Music.

Hello everyone, this is a little bit of a special recording for remember 64.

Myself, David Petrangelo and Jiggy look back are sitting here to take a look back at 20250.

See what I did there Sir, we are recording this just as the holidays are getting going, so we haven't been able to sit down with family and friends through the holidays just yet, but happy holidays anyway.

Jiggy, how are you?

I'm.

Doing great.

How are you doing?

I'm good, I'm good.

Getting over a little bit of a sickness.

If anyone has has been going through that like we have, hopefully you've been able to get past it in time to see family and friends for holiday time and for the new year.

But you know, life, it gets in the way.

But life?

Finds a way.

You know what?

Yeah, life finds a way to shit all over your holiday plans.

It is what it is.

But as I said, we're going to look back at 2025 a little bit, just a little bit of a short different kind of recording here.

Wanted to look back.

We we do an episode essentially every two weeks.

So we do a couple games each month and that adds up.

We're getting over 20 per year at this point, which is pretty good.

It's quite a bit this year actually, did a couple of episodes where we did two games at once.

For example, our last one of 2025.

This is either going to be out just before or just after that, so just look out for that.

But a way to sort of narrow that down and you know, everyone's got their top ten list, someone's got their favorites, your Spotify Rapt, your YouTube this year, whatever that your service wants to call it at this point.

We're going to do our own version of that and talk about 5 games that we played on this show that stood out to us in 2025 specifically.

Now, if anyone has been listening or has been looking back and watching or listening back, you know that we covered a full month, full 3 episodes of Banjo Kazooie Games.

I'm pretty confident in saying that if we were to look at all the games we played this year, for both of us, Banjo Kazooie will be the top of the list whether we rank them or not.

So I think in order to give everybody else a fighting chance, every other game of fighting chance this year, we're not going to put that on these five games that we each are going to be picking.

We're not necessarily going to rank them.

We're just going to pick five that are not Banjo Kazooie that's we really enjoyed.

So that includes games like Snowboard kids, that includes Hot Wheels, F0, Battle Tanks, the other Banjo Kazooie games.

There's nostalgia 64 from Kirko Mods, the GBA games that we played as part of that.

All these games are going to be included and we're just going to go back and forth and sort of talk about them.

We'll probably have, I would I would anticipate we're going to have some crossover, but we don't know what each other's picks are.

We'll do 5 each.

And without further ado, let's get the let's get the holiday wrapped version of Remember 64 for the first time Going jiggy.

If you want to start somewhere, I will allow you to kick things off.

OK, well I'm I'm looking at this list from my perspective because a lot of the games we we talk about like I have a a past with, right?

That's.

Right, that's right.

And I'm not going to rule those out entirely, but we played some games that I'd never played and that games that I've always wanted to play and never got around to.

And I'm happy to say that a lot of those that we actually did hop in, I really enjoy it like they were they were a new experience for me.

They were really fun.

So I'm sort of basing my list off of that.

But that being said, I actually want to start my list with Mickey Speedway USA.

That is a game we played earlier in the year.

I.

First game.

The first game of 2025.

I do have a pass with it.

I did play it, but I feel like this last time that I played it, I really dove into the mechanics and everything and really like I, I went from the casual playing of it as a kid to like, Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, I can drift like holding A and pressing B.

Like I started getting really into it.

I did like a an analysis video on it.

We did the podcast episode about it.

Like I was getting like super into Mickey Speedway USA.

And now I think it's like a really, really good racer and I really enjoyed it.

It it's one of those I just sort of had as a kid and I played it, but it it just didn't.

It didn't grip me like other games.

But now I feel like it got me.

You, you got to it in a different way.

You approached it in a different way.

2025 was the year Mickey Speedway USA got me.

Literally 25 years after it came out.

Took 25 years but it finally got me.

What did I say in the last episode?

I got you, bitch.

Exactly.

In the mail just I can't I can't got you bitch.

I can't do the voice of Mickey, but but picture Mickey saying that nice.

That was the very first after our our sort of or my hiatus of not being able to record episodes.

That was the first one we came back with.

So that's a that was a great way to kick off 2025.

So I'm glad that that still stuck with you.

I'm going to go chronological in mine.

I'm not ranking them either.

I'm just sort of picking ones that I enjoyed.

This is also one that I knew of but never really played, I think at all.

I can't remember if I played it before or not, but in the moment, I'm sure during the episode I might have said this.

This was the very next episode we did, actually.

This is Body Harvest.

Body Harvest has actually stuck.

Yeah, it stuck with me this year.

