The Cane and Rinse videogame podcast

Capcom mashed up two of its hit fighting franchises with chibi cuteness and block-slotting arcade action in 1996 with the release of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (or X). Leon, Leah and returning guest Ben Cartlidge of One Credit Classics - along with input from the Cane and Rinse listeners - discover the joy of interlocking coloured gems and the resulting cacophony of crashing that ensues.

Another celebrated mid-90s arcade classic celebrates its 30th anniversary, and this time it's run 'n gun fun with SNK's original Metal Slug (SUPER VEHICLE 001). Leon, Chris Worthington, Michiel and returning guest Ben 'One Credit Classics' Cartlidge go over the top with Nazca's sensational 3D sprite-work and - along with contributions from the community and listenership - dig into the usual minutiae, and explore the possibility of the fabled 1CC or even no-death clear.

There's been a murder in the neo-city of Rinsetropolis, and it's up to Ryan, Jesse, and Rich to learn the systems that underpin the highly-emergent detective sim Shadows of Doubt before it's too late. Will our gumshoes crack the case of the proc-gen killer, or will they get swept away into the shadows?

A year on from our original Panzer Dragoon show, the same panel returns for the sequel (or rather, prequel). Leon, Chris O'Regan, Chris Worthington and Michiel - along with input from the listeners via our Patreon page - swoop into the back story, gameplay revisions and spectacular technical enhancement of this second entry into the Panzer Dragoon saga, 30 years on from its release, in our Panzer Dragoon II Zwei podcast.

Wake up, Sleeper. Four years and thousands of dice rolls ago, Jump Over the Age trapped James, Jon, Leah and guest Sean Bell on the derelict space station Erlin’s Eye. With mere hours left until their stabiliser and food run out, the crew reminisce on paths not taken and friends made and lost along the way in Citizen Sleeper.

“If you’re hearing this, you are stuck here too.” Housemarque’s biggest project to date launched soon after the PS5 and was met with critical enthusiasm as well […] The post Returnal – Cane and Rinse No.711 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Lucas wanted to cry”  Released in 2006 for the Game Boy Advance, Mother 3 brought Shigesato Itoi’s eccentric RPG trilogy to a close. After a […] The post Mother 3 – Cane and Rinse No.710 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“REVENGE!” With a quick turnaround, Factor 5 rapidly doubled down on their Turrican mission statement with a souped-up take on the same material with Turrican […] The post Turrican II: The Final Fight – Cane and Rinse No.709 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Along the way, stuff your belly and nap awhile.” It had been far too long since we checked in with the permanently ravenous pink orb, so we […] The post Kirby and the Forgotten Land – Cane and Rinse No.708 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“PLEASE RETRY!” The Super Mario Land trilogy ends and the Wario saga begins. In our latest podcast on Nintendo’s garlic-loving antihero we set sail for […] The post Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 – Cane and Rinse No.707 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“You may not believe it’s true, but I only ever loved all of you …” It’s time for a show! Join Brian, Chris, Darren and Leah […] The post Balan Wonderworld – Cane and Rinse No.706 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Prepare to cower before the true shape of Dracula!” We debated whether or not to dig into Castlevania’s three-dimensional escapades. In the end the ayes […] The post Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness – Cane and Rinse No.705 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Race!!!” In Rollcage and Rollcage Stage II,  Players drive an indestructible vehicle where the concept of up and down doesn’t really matter and physics are […] The post Rollcage and Rollcage Stage II – Cane and Rinse No.704 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“IMMORTALS” Julian ‘Jaz’ Rignall joins us as special guest for this 45th anniversary celebration of Williams’ Defender, and its sequel, Stargate (both 1981). Leon, Chris […] The post Defender and Stargate – Cane and Rinse No.703 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“But nothing could stop them, because they were in love” Are videogames art? It’s a stupid, pointless question that we have never felt the need […] The post Please, Touch The Artwork – Cane and Rinse No.702 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Dance, baby, dance. Dance to the “death”!” The Cane and Rinse videogame podcast returns for its fifteen year with its first ever lightgun game coverage. […] The post Time Crisis – Cane and Rinse No.701 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“What took you so long? Constipation?” Concluding our 2025 roster with a 25+ million seller because, well, why not? Leon, Jay and Tony (the original […] The post Black Myth: Wukong – Cane and Rinse No.700 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“AND REMEMBER… SHOOT OR DIE!” Buttery-smooth 8-way scrolling and 1300 screens of run and gun platform shoot-’em up action on 8 or 16-bit. That was the […] The post Turrican – Cane and Rinse No.699 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Always believe in yourself and keep striving on!” Whether you consider it to be an on-rails shooter or a 3D run and gun with auto-scrolling, […] The post Sin and Punishment – Cane and Rinse No.698 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“And don’t call them V-Wings – that’s not correct terminology.” One of the very first games out of Lucasfilm’s freshly-formed games studio, Rescue on Fractalus! […] The post Rescue on Fractalus! – Cane and Rinse No.697 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Okay, Eggman! Bring it on!” Our Sonic series of podcasts continues with Blue Blur’s 3D debut (proper), Sonic Adventure. Leon, Darren, Leah, Tony and a glut of […] The post Sonic Adventure – Cane and Rinse no.696 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“You should share some of that hatred with Sora. He’s far too nice for his own good.” Who says thay a boy, a duck, and a […] The post Kingdom Hearts II – Cane and Rinse No.695 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“The Dark Genie’s power surges—stand or be erased.” In 2000, Sony needed an RPG for its new powerhouse console, the PlayStation 2. Perhaps surprisingly, it […] The post Dark Cloud – Cane and Rinse No.694 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“It’s Yagami. Take a good look.” Kamurocho? is overflowing with yakuza. The police are swamped and the legal system is on its knees. Who can […] The post Judgment – Cane and Rinse No.693 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Down here, in the dark, it’s not just the monster you have to fear — it’s yourself.” Originally intended as DLC for Amnesia: Rebirth, Amnesia: […] The post Amnesia: The Bunker – Cane and Rinse No.692 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“There are as many legends in the world that deserve retelling as there are stars in the night sky.” Literally one person requested this podcast, […] The post Castlevania Legends – Cane and Rinse No.691 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Pick up the moon? Are you nuts?” By the year 2000 the popularity of the traditional point and click adventure was waning. However, Lucasfilm felt there […] The post Escape from Monkey Island – Cane and Rinse No.690 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

