Before cheat codes and save points, there was only one rule: don’t die. This week, Bret and Josh fire up the nostalgia with a trip back to the 8-bit era — when games like Contra, Zelda, TMNT, and even Pitfall taught us the art of patience, strategy, and persistence.

Josh and Bret talk about blowing on cartridges, memorizing enemy patterns, stuffing towels in the door cracks so you could play at night, teaming up on the couch with friends, and celebrating those rare victories that came after dozens of failed attempts. Along the way, we explore whether today’s instant-gratification gaming culture still delivers the same grit-building experiences… or if something valuable was left back in those pixelated worlds.