Ultra 64

Duck and cover! This week, we're talking about one of the most influential games you've never heard of, WINBACK: COVERT OPERATIONS! This scrappy little METAL GEAR-a-like actually invented what we think of as modern cover-based shooters; there effectively is no GEARS OF WAR or UNCHARTED without WINBACK. The game is innovative, but is it any fun to play? Plus: we discuss the dating status of Jean-Luc Cougar, tell the tale of the mysterious villain known as Gunt, and speculate once again just what is in all those damn crates.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli/ Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Mystical Ninja starring Goemon / Goemon's Great Adventure

I hope y'all are ready to bounce, because bouncing is what Tigger's do best, and this week we're talking about TIGGER'S HONEY HUNT! Our wonderful Disney correspondent Mikayla Nicholson joins us to look into the history of the residents of the Hundred-Acre Wood. We even watch 2000's THE TIGGER MOVIE to really inundate ourselves in all things T-I-Double Guh- Er, and discover one of the best-looking games on the Nintendo 64!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: WinBack: Covert Operations

What hath DOOM wrought? This week, we're playing two games that budded off from the intensely successful FPS series: the sword-and-sorcery variant HEXEN: BEYOND HERETIC, and JOHN ROMERO'S DAIKATANA, one of the most legendary flops in gaming history from the bad-boy visionary behind id Software's megahit. Is HEXEN a worthy successor? Is DAIKATANA as bad as you've heard? And just what happened during the production of that game? All of these answers and more! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Tigger's Honey Hunt 

This week, I HUNGER... for some classic arcade games! And Midway delivers with MIDWAY'S GREATEST ARCADE HITS, VOLUME 1, a compilation of six beloved games from the golden age of arcades! Join us as we dig into the history of ROBOTRON 2084, JOUST, SINISTAR, ROOT BEER TAPPER, SPY HUNTER, and DEFENDER! Run, run, run, don't walk!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Hexen: Beyond Heretic / John Romero's Daikatana

Today, we're dipping our toes into the inspired and unpredictable world of SUPER MARIO 64 ROM hacks, and who better to guide a couple old fuddy-duddies into this world than Kaze Emanuar, the prolific ROM hacking superstar behind MARIO 64: LAST IMPACT, MARIO 64 ONLINE, and SUPER MARIO 64 X OCARINA OF TIME! We interview Kaze about his ROM hacking origins, get his recommendations on what to play, and talk about his upcoming projects.  Also, check out Patreon.com/ultra64pod for a more in-depth discussion of mods and ROM hacks, as well as reviews of two of Kaze's games! That episode and many others are available now for only $5 a month!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  

This week, we are saying goodbye to wrestling games on the N64, and we're going in style, talking about two of the most beloved games in the genre, and two that are considered the bottom of the barrel. Wrestling game MVP Blake Goetsch joins us once, and we're also joined by TL Foster, host of Cheap Popcast and a bona-fide wrestling expert, who helps us answer our last lingering questions about the world of sports entertainment! It's our biggest and dorkiest episode yet, and when the dust settles... do we actually like wrestling games now?! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli /Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Midway's Greatest Arcade Hits, Volume 1.     

Charge up your thrusters and feed your robot dog, because we're taking off with JET FORCE GEMINI! Rare's unsung space shooter may be one of the most divisive titles we've looked at yet! Join us as we dig into the surprisingly massive world of JFG, save furry happy creatures that are definitely not Ewoks, and try to work out our complicated feelings about this game! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: WWF Wrestlemania 2000 / ECW Hardcore Revolution / WWF No Mercy / WCW Backstage Assault 

We're hitting the thrusters and blasting into hyperspace this week, as we take on one of the rarest genres on the N64, 2-D shoot-em-ups! We play the arcade space shooters STAR SOLDIER: VANISHING EARTH and ASTEROIDS HYPER 64, and look into the history of the "shmup," the impact of ASTEROIDS, and debate the appeal of the infamous "bullet hell" game.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast Patreon: Patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Jet Force Gemini 

It's the most wonderful time of the year: Morphin' Time! This week, we're digging in to the world of POWER RANGERS, and we're joined by two new friends from Australia to help us tell our Zords from our Putties! Elliot Jay O'Neill and BT Calloway (from THE SIMPSONS INDEX and THRONE OF GAMES podcasts) join us to look back on the legitimate phenomenon that was POWER RANGERS, and play one of the more infamous games on the system, POWER RANGERS LIGHTSPEED RESCUE. Does it live down to it's reputation or are there some coins of power to be found?  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody  Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth / Asteroids Hyper 64 

Let's be honest: the world kinda sucks right now. We need the happy-go-lucky world of ANIMAL CROSSING now more than ever, so we're making our Patreon-exclusive bonus episode available for FREE to help you ride out those quarantine blues.  ANIMAL CROSSING scholar Mikayla Nicholson joins us as we explore the sleeper hit series that was meant to originate on the N64! We play the Japanese ANIMAL FOREST and the Gamecube ANIMAL CROSSING to see how much (or how little) has changed, and Mikayla opens up the time capsule that is her 20 year old memory card... Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  