Wario's debut! That's perhaps the most significant element of this 1992 handheld entry into the Mario canon, but there's plenty more to talk about as well. Leon, Brian, Leah and Sean, along with oodles of nostalgic memories from our forum and Patreon communities, hop, skip and jump through this wacky and off-kilter but fully fledged platform adventure for the good old Game Boy.

Sit with us as we recount the recursive, multidimensional and meta tale of Alan Wake II. Parautilitarians unite with Leon, Karl (who forgot which mic to record with!) and Leah - and community correspondents - as we attempt to unfold and unpick the meshed manuscripts of Remedy's pulpy protagonist.

After handing over development duties on the previous entry in the series to The Chinese Room, Frictional Games had the unenviable task of creating a follow up to widely regarded classic, SOMA.  In an attempt to merge the horror of the Amnesia series with the heavy narrative aspects of SOMA, Frictional risked not pleasing anybody.  We look at how the game stands up in its own right.

You find some GPS coordinates that lead to a buried trove of floppy disks.  What could go wrong? Brian, Chris O'Regan, Jesse and Sean lay down their cards and discuss Inscryption by Daniel Mullins Games. Will they take down Leshy or will they spend another night in the cabin?

Latterly emerging from PlatinumGames' cauldron, Bayonetta 3 conjured a multiverse of magic onto Nintendo Switch in 2022. Leon, Brian, Leah, community contributors and a menagerie of infernal demon puppets dance through this kitchen sink included trilogy-topper.

Celebrating 30 years of high-speed anti-gravity racing and combat with our Wipeout series podcast. Leon, Darren, Karl and Ryan - along with the usual, excellent contributions from the Cane and Rinse community - slipstream back in time to the space year 1995, and follow the neon trace and pumping beats of Psygnosis/Sony's stylishly futuristic vision of motorsport, from the PS1 original, to its many follow-ups through to its seeming swansong with the PS4 Omega Collection in 2018.

Our latest Sonic series show sees us arrive in 1996, and the azure Erinaceidae's final outing on the Mega Drive/Genesis - Sonic 3D Blast (also known as Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island). Leon, Darren, Leah, Ryan and community correspondents ponder whether this Traveller's Tales tilt into isometric suited SEGA's speedy mascot. There's also a little conversation around Sonic's previous isometric outings (SegaSonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Labyrinth), as well as the not 3D Game Gear counterpart Sonic Blast.

Our third podcast on the second Metroid game, sort of. On this occasion, it's MercurySteam's official 2017 remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, that sees us to head back to SR388 once more for another round of vermin eradication. Leon, Brian, Darren and Rich lock 3D sliders to full, and - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse listenership - consider what this version of Metroid II: Return of Samus brings to - or steals from - the pest-popping party.

Our latest Contra (or Probotector) series show is here, and this time we're all-in on the SEGA Mega Drive (or Genesis) instalment; Contra: (The) Hard Corps (or Probotector). Leon, Dan and Sean - along with the usual, excellent contributions from the listenership - tackle this uncompromising and relentless 16-but run and gunner, taking in and on its myriad characters, weapons, stages and ultimately endings.

