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Send us Fan Mail Sega is cutting jobs. The Dreamcast is being phased out. And somehow, February 2001 is still packed with the kind of gaming memories that stick to your ribs. We rewind the clock and talk honestly about what it feels like when you love a console that the rest of the world is already leaving behind, using Headhunter as the perfect late-era Dreamcast snapshot: ambitious, stylish, a little rough around the edges, and impossible to separate from the mood of the moment. From there we bounce across the era the way real gaming life did back then. We get into Robot Wars: Arenas of Destruction on PS2, why the license sounded like a guaranteed hit, and why the execution never quite matched the fantasy of building a bot, earning credits, and flipping rivals in the arena. We also highlight Star Wars Starfighter, a PS2 space shooter that deserves more love for its mission structure, atmosphere, and pure “I’m in Star Wars” sound design. Then we zoom out into the business side with period news that hits differently today: Eidos missing targets after delays, Take-Two posting “promising results” before GTA 3 changes everything, and the uncomfortable question of how gaming jumped from tens of millions to tens of billions. We wrap with Stingray’s Boot picks for March 2001, including Shadow of Memories, Resident Evil Code Veronica X, F-Zero Maximum Velocity, and Zone of the Enders. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review, and tell us in the comments: what console end-of-life hurt the most for you? Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail Fifteen years is an eternity in podcast time, especially in retro gaming, where trends cycle fast and attention is always shifting. We’re joined by Retro Asylum’s Dean Swain to get the real story behind one of the longest-running retro gaming podcasts in the UK, and why it still feels like a few mates talking games rather than a polished sales pitch. We start where so many collectors live right now: trying to keep vintage hardware playable without losing what made it special. Dean walks us through his MiSTer FPGA setup, the recent vector arcade cores that nail that unmistakable glow, and why the Vectrex has become both a dream system and a pricey headache. We also get into practical realities like repairs, CRT servicing, and why finding skilled techs matters if you want these machines to survive the next decade. Then we rewind into Dean’s gaming history, from early consoles to the Atari 2600, and the moment the ZX Spectrum becomes the center of everything, magazines, BASIC listings, tape swapping, and all. Along the way we hit his all-time favorite game, Double Dragon, plus the bigger question underneath it all: what makes retro gaming feel better than modern 100-hour time sinks. To close, we dig into how Retro Asylum grew, how the team evolved, what the awards did and didn’t mean, and why listener messages often matter more than charts. If you care about retro gaming community, podcast longevity, and making content that stays fun, you’ll get a lot out of this one. Subscribe, share this with a retro fan, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail Ten PS3 games, one simple goal: help you start a “new retro” PlayStation 3 collection with confidence, not confusion. We each bring five picks to the table, aiming for a true starter kit that mixes iconic heavy hitters with the kind of PS3 gems that slipped past people the first time around. If you have been hunting for the best PS3 games to collect, or you just dragged a console out of storage and want a smart list that covers multiple genres, we’ve got you. We dig into why these games still land today. George makes the case for Final Fantasy XIII as a gorgeous, turn-based leaning JRPG with incredible music and style, then we dive into the atmosphere of Bioshock and what makes Rapture unforgettable. From there we spotlight Transformers War for Cybertron as a shockingly faithful G1 love letter, shout out Singularity as a short, satisfying sci-fi shooter, and revisit Resistance Fall of Man as a PS3 launch-era exclusive that still feels rewarding once you adjust to the visuals. The back half goes big on world building and story. We talk LA Noire as a rare noir detective game with facial capture that still impresses, then plant the flag for GTA IV as Rockstar’s most “alive” city, right down to physics, weather, and street-level detail. We close with two Naughty Dog cornerstones, The Last of Us as a PS3 swan song and Uncharted Drake’s Fortune as the best place to start that whole adventure. To keep it practical, we round everything off with current prices (and one massive curveball), plus a quick reality check on what is still cheap, what is climbing, and what is worth grabbing now. If you enjoy it, subscribe, share the episode with a fellow PS3 collector, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail March 1995 is one of those months where gaming feels like it’s changing shape in