This was the second episode we did for this for 2025 and at the time I was a little bit worried it was going to be kind of janky.

It's not really doesn't have amazing reviews, but I think, you know, then and now still thinking back, I I really like how it's this early version of a semi open world game and it's not perfect.

I do think that there's a lot of sort of janky stuff in it, but I think what they were trying to do was really fun and I found myself really sinking into it and played the whole game.

And it's a much bigger, longer, more in depth game that I would have expected to and definitely worth checking out as an early version of what these games have become in a genre that is just insanely massive now.

So that's why Body Harbor stuck with me.

That would be level.

Where is it Here?

57 So that's right after Spiky the Mickey Speedway USA Time Travel Exterminators.

That's Bunny Harvest.

That would be one of my picks.

Yeah.

Oh.

Man, all right, well, jumping into my next pick, a game I, I funny enough, I had, and it is probably the only N64 game that I owned growing up that I'd never played.

Oh shit.

I never played it.

I had it.

I got.

It I'm trying to think of what this is because I don't remember you saying this.

I got it at a rummage sale and I was like, oh man, this looks cool.

I had a friend that had it.

I never played it and I never even saw what it was like.

And I it's one of those things, it's been meme to death.

I really needed to try it.

And finally 2025 was the year that I played Quest 64 for the first time.

And I gotta say, I was, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

It's yeah, it was, it was a fun little RPG, played better than I thought.

It was kind of like way too many random battles, but it pulled it off It, it had a lot of charm.

And I think I just it just it, it really it stuck with me and I was I was happy.

I finally, I I think it's more of that I finally got to say that I played quest 64 than anything else.

And I did it to completion like I did it to completion beat the boss.

I I think I have a live stream out there.

I played it on stream.

It was it was so much fun to talk about and finally get into it, especially with Mr.

Quest, 64 official himself.

Yes, yes, which was an honor to have him on to be able to talk about it.

Mike was an awesome guess and that was same here never played it.

It was first time I played it and it was it was cool to to go back.

That's good.

That's one of those ones that just has to be.

Played it was it was like my bucket list of N64 games.

Like how have I never actually played that?

Yeah, yeah, especially for you, 'cause you have so much experience playing them, playing so many games, right?

Like you said, I never.

Had a game before that I just never played.

Yeah.

And Quest 64 was one of it was like I I was, I had so many N64 games as a kid.

I had a backlog and I never got to.

That's that's insane.

The backlog before backlogs were even really that much of a thing.

You're you crazy, crazy kid.

Kids these days.

You know, N64, man, I had so many games.

That's one of those, one of those things.

OK, my next one is level 61.

I'm going to go to Rayman 2 because Jiggy, I know how much you love this game.

One that I knew of but never played either and really, really enjoyed.

It was a fun episode to to have Josh on from still loading and talk about it too.

But it was a game that I really, really wanted to love going in 'cause I knew how much you had, how much fun this you had for it, right?

And it was one that you were sort of rooting for that we were gonna cover at some point.

And like, we, we gotta do this.

We gotta bring a, a good guest on.

We gotta talk about this game.

And I really, really liked it.

You know, we talked about it at the time too.

But go back and listen and watch that episode.

But it's just a very, very well done 3D platformer.

And you know, coming from someone who who prefers 2D platformers largely and really, really likes the Rayman Legends game and Rayman Origins, I was like, OK, what do they have 20 years before that?

Let's see.

Let's see what they had in the pan here.

I hear it's great.

And, and it was it's a very, very good game.

So that's the one that's going to stand out to be too.

So Rayman too, that was done in March.

We did that.

So that was also early.

All right man, what do you got next?

I'm gonna, I'm gonna throw going into Halloween.

I'm starting with Shadow Man.

I thought shadow Man was really cool.

It was way creepier than I thought it was going to be.

And the fact that it also dropped on NSO and I could play it on my Switch and hand held like under the covers in my bed.

Super cool.

You can't.

Play it any other way if it's available in that.

In that version you have to play it that.

Way I thought it was a fun little metroidvania style N64 title and the fact that I had it on Dreamcast and I I never played that one either.

That was a new that was a new one for me, but I think it was a it was a banger of a new one.

I was happy to to play that in experience with that and just it was perfect for the season.

Like so for Halloween, it was like.

So fucking dark, such a.

Dark I was I was into it for Halloween like I was like this is this is a great game to play in October.

So I highly recommend if you never played it, play it on October.

Like just wait till next year.

Yeah, Yeah, You know, I, I agree.

I totally agree.

It really, like we talked about when we recorded it, the vibe of that game is exactly what you're looking for.

