I just got done listening to it and it really is a nice episode that brings up a lot of great memories for me. Things like the Kisado Converter, the VHS promos, the Turbo Mailing List, TZD.com, etc. It makes me want to go home and give my Turbo collection a big hug.
Enjoy!
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on August 24, 2009, 09:06:18 AM
Downloading now. 8)
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: TR0N on August 24, 2009, 04:31:19 PM
Ditto i'm a regular listener of the retronauts.Though watch jeremy parish be clueless about the console.I remember when,they did one on the neo-geo and boy did they get there facts all wrong for the console ](*,) :P
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Black Tiger on September 13, 2009, 01:48:27 PM
I finally had the time to listen to this today. The only other console-specific episode I've listened through was for SMS. This one wasn't nearly so bad, but it's still a bunch of guys who don't know much about the system killing time for an hour and a half. For every fact they get right, they get at least one or two wrong. The one real Turbo/PCE fan had some cool stories, but the episode overall was more misleading than informative for people who aren't already familiar with it.
One of the better factoids: "Visuals fall somewhere between NES and Genesis". :P
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 13, 2009, 08:41:03 PM
Although there were at least a half dozen technical errors, this was still one of the best episodes of this show I've heard. I've actually given up on the show, but Brandon told me he was on this one so I gave it a listen. Unsurprisingly he was the best part. I particularly like the part about where they were talking about how great PCE cover art is.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: DragonmasterDan on September 13, 2009, 11:40:34 PM
I listened to this one back when it first was put up. I'm a regular listener as well, in fact it's the only podcast I listen to regularly.
With that said I noticed some errors right away, things like calling the Turbo Booster the Turbo Blaster etc.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on September 14, 2009, 04:02:34 AM
For every fact they get right, they get at least one or two wrong. The one real Turbo/PCE fan had some cool stories, but the episode overall was more misleading than informative for people who aren't already familiar with it.
Agreed. I finally listened to this over the weekend and was less than impressed. You'd think they'd bother to do a few minutes research on the intrawebz, rather than just talk out of their ass. :|
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: jboypacman on September 14, 2009, 06:57:21 AM
Yeah i listen to this a few weeks back and despite some of the errors it was good show i felt.
I stop listen to Retronauts because it seemed it was getting to "RPG" heavy and seems to be less on the more vintage stuff like Atari which am interested in.
I wish 1up would bring back Retrocity that was a short but sweet podcast that covered the classics/retro games and music too.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 14, 2009, 07:25:36 AM
Quote from: Necromancer
Agreed. I finally listened to this over the weekend and was less than impressed. You'd think they'd bother to do a few minutes research on the intrawebz, rather than just talk out of their ass. :|
Well, yeah, I hear ya, but believe me its hard. I've done a few dozen podcasts myself and I almost always discover mistakes made by myself or others when I go through the editing process. Any non-scripted show discussions will always wander from the areas you are %100 knowledgeable about, at which point you can either stop talking or start guessing.
I would usually posts "errata" corrections in the show notes though since usually this stuff is obvious when its played back to me, and anything that sounds odd I can Wiki when I have spare time.
In defense of errors:
A show that flows naturally is, for me, more enjoyable that some time constrained, scripted, talking head fest like stuff on G4 TV. They rarely make mistakes on the channel, but they also very rarely say anything worth hearing.
Waiting for someone to read a Wiki mid-conversation f*cks up the flow of a live show.
You'd be surprised how ignorant you sound when you have actual real time interactive conversations about something.
People who are unflappably perfect trivia machines on a subject like TG-16/PCE are usually such mousy, socially retarded, weasily voiced dorks that they are terrible to actually listen to. As bad as Keanu Reaves was in Much Ado About Nothing, he still looked more in place than most of the ren fair dorks I've met that could recite the play from memory. Have you ever been at a con or a show where there is a celebrity panel and there is always some shithead who asks, "Where do you get your ideas?" They might be the biggest fan there, but sadly that's all they are, a fan, and they have no creative spirit or humor or anything interesting to add to the scene. Sure they f*cked up defining one of NEC's add-ons, but the Masaya Matsuura story more than makes up for it and, seriously...imagine a guy who has %100 understanding of every piece of NEC's stupidly huge selection of add-ons and system variations. Now, would you actually want to have a conversation with that guy?
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on September 14, 2009, 08:48:52 AM
Well, yeah, I hear ya, but believe me its hard. I've done a few dozen podcasts myself and I almost always discover mistakes made by myself or others when I go through the editing process. Any non-scripted show discussions will always wander from the areas you are %100 knowledgeable about, at which point you can either stop talking or start guessing.
