Pod 'em Up! - The Video Game "Book Club" Podcast

We return to the Mario/Wario Land series as we take a look at Wario Land II for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Genius game design or unnecessarily annoying? You'll have to listen to find out!Elsewhere, we answer the burning questions: What's up with that baby in Death Stranding? Can an Xbox controller mount a hacked Switch? How was the Mario Galaxy movie? How is ScreenBound 5-dimensional? Who buys a game from a streaming service anyway? And why were there so many dodgy catchphrase animations in Catchphrase?Stay right 'til the end! Especially if you enjoy Ant and Dec's Wonky Donkey. No, that's not a euphemism.Our FOUR (count 'em!) Incoming Indies:- Pizzapocalypse 2: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4021890/Pizzapocalypse_2/- ScreenBound: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2805070/Screenbound/- Dracamar: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3306480/Dracamar/- Data Center: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4170200/Data_Center/

In this episode we're playing a lovingly hand crafted treat for the eyes in the form of Harold Halibut for Steam, GOG, PS5 and Xbox, resulting in a very interesting discussion.Elsewhere, we're picking fights with just about everyone and everything this month, from arcade ticket machines and (especially) AI, to pessimistic Panzer Dragoon fans, online fighting game fanatics and speed runners! We also find time to cover such important things as Steam Next fest, State of Play, Dead or Alive, SegaGAGA and we even drop in on our latest feature, Gardener's Corner (yes, really) to see how Tibbs is getting on with his rapidly expanding collection of spider plants!podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

We look back fondly on the days where a company could release a fun arcade racer with a cool gimmick, without it being a boring racing sim that's bogged down with licensing agreements - it's Split/Second (aka Split/Second Velocity) in the book club, for PS3, 360 and Steam!Meanwhile, Tibbs becomes embroiled in the latest argument to grip the Sonic community, and Ollie gets similarly angry at one of Nintendo's recently announced products. Plus more Metroid Prime 4, Dome Keeper, Bzzzt, musical rollercoasters and we reveal a new feature on Pod 'em Up; Gardening Corner!... Yes, really.If you would like one of Tibbs' growing collection of spider plants, please get in touch. Also get in touch if you know how to look after a chilli plant, thanks.Incoming Indie: Big Hops - https://www.luckshotgames.com/big-hopspodemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

On this final episode of 2025, we look back at Future Cop: L.A.P.D. for the PS1 - the entry in the Strike series that was never to be. Still a great game though, but how will it fare in our annual Pod 'em Up Awards, which of course is also happening in this very episode!Also in this bumper end-of-year episode, we're skirting around some sensitive issues in our analysis of those other game awards that usually happen to coincide with our own - though for some reason we also bundle into this our reviews of Animals of Farthing Wood and Babe: Pig in the City. Plus, Metroid Prime 4, Journey to the Savage Planet, Parking Garage Rally Circuit, and the surprising reveal of quite possibly the catchiest theme tune to a cartoon based on a video game of all time.@PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.com

Just how strange is life, anyway? Very, apparently, if you're playing 2015's excellent time travelling, episodic, narrative-driven adventure game, Life is Strange.I'll be honest, our anti-spoiler policy means that we can't fully delve into some of the more interesting aspects of this beautiful game during the normal discussion of this on the podcast. So for anyone who has already played the game in full, we've released a bonus chat, covering some of the plot twists and heart-breaking moments that we could only carefully hint at on the show. Please see this link for all the SPOILERS:https://soundcloud.com/user-557762286/life-is-strange-extra-discussion-spoilersWe've got lots more lighter content too though, including a general discussion about the GTA series, Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Donkey Kong Bananza and Yooka-Replaylee. Plus, Tibbs brings us the Incoming Indie this month because Ollie is too busy ranting about skill trees again.Goodnight, God bless, see you in the morning.Incoming Indie: Carpark Capital - https://www.microprose.com/games/car-park-capital/podemup.com | PodEmUp | [email protected]