It's not super scary, but it's kind of a little bit disturbing.

It's got a it's got a really deep lore to it and the gameplay is just good enough that's going to get you to keep going, I think.

And really, I think we wanted to keep going because we're like, I just want to know more about what the hell is going on here.

Like you.

Just want to do the story it's the lore is great.

Yeah, it was really cool.

OK, nice.

That was in our October episodes.

That was level 70.

4.

There we go.

The darkest N64 game ever, probably.

I think it is.

I think it is, yeah.

I asked that question, the title, but I think I know the answer already.

OK, My third pick is going to be one that's still early on in the year here, but one that surprised me but also at the same time didn't 'cause I was like, yeah, this is just my kind of game.

That is Tetrisphere.

Dang it, how do you do that?

It's called Tetrasphere, just on the shelves all over North America.

This is a pretty neat game.

It's it's kind of a challenge and it's a real big.

Challenge Tetrasphere.

I really, really liked.

I, you know, is it the best puzzle game ever made?

No, but Flashback 64 came on the show asking let's talk about this game 'cause we have some history with it and GUI McKenna have both said like I have a feeling this might be something that you guys might like.

And they were absolutely right that the music is amazing.

It's a huge vibe and big part of why we liked it.

And I just, you know, it's a different way of doing Tetris.

I like puzzle games.

And if anyone's heard, seen or read any of the stuff I've done with console creatures this year, Drop Dutchie is a game that I really, really like this year, and it is also another version of a Tetris game.

And both these games I really enjoyed this year.

So yeah, Tetris Fear was, well, that stood out to me, surprisingly.

Nice.

You know, my so we're getting into the last two here and I have to say, always saw these growing up, never played, never played.

I I always like regardless of how you feel about them, regardless of the quality, like it was, it was competently fun.

But Sarge's heroes, we played one and two.

We did an episode on two.

We did a collaboration episode for the first one with a 3D O experience and I, I just, I sort of like in the same vein as Quest 64.

It just felt like this game that I always saw growing up and I was like, why did I never play these?

And I've now I can say that I, I played them and they were in some, in some respects exactly what I was expecting, also lacking what I was expecting.

I feel like gameplay wise, they were exactly what I thought they were going to be.

But like, they're really short and there's not much substance to them, I guess.

But it was silly.

It was, it was kind of fun.

And if you just just play them, just try them.

Yeah, you kind of can clump both of them together, I think.

Yeah, yeah, they're pretty much the same.

Yeah.

There's aspects of two that we preferred, like the level design and stuff, but I think largely they were not massively different.

Yeah, yeah.

Were they happy to?

Say I played it.

Army in honestly, let's go army in both both army men games.

So that's a, that's a late in the year game that is, let's see what level is that.

77.

77 There it is.

It's a very recent, like just a couple episodes ago.

Yeah, exactly.

OK, The Serger's Heroes game one the first one we played on the 3D O experience like you mentioned and Surgeons Heroes 2 we covered on our show.

OK, so there's a couple ways I can go with this.

There's definitely more than two more games that I would want to put on this list.

So the 5 is really sort of limiting it.

I want to say a game like F0X, but F0 is a little bit too obvious because I feel like I just already loved that game.

So I just want to talk about something that maybe wasn't that because I knew I was going to like it going in.

I already loved that game growing up.

It's it's too obvious for me.

So instead I'm going to go with something completely unexpected and one that I didn't even know was a game until a couple weeks before we played it.

That is a little bit of a lead in to Nostalgia 64 because this didn't exist for anyone up until this year.

So it is a new release on the N64 from Kirko Mods who has made some incredible work on the N64, specifically modding a lot of Banjo Kazooie stages and versions of that game, working on Zelda mods.

But this is, I would say pretty much like a full release that they have done.

We were able to collaborate with them a little bit and play it a couple days early to be able to record our episode and get through it and play this game.

And you know, it's just a very special kind of game.

If you are an N64 fan and a Banjo Kazooie fan, I know we said we're going to leave that particular game off, but this has those mechanics.

But there's a lot of really cool ideas with it.

I know we both loved it when we played it.

But I have to mention, in case anyone hasn't seen the game, heard our episode or seen our episode, like check it out.

If you have a way to play it and have the ROM and and play the game, definitely try to play it with an N64 controller in any way that you can.

But overall, Nostalgia 64 is something I'm also going to go back to.

You know, we did play the whole thing to completion and it was a fantastic time.

But just like the original game or games in that franchise, I'm going to go back to it.

I'm going to play it again.

