Game Buoy Podcast Episode 182B – The Anthem Part 2: Game Buoy Remake Project Episode 9 (B-Side)

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Ahoy, mateys, and welcome to the GAMEBUOY.ORG video game podcast – your port of call for gaming news and views that maybe aren’t on your radar, but most definitely should be! On this episode, recorded Friday, September 12, 2025, Captain Spike, First Mate Slaggy McWaggy, and special guest Rob Roberts take a look at rhythm games over the past decade or so!

This episode is part of the Game Buoy Remake Project, a series of themed episodes revisiting previously discussed topics. This week, the Podcast Pirates follow up on Game Buoy Podcast Episode 33B – Through the Fire and Flames: A Look at the Highs and Lows of Rhythm Gaming (B-Side), originally published on July 29, 2013.

This episode is the B-Side of a two part episode. The A-Side, Game Buoy Podcast Episode Episode 182A – The Rock Show: Game Buoy Remake Project Episode 9 (A-Side), features the regular slate of news stories.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, Captain Spike and First Mate Slaggy McWaggy talk about the changing landscape of bad games! As part of the Game Buoy Remake Project initiative, they take a look back at Game Buoy Podcast Episode 33B – Through the Fire and Flames: A Look at the Highs and Lows of Rhythm Gaming (B-Side), originally published on July 29, 2013. Back in 2013, the Podcast Pirates looked at the history of rhythm gaming and the current state of the genre at the time. They looked at beloved quirky Japanese rhythm games from beloved studios such as NanaOn-Sha, the rise and fall of Bemani, the “plastic instrument wars,” and the creativity of rhythm platformers pushing the genre in new directions.

To revisit the discussion, the Podcast Pirates welcome back very special guest Rob Roberts from Orange Lounge Radio, who featured on the original B-Side episode! They start by catching up with Rob and what he’s been up to now, and how his experiences being part of the Rocky Horror community and the Bemani community have created the opportunities he has been able to enjoy today. After that, they discuss what has happened in the world of rhythm gaming since 2013 through the lens of their previous episode. First, they look at more recent examples of Japanese rhythm gaming, with some celebrated franchises seeming to have a resurgence. They then move on to the current state of Bemani and Japanese rhythmic action arcade games, with Round1 particularly playing a major part in gamers’ access to these titles stateside. Next, they discuss the revival of “plastic instrument” games with titles such as Fortnite Festival and a new RedOctane game in the works owing to the underground success of indie games like Clone Hero and YARG. They then share some more recent examples of successful rhythm platformers that have helped the sub-genre gain wider audiences. Wrapping up, they discuss their expectations and hopes for the rhythm game genre in the future!

SOCIAL LINKS QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Hello, folks! This week we’re talking about rhythmic action/music games. Tell us about your favorite music games from more recent generations!

Bonus question: How do you feel the rhythmic action/music games scene has changed over the last decade? Is that good or bad?

EXITLUDE

SHOUT OUTS – “FRIENDS OF BUOY”

• Orange Lounge Radio, where every gamer has a voice
• Aftermath, an independent, worker-owned website about video games, other media and internet culture
• Game Mechanics, where TTRPG designers “kick tires and run diagnostics on tabletop experiences”
• The Bobby Blackwolf Show, a weekly internet radio show and podcast discussing the latest news in gaming as well as sometimes reminiscing about gaming’s history
• Video Game Realness, a dose of gaming chit chat among friends
• Nintendo Pow Block, a dive into the week that was in the world of Nintendo
• Standard Issue Computing, retro and modern computer games, hardware, software, and history
• Sasha’s Retrobytes, “bytes” of vintage gaming including magazine scans and photographs
• Defunct Games, your daily source for modern video game reviews, exciting trivia competitions and old school magazine analysis
• Thomas Game Docs, where each video covers “a different aspect of video game history”
• Craig, Slaggy McWaggy’s robot boyfriend a multi-track voice channel recording bot for Discord