Choplifter HD is a remake of the classic bullet hell game. Taking control of an up and coming rookie pilot, you are tasked with getting civilians to safety under hellacious conditions. You’ll have to take on enemies both on the ground and in the air as you take civilians to safety. You’ll also have to deal with dwindling fuel and munitions, as you’ll have to restock frequently. Doing well in each mission earns you stars for each mission, and eventually upgrades for your copter. The game starts out easy, but gets challenging as you progress. Regardless of if you played the classic Choplifter, or this is your first introduction to the franchise, Choplifter HD is a fun and challenging update of a classic.

What is the amazing truth behind the Bungeling Empire, Sim City, Bomberman, and Choplifter? You’ll be surprised! No, really! It’s pretty surprising! But you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out. Hint: they’re all connected by HudsonSoft, makers of the TurboGrafx-16, PC Engine, countless awesome 8-bit peripherals, and home of the honeybee — may they rest in peace. Vinnk and Sean reminisce about the company that they thought they knew, but clearly didn’t, and now will miss more than they thought possible.

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The recent passing of Steve Jobs has left us to reflect on how he and his business ventures have affected our lives and the rest of the world. For us retro gamers (at least our age), that means looking back on the Apple ][, Apple //e, and that line of PCs that literally made “computer” a household name. Sean and Vinnk recall a time when “Apple” was still synonymous with “gaming” — before the iPhone, before the Macintosh, and (in some cases) before Nintendo. Also, a history of Apple’s rise to dominance, Steve Jobs’ gig at Atari, and why the original iPod came with free copies of Breakout.

[Listen to the episode after the jump…!]