For self-described 'huge TG-16 fans', their knowledge was rather minimal. If they wished to sound at least semi-professional (and why would anyone put such effort into an endeavor just to sound like amateur hour?), then they should spend a few moments researching and familiarizing themselves with the subject before recording the show.
imagine a guy who has %100 understanding of every piece of NEC's stupidly huge selection of add-ons and system variations. Now, would you actually want to have a conversation with that guy?
I can think of at least a dozen people on this board that roughly fit that description, and I'd gladly hold a conversation with every last one of 'em. Besides, it not like misnaming the TurboBooster was the only error made; and even if it was, the show was mostly about the TG-16, which isn't very difficult to keep straight with all of three consoles and three add-ons.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 14, 2009, 09:52:59 AM
OK, do you seriously think that "a few moments" are going to bring people up on the PCE, one of the most (the most?) confusing pieces of console history? I've been collecting this stuff since 1992 and I can't right now, off the top of my head, tell you the difference between the Backup Booster 1 and the Backup Booster 2. Also, you do realize that this is the 76th episode of the show, and they don't live/eat/breath PCE like us, right? Unless this episode was actually made by the members of this forum I'm sure that someone here would think it was crap because we are the English language source for these systems. If I had to do a podcast episode about...something like PS3, I'd be totally f*cking useless.
Maybe games podcasts need a sort of Alan Lomax type of guy that just wanders the internet recording the otherwise non-recorded insular word of expert gamers to compile grade A retrospectives and summarizations of gaming guru hive minds...actually, that's not a bad idea...seriously...
Also, sure there are plenty of PCE dorks here that'd hang with. In fact, One of Us stayed over at my place the other night. I suppose "having a conversation" is not the right phrase. More accurately, do you think they can be entertaining for an hour? I'm sure this show brought some interest in the PCE to people who were always wondering about it, and that's the point of it, and that's a good thing. It doesn't matter if they messed up the two boosters because both of them are more or less useless, and their uselessness was sort of the point of bringing them up.
There is this one Doctor Who podcast I used to listen too...the guy was just so boring and awkward. In really technical areas I can handle these people (ie: Michio Kaku) but in casual settings I'd rather have the flawed fans.
OK, I guess I'll just come out and say it. Mr. Nanto does not have a radio voice. There. I said it. I won't say it again. :)
EDIT: One more thing. I can't speak for the other guys, but Brandon is in fact a huge PCE fan. I geek out with him about this system on a regular basis. His focus, like mine, is almost totally focused on the Japan side these days, so he's bound to screw up "TG-16" stuff. My point of vouching for his fandom is that anyone can make mistakes.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on September 14, 2009, 11:02:30 AM
OK, do you seriously think that "a few moments" are going to bring people up on the PCE, one of the most (the most?) confusing pieces of console history?
I thought we weren't talking about total neophytes here. As 'huge fans', it's fair to expect them to have a decent working knowledge of the hardware, and therefor not in need of days of grueling research to keep from committing so many errors.
Also, you do realize that this is the 76th episode of the show, and they don't live/eat/breath PCE like us, right? Unless this episode was actually made by the members of this forum I'm sure that someone here would think it was crap because we are the English language source for these systems.
I never said it was crap, only that I was disappointed. As Black Tiger noted, there's lots of goodies to be had in there; unfortunately, there's an equal amount of misleading information.
If I had to do a podcast episode about...something like PS3, I'd be totally f*cking useless.
As would I. That's kinda my point - with my current knowledge (or lack thereof) of the PS3, I would never record a podcast purporting myself to be a 'huge fan'. Plus, I'd never just shoot from the hip and start recording without preparing a rough outline of topics I wanted to cover, including whatever factoids I hadn't already committed to memory.
Also, sure there are plenty of PCE dorks here that'd hang with. In fact, One of Us stayed over at my place the other night. I suppose "having a conversation" is not the right phrase. More accurately, do you think they can be entertaining for an hour?
I don't see why not. I've enjoyed my limited time in the chatbox, which is roughly equivalent to holding a 'real' conversation (as close as you can get online, anyway); and if they can string together coherent posts on a forum, it's probably safe to assume that they'd be equally capable of speaking their thoughts aloud. Though perhaps not in Ceti's case - those extraneous u's would be hard to handle.
It doesn't matter if they messed up the two boosters because both of them are more or less useless, and their uselessness was sort of the point of bringing them up.
