SNEScapades
154 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 9 ratingsSNEScapades is a show in which two friends embark on a chronological journey to play, review, and rank every Super NES game that was released in North America.
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Episodes
SNEScapades Special 2: With the Grand Rapidians
August 27, 2020 20:42 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBWARNING: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE! With another year of SNES games behind us, we decided that this was a good opportunity to have Willie and Ginger (The Grand Rapidians Play Games Podcast) on to talk about their history with the SNES and other games and consoles they played in the 90s. We also talk beverages, strange video game peripherals, and... a whole lot of random stuff. They also give us suggestions for games we ought to re-litigate in a future episode. This was a pret...
End of 1992 Edition
August 21, 2020 19:50 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBWe've come to yet the end of another year. And once again, we conclude the year with a racing game on the cover. I wonder if that's going to keep happening? Regardless, the last two games we're covering for 1992 are Test Drive II: The Duel and WarpSpeed. Neither of these are amazing, but Accolade published both of them, so that'll make the history segments a little easier for this episode. We have a special to get to next time but after that, it's time to tackle 1993. We'll see you then.
Mickey's Magical Quest Edition
August 13, 2020 18:03 - 49 minutes - 45 MBLink and Emmy breath a sigh of relief today as we begin the end of December 1992 off on the right foot. First, we need to talk about the simply-named Pro Quarterback. It's a football game. It's probably an okay one of those if you're into football games. Link and Emmy are not. Next, it's time for another one of those block-toppling beats as Link and Emmy discuss the snack food-peddling (in the UK at least) domino puzzle game Push-Over. You'll hear a pretty rare split from Link and Emmy on t...
Gemfire Edition
August 06, 2020 18:24 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBDecember 1992 is winding down, but the games have not been great and they really start fraying Link's nerves in this episode. Link and Emmy talk about Gemfire which was a more approachable strategy game for the duo than Romance of the Three Kingdoms before it, but still not their cup of tea. Then it's on to Gods, a janky sidescroller that seems ill-suited to the SNES. Can Emmy and Link come up with something nice to say about it? Finally they talk about Goal! a soccer game that pales in ...
Chester Cheetah Edition
August 01, 2020 05:08 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBWe have sports and Cheetos. What more could you ask for? We start with Cal Ripken Jr. Baseball to see if SNES baseball gets any better. This was fares better than most but it's still not amazing. We also talk about Bulls vs. Blazers and the NBA playoffs. We didn't think basketball could get much worse than last week's All Star Challenge (by virtue of not really being a basketball game) but this one sure wants to challenge that assumption. And yes, we talk about Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to...
Jeopardy! Edition
July 24, 2020 19:24 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBIn this episode we're diving into the worlds of sports-games and game-show games. We talk about Jimmy Connors Pro Tennis Tour which boasts some forward-thinking accessibility options but isn't terribly impressive otherwise when compared to some of the other games on the system. NBA All-Star Challenge is a huge let down in the sense that isn't not actually a basketball game as much as it's a basket-ball themed mini game collection featuring one player from each team. It looks nice, but we ca...
Musya Edition
July 17, 2020 16:48 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBA lot of today's games have something in common in that they represent a leap in quality over similar games that we may have seen on past systems, but still fail to be truly recommendable today. Lethal Weapon is a 2D platform game that's based on a license that's playable and presented well, but still isn't amazing enough to shake the stigma of being a cynical cash-in. Musya is a game that we'd never heard of before researching it for this show and comes to us from a handful of obscure and...
Wing Commander Edition
July 10, 2020 17:56 - 51 minutes - 47.1 MBWe like to talk history as it relates to the games we play on this show. Usually the topics are confined to video game creators and companies, or franchises attached to the games. Today's episode covers something a little different. But we find time to talk about Wordtris, a word-based puzzle game that's not terribly similar to Tetris. Then we go into a long discussion about Wing Commander, a well-known video game franchise with origins that were much more humble than we expected. Does this...
