Ep. 33 Uncovering this Rare Bird of an Arcade Oddity | J.J. Squawkers (feat. Brad from Arcadiology)

In this episode the guys team up with Brad, from the Arcadiology Podcast to take on J.J. Squawkers, a platforming Run and Gun hiding in the back of arcades in 1992. Come on a journey into a fractured mind where vegetable hucking Raven Brothers, Ani and Ototo chase local hoodlums all the way up the chain to the “strongest foe”.

This game is a vibe unlike any other, with visuals ranging from something you might expect to those unimaginable. We don’t know what the intent was, but it was clear that someone had…an artistic vision for this game. The quarter eating nature of arcade games is balanced with a reasonable challenge that is repeatable and addicting. You can’t help yourself from putting another quarter in after a second death.

This game is so difficult to describe because it needs to be played to be believed. It sports tight controls, fair gameplay, but has a grating soundtrack and relies heavily on enemy spam. The power up system is lacking and inconsistent. It’s hard to give it a pass on the merits of being an arcade game and discuss it without bringing up other run and gun juggernauts like Contra or Metal Slug.
For its shortcomings, we had a good time with it and we all had multiple runs.

Brad beat us in our contest this period, Dan died a lot, Don beat it in 4 quarters, Steve in 3, and Brad the beast at just one single credit.

Come and see where the game lands in this year’s league standings, and follow along to see where it goes for the rest of the year.

Have a game you want to enter into the league? Email us at thecableclubpodcast@gmail.com, message us on facebook, leave a comment on the episode, or consider joining our discord