A Trip Down Memory Card Lane

In 1991, Micro Machines turned kitchen tables, school desks, and pool halls into racetracks, proving that racing games did not need realism to be unforgettable. This week, we explore how Galoob’s tiny toy cars became a cultural phenomenon and how Codemasters adapted that spirit into one of the most inventive multiplayer games of the 1990s. We trace the game’s unusual development, from reverse engineering the NES without Nintendo’s blessing to shipping cartridges with built in hardware fixes to solve last minute bugs. Our conversation follows the series expansion through Turbo Tournament, the J Cart, and the leap into 3D, while also reflecting on why the games outlasted the toys themselves. Join us as we race across breakfast tables and relive Micro Machines on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1990, Hugo’s House of Horrors arrived quietly as a shareware PC adventure built by one person working nights and weekends. This week, we explore how programmer David P. Gray created the game as a personal plan B, inspired by text adventures, horror films, and Sierra classics like Leisure Suit Larry. We talk about how Hugo dropped players into a haunted house with no instructions, relying on an unforgiving text parser, tongue in cheek humor, and trial and error puzzles that quickly became part of its charm. Our conversation follows how the game spread through floppy disks and bulletin boards, found unexpected success, and grew into a trilogy that defined an era of shareware adventures. Join us as we open doors, solve puzzles, and step inside Hugo’s House of Horrors on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 2025, our year in video game history took us from foundational classics to unexpected deep cuts as we explored stories across consoles, companies, genres, and eras. In this episode, we look back at the games that shaped our conversations this year, from Battle Arena Toshinden and Resident Evil 4 to Secret of Mana, Morrowind, and Super Mario Bros 3. We revisit strange detours like Seaman, D, and Trauma Center, along with major industry topics such as the rise and fall of E3 and the legacy of the US National Video Game Team. Our conversation reflects on what surprised us, what challenged us, and what made us laugh along the way. Join us as we celebrate the memories of 2025 on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 1987, Phantasy Star arrived on the Sega Master System and proved that Sega could compete in a genre dominated by Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. This week, we explore how a small internal team led by Kotaro Hayashida, Yuji Naka, and artist Rieko Kodama set out to build an RPG that broke from medieval tradition. We trace how the game blended science fiction and fantasy, introduced one of the earliest female protagonists in Alis, and pushed the Master System far beyond expectations with full screen 3D dungeons, animated battles, and a massive 4 megabit cartridge. Our conversation follows the series evolution through Phantasy Star II, III, and IV, its reinvention with Phantasy Star Online, and the expanded universe that grew from it. Join us as we chart the stars and revisit Phantasy Star on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript

In 2010, Ni no Kuni: Dominion of the Dark Djinn introduced players to a world where Studio Ghibli’s hand-drawn warmth met Level-5’s heartfelt RPG design. In this episode, we explore how a studio famously cautious about video games found unexpected harmony with a developer that valued emotion as much as mechanics. We follow the project from its DS origins and physical spellbook to the deeper PS3 reimagining that blended animation, music, and storytelling into something that felt unmistakably Ghibli. Our conversation also traces the series’ evolving identity through Revenant Kingdom and Cross Worlds, and how its themes of grief, courage, and kindness shaped its legacy. Join us as we journey through magic, loss, and wonder in Ni no Kuni on today’s trip down Memory Card Lane.Read transcript