The internet has completely changed the way we play video games. Any time we get stuck, help is only a few clicks away, whether it be direct through GameFAQs, or through asking on message boards. Modern games rarely need such guidance, but in the days of old, design that alternated between complex and obtuse was the order of the day. The only way to get help was to hope the local book store had a guidebook, spend a lot of money to buy specific hint guides from the publisher, or, if they were lucky to know anybody else playing the same game, ask them for help, either in person or through bulletin board systems.

Game Club 199X is a podcast aimed at playing games in the context they were meant to be experienced - that is, with no walkthroughs, no cheating, no save states, and the only external help being the other members of the community posting on the HG101 forums. The first episode is devoted to Snake's Revenge, the wrongfully slagged successor to Metal Gear, oft criticized by fanboys parrotting misguided notions of discontent without actually experiencing the game firsthand. It's not that it's without its flaws - some of the boss battles are stupid hard, and the side-scrolling areas are ill-conceived at best, but in many ways it's more faithful to the concept of Metal Gear than the original NES port.

In this episode, Xerxes, Sotenga and Snarboo spend a bit under an hour and a half discussing the merits and demerits of Snake's Revenge, as well as their experiences in toughing out this rather difficult title.

Download Episode 1 here