This month we're playing one of our most obscure games yet, as Tibbs reaches down deep into his pile of childhood Amiga disks, and pulls out the rarely discussed Universal Warrior - a top down shoot 'em up with an interesting robot-building slant!This episode is also packed with other trinkets to enjoy - including but not limited to: Nintendo Direct, Virtual Boy, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Halo Reach and Mario Kart World! Plus, roll some cheese, dodge some sofas and find out what happens when a Clockwork Orange meets Space Jam!!Incoming Indie: Denshattack! - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2524850/Denshattack/@PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.com

Tails is going on an Adventure in the book club this month, and he's bringing all his (game) gear with him! Find out more about this curious and rarely discussed foray into the metroidvania genre, where no other Sonic the Hedgehog game has been before, or since.Plus, we do our usual Pod 'em Up appraisal of Gamescom (i.e. mostly just listing some boring new games that we're not that interested in), and we discuss Bombrush Cyberfunk, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance and Overcooked. If that weren't enough for you though, you're sure to enjoy Tibbs' cherry-loving mouse, Ollie's gaming game changer, and an online pun generator provides us with what is unquestionably the funniest tangent we have ever done on this podcast.Incoming Indie: TANUKI: Pon's Summer - https://store.steampowered.com/app/3218570/TANUKI_Pons_Summer/podemup.com | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

It's another double whammy book club this month, as we discuss both the Mega Drive and arcade versions of the title that cemented Sega's love affair with the king of pop - Michael Jackson's Moonwalker!We continue the movie theme, as Tibbs plays RoboCop: Rogue City, Ollie takes a trip to the cinema to see Jurassic World: Rebirth (not a game, granted, but still worth talking about), there's more Switch 2 shenanigans in the news, Tibbs makes some squash and Ollie pulls another Chrono Trigger on us.Incoming Indie: Platypus Reclayed (https://store.steampowered.com/app/2912430/Platypus_Reclayed/)BONUS! Listen to our full discussion about the ending to Cassette Beasts (spoilers included) on SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/dhYDWQLcyKkSJhutsOpodemup.com | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

This time on the book club, we're playing a game that definitely puts comedy above all else as we take a trip to the North, with 2024's hilarious indie gem, Thank Goodness You're Here! In this surreal British sitcom of a game, we'll be meeting such characters as greengrocer Rog with his massive head, Brigadier Bean Tin, and the mysterious man who passes raw sausages through holes in garden fences!We also spend a little time doing our usual incredibly thorough job of looking at the games announced at Summer Games Fest, all of which we have definitely heard of, and care about. That's for sure.Perhaps this episode is more like one of Tiny's Tom's tiny pies in terms of its length, but it's packed with laughs!podemup.com | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

Let's find out if this obscure Japanese Dreamcast release gets any love from Ollie and Tibbs.. we're playing L.O.L. Lack of Love - the life simulation game set on an alien planet in the midst of a human terraforming operation.Elsewhere in the ep, we are of course chatting about the Switch 2 and its game announcements.. and we might touch just a little on those eye-watering prices too! Plus, Tibbs reviews Croc: Legend of the Gobbos Remastered, and why aren't Spotify very happy with us at the moment?Get your designated urination buttons at the ready, and queue up for your free monthly retirement game.. it's time for Pod 'em Up 68!Incoming Indie:The Karters 2: Turbo Charged - https://store.steampowered.com/app/2269950/The_Karters_2_Turbo_Charged/@PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.live

In this episode, we celebrate one of the most standout, wacky and hilarious platformers of the 16-bit era, as we take on the original Earthworm Jim for the Mega Drive!In addition, we discuss the very impressive fan-made static recompilation of Sonic Unleashed for the PC, Tomb Raider 4, 5 and 6 Remastered, some promising demos from Steam Next Fest, and more!Incoming Indies:Rad Venture's second kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radventure/rad-venture-campaign-2Elusive:https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/abraham-cozar/elusive?ref=bmeaeipodemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