And I loved it, Absolutely loved it.

The creativity's off the charts.

So yeah.

Yeah, that was a great one.

I did.

I did really enjoy that.

But I will say we weren't ranking them, but this was probably hands down the favorite of the games that we played that I was like not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

Kind of thought I'd had a bad Rep, but I guess not.

And I really got into it.

Both the both the podcast episode.

I think it's one of our best episodes we've done, honestly.

And I think it was a surprising banger of a game.

Castlevania level, level 75.

I That was my favorite game that we did all year.

Wow for multiple.

Reasons.

But I really I really liked it.

Cool vibes, fun gameplay, just like it captures that perfect amount of like creepiness, but also like just just fun, sort of silly.

I don't know, it's just it hit all the the right right notches for me and I did not expect to like it as much as I did.

I thought it was going to be super jank and I actually thought it was like pretty competent.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah, yeah, No, we, I mean, we talked about, I don't know how many times we mentioned like when we were recording the episode and we did it like on a live stream.

And one of our only ones that we've done.

And now we've kind of consistently been doing or as consistently as we can been doing live streams for our episodes.

But it's just like, I can't believe how low of a rating or how the, the general vibe around these particular 2 games on the N64, we're so negative.

And then we played it and we're like, no, this, this is good.

What the, what are people talking about?

Like we were both very confused by that.

And it's weird it it's also like it answered a childhood mystery I didn't even know was a mystery.

That these are in fact the same game, just remade.

Yes, I, I.

Did not know that.

I had no idea.

No idea that.

Yeah, no idea.

I'd always seen them separately, and I never knew that Legacy of Darkness was just a remake of the the Gasabine 264.

It's what?

What?

Are the more content?

Well, like I said with the title of the episode, it's the, it's like a Snyder Cut where it's kind of the same, but there's more there.

You know, I feel like Snyder Cut kind of has a negative connotation to it, and it should, but in my opinion.

But this game is far better than what Snyder has done with a lot of movies I would say.

It was good.

I really it was.

It was a sleeper game for me.

I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.

Yeah, I think for both of us, honestly, it was, it was something that surprises both.

We really enjoyed it and something that I think everybody should give a shot.

I don't know if you have to wait till October to play this one like you do a shadow man, but but I do think that it's definitely worth playing and don't let the general consensus or it appears to be the general consensus that these are trash games and they're throwaways.

We both disagree with that.

So a.

100%.

Nice, I'm that's that's awesome that it was that it's that high on your.

Yeah, like the others, like you can throw them in any order, like doesn't matter.

But that one I was just like, that's when I wanted to talk about because I thought it was just a it was a cut above the rest for various reasons.

I just really, I really enjoyed it.

I like the vibes.

I liked everything we did and and the episode too.

Like I thought the episodes explode really well.

Like sometimes, sometimes that plays a factor in it.

Like my enjoyment of the game was talking about the game and that's when I could talk about like it.

I felt like there was a lot to talk about with that one.

And, and we were live streaming and stuff, but like it was one of our longest episodes too, or it is our longest episode potentially, but it didn't feel that way.

And I think you're right.

That is a sign of the right game, the right time, the right everything.

And like, you know, stuff that's sort of out of your control in a way just leads to a better time.

And I think that.

I didn't even realize that was one of the longest episodes we'd ever done.

I didn't.

Just under two hours and that's really cut down.

It's got a pre show chat.

That's without the pre show chat.

I think we were streaming for like 3 hours yeah.

So it was it was it was a while and it was a great time.

So again, if anyone hasn't popped into live streams or anyone who has, thank you.

But you know, there was a whole build up to that playing that game and how I tried to stream in, it was a disaster.

Like there's a whole thing.

But go watch and listen to the episode.

It was, it was a blast to play and a blast to record.

So OK, I was potentially going to put that on mine too, because like we said, we're both talking about it, but I had a feeling you were going to say it.

So I, I, I left, I left it off the list.

So because I'm going in a little bit of an order here, my next one, now I have to find exactly where it is.

Jesus, where'd it go?

Where did it go?

Oh, there it is.

My next one is going to be level 68 battle tanks.

I knew it.

Yeah, I knew it.

I knew you were gonna put battle tanks on that list because.

Because that beginning intro and like, the setup of the plot is just so ridiculous.

You really were like, Oh my gosh, this is the best thing ever.

I.

Still can't like, so what's funny is I'm not someone who loves B movies or loves watching bad movies.

And that's what's good about them.

You know what I mean?

Like I don't enjoy bad stuff just for the sake of enjoying something bad, you know?

