VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 30: Autumn 1991

Video Wizards Podcast

Let us take you with us to the turbulent autumn period of 1991 in this new and improved seasonal Video Wizards podcast format. While the Soviet Union’s dissolution is in effect mode and things are kicking off in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, we yet again look at the world of arcade games and the popular culture of this time.

Just about half a year after Street Fighter II’s seismic initial release, the rest of the arcade industry hasn’t quite caught up yet. In this moment in time, games in a variety of genres other than versus fighters are hitting the arcade floor. We see beat ’em ups like Captain America and The Avengers by Data East, SNK’s Robo Army and Capcom’s Knights of the Round. Shoot ’em ups like Armed Police Unit Gallop by Irem, Taito’s Metal Black and Acrobat Mission by UPL. And then there are Konami’s seminal Western themed run and gun Sunset Riders and Technos’ mammoth grappler WWF Wrestlefest… which incidentally features classic monster heel Earthquake as a playable character.

But the quaking doesn’t stop there, as the Grunge movement takes over everything guitar music based. And Hip-Hop sees a slew of successful sophomoric albums reach record store shelves, while some regional rivalries start brewing in the background.

In the European home gaming market, SEGA’s 16-bit console the Mega Drive has begun to gain proper momentum following the release of Sonic the Hedgehog – with hits like Streets of Rage, Toejam & Earl and Phantasy Star 3 – and there is a plethora of other gaming platform palates to take your pick from, from handhelds, to consoles, to home computers. While in cinemas the pickings are much more slim, as we look at 2 turds and one much better effort: the spooky season staple The Addams Family.

So get very comfortable indeed, for a 7 and a half hour audio fest of nostalgic warmth that should sort you out just nicely, as the days are getting colder and the nights are getting longer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14180885 Acrobat Mission Armed Police Unit Gallop By http://www.retrocpu.com/mame/roms/g/gallop_-_armed_police_unit_japan, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30077847 Robo Army By SNK - https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=907, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59158515 Captain America and The Avengers By The cover art can or could be obtained from Retroist.com., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31639340 WWF Wrestlefest By The Arcade Flyer Archive, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15804385 Metal Black By Taito - https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=5660, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12132132 Knights of the Round By CAESAR, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15321625">

The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 30, L-R-T-B: Sunset Riders, Acrobat Mission, Armed Police Unit Gallop / Cosmic Cop, Robo Army, Captain America and The Avengers, WWF Wrestlefest, Metal Black, Knights of the Round

Show theme tune: NEON CITY, composed by Ed 「イートレム」 Tremblay for Mudprints Music and licensed exclusively to The Video Wizards Podcast, ©2019 Mudprints Music, all rights reserved.

Welcome to the Video Wizards News Network composed by Riff Mason and licensed exclusively to The Video Wizards Podcast, ©2023 Riff Mason, all rights reserved.

Baller of the Month Jingle composed by Yuli Anna and licensed exclusively to The Video Wizards Podcast, ©2022 Yuli Anna, all rights reserved.

Other music used in this episode:

• Smuggler’s Wharf – by ??? for 64th Street: A Detective Story, 1991
• Magnificent Four (Attract Mode) – by Motoaki Furukawa for Sunset Riders, 1991
• Countryside (Mission 1) – by Yoshio Nagashima & Hiroshi Nishikawa for Acrobat Mission, 1991
• The Funky Flamingo (Zone A) – by Takushi Hiyamuta for Armed Police Unit Gallop / Cosmic Cop, 1997
• Mechanical Forest – by Yasumasa Yamada & Kazuhiro Nishida for Robo Army, 1991
• Attract Mode – by Tomoyoshi Sato & Tatsuya Kiuchi for Captain America and The Avengers, 1991
• Royal Rumble Theme – by Yoshihiro Kameoka for WWF Wrestlefest, 1991
• Red & Yellow (Attract Mode) – by Yasuhisa Watanabe of Zuntata for Metal Black, 1991
• Player Select Theme – by Isao Abe for Knights of the Round, 1991
• Title Theme – by Yuzo Koshiro for Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle, 1991
• Verses from the Abstract – by A Tribe Called Quest featuring Ron Carter, 1991
• Uptown Anthem – by Naughty by Nature, 1991
• Livin’ Like a Troopa – by Greyson & Jaysun, 1991
• Excursions – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1991
• Buggin’ Out – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1991
• The Choice is Yours – by Black Sheep, 1991
• True to the Game – by Ice Cube, 1991
• Mistadobalina – by Del The Funky Homosapien, 1991
• Releasing Hypnotical Gases – by Organized Konfusion, 1991
• Fuck Compton – by Tim Dog, 1991
• Step To Me – by Tim Dog, 1991
• Even Flow – by Pearl Jam, 1991
• Smells Like Teen Spirit – by Nirvana, 1991
• You Could Be Mine – by Guns N’ Roses, 1991
• Suck My Kiss – by Red Hot Chili Peppers, 1991
• Rusty Cage – by Soundgarden, 1991
• Don’t Cry – by Guns N’ Roses, 1991
• Black or White – by Michael Jackson, 1991
• Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good) – by Rozalla, 1991
• Always There – by Incognito featuring Jocelyn Brown, 1991
• Now That We Found Love – Heavy D & The Boys featuring Aaron Hall, 1991
• Cream – by Prince & The New Power Generation, 1991
• Gett Off – by Prince & The New Power Generation, 1991
• BB’s Blues – by The Bum Notes for Bottom, 1991

Episode edited by: Juli Reed & Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

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