Retronauts Episode 498: Taito Part III
We conclude the 80s and enter the extreeeeme 90s
As video game companies go, Taito has a history longer than most. Its origins trace back to 1953 as a vodka distillery (the founder was Russian!) and an importer of machines. That means it took nearly 25 years for the company to make a name for itself with Space Invaders, a reputation that remains in full force today.
However, we’re not covering Space Invaders in this episode—not the original version anyway—as this is our third conversation celebrating Taito’s legacy. Episode 451 covered the early years, while episode 463 covered the heart of the 1980s. Both conversations remain exclusives for our Patreon supporters, but you know that you can unlock them (and about a hundred more exclusives) for just five dollars, right? Right??
Anyway, this time around Jeremy Parish, Brandon Sheffield, and Ray Barnholt‘s Taito opinions are free for all listeners to enjoy as they wrap up the 80s and wander into the 1990s. So yeah, Space Invaders is fully in the rear-view mirror at this point…so what better time to get excited about Super Space Invaders ’91?
Description: Jeremy Parish, Ray Barnholt, and Brandon Sheffield reconvene for what was meant to be the third and final chapter of our Taito deep dive but ends up being a middle chapter, if that. It’s not our fault! 1989-91 were crackin’ years for Taito. Be sure to check out episodes 451 and 463 to bring yourself up to speed with this ever-growing epic of a conversation!
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Artwork for this episode by John Pading and editing thanks go to Greg Leahy.
