Segaiden #008: Sega Flipper / Pop Flamer / Pacar / Sega-Galaga

Segaiden #008: Sega Flipper / Pop Flamer / Pacar / Sega-Galaga

Author: Jeremy Parish April 3, 2021 Duration: 17:46

Sega has always been an arcade powerhouse—even now, they run arcades in Japan. They've become fan destinations for more than just playing games; I bought taiyaki in the shape of the Sega logo at their Akihabara location a year ago. And this episode showcases just how heavily Sega plowed the arcade-to-home conversion furrow from the very start, with four games based heavily on arcade properties or concepts:

  • Sega Flipper, arguably the first true arcade-style video console pinball game;
  • Pop Flamer, a port of a weird Jaleco coin-op;
  • Pacar, a sequel in all but name to Head On; and
  • Sega-Galaga... which is just Galaga, but for Sega.

They're not all winners, but they're mostly good! Just pretend Pop Flamer never happened. That game could never live up to its delirious box art, anyway.


Jeremy Parish's Video Works by Jeremy Parish is a curated collection of his long-running projects diving deep into the history and design of classic video games. Rather than a single focused series, this podcast serves as an archive and hub for several distinct endeavors. You'll find episodes from Game Boy World, which meticulously documents every pre-Game Boy Advance handheld title in chronological order, offering a unique historical perspective. Another strand explores the interconnected world of "Metroidvania" games, analyzing the design principles that define this beloved subgenre. The Anatomy of Games segments provide thorough, thoughtful critiques of classic game design, breaking down what makes these titles endure. Each episode, whether originally audio or adapted from video content, carries Parish's knowledgeable and considered commentary. This podcast is for anyone with an appreciation for gaming's foundations, presented not as dry history but as an engaging exploration of the artistry and innovation that shaped the medium. Tune in for a consistently insightful look at the pixels and philosophies behind the games you might have played-or always meant to.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Video Works by Jeremy Parish
Podcast Episodes
Segaiden #021: Rock'n Bolt / Elevator Action / Soukoban [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:30
A bit of an emphasis on day jobs this episode, but fortunately one of these games offers more than mere workmanlike effort. Activision's Rock'n Bolt stands out this week as one of the SG-1000's most appealing puzzlers—ce…
Segaiden #020: Chack'n Pop & Bank Panic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:54
More arcade ports for SG-1000? Say it ain't so! These titles aren't especially well known in the U.S., since they've never seen a proper console release here (outside of maybe some collection that doesn't come immediatel…
Segaiden #019: Doki Doki Penguin Land & Drol [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:43
This week brings us two SG-1000 releases that feel miles removed from the console's earliest days of serious-looking war game: Doki Doki Penguin Land and Drol. Rather than involving the relentless destruction of military…
Segaiden #018: Zoom 909 / Choplifter / Pitfall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:22
Beginning with this episode, I'm knuckling down to wrap up as much of the SG-1000 video series as possible by the end of 2021. There are only about half a dozen episodes to go after this! It's a pretty small library, but…
NES Works Gaiden #29: Castlevania Special: Kid Dracula [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:07
Halloween season is upon us, and you know what that means: Where other people decorate their homes with cobwebs and giant skeletons, I decorate mine with a Castlevania-related video. This time around, it's a look at a Ca…
NES Works 1985: Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:39
I may have gone a little overboard with this episode, but it seemed worth doing. For one thing, the creator of the Golgo 13 series, Takao Saito, recently passed away. And for another, upon revisiting this game in the con…
NES Works #084: Life Force & World Class Track Meet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:16
We have a follow-up to a 1986 classic here, in deed if not in name: Life Force, the sequel to Konami's Gradius. Well, sort of. It's complicated. But since we never saw the actual Gradius II on NES, this will have to do.…
NES Works #083: Bases Loaded & Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:08
This episode focuses on perception, especially vis-a-vis Bases Loaded. A certain demographic of NES owners LOVES Bases Loaded. However, in my experience, people who discovered the NES later (when better and better-lookin…