You do realize that isn't the sole error in this podcast, don't you?
EDIT: One more thing. I can't speak for the other guys, but Brandon is in fact a huge PCE fan. I geek out with him about this system on a regular basis. His focus, like mine, is almost totally focused on the Japan side these days, so he's bound to screw up "TG-16" stuff. My point of vouching for his fandom is that anyone can make mistakes.
Of course anyone can make mistakes. Just don't be so surprised (and oddly defensive) when someone's disappointed with such a flawed piece of work.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Black Tiger on September 14, 2009, 02:15:48 PM
I finally got home and it looks like most of what I was going to say has more or less already been addressed.
Basically I think it would've been cool for some so-called "gamers" to get together and reminisce about their TG-16 experiences, limited or otherwise. But after beginning to do that someone stopped and said that they had to do some informative stuff and tried to structure things overall as somewhat of a history lesson. I think that it would have been better for them to have just said something like "if you aren't familiar with the console, go brush up on it before continuing with this podcast" and then shared Turbo stories.
I also think that those who weren't very familiar with the Turbo/PCE should've stuck to personal stories and positive comments, instead of pointing out things that they think were stupid. Like how the PCE was the first console to be based around the "Core" concept and that it was a terrible idea. In reality it was simple and hugely successful, but it also wasn't a pioneering idea. The SG-1000 had the Card Catcher, the Mark III had the FM Sound Unit, the Famicom had the Disk System, the Mega Drive had the PBC, Sega Channel, Mega-CD, Mega Modem & 32X, the Super Famicom had the Super Gameboy and Satellaview.
The other thing was the narrow minded view of the cover art. There is some pretty bad stuff out there overall for Turbo, but it isn't as all-encompassing as they made it out to be for the boxes or the HuCard labels and the PCE covers aren't much different than other pre-32-bit Japanese console games.
Again, it wouldn't have been the same if they made some factual errors when talking about stuff they liked, but it's something else to make uneducated negative generalizations.
Quote
People who are unflappably perfect trivia machines on a subject like TG-16/PCE are usually such mousy, socially retarded, weasily voiced dorks that they are terrible to actually listen to....
...Sure they f*cked up defining one of NEC's add-ons, but the Masaya Matsuura story more than makes up for it and, seriously...imagine a guy who has %100 understanding of every piece of NEC's stupidly huge selection of add-ons and system variations. Now, would you actually want to have a conversation with that guy?
At some point you have to strike a balance. I think that those who were less knowledgeable shouldn't have gone so far out on a limb or shouldn't have stuck around for the entire session. Would you want to listen to some of the most charismatic and entertaining speakers in the world ad lib a TG-16 discussion with zero knowledge?
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: KingDrool on September 14, 2009, 02:18:16 PM
A mainstream gaming site like 1up gives the Turbo some much-deserved attention and rather than saying, "Hey, it's cool that they did that. Despite a few minor errors, hopefully it'll help generate some interest in our favorite console", we sit here and quibble about relatively minor details that were botched during the course of a recorded casual conversation. It's a podcast, guys. Podcasts are not generally high-quality productions with hours upon hours of preparation backing them up. 99 times out of 100 they're loosely-formated recordings of a small group of people having a conversation about a topic or group of topics. If this was a paid download run by self-proclaimed "experts" in the "field" of TurboGrafx-16 history, I could understand people complaining. But just appreciate that somebody, somewhere other than this forum, is talking about and appreciating our favorite console.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Black Tiger on September 14, 2009, 02:30:42 PM
A mainstream gaming site like 1up gives the Turbo some much-deserved attention and rather than saying, "Hey, it's cool that they did that. Despite a few minor errors, hopefully it'll help generate some interest in our favorite console", we sit here and quibble about relatively minor details that were botched during the course of a recorded casual conversation. It's a podcast, guys. Podcasts are not generally high-quality productions with hours upon hours of preparation backing them up. 99 times out of 100 they're loosely-formated recordings of a small group of people having a conversation about a topic or group of topics. If this was a paid download run by self-proclaimed "experts" in the "field" of TurboGrafx-16 history, I could understand people complaining. But just appreciate that somebody, somewhere other than this forum, is talking about and appreciating our favorite console.
It would've been cool if they had only made a few minor "errors". Like I said it was still entertaining and the stories were cool, but the misinformation was unnecessary after 1up's recent TurboGrafx-16 Retrospective (http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3175512).
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: MrFulci on September 14, 2009, 02:33:12 PM
Someone can be a fan of something, yet not know every detail of the system.