Joy, creativity, and PlayStation memories abound in Team Asobi’s post-Playroom tour de force. Join Tom, Chris O'Regan and Karl as they laser-jump their way through the riotous robotic antics of Astro and his 300+ friends.

“It will only cost you your life, and you got that for free!” A notable cult classic, an idiosyncratic game, a commercial failure and a […] The post EarthBound (Mother 2) – Cane and Rinse No.679 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

“Someone shot the food!” Your life force is running out! So quickly, join us for a deep-delve into the darkest dungeons of the original Gauntlet […] The post Gauntlet, Gauntlet II and Gauntlet IV – Cane and Rinse No.678 appeared first on Cane and Rinse.

Time jumping, legendary dragons, and an arsenal of playable characters. Join Brian, Chris Worthington, Leah and Rich as they dissect Chrono Cross, the much discussed sequel/follow-up to legendary JRPG Chrono Trigger. Does it provide a satisfying next chapter or are the Chrono Trigger sized shoes too large to fill?

Pikmin skipped a full generation as Miyamoto and co. bided their time before unleashing the third instalment on the Wii U in 2013. Another seven years after that a few more people actually got to play the game as it arrived on the rather more successful Switch. Leon, Chris O'Regan and Darren - along with community contributors - once again round up the little creatures, consider this game's changes and refinements (across the two versions), as well as indulge in a little speculation about the 'science' that lead to their existence. Darwin or Dandori awards all around?

Caprine capers with Sybil in rittzler's love-letter to the fifth generation of games that popularised third-person character action in three dimensions. Leon, Brian, Ryan and Sean - along with community contributors - get figuratively and literally lost in the dreamlike world of Pseudoregalia. Can the game's celebrated flexible character control and versatile locomotion help our panel find their way through this largely unguided adventure?

So how could a 40-year-old film about a dystopia in which capitalism has run amok and the overreach and militarisation of the police combined with fears of increased automation and the dangers of artificial intelligence possibly be relevant today LOL? Leon and Dan (who selected this one - the best-selling home computer game of the 1980s - for the show) plod and blast through the many versions of Ocean and Data East's side-scrolling interpretation of the 1987 violent, dystopian movie classic.

This week, Ryan, Jesse, James, and Chris talk Mighty Coconut's Walkabout Mini Golf, both in VR and on iOS. From the depths of Atlantis to the heights of the Seagull Stacks, the minigolf adventure extends through licensed properties, mythical realms, and cozy cottages.

Hot on the space boots of our - oh - 2021 podcast on the original (and official) Game Boy Metroid II: Return of Samus, we take a rare look at an unauthorised fan project: Another Metroid Prime 2 Remake, or, AM2R. Leon, Brian, Leah and Rich - along with correspondents from the listenership - brave the dark web and dodgy torrent sites to bring you this Nintendo's lawyers-defying show.

Our Darren rightfully and righteously nominated the venerable Bomberman (also known by several other names) series for inclusion in our 2025 roster. Blasting off as a single-player only affair way back in 1983, this Hudson franchise saw no fewer than 80, mostly local multiplayer focused, entries released over the subsequent 40 years. So it's high time (High-10?) that Leon, Darren himself, Karl and Michiel - along with contributors from the Cane and Rinse Patreon and forum - gave the little dude (and multiplayer pals) his dues.

In 1989, the vision of Shigesato Itoi brought about the creation of Mother, a subversion and a pastiche of the incredibly popular Dragon Quest series, and birthed the Mother trilogy containing the cult classic Earthbound. Rich, Leah and Jon discuss the creator of the series and the impact Mother had on the gaming landscape of Japan, and the near 20 years that passed before the game made it’s way to the western markets.

Perhaps the archetypal 'cult classic', SEGA Smilebit's Jet Set Radio (aka Jet Grind Radio) made a splash when it landed on Dreamcast in the year 2000. Quarter of a century on, Leon, Dan, Michiel and Tony - along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse listeners - get inline to rattle on about the game's striking visual aesthetic, iconic music and, also, yes, the gameplay. This podcast also touches upon the GBA version, the official 'sequel' and some of JSR's spiritual successors.

Somehow Cane and Rinse returned. We dawn our blasters and lightsabers once more as we venture once more to the precipice of the Dark Side (Electronic Arts) to discuss the acclaimed sequel STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor. Ryan, Chris and Jon follow Cal's ongoing adventures and anticipate how the forthcoming trilogy-capper might end his story.

Somewhere between the Australian bushfires of 2019 and the Covid breakout, Umurangi Generation was born. Tauranga, New Zealand is the setting for Veselekov’s retro-futuristic photography simulator; James, Jesse, and Thomas are our budding photographers, chronicling the end of the world.