real time. We’re proud to hit episode 40 by cracking open a fresh Flashback time capsule, swapping stories from the tail end of the 16-bit era while the industry starts side-eyeing polygons and “next gen” hardware. If you love retro gaming nostalgia, gaming history deep dives, and the kind of forgotten details you only got from magazines and playground chatter, this one is built for you. We start with the games that still deserve more love. Beneath a Steel Sky brings that Amiga and MS-DOS point-and-click adventure mood, all cyberpunk atmosphere and strong storytelling. Then we jump to Star Wars Dark Forces, a first-person shooter that felt wild at the time, packed with the sound and texture that made Star Wars fans obsess over every blaster hit. From there, it’s pure Sega love letter territory as we dig into Comic Zone’s comic-book brilliance and Ristar’s late-era Mega Drive polish, the kind of pixel art craftsmanship that still looks confident decades later. The news roundup is where 1995 gets delightfully strange. We talk Sega Saturn’s Video CD ambitions, Atari Jaguar’s mail-in bundle tactics, Apple and Bandai’s Pippin promise of a do-it-all 64-bit CD machine, and a wireless motion-style controller called the bird that feels like a prototype for the future that arrived much later. We wrap with Stingray’s boot picks, including Panzer Dragoon, plus a couple of movie choices to keep the time-travel vibe going. If you enjoy the ride, subscribe and share the show, leave us a review, and come argue your favorite 1995 game with us in the community. What’s the one title from this era you’d defend forever? Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail July 1998 was the kind of month where a game could look “photo-realistic” for five minutes and still play like a brick, where every company with a license thought they could beat Nintendo, and where Sega was quietly lining up its last great swing. We jump back into that moment with the stuff we’d actually be playing, plus the gaming news that shaped the next few years. First up, we get honest about WWF Warzone, the Acclaim wrestling game we played to death even while admitting the controls were a mess. From there we swap notes on International Superstar Soccer 98 on N64, why couch multiplayer keeps old sports games alive, and how Konami’s gameplay-first mindset helped set the stage for the Pro Evolution Soccer years. Then we head into X-Files territory with The X-Files: The Game, an FMV detective adventure that feels like a missing episode if you can survive the era’s clunkiness. On the hardware side, we dig into WonderSwan versus Game Boy ambitions, Tiger’s Game.com Pocket Pro and its “organizer features,” and the Katana coverage that previews the Sega Dreamcast strategy: retailers, launch pressure, and the promise of quality titles after the Saturn stumble. We wrap with our August 1998 picks, a quick movie double feature (The Truman Show and Saving Private Ryan), and some ways to keep the conversation going with us. Subscribe for more retro gaming deep dives, share this with a friend who lived through the 90s console wars, and leave a review telling us what you were playing in July 1998. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail March 2006 isn’t just a date, it’s a mood: PS2 is still delivering late-era stunners, Xbox 360 has landed and everyone is chasing that first true “wow” game, and PSP is quietly becoming the most ambitious handheld Sony ever made. We’re RGT and UCP George, and we’re cracking open that exact month to figure out what we would have played, what still holds up, and what the era tells us about how gaming changed. We dig into 24: The Game and why it’s one of the better examples of a licensed PS2 game, right down to the show-style presentation tricks that still feel slick. From there, we get into the weird story of State Of Emergency 2 and how exclusivity and print runs can matter more than quality when retro game prices climb. Then it’s onto early Xbox 360 energy with Fight Night Round 3 as a genuine showpiece and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter as a more tactical, “grown up” shooter that made the new generation feel real. Oblivion brings the big nostalgia hit: the magazine preview excitement, the midnight launch mentality, and that old-school belief that a sequel on new hardware would be bigger and better by default. We also hit the March 2006 headlines, from the GTA lawsuit conversation to Sony ending PS1 production after a staggering 100+ million units, plus PSP’s price cut and its all-in plan for PS1 emulation, multimedia features, and add-ons. If you love retro gaming, Xbox 360 history, PS2 classics, PSP nostalgia, and the stories that come with them, queue this up. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who misses that era, and leave us a review with your own March 2006 picks. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail September 2002 doesn’t flood the calendar with releases, but the hits it does have are the kind that stick to you for decades. We’re building a retro gaming time capsule around a tight set of essentials across PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube, starting with Kingdom Hearts as the rare “Disney looking” action RPG that’s genuinely rewarding, surprisingly tough late game, and perfect for passing the controller with someone you actually like. If you’ve ever skipped it because the box art felt childish, we make the case for why that’s a mistake. From there we jump to two very “only in the early 2000s” GameCube swings: Star Fox Adventures, the famously pivoted project that began as Dinosaur Planet, and Super Mario Sunshine, where FLUDD turns movement into the main character. We talk about why both games show their era in the best way, how they feel today, and why they still belong in a curated retro collection even if they’re not the obvious, safe picks. Then we go deeper on Sly Cooper, a cel shaded stealth platformer that looks cute and plays sharp, plus the collector side of the hobby with the CIBI app for cataloging your shelves and tracking value. We also crack open the September 2002 news time capsule: early “Xbox Two” rumors, the heartbreak of MicroProse UK shutting down and Jeff Crammond’s legacy, and the surprisingly important moment when 2.4GHz wireless controllers started to feel real. If you love retro games, physical media, and the stories that shaped the industry, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who lived through the PS2 era, and leave a review with the one 2002 game you’d defend forever. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail March 2015 is close enough to remember clearly and far enough away to feel weirdly historic. We crack open that month like a time capsule and start with The Order 1886, the PS4 exclusive that took a beating for its length and linear design, yet still looks stunning and nails a grimy Victorian steampunk mood. We talk about why it plays so well as a “palette cleanser,” how perceptions shift after a decade, and why it still feels like a sequel shaped hole in the PS4 era. Then we jump to games that quietly built lasting fandoms. Trine reminds us how good console indie platformers can be when they mix puzzles, combat, and character switching into a smooth rhythm. City Skylines turns into a full blown obsession, from traffic problems and pollution planning to the rabbit hole of YouTube megaprojects and experiments. After that we celebrate Axiom Verge, a Metroidvania love letter made by one person, and dig into why its atmosphere and soundtrack punch so far above its pixel art style. The back half swings into March 2015 news oddities: the Metal Gear Solid movie script chatter that went nowhere, and a console durability stunt where machines get dropped from 15 feet and drenched in Mountain Dew, with a surprise winner. We finish with Stingray’s boot picks, including Kerbal Space Program, and movie night choices like Jurassic World and Ex Machina, plus how to join our community playthrough chats. If you enjoyed the nostalgia, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find us. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail The PSP wasn’t just a handheld. It was a pocket-sized “everything” device before we even had the language for that, and the library still proves it. We put together a beginner-friendly, collector-minded list of ten PSP games that feel like true console experiences on the go, then we get painfully honest about what they cost today. We (RGT and UCP George) draft our must-buy PSP starter picks across genres: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker for mission-based stealth and base building, Gran Turismo for a surprisingly serious portable racer, and GTA Vice City Stories for that full open-world immersion with radio stations and soundtrack intact. We also champion Rockstar’s The Warriors as an almost unbelievable portable port, plus Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 Remix for fast skating action with PSP-exclusive extras. From there, we balance the obvious classics with the stuff collectors miss. LittleBigPlanet on PSP still feels like pure Sony magic with music, charm, and creativity, while Puzzle Chronicles quietly nails the “puzzle RPG” loop that’s perfect for commuting. We cap it off with Pursuit Force when you want pure arcade chaos. Then we play a CEX price-guessing game that highlights what has skyrocketed, what’s still cheap, and how buying loose UMDs, grabbing accessories, or modding a PSP can keep the hobby fun without blowing the budget. If you’re building a PSP game collection or just want a tight list of PSP must-plays, hit play, subscribe, and share the show with a friend. After you listen, which PSP game is your first “must-buy”? Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail January 1993 feels close enough to touch, and we’re treating it like a playable time capsule. We kick off with a genuine love letter to MicroProse’s F-19 Stealth Fighter (F-117A in some regions), where the manual is half the game and mission planning matters as much as your reflexes. From stealth aircraft lore to plotting routes around radar and squeezing drama out of vector-era visuals, it’s a reminder of how deep retro flight simulators could be on PC and home computers. Then we jump to the Mega Drive side of the street with Streets of Rage 2, a beat ’em up that still sets the bar for atmosphere, music, and that “arcade at home” feeling. We also celebrate World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck as a co-op platformer that looks like a Disney cartoon but plays with real teeth, plus Dr. Franken on Game Boy as a slept-on gem with a spooky mansion vibe and a clever collect-the-parts hook. The history section goes big: Sony and Nintendo’s CD-ROM plans show up in black and white, right before the fallout that helps shape the PlayStation era. We talk Super FX chips, SNES mouse experiments, the joy and clutter of hardware add-ons, and we can’t resist revisiting Bubsy’s attempt to look like a Sonic rival. If you love retro gaming history, 16-bit classics, Sega Genesis and SNES nostalgia, and the stories magazines were selling us in 1993, this one’s for you. Subscribe for more Flashback, share it with a friend who lived this era, and leave a review with the one game you’d go back and play first. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail A single month can tell you a lot about an era, and September 2009 is one of those sweet spots where gaming feels both ambitious and weird in the best way. We’re chasing that feeling on Flashback, starting with the handheld magic trick that still surprises people: MotorStorm Arctic Edge on PSP. It’s fast, sharp, and proof that “pick up and play” doesn’t have to mean “scaled down.” From there we hit Colin McRae Dirt 2 and talk about why its mix of rally disciplines, arcade energy, and pure replay value still holds up on PS3 and Xbox 360. Then we take a hard left into music and mood: Beatles Rock Band nostalgia, the social chaos of rhythm games, and why these titles introduced entire bands to a generation. We also shine a light on Cursed Mountain, a survival horror deep cut that feels almost out of place on Wii, which is exactly why it’s worth talking about if you’re hunting for hidden gems. The news segment goes from serious to hilarious to inspiring: Wolfenstein’s Germany recall over a faint symbol, a musician declaring music games “crap,” and Tim Schafer sharing rejection letters that show how unlikely beginnings can turn into legendary careers. We wrap with Stingray’s boot full of October 2009 releases like Uncharted 2 Among Thieves, Ratchet and Clank A Crack in Time, Gran Turismo PSP, DJ Hero, and more, plus movie picks that scream 2009. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who misses that era, and leave a review if you want more time-capsule deep dives. What’s the one game from 2009 you’d defend forever? Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail February 1999 is one of those months that looks quiet on paper and then suddenly floods you with memories. We jump back into the late PS1 era, the early Dreamcast glow, and an N64 scene that’s still trying to keep up with the “serious” racing conversation. Along the way we swap picks, argue about what holds up, and chase the feeling of playing something new when the internet couldn’t tell you how to feel yet. We start with deep cuts and fan favorites, from World Driving Championship 64 as the N64’s would-be Gran Turismo to Re-Volt and the lost art of great RC racing. Then we hit heavy hitters: Final Fantasy VIII’s huge presentation swings and its famously fussy systems, ISS Pro Evolution Soccer 2 as a reminder of how good couch competition used to be, and Crazy Taxi as the purest Dreamcast arcade rush. That energy spins into a bigger question that every retro gaming fan has asked at least once: what happened to arcades, and can that kind of “you can’t get this at home” magic ever come back? The back half goes full time-machine with 1999 gaming news: Majesco teasing bargain hardware re-releases, one of the earliest mainstream crackdowns on emulation and ROM sites, and Square trying to break out of the RPG box with weird Japan-only experiments. If you’re into retro game history, Dreamcast nostalgia, PS1 classics, N64 oddities, and the ongoing debate around emulation, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share the show with a friend who lived through 1999, and leave a review with the game you’d bring back first. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail A video game getting honored at the Tribeca Film Festival sounds normal now, but in 2011 it felt like a line in the sand. We rewind to March 2011 and use it as a lens for how gaming culture was changing fast, from the Nintendo DS and PS3 era habits to the rise of digital storefront releases and HD collections. Along the way, we swap personal picks and mini confessions, including why Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask became a true gateway game for families, how adventure game design split between Sierra cruelty and LucasArts fairness, and why collections like Dreamcast Collection still hit the nostalgia button. The news stories are pure time capsule. We break down LA Noire’s Tribeca moment and what it said about cinematic storytelling, performance capture, and the “games are art” debate. Then we relive the 3DS launch frenzy through the wild tale of a fan trying to be first in line at Best Buy, plus what midnight launches used to feel like when the hype was physical. We close the news with a story that still matters: an autographed copy of Final Fantasy Tactics auctioned for Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster relief, a reminder that the gaming community can mobilize for real good. To round it out, we crack open April 2011 releases with a few picks we want to play or replay, including Portal 2 and some under the radar gems. We also dig into Cubic Ninja, the 3DS game that became infamous for a homebrew exploit and suddenly turned “just another cartridge” into hacker gold. If you love retro gaming, video game history, and the strange little stories that connect players, collectors, and culture, this one is built for you. Subscribe for more Flashback, share this with a friend who lived through the DS and PS3 era, and leave a review with the game from 2011 you still think deserves more love. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail Digital libraries feel permanent until they aren’t, and that’s why we’re going back to basics: physical PlayStation games that are still affordable, still easy to find, and still absolutely worth owning. We’re finishing our Flashback special with six picks across PSP, PS Vita, and PS4, built for collectors who want real value and players who only ever tried these through downloads or subscriptions. On PSP, we dig into why the system could feel like a “PS2 in your pocket,” from the overlooked Driver 76 to the polished, best-in-class Daxter. We also talk about the underrated power of compilation discs like EA Replay, where one UMD can cover a whole slice of retro history without chasing expensive originals, and we shout out Sid Meier’s Pirates as the kind of deep, replayable adventure that fits handheld life perfectly. Then we jump to the Vita, where Uncharted Golden Abyss still stands tall as a must-play exclusive that Sony never truly rescued from handheld jail. We also celebrate Tearaway as a pure Vita showcase that leans into the touchscreen, rear touch, and camera in ways that make the hardware feel special, plus crowd-pleasers like Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and Everybody’s Golf for long trips and endless “one more go” sessions. Finally, we hit PS4 with smart physical buys like the Uncharted Nathan Drake Collection, the forgotten gem Concrete Genie, story heavyweight The Last of Us Part II, and the underrated, patched-up brawler Days Gone. If you enjoy this format, subscribe, share the show with a friend who still loves discs, and leave us a review. What physical PlayStation game are you buying before prices jump? Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!

Send us Fan Mail Sony’s “digital in 2028” headline sounds convenient until you ask one question: what happens to the games that never get re-released, get delisted, or only survive behind a subscription login? We go full Flashback mode and treat it like a preservation problem, not a panic button, then build a practical list of 12 physical PlayStation games to pick up now before price spikes and availability get worse. We split our picks across PS1, PS2, and PS3 and keep it grounded in what you actually gain by owning the disc: the finished build, the original controls, the packaging quirks, and yes, the manuals that used to feel like part of the world. Along the way we hit timeless heavy-hitters like Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII, licensing-limbo favorites like PS1 Spider-Man, and easy-to-miss curios like Porsche Challenge that you probably cannot count on Sony to archive for you. Then we jump to PS2 and PS3, where “still playable today” becomes the real filter: Jak And Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Persona 4 (PS2 original), Bully, Gran Turismo 4, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, The Saboteur, and Final Fantasy XIII. We also price-check every pick so you can shop smart, avoid overpaying, and prioritize the games most likely to disappear from easy access. If you care about retro game collecting, PlayStation game preservation, and building a physical library you can actually own, come hang out with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who still has their PS2 in a closet, and leave a review with the one physical game you refuse to lose. Join our fantastic discord https://discord.gg/v7RFSUcG If link has expired then message us at [email protected] or click the linktree on our instagram. or DM us on instagram or X and we'll send you an invite. Cheers gamers!