All this fuss made me curious to download this mp3 file. I'm curious why so many people are complaining about it, hahaha.
---------
Though i havent played my Turbo grafx or PC engine games in... maybe 15 months? 18 months? Not sure, I've been busy lately and not had an itch for them lately. Anyway, I still remember most of the ins and outs of the TG-16. I'm curious if I'll be able to pick out any of the errors in the mp3.
An internet broadcast about the PCE, well, yeah, it's a bit geeky. I think even MORE geeky; is this thread :lol:
Still, I'm being a nerd myself, and downloading this thing, so I can skim through it and see what the fuss it about :)
97% downloaded....
Wow, 80 minutes, yeah, I'll be skimming this one.
Well, I listened to maybe 10 minutes total of it. I didn't notice any big errors. about all i noticed was that they didn't seem aware TZD sold out to Red Frog.
I think it's a good introduction for someone unfamiliar with the system. Though, a person would gain more from reading information about the system, than listening to this internet radio broadcast. That's what I see this doing, making some people curious enough to seek out more information on the system.
.
.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 14, 2009, 02:33:45 PM
Quote from: Necromancer
I don't see why not. I've enjoyed my limited time in the chatbox, which is roughly equivalent to holding a 'real' conversation (as close as you can get online, anyway); and if they can string together coherent posts on a forum, it's probably safe to assume that they'd be equally capable of speaking their thoughts aloud. Though perhaps not in Ceti's case - those extraneous u's would be hard to handle.
That is so not a universal truth. When you are typing you have exponentially more time to phrase things, look at stuff before you hit "send", etc. When you are speaking everything in real time you don't really have any time to do anything but talk because dead air is a no no. Have you ever tried looking shit up online while talking coherently at the same time? Its tough. The only break you get is when the other guy talks. In a chat session you can say nothing for a solid minute, nobody's going to notice. I'm not saying you can't do it, I'm just saying that there is a real reason I picked that annoying guy to be on my show with me. All the cooler people I knew had serious problems keeping the ball rolling.
That reminds me, after a year of dead air I need to do an Arivaderchi episode of Game Face Radio and close the shop. If you want to show us how you can be Franz Ferdinand Porsche you can call in via Skype or whatever and be more interesting than me. Its not that hard, usually. Just please please please don't take me up on this unless you have a halfway decent mic.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on September 15, 2009, 04:21:27 AM
A mainstream gaming site like 1up gives the Turbo some much-deserved attention and rather than saying, "Hey, it's cool that they did that. Despite a few minor errors, hopefully it'll help generate some interest in our favorite console", we sit here and quibble about relatively minor details that were botched during the course of a recorded casual conversation. It's a podcast, guys. Podcasts are not generally high-quality productions with hours upon hours of preparation backing them up. 99 times out of 100 they're loosely-formated recordings of a small group of people having a conversation about a topic or group of topics. If this was a paid download run by self-proclaimed "experts" in the "field" of TurboGrafx-16 history, I could understand people complaining. But just appreciate that somebody, somewhere other than this forum, is talking about and appreciating our favorite console.
So podcasts are immune to critical review, eh? I hope never to be so complacent that I'll just sit around and whenever someone discusses the Turbo.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: KingDrool on September 15, 2009, 05:46:55 AM
Jeez, man, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that it's a podcast, not some NPR report. And podcasts are generally more casual and free-flowing; and if you've ever listened to Retronauts you'll know that it's more of a nostalgic look back at the past, rather than a textbook-read-aloud session.
And yeah, I think it's nice when mainstream sites at least attempt to cover the Turbo, despite some shortcomings. So rather than coming down on them like a rabid swarm of uber-nerd Trekkies, it might be nice to just appreciate the effort.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: Necromancer on September 15, 2009, 11:34:48 AM
And yeah, I think it's nice when mainstream sites at least attempt to cover the Turbo, despite some shortcomings. So rather than coming down on them like a rabid swarm of uber-nerd Trekkies, it might be nice to just appreciate the effort.
Most people welcome criticism in the quest to improve their craft, so I doubt they're just sitting back and hoping for a bunch of yes men to congratulate their efforts (either that or they really don't give a shit what we think, as they're only in it for their own enjoyment). Besides, there's not much crude criticism to be found here anyway. What's the worst that's been said - that they got some facts wrong, which is unarguably true, or that I was unimpressed? That's hardly what I'd classify as 'rabid'.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: esteban on September 15, 2009, 12:48:51 PM
I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but I usually enjoy listening to Retronauts.
