Unlocking What Was Cool

Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds

Mike is on his way to Japan to research some Japanese GameCube exclusives so Neil is on his own with friend of the show Josh from the Still Loading Podcast to talk some Star Wars. Galactic Battlegrounds is a classic Age of Empires style RTS for the PC that seems to get better and more enjoyable every year. Josh and Neil discuss why this game still stays in the minds of many and where the series may go from here.

Blink-182’s Enema of the State

No one likes you when you're...24? Welp Neil and Mike may have missed their chance to release this on episode 23 of the Unlocking What Was Cool podcast but they still manage to have a great time talking about one of the biggest albums of the late 90s/early 2000s. Much like many other franchises and artists covered on this podcast it did really feel like there was once a moment when Blink didn't exist and then all of sudden they were everywhere. With Travis Barker coming on board and building off the success of Dude Ranch blink delivered an album of all killer and no filler that perfectly encompassed the culture and catapulted them to super stardom. Mike & Neil dive into the album track by track, talk about their memories, what songs are appropriate to walk down the aisle to, and if these boys have finally learned how to play their instruments. 

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

There's nothing more iconic to Mike and Neil than seeing Spongebob and Patrick driving out of Bikini Bottom in their pattymobile. Since debuting in 1999 Spongebob has taken the world by storm with everything the yellow sponge had done before serving as a lead up to getting his name on the big screen in 2004. The five year wait proved successful as the movie was a huge success and has lived in the hearts of minds of many fans for almost two decades. Mike & Neil sit down to go through the movie, what it does well, what it doesn't (barely anything?) and why watching it today is just as funny as it was in 2004 with our dads laughing at the pirates in the theatre. 

Pokémon Red & Blue

It's hard to imagine that at one point in history Pokémon did not exist, and then one moment it was everywhere. In North America it's now been 25 years since we've been blessed with Pokemon Red and Blue, two of the most iconic games of many peoples childhoods. The music, the sounds, the battles, the characters, the fact that Charizard can't learn fly for some reason. These games are legendary in their myths and memories (no truck rumour to get Mew did not exist), and there are so many unique and interesting stories to tell regarding these games. Neil and Mike are joined by friend of the show Luigi of @luigisappartment fame to reminisce and delve into the immense social impact that these games had on kids and adults alike.

Pikmin Revisited

We are celebrating the release of Pikmin 4 with a dive back into our GameCube back catalogue and talking about the game that started it all - Pikmin! Released just after The GameCube in late 2001, this game took a love of gardening to a whole new level and represented a huge risk for Nintendo at the time. Neil has been demanding another Pikmin sequel for years now (you can listen to him talk about it on episode 5 of the GameCube Was Cool Podcast over three years ago!) and now he's finally got it. Joining the boys today is friend of the show Ramon to talk about the good but also the bad of the pikmin series as well as newcomer Dee who talks about her memories with the game and franchise and what she'd like to see in Pikmin 4. 

Learning To Play Guitar

Let's go there, let's talk about learning how to play guitar. From a young age, music was introduced to us through our parents, movies, video games and basically every other facet of life. When you find yourself at the age of 11, and you want to be just like Marty McFly at the 1955 Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, or you want to be like Mark Tremonti at the 2001 Dallas Cowboys halftime show, the realization hits you that you need to learn guitar!  This week, Neil and friend of the show Marty sit down and reminisce about the joys of learning how to play the guitar. Mike will make his grand return to the show next week!

Freaky Friday

I'M OLDDDDDDD. The third iteration of the Disney Freaky Friday franchise stars Lindsay Lohan and icon Jamie Lee Curtis. If you can believe it this movie came out 20 years ago this week so Neil and Mike wanted to make sure everyone felt old. The boys discuss the music, the outfits, the acting (Jamie got nominated for a GG for this!) and much more. Taking you back to a simpler time Freaky Friday was really the proto-mean girls and it shows. Hope you enjoy another movie related episode of Unlocking What Was Cool!

