PODCAST · leisure
Opening Stage VGH
by Dean
A video game history podcast for everyone.
Episodes
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Jeff Spangenberg & The Guy Game
Dean and Meredith are once again joined by Friend of the Podcast, Chicago artist and candle daddy Joseph Ramski to discuss video game "visionary" Jeff Spangenberg and his slimy masterpiece, The Guy Game. Get your hand sanitizer ready for this one. You're gonna need it. A majority of the…
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That Time Nintendo Bought the Seattle Mariners
Dean & Meredith are joined by host of the "Peace, Love and Baseball" podcast, Kelsey Burd, and head of indie pop-rock group "Validity," Wesley McKinney as they discuss the formation of the Seattle Mariners and their ties to Nintendo of America. Choke up on the bat and slide into our longest…
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Bonus Stage: P.T.
While setting up for the Color Dreams/Wisdom Tree episode, we had a candid and genuinely interesting discussion about horror video games and Konami's last avant garde project: Hideo Kojima's "P.T." This is even more free-form than we typically are, so we hope you enjoy.
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Color Dreams & Wisdom Tree
Dean & Meredith are once again joined by Josh Zagoran to discuss what might be the most prolific unlicensed video game developer for the NES, Color Dreams and Wisdom Tree. We go over Nintendo's rigorous licensing policies, and Meredith tries WAY too hard to reconcile the plot of Sunday Funday. A...
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Shaq Fu
Dean & Meredith are once again joined by official Friend of the Podcast, The Sky Hook's own Chris Pennant to discuss one Shaquille O'Neal's licensed fighting game, Shaq Fu. Dean questions what he calls the thing he writes, and Chris describes the subtle nuances of breaking backboards. We recorded...
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Hong Kong '97
Dean and Meredith are joined by their friend Elyse Dawson to discuss Kowloon Kurosawa and what might be the most offensive Super Nintendo game ever created, Hong Kong '97. Just a heads-up, but this episode gets a little spicy, as we dive into the complex relationship between China and Hong Kong,...
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Nuclear Gandhi
Dean and Meredith are joined by All-Around-Nice-Guy Alex Blanchette to discuss the lives of influential Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi and video game designer Sid Meier, and how the two collided with near-nuclear results. We discuss getting DOOM to run on various electronics, an unexpected Robin...
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Fester's Quest
Dean and Meredith are joined by the Speak Beasty Podcast's own Ann Lysy to discuss the history of the Addams Family and its 1989 video game spin-ff, Fester's Quest. Meredith recounts the horrors of pre-Audacity sound editing, while Dean and Ann also delve into the dark cost of retro video game...
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Titenic
No, you're not reading that incorrectly. Dean and Meredith are joined by Jeff Newman, host of the Movies 4 Dayz podcast to discuss James Cameron's 1997 cinematic blockbuster Titanic and the bootleg Chinese Famicom game it spawned. We talk about whether the Oscars are still necessary and the evils...
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Takeshi Kitano & Takeshi's Challenge
Dean & Meredith are joined by not one, but two previous guests: Joseph Ramski and Brian Zinda to discuss the life of influential filmmaker Takeshi Kitano and what might be the first intentionally-bad video game, "Takeshi's Challenge." Brian learns the meaning of the phrase "Press the flesh," and…
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Yasunori Mitsuda
Dean and Meredith are once again joined by co-host of The Skyhook Podcast, Chicago's own Chris Pennant to discuss the life of Yasunori Mitsuda and the composition of one of the most influential game soundtracks ever, Chrono Trigger. Dean and Chris reminisce about their college improv team, and…
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All Your Base Are Belong To Us
Dean & Meredith are joined by video game enthusiast Brian Zinda to discuss the prototypical meme, All Your Base Are Belong To Us. We have another dramatic reading and discuss Elon Musk in the sky, forbidden childhood things, and Dean's volleyball career, in comparison to a secret character in...
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Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit!
Dean and Meredith are joined by Chicago voice actor and Chad the Birdcast's own Josh Zagoren to discuss American sitcom Home Improvement and its not-necessarily-needed video game adaptation, Power Tool Pursuit! Josh gets a great excuse to dig out his Nintendo Power collection while reminiscing...
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Moment 37
Dean and Meredith are once again joined by their good friend Justin Verstraete to discuss the legendary match between Daigo and Justin Wong at EVO 2004. We discuss the basic structure of fighting games, Daigo's superhuman reflexes, and the day Justin and Meredith met. Check out the match for...
