Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this special episode of Pocketeering, Adam Lewis Graf is joined by indie homebrew developer, educator, and retro advocate Chris Totten (creator of Kudzu and Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends) to dive deep into a forgotten 1993 Game Boy masterpiece: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Welcome Chris Totten
01:21 - Developing for the Game Boy & GB Studio
02:22 - The Backstory of Kudzu
09:54 - Style & Influence of Retro Game Design
21:51 - Lessons in Teaching Game Development
31:56 - Case Study: TMNT 3: Radical Rescue
37:00 - Analyzing the Metroidvania DNA
51:58 - TMNT IP & 90s Youth Culture
01:05:01 - Story & Instruction Booklet Synopsis
01:08:12 - Character Abilities & Gameplay Mechanics
01:22:48 - Level Design, Enemies & Difficulty
01:32:51 - The Bosses: Scratch, Dirt Bag, Scale Tail & Shredder
01:42:56 - Final Ranking & Recommendations
01:49:01 - Where to Find Chris Totten’s Work & Wrap-up
Listen to Pocketeering:
A show about handheld games.
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart
Chris Totten’s Work:
Kudzu (Cartridge/Switch): megacatstudios.com/pages/kudzu
Kudzu (Demo): totter87.itch.io/kudzu
Little Nemo (Steam): store.steampowered.com/app/2229030/Little_Nemo_and_the_Nightmare_Fiends
Adam Lewis Graf’s Work:
Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land (Cartridge): megacatstudios.com/products/gumball-in-trick-or-treat-land?srsltid=AfmBOooS6Ly7Ib0I3NOCTFo9EJbv8v1CxxmmI1PeEvLS_POoAzoFJDxU
Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land (Steam): store.steampowered.com/app/3640330/Gumball_in_TrickorTreat_Land
More info: gumballgame.com
Further Reading & Viewing:
World Design for 2D Action-Adventures: amazon.com/dp/1032579978?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
The History Of The Word "Metroidvania" And How It Spread (Critical Kate): youtube.com/watch?v=8seta8xyDQ4
Metroid Vania Works (Jeremy Parish): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd3vJYdenHKGrWrvCGsIbOOl_h_6tzERM
In this special episode of Pocketeering, Adam Lewis Graf is joined by indie homebrew developer, educator, and retro advocate Chris Totten (creator of Kudzu and Little Nemo and the Nightmare Fiends) to dive deep into a forgotten 1993 Game Boy masterpiece: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction & Welcome Chris Totten
01:21 - Developing for the Game Boy & GB Studio
02:22 - The Backstory of Kudzu
09:54 - Style & Influence of Retro Game Design
21:51 - Lessons in Teaching Game Development
31:56 - Case Study: TMNT 3: Radical Rescue
37:00 - Analyzing the Metroidvania DNA
51:58 - TMNT IP & 90s Youth Culture
01:05:01 - Story & Instruction Booklet Synopsis
01:08:12 - Character Abilities & Gameplay Mechanics
01:22:48 - Level Design, Enemies & Difficulty
01:32:51 - The Bosses: Scratch, Dirt Bag, Scale Tail & Shredder
01:42:56 - Final Ranking & Recommendations
01:49:01 - Where to Find Chris Totten’s Work & Wrap-up
Listen to Pocketeering:
A show about handheld games.
Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart
Chris Totten’s Work:
Kudzu (Cartridge/Switch): megacatstudios.com/pages/kudzu
Kudzu (Demo): totter87.itch.io/kudzu
Little Nemo (Steam): store.steampowered.com/app/2229030/Little_Nemo_and_the_Nightmare_Fiends
Adam Lewis Graf’s Work:
Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land (Cartridge): megacatstudios.com/products/gumball-in-trick-or-treat-land?srsltid=AfmBOooS6Ly7Ib0I3NOCTFo9EJbv8v1CxxmmI1PeEvLS_POoAzoFJDxU
Gumball in Trick-or-Treat Land (Steam): store.steampowered.com/app/3640330/Gumball_in_TrickorTreat_Land
More info: gumballgame.com
Further Reading & Viewing:
World Design for 2D Action-Adventures: amazon.com/dp/1032579978?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback
The History Of The Word "Metroidvania" And How It Spread (Critical Kate): youtube.com/watch?v=8seta8xyDQ4
Metroid Vania Works (Jeremy Parish): youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd3vJYdenHKGrWrvCGsIbOOl_h_6tzERM