In this episode, we take a look at 2023 indie gem Cassette Beasts, an RPG that has you recording monsters onto cassettes and using them to battle rangers and archangels on your quest to escape the mysterious island you now call home. Better then Pokemon? Let's find out!We also touch on what little we currently know of the recently announced Switch 2 and kill some time with a little video game movie chat.Ok, so we're a little light in terms of variety of content this month, but the Cassette Beasts discussion is well worth your time!UPDATE: During the recording of episode 70, we discussed the game's ending, which we have chopped out and offered to you in this bonus clip, which of course is SPOILERIFIC!: https://on.soundcloud.com/dhYDWQLcyKkSJhutsOpodemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

Our end of year special is upon us nice and early this year! NiGHTS Into Dreams on the Sega Saturn is being played in a particularly lengthy book club segment this time, as we go fairly indepth on all aspects of the Sonic Team classic - we also touch on Christmas NiGHTS and the Wii sequel too. Plus, the highlight of the Pod 'em Up year - our 2024 book club awards, in which we rank the games we've been playing all year, via our patented and ever complicated points system! Oh and we give a few minutes to that other, less exciting Game Awards too. Apologies for very short notice, but Ollie will be doing some streaming on Friday 20th December at around 6pm GMT over on http://twitch.tv/podemup! Please pop in if you can, as he'll be playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary this year, and will also be chatting about his old website, Zone: 0 - celebrating 20 years since starting that project. If you missed it, it'll also be uploaded to: https://www.youtube.com/@PodEmUp podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

We're celebrating our 64th episode with not one, not two, but THREE (count 'em) games in this bumper edition of the book club this month, across the Commodore 64 and Nintendo 64 systems! Mayhem in Monsterland reveals what the C64 is truly capable of, and Spacestation Silicon Valley provides some great puzzles and silliness. 1985's quaint British platformer Monty on the Run, however, brings us the highlight of the show, in which Tibbs attempts to explain to Ollie what's so great about the game's Game Over screen. As if that weren't enough, Sega is as inconsistent as ever this episode, as we praise Sonic X Shadow Generations, but bemoan their upcoming, and unexplained Steam delistings. We also ponder Nintendo's plans for backwards compatibility in the next gen, and smell something fishy about that SuperSega FPGA console.. Plus, look out for Vampire Survivors, Buckshot Roulette, and we discover some weird WWE crossovers and tie-ins! podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] You can (and should) now get follow us on Bluesky! podemup.bsky.social

We're pointing and clicking once again this month, this time with Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror, for PS1 and PC! Plus, we discuss the ridiculous price tag of the PS5 Pro, the Plucky Squire, Rugrats, wrestling, tabletop dishwashing and slippery knives! Incoming Indie: Fading Skies - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/distantbluegames/fading-skies [email protected] | podemup.live | @podemup

We're earning some serious kudos (...) with our latest book club pick - the Dreamcast's stylish racing masterpiece that's not afraid to throw some cheesy tunes at you - it's Metropolis Street Racer! Plus, we answer the following questions: - How can Europeans stop killing games? - Will Mad Max ever understand the meaning of friendship? - What is the correct way to fuss a cat? Find out in episode 62 of Pod 'em Up! Links: - EU petition to save games from obsolescence: https://www.stopkillinggames.com/ - koROBO: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tinywonderstudio/korobo/ - Rad Venture: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/radventure/rad-venture podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

This month our friend Rik is back - this time as guest co-host - to discuss classic point-and-click adventure (and head-scratch 'em-up) Discworld II: Missing Presumed..!? for PC, PlayStation and Saturn. Also found elsewhere in this show, Dave the Diver, Forza Horizon 4 and AstroBot! [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live

Celebrating both our 60th episode and our 6th birthday, this edition of the podcast hosts Corn Kidz 64 in the book club - a recent PC/Switch 3D collect-a-thon platformer that harks back to the N64 era in a highly convincing manner. Other games that we touch on include Hi-fi Rush, Penny's Big Breakaway, Samba de Amigo: Party Central and Super Star Path. Plus Ollie weighs in on the Knuckles TV series. podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] We're now on Youtube Podcasts! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnSPu4iz27jyAuI02w5-0n5OxfQkishqf

