Retro Game Club: Bubsy, Spellcaster

Sega co-founder David Rosen has died at the age of 95. Episode 213 of the Retro Game Club podcast covers the loss of this industry giant alongside a mix of hardware news and two very different 16-bit era experiences.

Sega history and hardware news

David Rosen's impact on the gaming industry is difficult to overstate. Originally an officer in the US Air Force, Rosen founded Rosen Enterprises in Japan in 1954 to import photobooths and coin-operated games. His company eventually merged with Service Games to form Sega Enterprises. According to Eurogamer, Rosen remained a key figure at the company for decades and helped bridge the gap between American business practices and Japanese development culture.

The podcast also touches on other Sega history. Time Extension reports on Yosuke Okunari's recollections of the painful Sega Ages relaunch, where he describes the pressure of managing the project as "strangling both M2 and myself." There is also discussion of a canceled Sega handheld pitch that proponents claimed could have rivaled the Game Boy.

On the technical side, the SN Operator is making rounds. This adapter allows users to play and manage Super Nintendo cartridges directly on a computer. It is a useful tool for backing up saves (preservation is always a priority) or verifying the authenticity of expensive carts. For those who prefer emulation, Shader Beam promises to bring CRT-style motion clarity to modern high-refresh monitors. Additionally, the PC Engine ripping tool TurboRip is now open source.

This week's games: Bubsy and SpellCaster

The club focused on two distinct titles this week. First up was Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind. Released by Accolade in 1993 for the Genesis and SNES, this platformer was a heavy-handed attempt to manufacture a mascot to rival Sonic the Hedgehog. While it sold well initially due to aggressive marketing, it is largely remembered today for its floaty physics and one-hit deaths that make the game's speed a liability rather than a feature.

The second title was SpellCaster. Released for the Sega Master System in 1988 (1989 in North America), this game is a unique hybrid. It blends side-scrolling action platforming with menu-based adventure segments similar to visual novels. Developed by Sega, it serves as a predecessor to the Genesis title Mystic Defender. Listen to the episode to hear what we and the listeners thought of the games.

Next episode's picks

The next episode will tackle two new games for the club to play along with:

• Crusader of Centy: Also known as Soleil in Europe, this 1994 Sega Genesis action-RPG is frequently compared to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. It has become one of the most expensive and sought-after cartridges on the system.
• Destruction Derby: A 1995 release for PlayStation, Saturn, and MS-DOS. Developed by Reflections Interactive, it was an early showcase for 3D car physics and damage modeling.

Retro Game Club Podcast is associated with Pants Pants Revolution. For more information on Retro Game Club, visit the Retro Game Club link tree.