Like I don't, if I don't like it and it's not good, I'm just not going to like it and that's it and I move on, right.

There's something about this, the vibe, the way it's told this ridiculous story that just, I don't know, I talked about it for way too long in the episode, but it made such a difference to me enjoying these games.

Both games are awesome.

So it's battle tanks and battle tanks, Global assault.

I, I, I think the second one is, is far better than the first.

There's just more variety that's just tighter.

If there's a lot more you can do there, both are 100% worth your time.

I had no idea what these games felt like.

I just knew of them and I really, really like them And, and they're not perfect, but they're just fun.

They're just stupid action fun and and the second one really does improve on the 1st in more ways than I would have thought, because it just feels like one of those games where it's like we'll just add more levels, maybe another tank, Maybe I'll you know, the story's going to change a little bit.

But they they did a bunch of things that made me like it even more and and one that if I played a multiplayer, I feel like you'd like even more.

So is it the greatest game we played is the top of my list If I were to rank them?

No, but I just had so much fun with it that I I couldn't not talk about it.

So the Battle Tanks games, that is level 68.

It's AI, titled it.

What can I say?

We're feminists, Yeah.

It's all you could say.

Listen and watch more to find out why.

Do you know what I saw at GameStop this past weekend?

We went shopping to get a couple like last minute Christmas Christmas presents.

And in the little case there, I didn't know this was not aware.

Whatever you however you feel about limited run games.

They had limited run battle tanks N64 like in like limited run boxes.

Like it looks like the old like N64 boxes.

Yeah, they had them sitting there at GameStop and I was like, oh, nice.

It was kind of neat.

But Battle Tanks?

Of all the games, it was battle tanks.

Crazy, crazy.

It's so interesting.

Like there's stuff like that that I've seen from them or other other companies that do similar things.

I'm like, that's the game they chose.

But then there's ones where I go, oh, that's the game they chose.

I want that 'cause it's something.

You.

Know like one of the ones for me I do I have it behind me yeah, I do only only reason why I never spent money getting this one.

I think it's a limited run 1 is Battletoads double dragon for the SNES.

It plays like a Battletoads game, not like a double Dragon game, but has all, all five of those characters that you can choose from, totally wacky, totally over the top or whatever.

And they have an actual SNES cartridge that works.

It's green and it has a, a box with it like you said, kind of similar like you just described.

I'm like, oh, that would be great 'cause I love that game.

But then I am not spending the money 'cause I have it.

I just don't have it in green.

So I'm like, do I need it?

And I know it's the works.

Like I know it's the works.

I played it last year, the year before, like it, it works, right.

And this is my original 1 from when I was a kid, so like it, but I like that stuff.

That's kind of fun.

So battle tanks.

Interesting.

That's cool.

Now that I know it exists now I'm probably going to go search for it and see if it's at any point ever waste my money.

The answer's probably no, but OK, so just to review our top games or not our top games, some of our standouts of 2025, we have jiggy.

Go for it.

I'm going to re re pick up my list.

Sorry.

Mickey Speedway, USA.

Mickey Speedway USA Body Harvest We also 64 Quest 64 we have Rayman.

Two, we have Tetrasphere Battle Tanks, Nostalgia 64, Castlevania.

Shadow Man.

And Shadow Man, and I think that covers us.

Oh, and Sergeant Heroes.

Oh, and Sergeant that in there too.

That was my curveball.

Yeah, that's good.

That's fun in a similar way Battle Tanks is just goofy fun like that is right?

Like it's kind of in a way kind.

Of same company it's.

It's 3D O it kind of feels Battle Tanks shows up in Sergeant's Heroes 2 like in like a background asset or something.

Yeah, it's like a sign on the wall.

Yeah, and the the pinball episode, pinball level right at the end.

So if you haven't played those games, I think those are a good place to start if you have great, fantastic.

And check out our episodes about them because they were a ton to record, a ton of fun to record, and great to kind of go back.

And a lot of these games were ones that we hadn't played this year.

So 2026 we're going to set up and kind of do that same thing too.

We're going to try and get a variety of different things, maybe some mods here and there.

We'll keep going with 2026 and Jiggy.

Happy happy holidays, Happy New Year and everybody thanks for joining us for another 25 oh and 64 yield and 64 yield tide log.

Do they have any of those that'd be fun.

I put I put one of those on my family would think I'm nuts, but maybe I'll try I'll look for one or I'll make one.

Unfortunately there's probably ones out there all AI generated but.

Oh yeah.

Happy holidays everyone, Bye, goodbye.