EPISODE · Sep 24, 2025 · 1H 3M
S3E15: Crystalis -or- Periodic Fable of Elements
from The Old SwitchAroo: Gaming Retro with Mike and Jaymo |A Nintendo Switch Online retro gaming podcast · host Mike and Jaymo
Happney is as good as his sword when he talks Crystalis (NES, 1990) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog!In this episode, we talk about the influence of Studio Ghibli films like Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind on Crystalis, try to figure out if this was SNK’s answer to The Legend of Zelda, and the ways that the aesthetics of this game seem to overlap with other classic Nintendo games.Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal Fields of The Lazy Circles for our catchy new theme song! Subscribe to The Old SwitchAroo to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! You can also join the fun on https://www.theoldswitcharoo.com, where you'll find access to our Discord, voicemail, and so much more!Game on, everyone.(0:00) Intro(1:16) Welcoming Happney(2:50) Crystalis(42:58) Mini-Game Minute: Frozen in Time(50:05) Crystalis (cont’d)(59:58) NintenDO or NintenDON’TCrystalis Manual: https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Crystalis-Game-Manual.pdfCrystalis - NES commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gZA1aP51nkCrystalis Speed Run Race in 1:05:51 at #SGDQ 2013 [NES] | SpeedDemosArchiveSDA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlDT89G_CmoCrystalis Week: The Miyazaki Connection | Kid Fenris: http://www.kidfenris.com/2018/11/crystalis-week-miyazaki-connection.htmlMikes RPG Center: https://mikesrpgcenter.com/crystalis/index.html'Homeland is racist': artists sneak subversive graffiti on to TV show by Claire Phipps | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show
What this episode covers
Happney is as good as his sword when he talks Crystalis (NES, 1990) as he joins Mike & Jaymo on The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog!In this episode, we talk about the influence of Studio Ghibli films like Castle in the Sky and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind on Crystalis, try to figure out if this was SNK’s answer to The Legend of Zelda, and the ways that the aesthetics of this game seem to overlap with other classic Nintendo games.Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal Fields of The Lazy Circles for our catchy new theme song! Subscribe to The Old SwitchAroo to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! You can also join the fun on https://www.theoldswitcharoo.com, where you'll find access to our Discord, voicemail, and so much more!Game on, everyone.(0:00) Intro(1:16) Welcoming Happney(2:50) Crystalis(42:58) Mini-Game Minute: Frozen in Time(50:05) Crystalis (cont’d)(59:58) NintenDO or NintenDON’TCrystalis Manual: https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Crystalis-Game-Manual.pdfCrystalis - NES commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gZA1aP51nkCrystalis Speed Run Race in 1:05:51 at #SGDQ 2013 [NES] | SpeedDemosArchiveSDA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlDT89G_CmoCrystalis Week: The Miyazaki Connection | Kid Fenris: http://www.kidfenris.com/2018/11/crystalis-week-miyazaki-connection.htmlMikes RPG Center: https://mikesrpgcenter.com/crystalis/index.html'Homeland is racist': artists sneak subversive graffiti on to TV show by Claire Phipps | The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/oct/15/homeland-is-racist-artists-subversive-graffiti-tv-show
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S3E15: Crystalis -or- Periodic Fable of Elements
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