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Did you know there’s a retro game where you defend your teeth from junk food and plaque?

In this episode of the Tangent Retro Gaming Podcast, Toby dives into the bizarre and surprisingly fun Atari classic Plaque Attack.

Released on the legendary Atari 2600, this strange arcade-style shooter puts you in control of a toothbrush blasting toothpaste at waves of attacking burgers, pizza, candy, and plaque monsters.

Yes… it’s exactly as weird as it sounds.

We explore:

🦷 The strange concept behind the game

🎮 How the gameplay actually works

👾 The developer who created it

📺 Why Atari made a dental hygiene game

🏆 Whether it still holds up today

Plus we drop some retro gaming trivia you might not know about this unusual title.

If you love discovering weird forgotten retro games, this episode is for you.

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In this episode of Tangent Retro Gaming Podcast, Toby dives into one of the strangest early NES shooters ever made — MAGMAX.

Originally an arcade game from 1985, MAGMAX featured a unique mechanic where players collected robot parts to transform their ship into a giant mech. It was weird, experimental, and very much a product of the early Nintendo era.

Was MAGMAX a hidden gem… or a forgotten oddball?

Let’s find out.

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What if one of the most creative multiplayer games on the original PlayStation… was also one of the most forgotten?

In this episode of the Tangent Retro Gaming Podcast, Toby dives into the chaotic and wildly unique world of Team Buddies, a 1999 PlayStation game developed by Psygnosis.

Unlike most games of its time, Team Buddies introduced a bizarre but brilliant mechanic: weapon crafting using cardboard boxes. Stack them in different patterns and you could create everything from machine guns and rocket launchers to tanks and helicopters.

So why did a game this creative disappear from the spotlight?

In this episode we explore:

The strange and innovative box crafting system

Why multiplayer matches became absolute chaos

The story behind Psygnosis and their experimental design

Why the game struggled to succeed in 1999

How Team Buddies eventually became a retro cult classic

If you love forgotten PlayStation games, retro multiplayer chaos, and gaming history, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

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What really happened to Crash Bandicoot?

In this deep-dive episode, we explore the wild rise, shocking fall, and unexpected comeback of gaming’s favorite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot. From his explosive debut on the original PlayStation to the behind-the-scenes studio changes, corporate shake-ups, and years of silence that nearly erased him from gaming history, this episode uncovers the full story fans never got to hear.

We break down:

How Naughty Dog created a mascot icon

Why ownership battles changed his destiny

The era when Crash almost disappeared completely

And how remakes like Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy brought him back from extinction

Whether you grew up spinning through crates or are just discovering retro gaming history, this episode is packed with nostalgia, trivia, and surprising industry secrets.

🎮 Press play and relive the legend.

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Before open worlds, quest logs, and massive RPG maps, there was Adventure — a groundbreaking title that quietly changed gaming history. In this episode, we dive into the story behind the tiny square hero, the dragons guarding a magical chalice, and the revolutionary ideas that made this simple game one of the most influential releases of all time.

You’ll hear the wild development story of creator Warren Robinett, learn how the first video game Easter egg was secretly hidden, and discover why this minimalist classic still shapes modern game design decades later.

Grab a drink for our special Drinks With Josh segment, test your retro knowledge with trivia, and join the debate:

Is Adventure still fun today — or just legendary?

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In this episode of Tangent Retro Gaming Podcast, we dive into the unlikely partnership between Sega and Microsoft and how Sega’s experience with the Dreamcast helped shape the original Xbox. From online gaming lessons learned through the Dreamcast, to Xbox exclusives like Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Shenmue II, this collaboration quietly changed gaming history.

We break down:

Why Sega exited the console business after the Dreamcast

How Microsoft convinced Sega to support the Xbox

The Dreamcast DNA hidden inside the original Xbox

Xbox Live’s roots in Sega’s early online experiments

Why many fans still call the Xbox the “spiritual successor” to the Dreamcast

This isn’t just a Sega story.

It’s not just an Xbox story.

It’s a turning point that reshaped modern gaming.

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What if every video game you played was built specifically for you?

In this episode of Tangent Retro Gaming Podcast, we explore a future where artificial intelligence doesn’t just assist game developers — it actually designs and adapts games based on how you play.

From AI-driven difficulty systems to fully personalized worlds, quests, enemies, and stories, we break down how close we really are to games that learn your habits, preferences, and skills in real time.

We also dive into the darker side of personalized gaming — including manipulation, addiction, loss of human creativity, and what happens when algorithms understand players better than they understand themselves.

Is this the next evolution of gaming… or a dangerous turning point?

Let us know what you think in the comments!

🎮 Topics Covered:

What “personalized gaming” really means

Current examples of adaptive AI in games

How AI-generated content could work

The benefits and risks of AI-built experiences

The future of human creativity in game development

Subscribe for more retro gaming discussions, deep dives, and gaming history every week!

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In the mid-1990s, Sega quietly launched one of the most ambitious ideas in gaming history — The Sega Channel. A subscription service that allowed players to download Sega Genesis games directly through their cable TV line, long before digital storefronts, cloud gaming, or online consoles became the norm.

In this episode, we break down exactly how the Sega Channel worked, what made it so revolutionary, and the exclusive games and features that made it special. We also explore the many reasons the service struggled, including high costs, limited availability, cable company resistance, confusing marketing, and Sega’s shifting focus toward new hardware.

Was the Sega Channel a failure… or simply a brilliant idea released at the wrong time?

If you love retro gaming, lost tech, and stories about companies that were ahead of the curve, this episode is for you.

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