The Video Game Years Closes Out 1989 with Mega Man 2

In case you’ve never heard of it before, The Video Game Years is a sort of documentary-style show produced by Retroware TV which has looked at the history, culture, and oddities of video games since its birth in 1977. A variety of guests, ranging from co-producers/directors John Delia and Pat “The NES Punk” Contri to James “The Angry Video Game Nerd” Rolfe, former Nintendo Fun Club President Howard Phillips, and many more speak about different machines, different titles, and all sorts of other things related to the business and culture of video games.

Recently, they closed out the year 1989 with a look at titles including Final Fight and The Adventures of Bayou Billy, the “90-minuted Nintendo commercial” known as The Wizard, and of course, the game which helped to truly cement the Blue Bomber’s legacy (like it or not), Mega Man 2:

Of course, they had also covered the original Mega Man in their 1987 episode, which I somehow — regrettably — missed posting about when it happened. You can check out right here, right now:

Sadly, with the close of 1989, so too does The Video Game Years come to a close — at least for now. It looks like they’re deciding how/if they want to proceed, and I personally hope that they will, as the show makes an excellent time capsule for the medium as a whole.

If you’re interested in seeing more of this show, you can find the entire archive on the Retroware TV website and on their YouTube channel. Or, if you’d rather gather some friends and loved ones around the television to relive or learn about the dawn of the industry, the first two volumes — 1977 to 1979 and 1980 to 1982, respectively — are available on DVD, with a third volume coming soon.

Finally, as a matter of full disclosure: I was asked to contribute some pieces for the last two or three years of the project, which I happily did. Sadly (for me, at least), none of my contributions were used, but when even The Angry Video Game Nerd is being cut from segments, you know it’s tough, and I have no delusions about where I rank. Just the same, if and when they return to do the 90s, I’ll be eager to take another shot at it!

LBD "Nytetrayn"

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

For a full list of places to find him online, click here.