Super Star Wars Edition
July 03, 2020 17:49 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBTwo more big properties means two more deep dives into company histories. This time we're talking about Broderbund and Lucasarts. Of course we have a lot to say about the Prince of Persia and Super Star Wars, two games that are almost really good but are maybe too frustrating to elevate them to that status by today's standards. Also there's Road Riot 4WD, but we don't spend too much time on that one.
Spiderman and the X-Men Edition
June 26, 2020 18:33 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MBLooney Toons! Spiderman! X-Men! All in one place! Wow! What could possibly go wrong. It turns out a lot. Though both Arcade's Revenge and Road Runner's Death Valley Rally have their high points, we're gonna discuss the flaws that ultimately prevent these games from being classics. But the calamities aren't relegated to the games themselves as both of these games are tied to some disastrous events for the developers that made them. We'll talk about that too. This one was a bit hard for Stea...
Best of the Best Edition
June 19, 2020 16:02 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBThis rather interesting trio of games gives us a chance to talk about some fairly obscure video game companies (or at least what little we know about them in Raya's case). We talk about Best of the Best: Karate Championship which is an interesting but frustrating kickboxing sim. Please note that this game with the word "Karate" in the title doesn't actually feature any karate. Then we talk about Firepower 2000. It's another scrolling shooter but this one plays a bit differently than its p...
Chuck Rock Edition
June 12, 2020 20:10 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBIf you like butt-ugly cavemen, then have we got the game for you! But before we get to that, we need to talk about John Madden Football '93. It's more American football! Yay if you're into that sort of thing! We are not! We also discuss Cyber Spin. It turns out that Cyber Spin is not a tennis or golf game, it's a pretty bland F-1 game that's meant to be kinda futuristic. What isn't bland is the company that made the game, Arc System Works. Maybe you've heard of them? Last and possibly lea...
#podcastblackout
June 05, 2020 18:15 - 6 minutes - 6.21 MBNo new episode today, just a quick message from us. Find yourself some causes to donate to and help keep this movement going. blmsites.carrd.co
On the Ball Edition
May 29, 2020 17:35 - 44 minutes - 40.5 MBThe games on tap for today don't reach nearly the highs of last week, nor are they (collectively at least) as bad as the trio before that. We kick off the episode with an fun and simple labyrinth-style game. It's certainly different as far as SNES games are concerned. Then we move on to Imperium which is another scrolling shooter. It's not bad, but it doesn't do a lot to stand out either. Finally we look at GunForce; a game whose mediocrity steps the line into "just kinda bad" territory. So...
Out of This World Edition
May 22, 2020 19:42 - 51 minutes - 47 MBWe only got to two games today, but they are both huge! First we talk about Soul Blazer, another game from studio Quintet and Publisher Enix. This is the same pair that brought us Actraiser and you can see a lot of Actraiser DNA in this game. Will it surpass its spiritual predecessor? Next, we talk about Out of This World, a game that seems to get somewhat overlooked these days, but made a huge impact on the industry and inspired a lot of folks who would go on to make other classic games. ...
Race Drivin' Edition
May 15, 2020 18:57 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBThe games are bad. We actually found one that is worse than Pit Fighter! But let's not focus on the bad, let's look at the positive instead. We want to shout out some great folks, all of whom you should follow on Twitter: If you like spooky things, then you need to follow @NerdsFTC If you enjoy in-depth movie analysis, you should absolutely follow @CatchingCinema If you just like 90s nostalgia, then you'd be remiss if you didn't follow @knvgprimetime if you like Drunk History but wis...
Irem Skins Game Edition
May 08, 2020 17:58 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBIt's been while, but we're back doing what we do best; talking about and ranking SNES games. We're finally winding down October of 1992, but first we decide to go back and talk about some games our guests brought up a few weeks ago in our special and re-rank them on our top 100. We also talk a LOT about SNES golf. We briefly reflect back on all the golf games that came out on the SNES before diving into Irem Skins Game. Does this game come close to the pin, or is it way out in the rough? ...
