer sucks. However, because it sucked, it didn't sell that many copies, but because it's got Mega Man in the name, some people still want to play it. Therefore, it sells for $20 to $100 on eBay! Speaking as someone who has played and beat the game, its actual value is about $2.50, as any of the FIFA games for the SNES are far better.

Praise God! Marvel vs. Capcom 3 announced!

With a hat-tip to Blast Magazine for breaking the news to me, I'm incredibly glad to hear that Capcom is finally making a sequel to their Dreamcast and Arcade (at least originally) hit, Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Although the character list hasn't been released yet, the trailer and poster graphic show The Hulk, Wolverine, Iron Man, Ryu from the Street Fighter series, Morgana from Darkstalkers and Strider (I think).

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was the tipping point in terms of my buying a Dreamcast for about $50 toward the ends of its lifespan. While the low entry cost of the system was a selling point, this was contrasted by the average sale price of the game, which went for $50 to $75 on eBay.

I shelled out the cash for both anyway, and heck, it was totally worth it. Few gaming experiences matched the fighting action of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and the slew of unlockable characters and other trinkets kept me coming back. For the record, my favorite squad consisted of Cable, Ryu and Cyclops, although I sometimes switched Cyclops out for someone like Dr. Doom or Spiderman or Wolverine, depending on my mood. I'm not sure if the third installment will be worth another system upgrade, since I don't yet have a 360 or a PS3, but with its presence and Final Fantasy XIII taunting me, I might have to crack and buy one of them sooner rather than later.