VIDEO WIZARDS PODCAST – Episode 14: March 1984

Video Wizards Podcast

In this episode, the Video Wizards find themselves in March 1984, where they are confronted with the wreckage left by Atari on the North American video game market and its effect on releases in European arcades. It’s nothing but obscure coin-ops this month as SNK quietly introduce the now little known sequel to Vanguard, Coreland and SEGA put out the bizarre and misleadingly named SWAT, Data East try their hands at a vertical shoot ’em up that’s been lost to time… and then there is Dynamic Ski by the far from prolific Taiyo System. To Ben and Michiel’s surprise there is actually a lot to enjoy there! Plus they also dig out some hits released in the months prior to March, such as Pole Position II, Punch-Out!! and Tapper.

While it’s quiet on the home gaming front, there is never a shortage of Trash from the Classifieds to dive into. And where the gaming industry struggles, there is a lot going on in the world of music, with Run-DMC showing fellow Hip-Hop artists how to make an album and give shape to the music in its recorded form, and a torrent of Local Dutch Metal being released by Roadrunner Records. And what exactly is the story behind that familiar voice on the chorus of Rockwell’s paranoid R&B hit Somebody’s Watching Me?

Musical strengths continue into cinema as the lads discuss the pioneering mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, before being slightly shocked by the original Police Academy and its contents. You’ll find all this and much more in one of the most interesting Video Wizards episodes up until now. Get involved with the choppiest and sockiest podcast around!

Other top billing arcade games of the era we discuss on Episode 14, L-R: SWAT, Hunchback Olympics/Herbie at the Olympics, Zaviga, Dynamic Ski

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
• Main Theme – by ??? for SWAT, 1984
• Rock Box – by Run-DMC, 1984
• Encore – by Cheryl Lynn, 1984
• Somebody’s Watching Me – by Rockwell, 1984
• Jam On It – by Newcleus, 1984
• It’s Yours – by T La Rock & Jazzy Jay, 1984
• Round and Round – by Ratt, 1984
• Far Beyond the Sun – by Yngwie Malmsteen, 1984
• Mercenary – by Vortex, 1984
• 99 Red Balloons – by Nena, 1984
• What Difference Does It Make? – by The Smiths, 1984
• Radio Ga Ga – by Queen, 1984
• Jump – by Van Halen, 1983
• Hello – by Lionel Richie, 1984
• Love is a Battlefield – by Pat Benatar, 1983
• Yah Mo B There – by James Ingram (featuring Michael McDonald), 1983
• Girls Just Want to Have Fun – by Cyndi Lauper, 1983
• When the Lady Smiles – by Golden Earring, 1984

And finally: our special thanks to Andy Hofle.

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