Trekkin' in the 90s - Spirit Folk and Artificial Sentience
April 24, 2020 17:20 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBWe take a break from the world of video games to launch a new Pilot that's all about Star Trek series from the 90s. In each episode, we'll take one episode from either The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, or Voyager, break it down and use it as a launch pad for for an interesting discussion about some topic related to the episode. We're starting with an episode from what's arguably everyone's least favorite Trek of the three, Voyager. And we're starting with an episode that's not particula...
Street Fighter: The Movie
April 17, 2020 15:50 - 2 hours - 151 MBIt's our pilot episode of Quick, Change the Channel, a podcast talking about movie and tv adaptations of video games. We decided that the first movie we talk about should be the one we're took the podcast's name from. So, we're breaking down 1994's Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia. Join us for this over two hour breakdown as we comb through every crumb of camp this movie has to offer. We'll discuss how well (and mostly how poorly) this movie adapted the characte...
SNEScapades SPECIAL w/ Trevor and Greg
April 10, 2020 17:27 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBOh, you want crossovers? We got crossovers! SteampunkLink and Emmy Zero are joined by Trevor (@CatchingCinema) as well as Greg (@NerdsFTC) to talk about some of their favorite SNES games and offer challenges to how the rankings could be adjusted in the future. We cap everything off by playing SNES multi-cart draft! We all had a lot of fun, it was a blast recording this with Trevor and Greg and we think you'll enjoy listening. If you like fun movie analysis, you can hear more of Trevor on Ca...
SNEScapades (30) Space Megaforce Edition
April 03, 2020 16:59 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBGame numbers 99 and 100 go on the list! How exciting! We decided to talk about Q*Bert 3 first since we wanted number 100 to be special and Space Megaforce is an amazing game. We also go into the history of the original arcade classic Q*Bert, as well as talk about Space Megaforce developer Compile, and.. *checks notes* publisher Toho? As in Godzilla-creator Toho, am I reading this right? We hope you'll join us in celebrating this milestone. And remember, only on SNEScapades will you hear Ti...
Space Megaforce Edition
April 03, 2020 16:59 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBGame numbers 99 and 100 go on the list! How exciting! We decided to talk about Q*Bert 3 first since we wanted number 100 to be special and Space Megaforce is an amazing game. We also go into the history of the original arcade classic Q*Bert, as well as talk about Space Megaforce developer Compile, and.. *checks notes* publisher Toho? As in Godzilla-creator Toho, am I reading this right? We hope you'll join us in celebrating this milestone. And remember, only on SNEScapades will you hear Ti...
Super Buster Bros. Edition
March 27, 2020 18:06 - 50 minutes - 46.4 MBThis was a fun episode to record! It was fun to research the games. It was even kinda fun to edit. The only thing not fun about this episode was playing Super Batter Up. Luckily we also played Super Double Dragon, which disappointed but wasn't unpleasant. Super Buster Bros. was the standout this week, though. A really fun port of a Capcom arcade game that took SteampunkLink and Emmy Zero by surprise. Give it a listen. We think you'll enjoy it!
David Crane's Amazing Tennis Edition
March 20, 2020 17:19 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBToday, we're talkin' Tennis. And a lot of other things. In fact we didn't actually care for the tennis all that much. But that David Crane guy is pretty noteworthy, so we talk about him for a little bit before touching on his so-called "Amazing Tennis". Then we get a little bit political as we talk about Desert Strike, Return to the Gulf. SteampunkLink talks about Gulf War trading cards. Literally everything had a trading card in the 80s and 90s. Finally, we talk about Final Fantasy: Mysti...
Hook Edition
February 28, 2020 17:57 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBIf you're looking for "hidden gems" on the SNES, then this episode is for you because we have a trio of fantastic, yet seldom talked-about games today! First we take a trip to Nevernever Land as we discuss the film and game adaptation of Hook. The movie may not be terribly well-loved, but the game is a lot of fun. Next we get into the city-sized ring to throw down in King of the Monsters. Finally, learn this one neat trick to turn your bland scrolling shooter into something that stands out a...
