Ep. 437 - Cookie's Bustacular

The panel reviews Cookie’s Bustle, a Japanese PC adventure game hindered by endless copyright strikes and finally freed by the Video Game History Foundation. Hosted by Alex Jaffe, with Frank Cifaldi, Ash Parrish, and Brandon Sheffield. Edited by Esper Quinn, original music by Kurt Feldman. Watch episodes with full video on YouTube Discuss this episode in the Insert Credit Forums SHOW NOTES: Yoko Kanno Cowboy Bebop The Real Folk Blues Vincent Diamante Alto saxophone The Offspring Phil Collins Wet Leg Wednesday The Weeknd Taking Back Sunday Wednesday Campanella Cookie’s Bustle Streisand Effect 1: How did we get here? (05:53) Rodik, Inc ClassicsOfGame Video Game History Foundation Games That Weren’t Moon Child The Video Game History Hour 2: How hard is it to get this Japanese abandonware game from 1999 running on your PC in 2026? (11:38) Sega Genesis QuickTime 3: What is happening in Cookie’s Bustle and what are you doing in it? (18:18) sebmal Mr. Bean James Bond Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures Lara Croft 4: Apart from financial cost, what are the material advantages of keeping a development team small? (36:43) Tokyo Godfathers (2003) 5: Chopemon asks: If you were to go on an adventure, what items have video games taught you to take that you wouldn’t normally think to take? (43:26) 6: Developer Keisuke Harigai once said in a 2001 interview that he designed Cookie’s Bustle with the European market in mind. What do you think that means? (49:51) Keisuke Harigai New Jersey LucasArts Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Grim Fandango Euro Truck Simulator series Farming Simulator series Football Manager series Total War series Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Atomic Heart Disco Elysium 7: Do you like Cookie’s Bustle? (56:07) Tony Hawk series Mario Party series Gold Saucer Mr. Bones Bennett Foddy GDC Penn & Teller’s Smoke and Mirrors Alter Ego SimTunes CD-ROM Myst Wii Fit MobyGames To-Gen-Kiko 8: Let’s talk about the mystique of inaccessible games (01:04:24) Fushigi Yûgi Atari Atomiswave Dreamcast QAnon George Lucas LIGHTNING ROUND: Recommendations (01:15:56) Brandon: Moon Child Frank: The Cookie’s Bustle collection at the Video Game History Foundation Ash: Pizza This week’s Insert Credit Show is brought to you by patrons like you. Thank you. Subscribe: RSS, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more!