In the book club, we play Ape Escape - the PS1 game that showed 1999 that it needed to invest in that shiny new DualShock controller, after all. Or maybe not, let's see. Plus, Nintendo goes head to head with Yuzu and.. wins, almost immediately, and Tibbs tells us about the recent Tomb Raider remastered games. We'll level with you - due to various reasons, it's not exactly our best episode, this one. But hopefully our self deprecating humour about the whole thing turns it into an enjoyable car crash. If it's possible to enjoy a car crash. Which it isn't. Look, it's late, and I'm tired. Incoming Indie: Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom - https://thoseawesomeguys.com/games/yellow-taxi-goes-vroom/ podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

Little known Nintendo platforming hero, Starfy the starfish gets his turn in the spotlight at last this month, as we feature his underwater platforming antics in the book club - we're discussing The Legendary Starfy, for Nintendo DS. Elsewhere, Tibbs has finally given the Zelda games a proper go, having immersed himself in not one, but two of the most well known entries in the franchise! He's had a great time, apparently.. well, that's what he claims anyway. His list of issues suggest otherwise though. Of course all of that pales in comparison to the highlight of the show, which is our in depth discussion about "Jerry Rice and Nitus' Dog Football" for the Wii. Fully endorsed, of course, by the Pet Sport League. That's right. podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

It's our (slightly belated) end of year show, and we're taking The Simpsons: Hit & Run for a spin in the book club, for GameCube, Xbox and PS2! The perfect excuse to load the show up full of Simpsons chat, quotes, clips and songs! And of course it wouldn't be an end of year show without the Pod 'em Up awards, where we hand out points to our favourite games from the book club throughout 2023 and find a winner of the coveted Pod 'em Up book club game of the year! Now with automated vote counting! @PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.live

Time for a little Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney in the book club? You'll hear no objections from us! Listen to what we had to say about the original DS game that lead to the popular courtroom franchise! Elsewhere, we've an extra chunky review of Sonic Superstars, and we also dip into the likes of Super Mario Wonder, WWE 2K23 and Alien Hominid Invasion. All this whilst trying to evade the highly litigious "Bodger and Badger Corporation LLC", and figuring out Tibbs' cryptic note about a steering wheel. Incoming Indie: Promenade (https://www.redartgames.com/games/607-promenade-nintendo-switch.html) podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

This month, the book club covers the Japanese exclusive, Captain Rainbow for the Wii - A Nintendo-published game with Nintendo characters, yet it has a reputation for rude humour, swearing and inappropriate content!? Ollie and Tibbs investigate! Elsewhere, we jam pack the news section with Xbox preservation concerns and Nintendo Direct musings. We also discuss the departure of Charles Martinet as the loveable voice of Mario, and the success of the recent Sonic Symphony performance in London. Oh and youngsters better cover their ears, as we realise we're no longer capable of keeping up with modern life, in what's sure to be our old-man-iest episode yet. Don't worry about us, you just keep watching your Tikety-Tok broadcasts. If you need us, we'll be back on MSN, playing "guess the diddle". Incoming indie: Goodboy Galaxy - https://hotpengu.itch.io/goodboy-galaxy-demo [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live

Baba is who? That's what we intend to find out, as we cover this 2019 indie puzzler for PC and Switch that lets you rewrite the game's rules in order to solve its fiendish puzzles! Not content with one book club pick, Tibbs basically brings another one along with him as he packs in a full blown review of the game that completely out-Pokemons Pokemon - It's Cassette Beasts! Plus, an arcade/laundrette/toilet management game, and Ollie shares some holiday gaming books. [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live

