VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 22: May 1988

08/15/22 • 334 min

In episode 22 of Video Wizards, we find ourselves in the glorious year of 1988, where the 2D shoot ’em up still reigned supreme as the most dominant video game genre. In the arcades we see releases of heavy hitters like Vulcan Venture a.k.a. Gradius II by Konami, Forgotten Worlds by Capcom and Silkworm by Tecmo, the three of them pushing boundaries and technology all in their own particular way. And then there is the oddball 1 versus 1 brawler Kageki by Kaneko, taking super deformed fisticuffs to new extremes.

In terms of gaming at home, SEGA and Nintendo are continuing their efforts to break the choke hold that micros like the ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Commodore C64 and MSX have over the European game industry, with their 8-bit consoles. Music, meanwhile, is in a very interesting place, as Hip Hop has landed in its most revolutionary era and a line is drawn in the sand, glam rockers Poison are trying to stink up metal, while Judas Priest and Living Colour fight back, and the charts are incredibly varied, with a bit of a theme of sociopolitical engagement running through more than one song. We also look at the successes and failings of the mega expensive silver screen blockbusters Willow and Rambo III and delve into some interesting stories from the world of television at the time.

What relevant movie quote does editor Juli drop in the middle of this month’s Video Wizards Quiz? Can Ben hold it together as Michiel drops yet more culturally significant Dutch TV personality names? Does the fact that Gradius II is the main arcade game talking point this month lead to a rift between Michiel and Ben? Will doors be slammed and angry letters be written? Find out in a new 5 and a half hours Video Wizards throwback audio tour extravaganza!

The top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 22, L-R: Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, Forgotten Worlds, Silkworm, Kageki

Other music used in this episode:

TV Theme Style (The Winner) – by Colin Thomson, 2018
Theme from Butsuzou – by Masahiko Ishida for Ninja Spirit, 1988
Burning Heat – by Shinji Tasaka, Motoaki Furukawa, Kenichi Matsubara & Seiichi Fukami for Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, 1988
A Shooting Star – by Shinji Tasaka, Motoaki Furukawa, Kenichi Matsubara & Seiichi Fukami for Gradius II: Gofer no Yabou, 1988
Stage Four – by Tamayo Kawamoto & Yoshihiro Sakaguchi for Forgotten Worlds, 1988
Main Theme – by ??? for Silkworm, 1988
Street Theme – by Hirokazu Tanaka for Gumshoe, 1986
My Philosophy – by BDP, 1988
Just Got Paid – by Johnny Kemp, 1988
Run’s House – by Run-D.M.C., 1988
Keep Risin’ to the Top – by Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, 1988
I’m Still #1 – by BDP, 1988
Are You Ready for Freddy – by Fat Boys (featuring Robert Englund), 1988
Every Rose Has Its Thorn – by Poison, 1988
Cult of Personality – by Living Colour, 1988
Ram it Down – by Judas Priest, 1988
Blue Monday – by New Order, 1983
Theme from S’Express – by S’Express, 1988
Everywhere – by Fleetwood Mac, 1987
Yé Ké Yé Ké – by Mory Kanté, 1987
Beds Are Burning – by Midnight Oil, 1988
Alphabet St. – by Prince, 1988
Preparations – by Jerry Goldsmith for the motion picture Rambo III, 1988
Theme from M.A.S.K. – by Shuki Levy & Haim Saban, 1985

Episode edited by: Juli Reed & Michiel Kroder

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

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Explicit content warning

08/15/22 • 334 min

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