VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 3: April 1986

In the third episode of the Video Wizards Podcast we’re traveling a bit further back again, to April 1986, and enter the Fantasy Zone for some unique shoot ’em up stylings by SEGA. Japanese developers continue making their mark as we also look at a string of Capcom hitters like Trojan, Gun.Smoke and Section Z and Konami’s oddly similar looking Double Dribble and Jail Break. And SEGA doesn’t just leave it at releasing a cute shooter, but also publishes the delightful and ubiquitous Wonder Boy.

Under the shadow of the Chernobyl disaster and the ever present 1980s threat of a nuclear apocalypse, two shape shifting alien bounty hunters use the Power of the Night to lay waste to a small rural town in the U.S.A., when on the lookout for sharp toothed extraterrestrial vermin, and Rakim, with help of Eric B, changes the face of rap music with a single song.

Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 3, L-R: Slap Fight, Wonder Boy, Double Dribble, Trojan

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
• Opa Opa – by Noah Toku for Fantasy Zone, 1986
• Keep on the Beat – by Noah Toku for Fantasy Zone, 1986
• Area 1 to 10 – by ??? for Slap Fight, 1986
• Main Theme – by ??? for Wonder Boy, 1986
• U.S.A. National Anthem – by ??? for Double Dribble, 1986
• Stage 3 – by Ayako Mori for Trojan, 1986
• Theme of Terra Cresta – by ??? for Terra Cresta, 1985
• Section A to E – by Tamayo Kawamoto for Section Z, 1985
• Eric B is President – by Eric B & Rakim, 1986
• When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going – by Billy Ocean, 1985
• Why Can’t This Be Love – by Van Halen, 1986
• (Nothing Serious) Just Buggin’ – by Whistle, 1986
• Living Doll (Comic Relief) – by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones, 1986
• Don’t Waste My Time – by Paul Hardcastle featuring Carol Kenyon, 1986
• Just Say No – by The Cast of Grange Hill, 1986
• Power of the Night – by “Johnny Steele”, 1986
• Jossy’s Giants Theme – by Mike Amatt, 1986

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

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