Hair-whipping half-genie half-belly-dancer, Shantae arrives in the book club this month, as we play the very first game in her series of popular 2D metroidvania platformers for the Game Boy Color! Our impressions of this indie darling may surprise you! Plus we look back on last month's slew of game announcements, despite E3's absence, and offer thoughts on Sonic Superstars, Mario Wonder and Metal Gear Solid Master Collection. Plus Switch 2 speculations, more tales from Tears of the Kingdom, and for some reason, lots of elephant chat! Incoming Indie: Viewfinder: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1382070/Viewfinder/ podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

This time we're tackling a thoughtful and narrative-driven puzzle platformer, Sephonie, for PC. Also up for debate is the new Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - in which a big portion of the discussion focuses in on the important matter of why Link keeps starting adventures in his pants. Plus: Bad times for Tibbs, Into the Breach, a lovely new Incoming Indie platformer, and probably the most uninteresting news section we've ever delivered. Incoming Indie: Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chibig/koa-and-the-five-pirates-of-mara-endless-summer-adventure?ref=9e461e&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjryjBhD0ARIsAMLvnF-xuuI_3SgtIt-pTWetNcP3HqACuX_wKbqE-EvnydfhAJV3sXfL238aAl1OEALw_wcB Yoppi's video essay on Sephonie: https://youtu.be/Dbb58plahdo podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp | twitch.tv/podemup

We've got a guest this month! "Pod 'em Up superfan" (that's what we call him anyway) Rik comes along for a chat, and brings to the book club the convolutedly-named "Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness". An episodic series for XBLA, PSN and PC, though we mainly cover episode 1 here. Plus we've got other matters to discuss too, like E3's cancellation, Sega's surprise April Fools day game, "The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog", Super Kiwi 64, Plague Inc Evolved and the Mario movie. Plus, we have opinions about the Resident Evil 4 remake, and we won't let the fact that none of us have played it stand in our way! podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

We're back, with a brand new logo and a bullseye of an episode for you this month! (cockney rhyming slang for fifty, innit?) Featuring pride of place is a book club double whammy, in which we play two games that are sequels to titles we've already covered on the show before! We understand the concept of Jet Set Radio Future on the Original Xbox and discuss whether it surpasses its stylish predecessor, but not before coming to some surprising conclusions about the ambitious but forgotten OverBlood 2 for PS1 (aka "we've got Final Fantasy VII at home"). Plus, as it's our fiftieth (and you didn't even bother to get us a cake), we'll just celebrate by ourselves by putting Tibbs' knowledge of his own podcast to the test, in a surprise quiz! If that's not enough, there's also the wizarding school game that must not be named, the continuing misfortunes of the Wii U, and a load of other stuff. FREE STEAM KEYS INSIDE!!1 The video that completely changed our minds about OverBlood 2, by TheGamingBritShow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq8fpuFSXWY&t=1799s And also, a superb OverBlood 2 unofficial-but-official-sounding website: https://overblood2.com/ podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

It's high time for some Saturn love on the podcast, and what better way to do that than to play Sonic Team's futuristic fire fighting action game, Burning Rangers! One of the final great games for Sega's oft-overlooked machine. Alongside that, we've got thoughts about Sports Story, X-COM, GoldenEye and of course the PS3 game that everyone in 2023 is talking about - 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. Plus, there's much preparation for next month's 50th episode sequels special, and we dust off our email inbox at last! podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

It's the hardly-at-all-Christmassy Christmas Special of Pod 'em Up! We assess the self-destructive habits of unlikely 3D platforming hero Voodoo Vince, from the original Xbox (now also on PC and Xbox One), plus we review Sonic Frontiers and Ollie ruins the Pod 'em Up awards with his terrible vote counting abilities! But at least you finally get to find out which of our great book club games this year earned our coveted annual prize! [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live

This month, we're going on about Skyblazer - never heard of it? Good, sit yourself down and find out if we recommend this infrequently-discussed SNES platformer! Plus, there's much talk about Grapple Dog and the recent Mortal Kombat games, we offer our impressions on the Mario movie trailer after verbally dancing on the grave of Google Stadia, and Tibbs suffers some serious open wallet surgery after a major new purchase that takes us all by surprise! podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] Incoming Indie: Aero GPX (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aaronmac64/aero-gpx) 

