VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 17: Summer 1996

In this episode of Video Wizards, we ambitiously travel back to 3 months in one single episode: June, July and August, all in the year 1996. In this Olympic summer, arcade floors are dominated by 3D fighting games like Last Bronx, Star Gladiator and errr... Fighters’ Impact by Taito. SNK, meanwhile, represent two dimensions with the fantastic The King of Fighters ’96 and SEGA take the beat ’em up genre into 3D for Die Hard Arcade. And then there is Konami, riding the current events wave with the happy button mashy athletics mini game fest Hyper Athlete, which nicely derives from their lineage of Track & Field games.

While the Nintendo 64 and its killer app Super Mario 64 see a release in Japan, SEGA is already fighting a losing battle against Sony’s PlayStation monster, over here in Europe. This while the seismic Quake finds its way to those that play games on their personal computers.

With some exceptionally trashy chart music assaulting our ears, we find refuge in the import record shops, where one great Hip Hop album after another can be lifted from the crates. Heltah Skeltah and Jay-Z make their debut and OutKast release their confident and unapologetically eclectic sophomore joint. Meanwhile, 2pac drops the extra inflammatory diss record Hit ‘Em Up, which unfortunately does not help to lead him off his destructive path.

And then there are 2 major summer block busting movies we’re looking at, namely Independence Day and The Rock, as well as the more slow burning, but more enduring Matilda and The Cable Guy. Plus there is all the Local Dutch News, Trash from the Classifieds and Video Wizards Quiz material you’re used to from us.

Follow Ben and Michiel on this enormous marathon of a Video Wizards podcast episode and warm yourself in the sunrays of the 1996 summer!

The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 17, L-R-T-B: Star Gladiator, Hyper Athlete, Last Bronx, The King of Fighters ’96, Dynamite Deka/Die Hard Arcade, Fighters’ Impact

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.

Other music used in this episode:

• TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
• Federal Headquarters (Elevator) – by Isao Abe, Yūko Takehara & Michio Sakurai (XTC) for Star Gladiator, 1996
• Score Board – by Kosuke Soeda for Hyper Athlete, 1996
• Lust Subway (Yoko’s Stage) – by Tomoyuki Kawamura for Last Bronx, 1996
• Arashi no Saxophone 2 – by Hideki Asanaka, Kazuhiro Nishida, Masahiko Hataya, Toshio Shimizu, Yasumasa Yamada, Yasuo Yamate, Brother-Hige, Akihiro Uchida & Miwa for The King of Fighters ’96, 1996
• Track 3 – by Howard Drossin for Dynamite Deka, 1996
• Be Cool (Sanson’s Stage) – by Yasuhisa Watanabe for Fighters’ Impact, 1996
• Street (TJ Combo’s Theme) – by Robin Beanland for Killer Instinct 2, 1996
• Main Theme – by Kōji Kondō for Super Mario 64, 1996
• Drop a Gem on ‘Em – by Mobb Deep, 1996
• Music Makes Me High – by Lost Boyz, 1996
• 8 Steps to Perfection – by Company Flow, 1996
• My Kinda N***a – by Heather B (featuring M.O.P.), 1996
• Undastand – by Heltah Skeltah, 1996
• Dead Presidents – by Jay-Z, 1996
• Stakes is High – by De La Soul, 1996
• Get a Hold – by A Tribe Called Quest, 1996
• Ridin’ Dirty – by UGK, 1996
• Elevators (Me & You) – by OutKast, 1996
• Hit ‘Em Up – by 2Pac (featuring Outlawz), 1996
• Mama Said – by Metallica, 1996
• Nancy Boy – by Placebo, 1996
• Call It in the Air – by Jimmy Eat World, 1996
• Got me Wrong (Unplugged) – by Alice in Chains, 1996
• 3 Lions – by Skinner, Baddiel & Lightning Seeds, 1996
• Born Slippy – by Underworld, 1996
• Trash – by Suede, 1996
• Fu-Gee-La – by The Fugees, 1996
• Fastlove – by George Michael, 1996
• Twisted – by Keith Sweat (featuring Kut Klose), 1996
• Return of the Mack – by Mark Morrison, 1996

And finally: our special thanks to テクノワールド奥州.

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