It's time to break out the double A's because this week, we are powering up some classic handheld video games and toys. They may not be sophisticated, but you could pick most up for short dough back in the day and all were 100% guaranteed to improve long car rides.

At least that was the theory.

We cover the Merlin by Parker Brothers, some table top arcade action by Coleco and who didn't own a few of those Tiger LCD games?? The episode even veers into toy territory with the legendary Speak and Spell and the not so legendary Etch-A-Sketch Animator 2000!!

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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
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All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Shigeru Miyamoto has created some of the most beloved video game characters of all time. We talk about his early work with Donkey Kong and a certain plumber called Jumpman, all the way past The Legend of Zelda and into the future with Star Fox! Happy birthday, Mr. Miyamoto and thanks for all the mushrooms!

Later on, we'll ask this week's Octo-Ponder This question before Boss Rush Mode Pets some Peeves about the Lovecraftian Hellscape that was 2020.

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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
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All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Star Wars fans are a divided bunch but there are a few things we can all agree on. Empire is better than Clones, whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword never wielded a lightsaber and however you feel about the prequels, the Star Wars Holiday Special is undeniably the worst Star Wars thing EVER. Most of the Octo-Hosts had seen it before but for the sake of this episode, we sat through the thing again. That's right. 2 hours of unintelligible howling, humor that doesn't land, cringe worthy appearances from your favorite characters and most of all... PAIN.

Later on, 8-Bit Alchemy asks this week's Octoponder THIS question and Parasite Steve spotlights "How Much Do You Tip An Exorcist" for another edition of BOOKSHELF OF THE DAMNED.

Order your copy of "How Much Do You Tip an Exorcist?" by Patrick Rahall!

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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
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All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/3c271865-9e40-4e29-a58b-cd8482a4da5e

Don't miss the Cereal Killaz Indiegogo campaign!

And behold the glorious works of our fine guests! Mikhail "Mythallica" Sebastian Andrew "Hien" Rattanakongkham
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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/582dc1c6-ba16-45fc-a5fe-31b4ef9fed0b

This episode is part of the Epic Airways Podcast Network First Annual Scare-A-Thon! Be sure to listen for the secret word!

Don't miss the awesome full video version of this episode on Nintenjoe's channel!
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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/5514f1b3-06a4-4c5b-a87d-ec300a70835e

Buckle up for some helpful and hilarious Public Service Announcements that helped kids with a variety of things their parents probably should have been teaching them. If you remember Time for Timer, Woodsy the Owl or taking a fire safety quiz with Daffy Duck, you won't want to miss this episode because your 4 Octo-hosts are playing blocks of the good stuff!

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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/71d03b0f-240a-4ca0-95b8-d412b7de8a79

In honor of the PS2's 20th anniversary and for your "edutainment", the Octo-hosts dust off 8 of our favorite Playstation 2 games! Some of these sweet babies are unabashed classics, though others are a bit more obscure. If you were/are a fan of the PS2, listen up and hopefully you'll discover a hidden gem or two!

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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/86d9eb1f-9743-4fb3-983b-45ed61e21275

Thaink every game based on a movie is a hot piece of trash? Well THINK AGAIN! We welcome our pal 8BitGlitch79 for a discussion of some of the movie games we loved growing up. Were these colored by the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, or do they actually hold up today? Listen to find out!

Subscribe to 8bitGlitch79 on YouTube!
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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/13d2222a-d09c-4640-9d19-436afe9e7eb1

Purchase SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire on Amazon right now!

Learn more about the incredible authors who appeared on this episode! Nicole Givens Kurtz Jessica Cage Kai Leakes Valjeanne Jeffers Samantha Dunaway Bryant Penelope Flynn

And for more fiercely original Afrocentric spec fiction, be sure to check out the publisher of SLAY, Mocha Memoirs Press!
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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/24afe321-a009-45ca-92d5-14831ee7a787

This week, we are joined by the velvet-voiced Taryn Barber from Amalga-Mania, who came packing her (original grey) NES Zapper. Together, the five of us set our sites on some of the best video game peripherals of old! Sure you had the games, but what about the NES Advantage, ROB the Robot or the POWER GLOVE? Also... what the heck is a U-Force?

Later we get a NEXT LEVEL voice mail from Portland Maine DJ Rick Johnson who wants to talk Track and Field! And to close things out, Parasite Steve drops the first DIE MONSTER of season 2 in a micro follow-up to our bonus episode, "The Crow's Nest: Faxanadu's & Faxanadont's".

Follow Amalga-Mania on Facebook and be sure to check out the legendary Amalga-Market and bid on some insanely cool stuff like action figures and comics!
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Retro Ridoctopus is:
• Boss Rush Mode (watch)
• Parasite Steve (read)
• 8-Bit Alchemy (listen)
• Nintenjoe (subscribe)
----------------------------------------
All original heavy metal music by Enchanted Exile.
Listen to their sophomore album "Bloodwork Scriptorium" right now!

Send us your feedback online: https://pinecast.com/feedback/retro-ridoctopus/7fb4ebad-6cc9-4a9c-a4a5-2900701d7f81