We've got a real cracker in the book club this month - the silky smooth adventuring of 2022's highly acclaimed cat 'em up: Stray, for PS4/5 and PC. Does it deserve the high praise it's been getting? We find out! Plus, Ollie went to EGX in London for a go or two on Sonic Frontiers, and he brings back hands-on impressions of some great indies to watch out for as well! Plus, we've become a tad disillusioned by Nintendo Directs, Tibbs has thoughts on ReCore and Wolfenstein: The New Order, and the middle of the show collapses around us as we both get the giggles about souvenirs and small ones. If you've played all the way through Stray, you can continue with our extended discussion about the game's ending. Contains major SPOILERS: https://soundcloud.com/user-557762286/stray-ending-discussion-spoilers EGX Games: Gori: Cuddly Carnage - https://wiredproductions.com/games/gori-cuddly-carnage/  | @GoriCarnage Planet of Lana - https://planetoflana.com/ | @planetoflana Wavetale - https://thunderfulgames.com/games/wavetale/ Incoming Indie: The Big Catch - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/filetgroup/the-big-catch | @FiletGroup podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

This month we're getting jiggy with Banjo-Kazooie, Ollie's childhood favourite collect-a-thon 3D platformer for the N64 and Xbox consoles! Also, Tibbs delivers an impromptu review of Biomutant, and encourages Ollie to undertake a new career in video game journalism. Mainly though, we're talking about the bear and the bird, so come and join us, the NEW Google Podcast Pod 'em Up champions! podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp | twitch.tv/podemup

You've come for brains.. we'll give you.. bullets! .. We'll also give you a look at the superbly funny, irreverent and very foul-mouthed on-rails shooter, House of the Dead: Overkill for the Nintendo Wii! (adults only for that section please!). However, this is one dense fruitcake of a show, as we also review Sonic Origins and preview Sonic Frontiers, plus there's also much talk of TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, the Infamous series, The Plucky Squire, and even an Incoming Indie too! Victory Heat Rally: https://www.skydevilpalm.com/victory-heat-rally (@VHRGame) podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

Ollie and Tibbs play and discuss one of the most recent Nintendo Switch exclusives - Kirby and the Forgotten Land. You already know it's brilliant, but we tell you exactly why! If you've already completed the game, you might like to follow up this episode with a bonus 10 minute discussion about the ending and some of the post-credits content: https://soundcloud.com/user-557762286/kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-spoilers-ending-discussion Plus, we talk about the recent changes announced to PlayStation Plus and how it compares to Xbox Game Pass, and Incoming Indies return to the show! Cloud Jumper - https://hyperluminalgames.com/ipgames/cloud-jumper/ Time on Frog Island - https://www.mergegames.com/games/time-on-frog-island/ podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp

Do you smell what we're cooking? Because it's time to play the game(s) in our wrestling special! We've got a double book club this month in the shape of WWF No Mercy for the N64, and Fire Pro Wrestling World for PC/PS4! Are they the bottom line in wrestling games, just mid-carders, or a pair of jabroni jobbers? (ok, I'll stop). We also reminisce about the good old "attitude era" of wrestling and raise eyebrows (alright, one more) at the modern stuff. Elsewhere, we talk about Subnautica, Sonic movie 2, Ollie visits an arcade, and Tibbs rants at the confusing spreadsheet of Sonic Origins' upcoming purchase options. [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live 

A fully powered up episode if ever there was one - this month we've got Power Diggerz (aka Power Shovel) in the book club - a slightly obscure PS1 arcade/party game that has you saving turtles and dishing out curry with nothing but a full blown excavator! We'll find out if it's any good. Plus, it's another magazine feature! This time we're looking at issue 1 of the new SEGA Powered magazine, which you can order in print or digital at: https://www.segapowered.com/ And just in case you still want more, there's chat about Red Dead Redemption 2, Mass Effect, and people who do weird sneezes. They can't say we don't offer variety. podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] | twitch.tv/podemup