Fans of adorable creepy-crawlies rejoice, because this week we're playing A BUG'S LIFE, the colorful platformer based on Disney Pixar's second-ever film! Mikayla Nicholson joins us as we revisit the original film to see where it ranks among Pixar's canon, discuss the great BUG'S LIFE/ANTZ feud of 1998, and see how the game holds up compared to other Disney platformers!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue 

We're closing the books on STAR WARS on the N64 this week, as we play STAR WARS: ROGUE SQUADRON, one of the system's most acclaimed! STAR WARS superfans Josiah Coolidge and Dan Reese join us as catch up on the world of STAR WARS, discuss the strange and sad history of Factor 5, and see if we can crash into a stormtrooper on the ground with an X-Wing (spoiler: you totally can).  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: A Bug's Life 

Never heard of UNDERHERO? Neither had we! Luckily, we were given the chance to talk about it, thanks to our Patreon supporter Andy Bowman, who, as a Superstar-tier Patron, gets to join us on the show to talk about any non-Nintendo 64 game! Andy joins us to talk about this under-the-radar indie title, a charming, funny RPG that draws heavily from PAPER MARIO! It's a fun conversation and a cool game, so thanks to Andy for bringing it to our attention!  If you want to join us to talk about a game of your choice, check out the Superstar tier over at Patreon.com/ultra64pod! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated Logo by Barry Shaw  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod   

Whether you're a baseball fan or a baseball hater, rejoice! Because this week we're talkin' baseball for the very last time! Dan Reese joins us to dig in to GT's MIKE PIAZZA'S STRIKE ZONE, EA's TRIPLE PLAY 2000, and Konami's BOTTOM OF THE 9TH! Plus, the great home run record chase of 1998, and an amazing letter from a listener in the heart of the coronavirus outbreak!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Star Wars: Rogue Squadron   

Surprise! We're taking a slight detour off of the Nintendo 64 to talk about an all-time classic for the Gamecube, SUPER SMASH BROS MELEE! This episode is brought to you by our guest Jordan Collins, who subscribed as a Superstar-tier Patron over on Patreon! Jordan joins us to talk about the thriving competitive scene, the series' evolution into an interactive Nintendo museum, and if this is the best SMASH game of all time.  If you want to join us to talk about a non-Nintendo 64 game for an episode just like this, there are two Superstar slots available! Check out patreon.com/ultra64pod.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod

Falcon PUNCH! This week we're talking about the granddaddy of them all, the Nintendo fighting game that would launch one of the major franchises in gaming, SUPER SMASH BROS! Keith Granger and Jordan Smith join us to get into the hot and heavy four-player action as we discuss the origins of the classic casual fighter, the overpowered awesomeness of Kirby, and our dream SMASH line-ups.  ALSO! As an extra bonus, we'll be releasing a special episode later this week all about SUPER SMASH BROS MELEE, courtesy of our Superstar-tier patron Jordan Collins! It's twice the SMASH, so watch for that in your feed in a few days!  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Mike Piazza's Strike Zone/ Triple Play 2000 / Bottom of the Ninth   

It's everyone's favorite, a trio of random racing games! We played V-RALLY EDITION 99, ROADSTERS, and RALLY CHALLENGE 2000, three largely unremarkable racing games that nonetheless gave us an opportunity to learn about the insane sport that is rally racing! Plus, we got some amazing discussion questions from listeners to help us fill the time! And next week, we'll be playing one of the N64's biggest titles, SUPER SMASH BROS! Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod Next week's episode: Super Smash Bros. 

This week on the show, we're doffing our smoking jackets and retiring to the parlor for some fine brandy, rich cigars, and games of gentlemanly temperament. Which is to say, we played VIRTUAL CHESS 64 and VIRTUAL POOL 64! Discover shockingly ugly graphics! Bizarrely terrible cameras! And pretty good versions of their respective games?  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: V-Rally 99 / Roadsters / Rally Challenge 2000 

Fans of tortured clay puns, your day has come! This week we're talking about CLAYFIGHTER 63 1/3, the third entry in the oddball parody series, and CLAYFIGHTER: SCULPTOR'S CUT, the rarest and most valuable game on the entire N64! We get our hands dirty talking about the history of clay animation, take the developers to task for not spellchecking their manual, and figure exactly what SCULPTOR'CUT offers for our extra several hundred dollars.  Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski  Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Steve Guntli  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com  Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: Virtual Chess 64 / Virtual Pool 64   

We finally get the chance to play one of our most-requested episode: the mega smash hit kart racer DIDDY KONG RACING! Kart racing prodigy Lynsey Pennington returns to help us settle the eternal debate between Rare's kart/plane/hovercraft racer and Nintendo's seminal classic. Plus, we meet iconic N64 characters Banjo and Conker for the first time, and answer the question: is Diddy Nintendo's Poochy? Hosted by Steve Guntli and Woody Ciskowski Logo by Steve Guntli / Updated logo by Barry Shaw  Theme song: "Truck" by The Octopus Project (theoctopusproject.com)  ultra64podcast.com  Twitter: @ultra64podcast  Email: ultra64podcast@gmail.com Instagram: @ultra64podcast  Patreon: patreon.com/ultra64pod  Next week's episode: ClayFighter 63 1/3 / ClayFighter: Sculptor's Cut