KnockBack: The Retro and Nostalgia Podcast

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#99: Dead Space Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

In 2017, EA shuttered its fully-owned studio Visceral, which bummed a lot of people out, since they were developing a Star Wars game. But back in 2008, before they were called Visceral -- when the team was known by the more quaint moniker EA Redwood Shores -- the talented NorCal developer launched Dead Space, one of the most beloved survival horror adventures ever created. Taking place in the 26th century and loaded with a mixture of sci-fi and religion, Dead Space tells the tale of Isaac Clarke, a mechanic who finds himself in a harrowing situation light years from home and without any sort of practical arsenal. So let's chat about the USG Ishimura, the planet known as Aegis VII, and a mysterious artifact known as the Red Marker. For it's that artifact that transforms humans into Necromorphs, and turns everything on its head, zero gravity be damned.

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#98: Grandparents Jan 02, 2020

Show notes

Nothing pleases grandma and grandpa more than spoiling their grandchildren. Indeed, it's the key rule of Grandparenting (made up word!). The most blessed among us get four of these mystical beings from which to learn from, be fed by, and circumvent the rules with, and the rest of us make do with perhaps one, two, or three. For the sometimes lengthy and other times brief periods we're lucky enough to be with these people -- the parents of our parents, the patriarchs and matriarchs of our brood, the seers of previous years long since gone -- we're indelibly molded by them, sometimes for the worse, but usually for the better. So let's dedicate an episode of KnockBack to the mighty grandmas and grandpas that helped make us who we are today, and all of the poignant, important, and hysterical moments that come along with remembering them.

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#97 | Dracula (novel) Dec 26, 2019

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In 1897, a most unusual British novel was written by an at-the-time unknown author named Bram Stoker. It was simply called Dracula, and for most western readers, it was their introduction into the centuries-long mythology, mysticism, and straight-up horror stories coming from Eastern Europe and surrounding environs, tales of men and women who would feast on the blood of others, and who may even be immortal. Stoker's novel isn't only important in the history of western fiction, but especially vital in the development of nerd culture, video games, and more. Even if you've not read it (and you should!), understanding just how much hails from this book is important for any dork. So press play freely, and of your own will, and away to the Carpathians we'll go...

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#96: The Thing Dec 19, 2019

Show notes

John Carpenter hit a bit of a home run with The Thing back in 1982, though contemporary critics didn't give him or his movie any shine. In fact, his film's reception was so bleak that it kinda-sorta destroyed Carpenter's career... at least for a while. But hindsight is 20/20, as they say, and with nearly four decades to marinate on it, many people have come around to The Thing's seminal place in horror and sci-fi history. Its hopeless tale of a stranded Antarctic research base grappling with something from quite literally out-of-this-world is only bested by its amazing practical effects, which are considered some of the goriest ever seen in a major motion picture into the '80s. So gas-up your chopper, strap-in, and get ready. Those wily Norwegians really screwed up, and now we're all gonna pay the price.

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#95: Going to Church Dec 12, 2019

Show notes

For many of us, going to church (or temple, or mosque, or whatever) was a part of childhood. And while some of us got something useful out of our often-weekly visits, the most lingering memories tend to revolve around everything but what we were actually supposed to be there for. The parental bribery. The coercion. The distractions. Time moving so slowly that it's as if you're stuck in one of those futuristic computers in the Black Mirror episode White Christmas. Join us, if you will, for a very festive (and we use that term lightly) KnockBack adventure, as we regale you with religious stories of our youth... and hear plenty of yours, too. (Can you guys please stop having sex on hallowed ground? Thanks.) Please don't judge us too harshly, God!

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#94: Marijuana Memories Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

For thousands of years, humans have been smoking, eating, and enjoying the fruits (well, buds) of the marijuana plant, also known as cannabis. Once associated with deviant behavior and long mislabeled as a gateway drug, marijuana -- like virtually any other substance, legal or illegal -- has different effects on different people, and while certainly not a positive for some, many others the world 'round enjoy smoking a joint, blunt, bowl, or bong. Some among us even prefer it over alcohol and other common libations. Fresh off of the late 20th century's War on Drugs, grass has found greater and greater acceptance (and even outright legality) in parts of US, all of Canada, and elsewhere, and a majority of people (particularly in western countries) have at least one experience with The Devil's Weed. So let's talk about it from two perspectives: The occasional dabbler (Dagan) and the chronic user (Colin), the ups and downs it provides, and the funny and memorable stories that accompany its use, acquisition, and more. Only then can we answer the age-old question: Who's got the herb?

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#93: Parks & Recreation Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

Pawnee, Indiana doesn't actually exist, but after watching Parks & Rec on NBC, many of us wish that it did. That's because Pawnee is full of some of the most hilarious, charming, and ridiculous characters in modern TV history, and their antics offered more accessible and often kind-hearted takes when compared to its far more vulgar and out-of-control sister show The Office. What resulted is something truly memorable, a series full of both character and characters. So let's talk about the sometimes hard-working and often incompetent Pawnee government, all that surrounds it, and have a few laughs along the way. Just don't get Jammed in the process.

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#92: Our Favorite Songs Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

In what will undoubtedly be an ongoing, years-and-episodes-long saga, we've decided to talk about some of our very favorite songs, a nice complement to Episodes 39 and 56 of KnockBack, which were all about our most beloved albums and concert experiences. Narrowing songs down is a lot harder, of course, but we did our absolute best, coming up with two lists of 10 tracks each that best represent our tastes, our stories, and our respective life journeys. And, to make it as awkward as possible, we introduce all 20 songs by trying to sing parts of them in order to see if the other person can guess what it is. So listen, laugh, and cringe as we regale you with the songs that we just can't shake (and wouldn't want to if we could).

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#91: PlayStation 3 Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

The original PlayStation completely dominated its generation. So did PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 4. PlayStation 3, on the other hand, fought tooth-and-nail for every single unit its pushed, and its particular battle -- waged against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii -- ended up being Sony's most perilous corporate period in decades. In fact, PlayStation 3 ended up costing Sony nearly $2 billion in its first year on the market alone. Yet, through its horrendous start, bad PR, and staunch competition, PS3 ended up becoming the fifth best-selling home video game console of all-time, and at nearly 90 million sold, it ultimately ended up surpassing its arch-nemesis Xbox 360 in total sales. So let's take some time to celebrate Sony's little engine-that-could, from an era that could have easily spelled doom for the PlayStation brand completely, yet didn't.

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#90: House Parties Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

In middle school and high school, the house party -- or your local equivalent -- was a rite of passage. It's when you got away from the doldrums of secondary academia, socialized with your peers away from the prying ears and curious eyes of teachers and parents, and perhaps even indulged in some age-inappropriate pastimes. Indeed, it's all a tale as old as growing up itself. Today's episode of KnockBack is dedicated to cracking open the now-dusty party time memories of our youth, the good and bad, the funny and harrowing, the hilarious and cringey. From the mid-'80s through the early-aughts: Let's party, dude.

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