Podouken

Hosted by Laser Time

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Episodes

174

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

A PODCAST FOR ARCADE LOVERS. From the owners of 100+ arcade and pinball cabinets, and the proprietors of a real-life arcade comes PODOUKEN, a brand new podcast that takes a deep dive into the world of video arcade games, and explores the history, story, strategy, art, music, restoration, preservation and fun of arcade games.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 7, 20261 hr 11 min

Cho Chabudai Gaeshi (Super Table Flip) - Episode 171

Ever wanted to end a dinner conversation suddenly? Is the boy band's choreography not meeting the door fee charged? Did someone heat up tuna in the work microwave again?! All are valid scenarios where there's just one option - flip the table and leave. We talk about the arcade game that lets you live out this fantasy (without all the post-flip cleanup), Taito's Cho Chabudai Gaeshi! Reminisce with us as we recall how Flippin' Great Pinball came to be as we approach our 10th year in operation. We also answer if a blipped kid in the MCU can buy alcohol post-blip, who's the new spooky cereal mascot, and the arcade cab that's the biggest waste of space. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the Rankdouken episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

September 23, 20261 hr 34 min

Prop Cycle - Episode 170

If Hayao Miyazaki agreed to make an arcade game we doubt it would fit better in his world than this one. We continue the Peripherals Y'alls miniseries with Namco's exertainment calorie burner, Prop Cycle. Was Prop Cycle the first arcade game that tricked kids into healthy gaming? Is the Namco System Super 22 the heaviest arcade system ever made? Why is the story so good for a bicycle game? Did you know that NDAs expire? Well they do, so we tell our long unspoken FSU football arcade story about a nightmare night with B.Rad. We answer these humdingers: what is our favorite and least favorite game to play based on an existing property, who's the best MST3K host, what is the difference between the dead and undead, and will Sound Boy ever get resurrected? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the Rankdouken episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

September 9, 20261 hr 33 min

The Typing Of The Dead - Episode 169

Did you know that if you finish Typing this entire block of lines That you will be completely Dateless for the rest of your life? The Peripherals Y'alls miniseries starts with the best undead Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing simulator in the entire arcade - Sega's Typing of the Dead! Is the bullet mightier than the keyboard? How did Sega take The House of the Dead 2 and make it even campier? Is pineapple on pizza an indicator that you're in the Good Place or the Bad Place? Will Rob ever finish his Typing of the Dead candy cab? Listener questions for this episode include what animal would we want to be reincarnated as, what was the best Dolly Parton song, best Tim Curry role, best Peter Cullen voice, is anyone still making vector monitors, and a chunklet of Inside the Actor's Studio questions. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the Rankdouken episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

August 26, 20262 hr 8 min

Arcade Obscura (Vector Victor) - Episode 168

Time to bring the Vector Victor miniseries in for a landing so please fasten your seatbelts and place your tray tables in the upright position as we descend into an Arcade Obscura. Rob brings us the first game to ever come out in the arcade after previously coming out on the home console. Jarrod brings us a tale of caution and woe with a game whose failure rate was legendary. Adam delivers on the mayhem with a major miss by a known brand. We might have set the record with the number of listener questions answered in an episode! We cover what our lottery dream cars would be, the oddest place we've seen a functional arcade or pinball cabinet, the theme that kills any love for a well-playing pinball, the older cartoon that we'd want to give the X-Men 97 treatment to, and what is that something we've held on for too long. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the all-new Rankdouken (officially the worst name for anything ever created): https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

August 12, 20261 hr 13 min

Star Wars - Episode 167

Remember, the Force will be with you, always. The vector series continues with one of the best arcades to ever do it - Atari's Star Wars. What very Star Trek name did Star Wars originally go by before Atari gained the license from Lucasfilm? How did a focus group give us one of the top arcade grails ever? Did we discover a hidden and somewhat obscene new arcade cabinet format? How many parcels make up a parsec? Ready we are to answer questions like what is our "white whale" of a game, do we pause for refreshments when recording an episode, and which of the three of us are responsible for the most edits? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the new Rankdouken episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

July 29, 202644 min

Rankdouken - Episode 003 - Fruits

Welcome to.....NOT Podouken, but Rankdouken. The internet's dumbest named ranking thing. In this episode, we take a listener request to rank......Fruits! Rankdouken is normally a YouTube exclusive show, be sure to check out our channel for more video contant such as Listener questions, and occasional game play sessions. Due to travel and life, Podouken missed an episode release, but will be back on our next scheduled upload date! For now, enjoy our bonus show, Rankdouken!

July 15, 20262 hr 0 min

Tempest - Episode 166

Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. Any good miniseries must include the best game of that genre, so let's discuss Dave Theurer's gorgeous vector Atari game, Tempest. If Tempest was a steak what cut would it be? Why does this episode leave Rob breathless? Was the Cranberries Doors and Windows the best video game of 1995? Did Tempest birth the most popular arcade-based urban legend? We answer your most pressing questions like, have we played Arcade Paradise or similar arcade operator simulators, what's our advice on staying cool, and would we rather be paid $1 million or earn $1,000 for every hotdog we eat. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the new Rankdouken episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

July 1, 20261 hr 30 min

Star Castle - Episode 165

Have fun storming the castle! We circle back with Cinematronics to see what they cooked up to compete with Atari's Asteroids - the beautiful vector classic Star Castle. Did this game's life begin as a game about the beginning of life? How did Atari's failure to port this Star Castle lead to one of their biggest hits? If arcade games rose up to kill humans based on what the game was about, what would be the most terrifying game to die by? Why did Star Castle show up in so many films? Questions answered this episode include how we decide what games make the cut for our arcade, do we have any games that we'd never put in there, and what tips do we have for buying pinball games in today's market. Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the new Rankdouken episodes (so far we've ranked burger places and Nintendo consoles. What could be next?): https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

June 17, 20261 hr 14 min

Battlezone - Episode 164

Atari treads new ground with their first terrestrial vector arcade offering, Battlezone! Was this the first game with true military applications? How did constant complaining lead to getting credited in one of the best arcade games made? What genius idea did Pastblaster's wife have to witness the Gumball 3000 rally for free? Was Battlezone the original Virtual Boy (but better in every way)? This episode's listener questions include what animal behavior makes us question reality; and what fast food/arcade promotion would we like to see and what food would we like to see them sell? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the new Rankdouken episodes (what started as an April Fool's joke now is its own thing): https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .

June 3, 20261 hr 33 min

Space Wars - Episode 163

Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor? In 1977 arcades lit up with a new vibrant and high-resolution display that brought a dead video game publisher back to life. This was the vector monitor and it did more than just connect the dots, it dropped jaws and led to some of the most memorable arcade games ever created. We kick off our new miniseries with the first vector coin-op game, Space Wars by Cinematronics! Was Larry Rosenthal, the creator of Space Wars, the best business man in the arcade industry? What elements from this game were "borrowed" by some of its more popular successors? Who was Rob's arcade Yoda when he was starting out? Exactly how dangerous can malfunctioning cathode ray tubes be? Listener questions for this episode include do we have a console game we'd like to see get the arcade treatment, what arcade restoration project are we most proud of, and which do we prefer: coffee or tea? Join the Podouken Discord and ask your own questions that could be included in a future episode: discord.gg/k5vf2Jz You can also like, comment, and subscribe to our YouTube channel where we post content like the new Rankdouken episodes (what started as an April Fool's joke now is its own thing): https://www.youtube.com/@podoukenpodcast2716 .