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Mike & Neil push it to the limit on this patreon elected episode. GTA Vice City has been a staple for years in the video game industry yet Neil has actually never played it! Sit back, relax, put on some vice city radio as Neil interviews Mike on why this game is so great and why it needs a remake now more than ever. The story, the music, the action, the characters, the adventure, it's one of those games that's impossible to put down and makes for such a unique blend of a title. Thank you to all the patrons for voting on this episode!

Banjo Kazooie

GUH UH! Join Mike and Neil to celebrate 25 years of the bird and the bear with their first ever N64 episode! They are joined by friends of the show Josh from the Still Loading Podcast and Quinn making her Unlocking What Was Cool debut. The boys discuss the iconic music, the colourful graphics, the trademark Rare dialogue and charm, and of course the near perfect 3D platforming gameplay. Though it hasn't had a new title in almost 15 years Banjo Kazooie still lives on strong in the hearts and minds of many and hopefully we see this duo come back sooner than later. Happy 25th birthday Banjo!

NHL Hitz

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! it's time to talk about NHL Hitz, one of the most unique, lasting sports game series of all time. With only three entries and existing from 2002-2004 Hitz staying power on the heavily saturated sports video game scene of the early 2000s was not to be but it's legacy has certainly endured. With expertly crafted gameplay, animations, and so many features, the Hitz series embodied the perfect arcade sports game. With stellar soundtracks featuring Limp Bizkit, Powerman 5000, Hoobastank and of course the Zambonis, Hitz perfectly captured the sounds of the era. Mike & Neil bring on friend of the show Marty as well as Minds Behind the Sports Games author Patrick Hickey Jr. to break down why these games are still so much fun to play today and of course mention Rollin' at least 10 times.

Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler

Neil and Mike explore if this album really is all killer, and no filler and the answer? Yes, Dave's mom should NOT have had an abortion. Some Say (pun intended) that this album is the group's best and it's hard to argue that statement. With killer tracks like the ultimate summer jam 'In Too Deep', a crazy rap rock mix with 'Fat Lip' and an Iron Maiden-esque closer in 'Pain For Pleasure', Sum 41 showed off their chops and proved that they weren't just some one-off Canadian pop punk band, they were here to stay. The boys remember when they first heard some of these songs and go track by track as they breakdown the music, the lyrics, and even the iconic music videos. Come be a casualty of society and check out the latest album of Unlocking What Was Cool!

Seinfeld: Season 1

A show about nothing and a podcast about...something? Mike & Neil discuss the first season of the seemingly timeless Seinfeld to celebrate 25 years since the finale aired! While it didn't go out on the greatest stride this show has defined so many people's lives and has a had a huge impact and only gotten more relatable to Mike & Neil as they've aged. Season 1 with episodes like the stake out, male unbonding (the only episode not to have a "the" prefix) and of course the pilot, we see the roots of sitcom gold growing into a cultural phenomenon that still echoes loudly today.

Super Monkey Ball 1&2

It's time to go BANANAS! Neil and Mike are back talking about Super Monkey Ball just as they did back on episode 12 of the GameCube Was Cool Podcast. This time their focus is entirely on the first two entries in the franchise and they bring on friend of the show Cara to discuss her memories playing this game back in the day (and of course who could forget that arcade cabinet with the banana joystick). GonGon, AiAi, Baby and many more are here to partake in some marble madness style gameplay. A franchise that since has had ups and downs, and even a remake on the Switch, for many people Super Monkey Ball will always be synonymous with the GameCube. Like the back of the case says, warn your neighbours! and come on down to monkey island to enjoy this latest episode of the podcast.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Our May Patreon topic winner is a timely one, Breath of The Wild, the game that completely reinvented both Nintendo and the Zelda franchise. With Tears of the Kingdom out now it's an appropriate time to look back 6 years ago to when the world was young, and we knew very little about this dazzling open world adventure. Mike & Neil look back on the day they picked up the Switch and BOTW and chat about their initial thoughts and memories of this amazing title. Surely they boys will go back to this game in 10 years time and look back on it even more fondly (and with many MANY guests) but for now, and hour or so will do to remember and celebrate the Zelda series.