James Bond Jr. Edition
February 21, 2020 19:11 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBAnother episode and another impromptu new segment as SteampunkLink can't help but tell Emmy Zero about some obscure imported French cartoons from the early 90s. But there's no time to linger on that for too long, we got games to discuss. The first basketball game leaves a good impression on the duo. It's one of the better sports games on the system so far. Perhaps the best? Then it's on to James Bond Jr. and all the hilarity that was making children's entertainment out of very adult prope...
Super Bowling Edition
February 14, 2020 18:28 - 41 minutes - 37.8 MBComing off of our Simpson's extravaganza, we turn our attention to the other two games which give us less to talk about, but are more fun to play than Bart's Nightmare. We talk about the first bowling game on the SNES; the simply titled Super Bowling. It's fine, if you like bowling and really want to do it exclusively on the Super NES. Then we talk about Phalanx, which is another freaking horizontally-scrolling shooter. Does it do anything to elevate itself above all the other shooters on th...
Bart's Nightmare Edition
February 07, 2020 19:09 - 38 minutes - 35 MBOkay, okay, I know what you're thinking. "The Turtles game had to share it's space with other games, but you dedicated an episode exclusively to this trash?" Yeah, kinda. It's because we really love talking about the Simpsons and this was a great excuse to discuss the wonderful Simpson's arcade game that came out the year before. Also, Bart's Nightmare isn't trash. It's actually six games of varying quality that average out to be trash, so we do have a lot of ground to cover. We hope you'll...
Wheel of Fortune Edition
January 31, 2020 19:05 - 51 minutes - 47.4 MBWe're back with America's games; baseball and Wheel of Fortune. Also Robocop. We lead off with Roger Clemens MVP Baseball to answer the question "Can the floor for SNES baseball get lower than it already is?" Luckily this game gives us an excuse to talk about the strange history of the infamous LJN company. Then its on to Robocop 3, a game that seems to have come out about a year earlier than the movie it's based on. Another year of development time certainly couldn't have made the game any ...
Super Mario Kart Edition
January 24, 2020 17:12 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBSteampunk Link uses his "Science Device" (a microphone) to do a deep dive into Dinocity, discussing the company that made the game and the strange direct-to-tv movie that it's based on. Then he chows down with George Foreman and finds that rigging a boxing match is much easier than he ever would have thought. Finally, he spins his wheels playing some Super Mario Kart, a fantastic game that sadly has been left behind by all the Mario Kart that has come since. Sadly, Emmy Zero couldn't join m...
SNEScapades (22) Super Mario Kart Edition
January 24, 2020 17:12 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBSteampunk Link uses his "Science Device" (a microphone) to do a deep dive into Dinocity, discussing the company that made the game and the strange direct-to-tv movie that it's based on. Then he chows down with George Foreman and finds that rigging a boxing match is much easier than he ever would have thought. Finally, he spins his wheels playing some Super Mario Kart, a fantastic game that sadly has been left behind by all the Mario Kart that has come since. Sadly, Emmy Zero couldn't join m...
Faceball 2000 Edition
January 03, 2020 17:15 - 48 minutes - 44 MBA horizontal/vertical shooter hybrid, an F1 racing sim, and a first-person-shooter all on today's show. What a line-up! We start with a discussion of Axelay. It's a vertically scrolling shooter with some horizontally scrolling levels as well. But good luck getting to them. Then we talk about F1 ROC: Race of Champions. And if you're a huge fan of F1.... there are probably better ways to get your F1 fix than this game. Finally, get ready to blast some faces with your balls. We discuss Faceball...
TMNT IV: Turtles in Time Edition
December 20, 2019 16:47 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBCowabunga dudes! It's pizza time! Let's kick shell! Engage! You know what all of those silly phrases means; we're talking about the Ninja Turtles. Specifically, we're talking about the really great turtle game TMNT IV: Turtles in Time. It's amazing, and you should stop whatever you're doing right now and play it. We also dive into Rampart, which is pretty great. At least it's probably great on systems that have a trackball or mouse. On the SNES, it ain't great. We also play Super Play Act...