It's a new year of Pod 'em Up, and in the book club, we have a classic game from our childhoods - Micro Machines '96 on the Sega Mega Drive! We also discuss the series in general, so should be a great listen for fans. Plus, Tibbs just wants to play Rock Band, Ollie wants to know what an NFT is, and we both want to know why the hell Google Podcasts have merged us with the -other- Pod 'em Up! podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] | twitch.tv/podemup

No One Can Stop Mr Domino on PS1 is the book club game for this final episode of 2021, and as it's the last of the year, we're also doing our annual celebration of all the games we've been playing, in the Pod 'em Up Awards! The competition is really fierce this year, as we've played some cracking games in '21, so make sure you check it out and see how we whittled down the votes! Plus, we're talking a bit about GTA San Andreas, Sega Rally, the Sonic movie 2 trailer and the Sonic advent calendar statue! Let's do it!! @PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.live | twitch.tv/podemup

Treasure's N64 2D platformer, Mischief Makers is up for discussion in the book club this month! Hidden gem, rough diamond or.. a cubic zirconia..? We come away with at least two of these opinions. Plus, we talk about the return of Games Master, Tibbs plays his own personal round of "name that game" (hint: it's not Yoshi's Cookie), we talk a bit about Sonic Colours Ultimate, pit Super Mario Galaxy against Super Mario Odyssey, and go on to completely lose control of the show in spectacular fashion! podemup.live (don't worry, we renewed the domain) | @PodEmUp | [email protected] | twitch.tv/podemup

The Lemmings series is very much in the spotlight this month, as we look at three games from the series: The original Amiga versions of Lemmings and Lemmings 2: The Tribes, plus we take a very baffled look at the approach taken by the more recent mobile version of Lemmings. It's not all about tiny suicidal creatures though, we've also got a Nintendo Direct to dissect, plus SkateBIRD, Cruis'n Blast, Final Fantasy IX, the Mario Movie and an important update on the CMOS battery issue affecting the PS4. Any remaining time is spent telling you how much we hate modern mobile games! podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] | twitch.tv/podemup

After a short break, we're back to our normal format with a bang! We're looking at the excellent Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap for Game Boy Advance! It's Tibbs' first go on a Zelda, and we also approach the series in general from this angle, so anyone also looking to get into the series might do well to listen! Elsewhere, we've been playing embarrassingly little for the last three months, though we did both take the new Streets of Rage 4 DLC for a spin, as well as Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. Plus, we discuss the A500 Amiga Mini, we discover that Tibbs is a Worms Historian, we give some very belated, very poorly prepared E3 2021 impressions, and we're throwing THREE Incoming Indie picks your way! Can't say fairer than that! Links: - Exposing Fraud And Deception In The Retro Video Game Market (Karl Jobst) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvLFEh7V18A - Rog & Roll (@clayzulah) - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1366200/Rog__Roll/ - Burning Rangers Tribute (@andreasscholl09) - https://sonicfangameshq.com/forums/showcase/burning-rangers-tribute.1048/ - Jelle's Marble Runs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYJdpnjuSWVOLgGT9fIzL0g - Jelle's Marble League the Video Game - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jelle-s-marble-league-video-game#/ Plus, some colour-related questions emerged during the show that we didn't know the answers to. So, some homework for you guys!.. 1) Were the various Amiga's always slightly yellowish in colour like the new Mini one is? 2) Why is Link's hair pink in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the SNES? Get in touch and let us know the answers! We'll read them out on the next show. [email protected] | @podemup | podemup.live | twitch.tv/podemup