The Truman Show

The world's favourite Satirical Science Fiction, Psychological Comedy, Drama Film is celebrating it's 25th anniversary and Mike and Neil are here to watch all the drama unfold live on the air on THE TRUMAN SHOW! An amazingly prescient movie, The Truman Show goes down as Jim Carrey's finest dramatic role and one of the best movies of the 90s. Reality TV before Reality TV and an allegory for social media some 10 years before this film does an amazing job at captivating the audience before we see if Truman can escape this reality. And if we don't see you later, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

Star Wars Battlefront II

This is where the fun begins. May the Fourth be with you all! For the first time Star Wars day falls on a Thursday allowing Mike & Neil to bring you some quality space content in the form of Star Wars Battlefront II. No no, not the 2017 one but the classic 2005 Pandemic Studios outing that set the stage for what shooters could be and how to properly to justice to a galactic size franchise. With so many characters, battlefronts, and modes, this is truyl one of the best all encompassing experiences a fan could ever want. Jedigeekgirl of the irebel podcast joins the show to talk about her memories of the game and it's impact. The boys also talk about the series and the ill-fated Battlefront 3 with land to space technology that we've still never truly seen since. 

Early Internet Experiences

Hear that? It's the sound of you waiting 3 minutes for AOL to connect. That unmistakable sound of pure noise that you'll never get out of your head. But hey there's more to the early internet that popping in that AOL disc and logging on! Mike and Neil talk about their second patreon elected episode, Early Internet Experiences, chronicling the period of around 1998 to 2006 when the boys were learning about Funkjunk.com, newgrounds, and learning to play Runescape and care for the Neopets. It was a wild, more primal era of the internet as we know it with no Google, YouTube or social media but hey, we had MySpace and Ask Jeeves okay?

Tony Hawk’s Underground

There's nothing quite like landing your very first kickflip wearing DC shoes, an Element hoodie, and a Circa cap. Well, you may never actually done this in real life but Tony Hawk's Underground, or THUG (turning 20 this year!), gave you the amazing opportunity to create your own character, customize their look, their deck, and even their tricks, and explore tons of amazing levels while teaming up with ultra famous skate icons like Mr. Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Chad Muska, and so many more. THUG is a landmark game in the genre that pushed the boundaries of what a sports game should be by letting you get off your board and explore the world around you. Mike & Neil bring on friends of the show Stefan and Harrison to revisit this game that they talked about almost 3 years ago and what the future holds for Tony Hawk Games and that weird monster T.H.U.D.

Linkin Park’s Meteora

It's 2003, your friends just invited you to Warped Tour, you go with you walkman that can't seem to play any of your CDs properly anymore. You take out Big Shiny Tunes 6 and put in your newest purchase from MusicWorld, the follow up the whole world has been waiting for: Meteora. Linkin Park came crashing on the scene with Hybrid Theory, an amazing debut album, but there's something to be said about being able to capture and grow the success from your previous album by delivering an equally great follow-up. Mike & Neil discuss their memories of this record, how it seemed like every single person they knew owned it, and how it's only grown in it's mythos over the years (especially those music videos!). They also discuss the 20th Anniversary edition of the record that includes some solid unreleased tracks and what Linkin Park means to them.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Your angel of death awaits! It's been 30 years since Batman: Mask of The Phantasm first premiered, in Theatres no less, and somehow this movie keeps climbing higher and higher on the critics' charts. Often referred to as one of the best superhero adaptations ever made and possibly the best Batman film around, this traditionally animated feature continues the legacy of Batman: The Animated Series. With a focus on a moody score, ambiguous motives, and an amazing neo noir art style, it's a fantastic, albeit short, slice of the best that Batman has to offer. Mike & Neil debate why we haven't seen the Phantasm appear in any media after this and if we'll ever see the caped crusader climb to these heights again.