Skip to main content
If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Tour the Biggest Failures in Gaming History with the Season Premiere of Retronauts

This week, our podcast looks back at four games with an infamous reputation for breaking dreams and burning money.

This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.

Finally, the day has come: Retronauts is now part of the USgamer family. (We're the weird uncle who buys everyone inappropriate Christmas presents from Spencer's Gifts.) And what better way to celebrate this momentous day in podcast history than a 90-minute discussion of gaming's greatest failures?

If this topic seems familiar to you, congratulations—you must be a loyal USgamer reader. Throughout the month of August (and maybe a little bit of September), I had a great time writing about Gaming's Greatest Flops: a small-but-infamous collection of games known for leaving shattered egos and lost millions in their wake. And, since I'd already done so much research for the sake of writing those four articles, it only made sense to turn this topic into an entire episode of Retronauts. When you learn so much about Daikatana, you need more than one outlet through which to share this wisdom with the world.

Joining us on this episode is returning Retronauts guest, Capcom Unity's Brett Elston, who also runs the gaming music podcast, VGMpire. And if you're wondering why you're reading these show notes here instead of Retronauts' official blog, for this new season (and hopefully those to follow), USgamer will be hosting this specific content. So, if you're new to the site, welcome: If you like Retronauts, there's plenty to dig into here (with more on the way).

And if you like what you hear, consider donating to our Patreon campaign, which is fully funding this entire season of Retronauts. For just a dollar a month, you can get every episode a week ahead of time—this week, our Patreon backers are listening to a brand-new episode of Retronauts Micro you'll see here on the 8th. Can't swing a monthly donation? A kind review on the iTunes Music Store certainly helps. Thanks for all of your support, and enjoy the show!

Download links:

Libsyn (1:33:12 | MP3 Download) | SoundCloud

This episode's musical selections:

  • 8:35 | Shenmue | "Snowy Scenery" | Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
  • 32:47 | Shenmue | "Main Theme" | Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
  • 50:15 | Shenmue | "Christmas on Dobuita Street" | Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
  • 1:05:37 | Shenmue | "The Place Where the Sun Sets" | Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
  • 1:29:11 | "Too Many Cooks 8-bit NES Chiptune Cover" | Rush Coil

Read this next