We complete our look at 30 years of Sonic the Hedgehog games and great music from said games! This time we're covering the most memorable titles from 2004 to now, finding that Sonic games went from wildly experimental (sometimes too much) to wildly nostalgic (also sometimes too much), but they never failed to be interesting, and never failed to offer great music! We're playing one great track from each game, including many rarely discussed deep cuts from these tremendous soundtracks. @PodEmUp | [email protected] | podemup.live

It's the 30th anniversary of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game! We're celebrating with a pair of special episodes in which we discuss 30 different Sonic games (or thereabouts..) from his 30 years, plus we're playing 30 different music tracks, one representing each game discussed! Part 1 covers years 1991 - 2003 and includes games such as the original Mega Drive outings, the Adventure games and more, plus iconic tracks such as Star Light Zone, Launch Base Zone and of course everyone's favourite (especially Tibbs), "Super Sonic Racing"! [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live

Probably our most obscure game yet, Japanese-only PS2 game, Poinie's Poin is in the book club this month! A colourful 3D adventure platformer with funny, charming characters and an even funnier English translation! We also share thoughts on the recent Sonic Central livestream, plus Ghosts of Tsushima, Dishonoured, and we find ourselves squinting at irritatingly small in-game iconography. podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected] | twitch.tv/podemup

In this episode, we essentially play a music album.. It's Sayonara Wild Hearts! An indie game for modern consoles that sets sublimely smooth, quick reflex, score attack gameplay to a truly immersive soundtrack. Plus, Ollie's played Balan Wonderworld and still doesn't understand why he's the only one who likes it, and Tibbs reveals The Rock's unique method acting skills. Our Incoming Indie this month was Battle Axe - http://numskullgames.com/project/battle-axe/ [email protected] | @PodEmUp | podemup.live | twitch.tv/podemup

Put the kids to bed, it's an adults-only video game book club this month, as we look at the racy and outrageous zombie chainsaw-em-up, Lollipop Chainsaw for the 360 and PS3! Speaking of PS3, we're also talking about a potentially devastating problem for the preservation of the most recent PlayStations, Ollie fails to adequately explain the battle system in Little Town Hero, and Tibbs tells us about the time he had a giant My Little Pony forced upon him. Follow @DoesItPlay1 on Twitter to learn more about the CMOS battery issue podemup.live | @PodEmUp | [email protected]

Everyone's talkin' 'bout Bugsnax! And so are we! This PS4/5/PC first person puzzler/RPG starring the Bugsnax and their surprisingly emotional consumers, the Grumpuses, features in our video game book club! Plus, Nintendo Direct, Xbox GoldenEye, and why you're wrong about the Balan Wonderworld demo! We carried on discussing Bugsnax's ending after the show. If you've seen the ending or don't mind MAJOR SPOILERS, come and listen at: https://soundcloud.com/user-557762286/ep-30-after-show podemup.live | [email protected] | @podemup

It's a new year of Pod 'em Up, and we somehow get a full length episode out of our fun-but-simple book club game: Walker for the Amiga! If you're not into shooting bad guys with a massive mech, we've also got the recently discovered Sonic 1 prototype up for discussion, there's a lovely Incoming Indie this month, and Tibbs is frustrated with Crash Bandicoot 4, while Ollie is bloodthirsty for revenge! Why? Find out in episode 29 of Pod 'em Up! Hoa: https://www.hoathegame.com/ Sonic 1 prototype: https://hiddenpalace.org/Sonic_the_Hedgehog_(Prototype) Sonic 1 and 2 2013 decompilation: https://github.com/Rubberduckycooly/Sonic-1-2-2013-Decompilation/releases podemup.live | [email protected] | @PodEmUp | twitch.tv/podemup

In this vaguely Christmassy episode, we attempt to settle one of the age old 16 bit rivalries, argued over since 1993 - which Aladdin is better? Mega Drive or SNES? Will we even come to a consensus? Plus, there's even more favourites to be picked later in the show, as it's the last episode of 2020, and that means it's time for the third annual Pod 'em Up awards! [email protected] | @PodEmUp |  podemup.live | twitch.tv/podemup