On today’s show we talk all about the video game classic, Battlezone. I talk about the games creations and creator, gameplay and its many variations and ports. Just a reminder to drop by our official forums to discuss Battlezone. The music throughout the show was provided by Peachy. Additional audio in the show was provided by 8-bit Weapon and the song at the end of the show is by LSDudes and is a cover of the “Joystick’s Theme”.
If you have any suggestions for topics you would like for me to cover in the future, email them to me at retroist@retroist.com. Want to chat? Contact me via AIM. My handle is retroist. You can also follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/retroist and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/retroist.
You can use the subscription button below to add the show to your favorite news reader or subscribe to show directly through iTunes. Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.
This episode has recently been moved offsite. Click the link below or one of the mirrors to download it. If you are interested in hosting a mirror of this episode, please drop me an email at retroist@retroist.com with the URL of the file.
- Episode Mirror #1
- Episode Mirror #2 (ogg format)
Is this the game Rick Hansen was looking for?
Sadly no and I know exactly the game he is talking about — it is right on the tip of my tongue…grrr
Can’t wait to listen to this one. I pumped many quarters into this game as a kid and never managed to get good at it. Loved it though.
Did you drop a line to the LSDudes and let them know you used their Joysticks cover? I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
Those guys are GREAT live, and luckily, they’re local to me (Grand Rapids MI) so I get to see them often…
Great podcast… thanks!
@BDD I did contact them and asked them permission to use the song. The were nice enough to say yet. (and everyone should buy their music) You are very lucky to be able to see them often. I have only seen whats online, but it looks like they put on a good show.
Great podcast (as usual)! In the 1980-1981 school year, our middle school was rife with rumors that the Army was using Battlezone to recruit tank drivers/gunners. The theory was that cameras had been installed in the “goggles” attached to the game and that top scorers would be photographed and tracked by Army recruiters. To a lesser extent, there were similar rumors about Missile Command. Given that this was a full four years before the release of The Last Starfighter, I have to believe that these types of rumors must have had some influence on the writer(s) of the Last Starfighter. Does anybody know if that is indeed the case?
For anyone interested in the Army Recruiters rumors and similar I’d advise them to search on Polybius……Real interesting stuff……
Hey! Maybe you could do a show on it – That’d be Awesome :D
Andy…great reference. Everyone should read up on Polybius. Remember the truth is out there :P
Love the music by Peach played throughout this podcast, as well as the beginning of the Dig Dug episode. Wish it was available for download!
Thanks Byron I try to make my music as enjoyable as possible while trying not to detract from the impact of Retroist’s stories and it is always great to hear that people enjoy what I do.
Unfortunately most of the music from The Retroist Podcast is built as a loop rather than a song and so would not be very long or too interesting (song-wise) to listen to by itself but please stay tuned for some full-length songs coming this year!
Sweet!