Magic Sword Edition
December 13, 2019 18:28 - 47 minutes - 43.4 MBAfter tackling the Capcom classic that was Street Fighter II, there's something a bit deflating about covering another Capcom arcade port that's not nearly as well-remembered or well-loved. Despite that, Magic Sword is an alright game. Ka-Blooey on the other hand is a pretty terrible one. Then we have Strike Gunner STG which is somewhere in the middle. It's also a game that Steampunk Link and Emmy Zero have pretty different feelings about.
Street Fighter II Edition
November 29, 2019 23:39 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBThis one was so big that it needed it's own episode. We talk the original version of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior for the SNES. Seeing as how we know there are updated versions of this game coming, we really didn't expect to be quite as hot on the original as we were. But even in its unupdated form, Street Fighter II is such a monumental achievement on the system in 1992 that we couldn't help but sing its praises for well over half an hour. But this will work out well for you too, d...
Spanky's Quest Edition
November 22, 2019 16:46 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBWe're opening this episode with another soccer game. In fact, its another soccer game that has "Super" in the title. In fact, it''s another soccer game that has "Super" in the title that is quite good. It's Super Soccer Champ. Next we have Thunder Spirits which is a scrolling shooter that made SteampunkLink question if he actually hates the whole genre. Then we closely examine the video game adaptation of Clue. Is it worth playing over the board game? No. Is it worth playing at all really?...
Krusty's Super Funhouse Edition
November 15, 2019 18:08 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBHey hey kids! It's time to tackle our first (and likely best) Simpson's game on the SNES. And because this is a game published by Acclaim, we finally get to do our deep dive into the company! We also talk about Super Soccer which is considerably better than the previous soccer game we played. We get a bit political talking about Garry Kitchen's Super Battletank: War in the Gulf. And we look at the very strange Argonaut-developed game, Space Football: One-on-One. Star Fox this isn't, but it'...
Arcana Edition
November 08, 2019 22:30 - 54 minutes - 49.9 MBWell... they can't all be winners. In this episode we look at an unimpressive golf game (Jack Nicklaus Golf), an unimpressive RPG (Arcana), an impenetrable - to us at least - strategy game (Romance of the Three Kingdoms), and finally a complete piece of garbage (The Rocketeer). We played all of these so you don't have to suffer through them. You're welcome.
Top Gear Edition
November 01, 2019 16:35 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBAfter a brief hiatus, we are back! And we're starting off with a surprisingly great racing game that neither of us had heard of before. Spoiler alert, we think it's the best racing game we've played so far. Then we dive into some World League Soccer which is the first soccer game we've played and... eh, it ain't great. Speaking of things that aren't great, we look at Xardion next. Finally we look at Mario Paint, and Steampunk Link learns that sometimes nostalgia isn't a good thing.
SNEScapades (13) A Link To The Past Edition
October 18, 2019 18:03 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBWow! This is a big one, folks. Not only do we add our 50th game to the list, but we're going to be talking about one of the most beloved games of all time in one of gaming's most revered franchises. That's right, it's Raiden Trad! Okay okay, of course I'm talking about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Somehow, neither of us had played this one before and we get to see what we'd been missing out on. We do talk about Raiden Trad too. Also the gloriously bizarre Rival Turf. Oh, and...
A Link To The Past Edition
October 18, 2019 18:03 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBWow! This is a big one, folks. Not only do we add our 50th game to the list, but we're going to be talking about one of the most beloved games of all time in one of gaming's most revered franchises. That's right, it's Raiden Trad! Okay okay, of course I'm talking about The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Somehow, neither of us had played this one before and we get to see what we'd been missing out on. We do talk about Raiden Trad too. Also the gloriously bizarre Rival Turf. Oh, and...
