PixlBit

Stage Select:  toss up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j05hzwQf8pA  or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TRdx2tbUFI

Plays 15 hours of a game for a joke bit on the podcast...  is that dedication?

That’s...certainly a word one could use for it.

Hahaha! For some reason I legitimately love bad video games. I do not understand this about myself, but it's proven to be true time and time again. I'm positive this won't be the last instance of this happening.

DOOM (2016) is a great one!  I followed a stream that had it as break music and they'd constantly get new viewers asking which musician it was from (not even realizing it was video game music).

STAGE SELECT: I have jammed this in my car, thanks to buying the CD directly from him at a con: 

CAGE MATCH: I'm way more experienced with Space Invaders via free online websites. I am much better at it than Gradius, which I just played for this cage match, and suck at.

... Gradius wins on presentation alone and is nowhere near as monotonus as Space Invaders. I actually want to play Gradius on NES now. Space Invaders is a worthy distraction, but it has little in the way of style and is very repetitive. I could see Gradius becoming addictive ... like, I want to get past where I got. I want to do that now. 

EDIT: Never mind. Fuck Gradius. Space Invaders wins by way of being playable. 

Stage Select: I actually do rock out to game music when I'm alone in my car. One of my particular favorite pieces of car music is Fighting of the Spirit, which is the summon spirit battle theme from Tales of Symphonia.

CAGE MATCH: Both great games, but going to go with Space Invaders due to being an enduring classic, It's slow and deliberate (at first), not to mention graphically primitive, but it's about as tight of a design as Tetris was a few years later.

Have you guys ever considered doing a cage match of the major consoles of each generation? That would be an interesting series. 

Hey guys, I've got something to admit today. I know there's been a lot of secretive whispers and discussion both on and off the podcast, just a lot of mud flinging, and while I really didn't want to ever have to break kayfabe I have to set the record straight after the last episode. It's 100% absolutely true that I'm one of The 7 Mysteries of Fujisawa. I know this comes as a shock but I'm hoping we can move past it and heal.

STAGE SELECT: Is there more of a correct answer than the Out Run soundtrack? I don't actually listen to it often irl but my favorite is probably "Passing Breeze". If I ever get a convertible, there you go. There's also a wealth of non-video gamey songs out there some of which are just genre tracks or that could pass as them (Let It Die famously had 100+ original pieces of mostly punk-like songs recorded for it from contemporary Japanese artists). My favorite that kind of muddles that distinction is from Mirror's Edge (that I mentioned a month or so ago) which is composed by Solar Fields who's an acclaimed psybient/downtempo electronic musician ("Shard" is my favorite). His stuff is both weirdly calming and high energy at the same time. If you count remixes? When I'm feeling wacky I'll put on Xoc's What's Pink and Sucks? And if you're into it the Metroid Metal collection is also a good one.

VIDEO GAME CAGE MATCH: Based on the strictest scientific standards of both astronomical AND astrological data the odds of Gradius pulling a 1CC over Space Invaders is 8:1. The Vic Viper might be able to dodge space volcanoes but a slowdown in its systems means it'll never even see the pixel accurate blow from the Laser Cannon (300 points). Personally, I love an underdog so throw me in with The Viper! I eventually played the real things but I also have fond memory of Konami shoving Gradius as mini-games in both Blades of Steel and Mystical Ninja. That said, Space Invaders also had some oddly decent remakes and reimagings over the years so I'll be happy either way!

Well said Patri-- I mean “Booky”! I’m getting in just under the wire with this one since I’m coming back from a family vacation. So I’ll be brief.

Stage Select: I would definitely enjoy the Ridge Racer Type 4 soundtrack while driving down the highway on a warm summer’s day. It’s one of those OSTs I can listen to basically from the theme song to the end credits. I love it.

Cage Match: Is this really even fair? Gradius gets my vote! While Space Invaders was innovative for it’s time , I contastnly find myself drawn to Gradius. I love the variety between levels and best of all...that music! That unique style never gets old to me.

Stage Select: Leon's Theme (Castlevania: Lament of Innocence)

I first heard this song on the Castlevania series OST sampler that came as a preorder bonus with Portrait of Ruin. It is a great juxtaposition of classical stylings with modern beats, and since I would listen to that CD while driving, well, it definitely fits the bill for Stage Select.

Cage Match: My gut reaction is definitely to go with Gradius, since destroying malevolent creatures in space is what the Vic Viper is all about. But the sheer organization and relentless onslaught of the Space Invaders has me questioning my choice. I guess I'll go with my gut and keep my fingers crossed.