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Sweet Home & Resident Evil
Just in time for Halloween, Dean and Meredith are once again joined by Dean's older brother, Gene, to discuss the horror movie/video game combo Sweet Home, as well as its spiritual successor, Resident Evil. Meredith languishes in the weak setup of a ghost story, while Dean and Gene reminisce…
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Waterworld
Dean and Meredith are joined by big boy movie fiend Justin Verstraete to discuss big-budget 1995 flop Waterworld and its subsequent video game adaptations. We recount memories, both beloved and cringeworthy, while sampling Dean Evans' superior Super Nintendo soundtrack.
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Mortal Kombat and the ESRB
Dean and Meredith are joined by Chicago martial artist Charles Parrott to discuss the creation of grotesque arcade smash-hit Mortal Kombat, its impact on the industry, and the resulting legislative hearings which resulted in the creation of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board. Dean and…
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Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland
Dean and Meredith are joined by Rachel Cason, a Zelda enthusiast with a special place for a certain 35-year-old fairy man cartographer. Together, they discuss "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask" and it's subsequent spin-off, "Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland" for the Nintendo DS.
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Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill
Dean and Meredith are joined by Nashville-based author Melissa Collings to discuss the life of Socks the Cat and the video game that almost was. Dean makes the same bad joke twice, Meredith and Melissa get entranced with a completely different cat, and we all stick it to Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN)....
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EA Sports and the Madden Curse
Dean & Meredith are joined by Chicago's own Chris Pennant to discuss the beginning of EA Sports and unravel the mysteries of the Madden Curse. Please note that there are some audio blips here and there, mainly in the beginning with the intro song. Apologies, and we'll figure out how to get around...
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John C. Lilly and Ecco the Dolphin
Through the magic of teleconferencing, Dean and Meredith are joined by Chicago artist Joseph Ramski to discuss counterculture scientist John C. Lilly and the effect he had on forming the iconic Sega Genesis/Mega Drive game, Ecco the Dolphin. Be forewarned, this is one of the crazier episodes…
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Super Smash Bros. - Part 1
Dean and Meredith discuss the creation of Nintendo's crossover fighter, Super Smash Bros., and the series' creator, Masahiro Sakurai. Dean attempts to give Meredith a Japanese-sounding alias, and Meredith laments Shigeru Miymoto's legal inability to bike to work.
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Samus Aran
Dean and Meredith are joined by the latter's mother, Kris Lyons, to discuss the creation of the Metroid series and it's iconic heroine, interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran. Kris learns the secret of Samus' identity because Dean forgot to remove a pronoun, and we discuss what constitutes a "bird...
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Street Fighter: The Movie
Dean and Meredith are join by Dean's older brother, Gene Beever to discuss the 1994 hit/flop, "Street Fighter: The Movie." Meredith is sleep deprived and filling up on Triscuits, while Dean and Gene do what they do best: say quotes from things at each other and laugh at themselves.
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Final Fight and the Curious Case of Poison
Dean and Meredith are joined this time by Vanderbilt University Law student and environmental advocate Patti Moore to discuss the creation of arcade hit Final Fight and one of its more controversial figures, Poison.
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Sierra Online
Dean and Meredith are joined by horror-enthusiast Haley Stocker to discuss the history of Sierra Entertainment (formerly Sierra Online), developers of the Kings Quest, Space Quest, and Leisure Suit Larry games, among other classics. We also discuss self-imposed challenges in The Sims 4 and a dark...
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Gunpei Yokoi
Dean and Meredith are joined by technological consultant and neighbor Ryan Brisentine to discuss the life and achievements of one of Nintendo's forefathers, visionary designer Gunpei Yokoi.
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Mike Tyson & Video Games
Dean and Meredith are joined by Bigg of Big Sports Talk & Entertainment to discuss the career of heavyweight boxing champion Mike "Kid Dynamite" Tyson and the effect he had on video gaming in the late 80's and early 90's. We meander a bit at the end, delving briefly into Star Wars and whether or...
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Setzer's Bandana
Dean and Meredith are back to briefly discuss roving gambler Setzer Gabbiani of Final Fantasy VI and the mysterious circumstances behind his bandana.
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Lavender Town
Dean is joined by his wife, Meredith Lyons, to discuss the history, events, and rumors surrounding Pokemon's earliest spooky city, Lavender Town. *Please note that the original title of this show, "Level One," is used. Turns out, there's another podcast that uses that name. Please go and listen…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A video game history podcast for everyone.
HOSTED BY
Dean
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Opening Stage VGH have?
Opening Stage VGH currently has 30 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Opening Stage VGH about?
A video game history podcast for everyone.
How often does Opening Stage VGH release new episodes?
Opening Stage VGH has 30 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Opening Stage VGH?
You can listen to Opening Stage VGH on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Opening Stage VGH?
Opening Stage VGH is created and hosted by Dean.
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