This Month In Retronauts: January 2026 edition (Patreon)

Hi! It is 2026. I bet you knew that already but I wanted to make sure, just like you probably know what "This Month In Retronauts" is by now. HOWEVER I will make sure to explain to any newcomers that this is a monthly podcast we record exclusively for you, our Patreon supporters. I started this show in 2023 and we're kicking off Year Four with another special three-person extravaganza. Joining Stu and myself (Diamond) is frequent guest and occasional host Kevin Bunch! Important demands tear him away before we complete the show but I'm grateful he turned up for as long as he did.

We're reading your feedback from last month which means we're going through your picks for Game of the Year 2025 packed with surprises! I hope you'll surprise us again when you answer my question for this month.

Specific items mentioned in this episode include:

this skeet will explain my opening joke

Resident Evil 2 (both versions)

Champions of Norrath (via Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance)

developed by Snowblind Studios who later merged with Monolith (RIP)

I am not sure how to count the total number of Baldur's Gate games!

Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance launched in 2021 but was delisted in 2025

fan remake Metroid Planets

Shadow Labyrinth (as heard about in Episode 734!)

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages (turns 25 next month!)

Pertwee-era Doctor Who

Kevin endorses Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

MAGfest chat from Kevin and Stu

homebrew Saturn FPS Vigilant Paradise

Cookie's Bustle English patch

Classics of Game 134-141 were ALL Cookie's Bustle

can't see them on YouTube anymore though

Romhacking had their BlueSky suspended for sharing the PATCH

Airs Adventure English patch

PSP FPS Locum Tenens, "inspired by Zero Tolerance for Sega MD"

Pit Fighter II prototype found, dumped

VGHF blogpost about their Sega Channel work

we recorded our December podcast ONE DAY before this news

Pit Fighter II came from a separate VGHF release last month

Earnest Evans Collection (dropped on Xmas!)

El Viento, Earnest Evans, and Anett Futatabi (aka Anett Returns)

"includes both the CD and cartridge versions of Earnest Evans"

this comes from Telnet who also released the Valis Collection(s)

watch Perfect Blue if you can

DaemonBride:ADDITIONAL GAIN now on Steam

Star Fox 64 on Dreamcast

Quest 64 recompiled for your personal computer

available via Discord if you need it

Stu may be salty but this is funny

DOOM playable in Hytale before Hytale came out

CDPR sold GOG.com to Michał Kiciński, cofounder of CDPR?

misleading: you can buy the original Resident Evil trilogy on PSN

AGDQ ADGQ highlights:

Darius Gaiden by LRock617 (1cc) with LIVE SINGING by Jaidlyn

does your town have a fish-throwing culture? sound off in the comments!

Resident Evil 2 (2019) by Crazygamingdayz with a guitar controller (Knife-only!)

Super Mario Bros. 2: Return to Subcon by GlitchCat7 (Kaizo SMB2!)

Super Metroid by Ryan Ford ("GT Classic" code used)

new "retro stealth action game" announcement: SeverLink

previously known as Project KVASIR

2019 online card game Teppen shutting down March 30

the title is never written in kanji but I'm right about the Japanese term

British listeners: Sound off on Stu's pun here, I got nothing

Granzella accused of withholding ¥18M of wages to 43 employees

Sony and Honda are making an electric car for nobody

Kevin & Stu workshop a much better idea (call Toto)

Facebook/Meta/Oculus shutters three entire game studios

Twisted Pixel (Splosion Man, Wilson's Heart, Deadpool VR)

Armature (mostly ports, like RE4 VR)

Sanzaru Games (many ports/compilations but also Asgard's Wrath 1 & 2)

Camouflaj (Republiq, Iron Man, Batman Arkham Shadow) also hit by layoffs but not closed at this time

RIP Vince Zampella, Infinity Ward and Respawn co-founder, 

helped define the modern FPS

RIP Sega co-founder David Rosen

read this thread to better understand Sega's roots

WARNING: politics talk & profanity at 1:18:36 or so

I see no connection between Omaru Polka and the polka genre of music

listen to Stu's farewell podcast to Scott Adams

there are THREE Untold Legends games; Dark Kingdom was a PS3 launch title

you may need this link to Stevie Wonder's discography

the new Jaws game includes the NES original and Jeremy Parish's Enhanced Edition

take a look at RaeDawnChonglingBay's translation of Metalgun Slinger

the hyper-regional Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego?

the classic series went from World to USA to Europe to ND to Time to Japan to America's Past

Stu & I talked about every Metal Slug arcade game in a long episode 465

guest Lord BBH eventually cleared it on one credit. It's an hour-long playthrough!

ICYMI: Jeremy, Nadia, and I are in a wrestling game

you can hear me remember in real time who Sean Seanson is

WARNING: more profanity during the final wrap-up

Art & edits by Diamond. Music heard in this episode:

10:01 "Kraid" (Metroid Planets)

18:12 "Dr. Who" by Mankind

31:04 live audio from SilvaGunner's MAGFest 2026 set

45:35 Stage 1 music from Anett Futatabi

52:03 battle music from the one and only Quest 64

1:00:35 "FAKE" (Darius Gaiden)

1:16:04 25BGM from Donkey Kong Bonanza Bananza

1:26:34 "Polkarama!" by "Weird Al" Yankovic

1:40:18 "Theme of Vile" (Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X)

15918 "Into The Cosmos" (Metal Slug 3 cover)

Finale: We Are On The Cruise