Balan Wonderworld – Cane and Rinse No.706

New podcast: Mother 3 (early access and extended) Released in 2006 for the Game Boy Advance, Mother 3 brought Shigesato Itoi’s eccentric RPG trilogy to a close. After a famously troubled development cycle that saw the game cancelled on the Nintendo 64 before being reborn on the GBA, Mother 3 delivered one of the most emotional and idiosyncratic stories in the genre. Join Rich, Dan, Jon and Leah as they explore Mother 3’s unusual structure, memorable characters, devastating narrative moments and enduring legacy. Available now - with an extra 30 minutes - from our $2 Patreon. Links in bio.

New podcast: Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness “Prepare to cower before the true shape of Dracula!” We debated whether or not to dig into Castlevania’s three-dimensional escapades. In the end the ayes had it and so here we are, with 1999’s Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (including its predecessor that isn’t called Castlevania 64. Leon, Brian, Chris W, Leah and Patreon posters postulate on Konami Kobe’s first and second attempts at turning the resolutely side-on world of Demon Castle Dracula into polygons. Available now - and for free - from pod peddlers, Spotify, YouTube etc. Links in bio.

New podcast: Turrican II: The Final Fight (early access) With a quick turnaround, Factor 5 rapidly doubled down on their Turrican mission statement with a souped-up take on the same material with Turrican II: The Final Fight. Leon, Chris O and Chris W run and gun through the Amiga version, before taking a look at the game's C64 original and its later computer and console conversions. Get it right now on our budget-friendly yet vital $2 Patreon! Links in bio.

New podcast: Monthly for February Hey, hey it's that time again where we give you two hours of waffle to distract you ever so slightly from the utter absurdity that reality in 2026 has become! Enjoy! Stuff we talked about this month: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Milky Subway: The Galactic Limited Express Lord of the Flies Wonder Man Sentimental Value Hamnet Kokuho Marty Supreme 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple EXIT 8 Resident Evil Requiem $2 per month to support Cane and Rinse, folks. Links in bio.

Podcast: Hitman (2016) “Sir, don’t sneak around like that, it makes you look suspicious.” 10 years ago Io reactivated Agent 47. Join Josh, Brian, James and Jon as they go undercover at IO Interactive to discuss 2016’s HITMAN. Podcast from the usual places, Spotify, YouTube... Links in bio.

New podcast: Rollcage and Rollcage Stage II “Race!!!” In Rollcage and Rollcage Stage II, Players drive an indestructible vehicle where the concept of up and down doesn’t really matter and physics are an afterthought. So long as you’re driving fast, facing forward and turning up the soundtrack, you’re Rollcaging. Join host Rich and panellists Dan, Karl and Tony as they discuss this cult racer, its impact on the late-90s gaming landscape, and its legacy. Available now for free from podcast feed outlets everywhere, Spotify, YouTube etc... Links in bio.

New podcast: Kirby and the Forgotten Land (early access) It had been far too long since we checked in with the permanently ravenous pink orb, so we decided to rectify that with an exploration of Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Leon, Chris Worthington and Leah - along with contributions from the listenership - discover Kirby's full 3D debut and most ambitious escapade yet. If you enjoy our podcasts you can help us out for $2 (or equivalent) per month! Links in bio.

New podcast: Defender “IMMORTALS” Julian ‘Jaz’ Rignall joins us as special guest for this 45th anniversary celebration of Williams’ Defender, and its sequel, Stargate (both 1981). Leon, Chris Worthingon, Michiel and Defender Champion (in every sense of the word) Jaz search for the right words with which to describe this most intense and frenetic arcade experience. Along with contributions from the Cane and Rinse community, we talk graphics, sound, mechanics, conversions, clones and spiritual successors. Out now for free on podcast feeds, Spotify, YouTube etc. Links in bio.

New podcast: Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (early access) The Super Mario Land trilogy ends and the Wario saga begins. In our latest podcast on Nintendo's garlic-loving antihero we set sail for Kitchen Island, monochrome home to shiny pirate treasure. Leon, Darren, James, Leah and listeners don handy headgear in order to crack forty courses of placid platforming in our Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 show. Available now on Patreon! Links in bio.

Podcast: Stardew Valley “The sooner we come to terms with our mortality, the more time we can spend really living in the here-and-now.” Released 10 years ago today, the fecund soil of Stardew Valley is where we plant ourselves for this rustic podcast. Leon, Brian, Leah and Ryan head for the rural idyll of Pelican Town to recollect their many days spent on Eric Barone’s farming RPG. We also harvest a bumper crop of community correspondence and Three Word Reviews. Availabe now for free on pod feeds, Spotify, YouTube etc. Links in bio.

New podcast: Please, Touch The Artwork “But nothing could stop them, because they were in love” Are videogames art? It’s a stupid, pointless question that we have never felt the need to address on the Cane and Rinse podcast. Instead, let’s look at this pair of Belgian games about ‘proper’, actua art that invite the player to Please, Touch The Artwork. Leon, Chris W, Ryan and James (who selected these for the podcast) head to the gallery for post-impressionist puzzles in these digital explorations of Piet Mondrian and James Ensor. Available now through pod feeds, Spotify, YouTube et al. Links in bio.

New podcast: Balan Wonderworld (early access) It’s time for a show! Join Brian, Chris Worthington, Darren and Leah as they explore the wild and sometimes confusing world of Square Enix’s notorious Balan Wonderworld. Underneath all of the drama and controversy is there a game here that is worth playing? Listen in to find out! We make no guarantees. Available now from our $2 Patreon. Links in bio.