Home Creators Posts Import Register Favorites Logout

Downloads

Content

Despite existing for nearly 30 years beforehand, it took until nearly the '90s for the X-Men to find their way into video games. And it should come as no surprise that the IP's Renaissance during that decade coincided with some of the most notable games to ever feature Professor X's collection of special youngsters. (Though the aughts blessed us with a few worth talking about as well.) On this episode of Retronauts, join Bob Mackey, Henry Gilbert, and Gary Butterfield as the crew examines the most entertaining adaptations of this group of super-powered freaks who just might be an allegory for something.

Files

Comments

Jeremiah Jones

Looking forward to listening to this one. Gary Butterfield had me in tears laughing when he was talking about Cap'n Crunch on his other podcast.

Jonathon

Great episode. I will never forget seeing the 4 player version of the X-Men arcade game for the first time at a local pizza place and just being amazed at it. The fluidity of the animation, voice samples, and the special moves made it a favorite of my friends and I. Also wanted to say that despite the claim, people do remember The Phalanx Covenant. I got a packaged collection of the Generation Next comics (before trade paper backs, I guess), and loved them. They were my first real venture into X-Men comics rather than just the animated series and games. Marvel really tried to sell people on that series and it seems like they put a lot of money into it with that weird live action special they made, but those characters never really seemed to take off.

Rasheen Jordan

Plus playing X-Men on a Sega Nomad would be impossible to finish with no reset button. You’d have to use the level select cheat.

Royce A Murray

As one of the dummies who acutally likes the Mutant Academy games while I will admit they are no where near as good as the Capcom fighters , I still have to say I think you guys were a little harsh on your assessment on them. I am totally aware that it's most likely my nostalgia blinding me to it's faults but I think it's a fun game (plus I just have a fondness for PS1 era kind of jank fighters)

Adam Gaudry

Great episode. It brought the memories of seeing X-Men Vs Street Fighter in the arcades for the first time flooding back.

Micah

Weren't the PS1 xmen fighting games (not capcom) cromulent? I never played them, but my impression was they were better than they probably should have been.

littleterr0r

I know I'm supporting the right podcast because I was listening to Del right before this.

Michael Castleberry

My head canon for the original X-Men game on NES is arcade trapping the X-Men in a terrible, terrible game.

Carl Petroff

Great ep, and for the record, Fantastic didn’t close, they just relocated to North Berkeley.

James Krusling

Great episode, and as much as hearing about the Orange One gives me hives, Bob’s impression of him hating Jean Grey had me in stitches! That arcade game is still a blast to play out in the wild, and I remember playing Children of the Atom in the arcades as well before it led to all the crossover madness that we all loved so much. And while you guys were right about people sleeping on the Dreamcast, I had one and you bet I had Marvel Vs Capcom 1 AND 2 and they both ruled! Anyway, fantastic episode as usual 👍

David G

It really is a shame Bob didn't invest time in the Genesis 30 years ago.

Samuel Clemmons

As timely as this podcast episode was, I believe it has been announced that the character Professor Xavier will appear in the MCU Doctor Strange sequel film. Patrick Stewart is set to reprise the role.

Alex Irish

I hope the X-men arcade game can get a digital console release and we’ll be welcomed to die again. Why stop there? Have Limited Run Games do a physical edition as well. And Simpsons Arcade, since both are owned by Disney Co.

Kdog_205

Wait, can Action Replay or the like actually fry your Saturn? I’ve heard of it jamming up the cartridge slot, but can it do real internal damage?

Tentomon4

Have been looking forward to this.

Dylan (batmanboy11) Freitag

I am that idiot that played a lot of X-Men Mutant Academy and was a dumb enough child to think I actually liked it at the time. X-Men: Next Dimension was a much more interesting and competent attempt at a 3Dish X-Men fighting game (with lots of comic LORE), but as someone who isn't into fighting games, I much preferred X-Men Legends 1 & 2. I would definitely be interested in hearing a follow-up episode specifically about Wolverine's many sordid adventures, which I'm sure we'll see in the not-too-distant future. Remember Mark Hamill voicing Wolverine in a game where he didn't have a proper damn healing factor? Boy, do I!

Jeffrey P

There is a dearth of X-Men products due to Disney's purchase of the X-Men and Fox's unwillingness to enter a similar deal to the Sony/Spider-Man deal. What followed was a concerted effort to de-emphasize the line which meant cancelling book titles and not licensing the characters in any new products. It will take time for new games to be pitched and developed.

Aaron

Those X-Men games on the Genesis. Never had them, probably couldn't have played the one because the reset button on my Genesis got stuck. I like that one of them has a cold open with a random character selection. Fun times. I don't have much to say. I just like some of the tunes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX0uT1LowEE