{ "title": "Episode 796: Superguns", "link": "https://www.patreon.com/retronauts/posts/episode-796-169844262", "pubDate": "Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:00:15 GMT", "enclosure": { "url": "https://www.patreon.com/api/rss/u/cg2y9XbrAC-sFsc8zQahuOI_KOD-TUcp/e/169844262.mp3?sig=K6PU2fUePhLc8DyhGnDNT4Z9DHqfYckeOCZYAwS3yqA%3D", "length": "57456116", "type": "audio/mpeg" }, "content": "

Kevin: Arcade video games were, for decades, renowned for their advanced technology and unique experiences that couldn\u2019t readily be replicated at home. A game like Space Invaders, Frogger, or Street Fighter II may have had some pretty good contemporary home ports, after all, but they never replicated the visuals, the soundscape or any unique control schemes of their big siblings. And if you really liked those games, your only options were seemingly to spend money playing the machines for as long as you could still find one, or accept their stripped-down home versions for what they were. If you were willing to build or buy the proper equipment, however, a third option became available: purchasing the game boards themselves and play your favorite coin-op titles at home.

And that is where the supergun came in. Also known as a control box in Japan, superguns are specialized devices designed to allow the user to play a coin-operated video game on a standard, consumer television. And with a long history dating back at least to the 1980s, it\u2019s one that certainly qualifies as \u201cretro.\u201d This topic requires a certain level of expertise, and so joining me to talk turkey about specialized tech are returning guest Christa Lee and new attendee Dr. Hanae Kramer, both highly experienced with arcade technology and the hoops necessary to run it at home. Dr. Kramer wrote a pair of excellent articles in the game history journal ROMchip that inspired this podcast, and if this episode whetted your appetite to learn more, I\u2019m linking them here in the show notes as additional reading.

Recycled Amusements: An Introduction to the Supergun

From Print to Play: Hobbyists, Magazines, and Japan\u2019s Self-Made Superguns

Art by Nick Wanserski, edits by Greg Leahy

", "contentSnippet": "Kevin: Arcade video games were, for decades, renowned for their advanced technology and unique experiences that couldn\u2019t readily be replicated at home. A game like Space Invaders, Frogger, or Street Fighter II may have had some pretty good contemporary home ports, after all, but they never replicated the visuals, the soundscape or any unique control schemes of their big siblings. And if you really liked those games, your only options were seemingly to spend money playing the machines for as long as you could still find one, or accept their stripped-down home versions for what they were. If you were willing to build or buy the proper equipment, however, a third option became available: purchasing the game boards themselves and play your favorite coin-op titles at home.\nAnd that is where the supergun came in. Also known as a control box in Japan, superguns are specialized devices designed to allow the user to play a coin-operated video game on a standard, consumer television. And with a long history dating back at least to the 1980s, it\u2019s one that certainly qualifies as \u201cretro.\u201d This topic requires a certain level of expertise, and so joining me to talk turkey about specialized tech are returning guest Christa Lee and new attendee Dr. Hanae Kramer, both highly experienced with arcade technology and the hoops necessary to run it at home. Dr. Kramer wrote a pair of excellent articles in the game history journal ROMchip that inspired this podcast, and if this episode whetted your appetite to learn more, I\u2019m linking them here in the show notes as additional reading.\nRecycled Amusements: An Introduction to the Supergun\nFrom Print to Play: Hobbyists, Magazines, and Japan\u2019s Self-Made Superguns\nArt by Nick Wanserski, edits by Greg Leahy\n\n10:29 - Carl Binder: Overture for Offenbach's\u00a0Orph\u00e9e aux enfers\n\n19:07 -\u00a0Super Real Mahjong VS: Opening\n\n30:47 -\u00a0Tetris: The Grand Master: Hardening Drops (Normal Mix) |\u00a0SegaSonic the Hedgehog: Desert Dodge\n\n39:29 -\u00a0Street Fighter II: The World Warrior: Bonus Stage\n\n48:07 -\u00a0Samurai Shodown VI: Warriors\n\n58:18 -\u00a0Ibara: Like a Rolling Stone\n\n1:08:10 -\u00a0Rohga: Armor Force: BGM 1\n\nClosing -\u00a0Bust-A-Move: Ending", "guid": "169844262", "isoDate": "2026-09-18T10:00:15.000Z", "itunes": { "duration": "4525", "image": "https://c10.patreonusercontent.com/4/patreon-media/p/post/169844262/affc2618d99f4e009cdfa00a642da29e/eyJkIjo3MiwiaCI6MzAwMCwic3RyaXBfYWxwaGEiOjEsInciOjMwMDAsIndlYnAiOjB9/1.png?token-hash=dmClOHyLuGsVjVq9hptEcf_4FMY4B_Z17fK1eugm2FY%3D", "episode": "796" }, "itunes_duration": "1:15:24" }