The Addams Family Edition
October 11, 2019 17:39 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBIn this episode, we're taking a look at a licensed game that's actually not too shabby. The Addams Family is proof that not all movie tie-in games belong in the garbage. And then we take a brief look at WWF Super Wrestlemania, the first wrestling game on the SNES. We also talk about the first SNES installments of two well-known series of side-scrollers with Contra III: The Alien Wars and Super Adventure Island. One of them is great and the other... not so much. Which is which? I guess you'll...
Lemmings Edition
October 04, 2019 22:24 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBWe've got more golf! But it's okay, it's actually pretty good golf. The series that would become Tiger Woods PGA Tour makes its debut as we play PGA Tour Golf. Then we play some Lemmings and it turns out, that's also pretty good. So good, in fact, that we're both a little surprised that neither of us had ever played it before now. Then we've got more baseball and that pretty.... eh... it's alright I guess. And if golf balls and base balls weren't enough for you, we end the episode with Smart...
Legend of the Mystical Ninja Edition
September 28, 2019 22:32 - 48 minutes - 44.2 MBSadly, our review of Super Scope Six will have to be put on hold for now. But we do break down Super Smash TV (for big money and big prizes!), Legend of the Mystical Ninja, and... uh... Pit Fighter.
Ys III Edition
September 20, 2019 18:16 - 51 minutes - 46.8 MBIn this episode, we kick off 1992 with a completely bug-free Earth Defense Force. Then it's time to hop in our time machines to rescue some cave babes (shudder) with Joe & Mac. Then we dive into a somewhat overlooked SNES RPG with Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, which takes the popular Ys formula and literally flips it on its side. Finally, we look at Nolan Ryan's Baseball and realize that, yup it sure is more baseball.
Super End of 1991 Edition
September 06, 2019 15:54 - 41 minutes - 37.9 MBWe've come to the end of 1991. There are just two games left to talk about and instead of jumping into the games of 1992, Emmy Zero and SteampunkLink decide to look back on the first year (well half of a year) of the SNES's life. So after some lively discussion about Super Baseball Simulator 1.000 and Super Off Road, they chat a bit about how the list stands as 1991 draws to a close and some of their favorite games, or just games they found fascinating. Thanks for listening, and we'll see ...
Super Castlevania IV Edition
August 30, 2019 22:36 - 51 minutes - 46.7 MBToday, SteampunkLink and Emmy Zero team up to talk about Lagoon as Emmy Zero just wishes she was playing a proper Ys game instead. Then we it's time to get into John Candy's van in a hasty trip to check on Kevin in Chicago. They're talking about Home Alone, in case you missed the reference there. Then it's off in their helicopter for D-Force. It's a rough trip but it's all worth it as they finish up with Super Castlevania IV.
Super Ghouls N' Ghosts Edition
August 23, 2019 16:04 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBIn this episode, SteampunkLink and Emmy Zero have to endure what are easily the worst group of four games they've had to review so far. First they get a little controversial with their declaration that Capcom classic Super Ghouls N' Ghosts is a bad game. Then it's off to the races with RPM Racing; a game with noble technical ambitions that ultimately turned into an astoundingly bad final product. The second half of the group are a pair of decent sports games with Super Tennis and True Golf ...
Final Fantasy II Edition
August 16, 2019 19:36 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MBIn this episode, we discuss Darius Twin, Bill Laimbeer's Combat Basketball, Actraiser, and Final Fantasy II. Wow, we have a pair of real classics in this one. We had so much to say about Actraiser and Final Fantasy II, that this is our longest episode ever. We talked for nearly two hours, but because we love you, we managed to cut it down to just under an hour. Will we actually end up with a new number one? Maybe! That's not us being coy. We honestly don't know. We couldn't decide and had...
UN Squadron, Ultraman, Paperboy 2, John Madden Football
August 09, 2019 18:02 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBWe talk a lot about the history of a popular manga series in Japan, a long-running Japanese TV superhero, an arcade classic, and an old tabletop game about football. We discuss a lot of things that happened in the 80s! And I guess we talk about some Super NES games as well.