Thanks to this thread, I'm going to download the last bunch of episodes that I need to catch-up on.
ON TOPIC: There is an art to making something, anything, that appeals to both a general audience and an "expert" audience. Striking that balance is the formula for success... you have managed to maintain the interests of a wide range of people, who have greatly varying degrees of experience.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: exodus on October 13, 2009, 12:14:29 PM
yo - yeah, I know we made a bunch of errors - that was the last thing I said, but I don't think it's in there.
Basically, christian and I got asked to do the podcast the day before, and the day of, well, we spend that day doing our jobs and such. In terms of research, none of us knew what would be discussed, and the point was basically to reminisce, because as someone said, all the technical info was already in the retrospective.
I think podcasts are silly, but I go on them when people ask. Just so you know, here's how the retronauts postmortem works - the host asks some people to come on, then they talk for a while. Researching is impossible, because who knows what you're going to talk about? I know stuff about the pc engine/tg-16, but certainly not everything. Am I a "big fan?" Well, I've been playing my pc engine several times per week for the last 6 months or so, after a hiatus of about a year. I own about 200 games at this point, two duos, a turbo express, and about 12 million controllers of various types.
It's true that we didn't get all the facts right - it's hard to recall the specifics without the internet there to help you. I didn't do too well in history in highschool, you might surmise. I'm not saying we shouldn't have gotten the facts right - but the podcast wasn't about facts, it was about talking about why we like the console.
Anyway, it's fair not to like it, and I don't really care if people do, cause it's not MY podcast - but I figured I'd let you all know how it went down.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: ccovell on October 13, 2009, 02:11:07 PM
Hey, don't worry. I'm sure most of us here enjoyed listening to the podcast but still felt like pointing out the errors. Just like I am prone to do: Point out mistakes, even if the whole of something is almost perfect, simply because going on and on with superlatives about the good parts gets boring. :D
I listened to the podcast when you guys posted it on Retronauts, and had a good time listening. It wasn't exactly enthralling, simply because most of us have this "history of the PCE/Turbo" stuff memorized, but the meat of the discussion -- how you guys personally were affected by the Turbo -- was what kept me listening.
How about doing a Game Pokekon retrospective next time? :lol: :wink:
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: exodus on October 13, 2009, 07:15:38 PM
yeah, I think that's the thing - for people who already know/like the pc engine, the whole thing is pretty pointless...also we were meant to keep it to the turbo grafx by and large, which was tough.
but that's how it goes sometimes!
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: esteban on October 17, 2009, 02:19:35 PM
yo - yeah, I know we made a bunch of errors - that was the last thing I said, but I don't think it's in there.
Ditto everything Mr. Covell said, but, instead of Pokekon, may I suggest a Xavix retrospective?
I think that, despite the flaws, there was a sincerity/enthusiasm that kept things interesting. As Chris said, it would be boring if we didn't offer some constructive criticism :).
Anyway, here were a few random things that I jotted down after listening to the podcast in question a month ago (I forgot to post them):
Quote
The Valis discussion was fun, as was the love for Monster Lair.
The personal anecdotes were generally interesting, and fostered a "warm and fuzzy" atmosphere during the whole debacle episode.
The brief praise for chiptunes could have been expanded ( :) )
The show really didn't really address the software. Personal experiences with software can be tricky, though: We all know about Bonk's Adventure and Ys. It would have been great to address the well-known games briefly, but then delve into at least a handful of other titles.
So, when you folks do a second installment for TG-16 (hey, I can dream), see if you can convince Victor Ireland to share some (juicy) stories with you :).
This, of course, is in addition to the Working Designs retrospective that has been jokingly suggested on several podcasts.
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: exodus on October 18, 2009, 12:48:23 PM
yeah, a working designs retrospective thing would be cool! Oh, but to be clear, I should note that I'm Brandon Sheffield on the podcast (and also right now!) - I don't work at 1up, so I'm not in any way responsible for these - I just get invited sometimes!
Title: Re: 1up's Retronauts Features the TurboGrafx-16, etc.
Post by: esteban on October 18, 2009, 05:50:08 PM
yeah, a working designs retrospective thing would be cool! Oh, but to be clear, I should note that I'm Brandon Sheffield on the podcast (and also right now!) - I don't work at 1up, so I'm not in any way responsible for these - I just get invited sometimes!
Gotcha. :)
I predict you will be invited back for the highly-anticipated Working Designs/TG-16 Holiday Spectacular...