Archive for June 2015
Podcast: Majora’s Mask Game Club (Part 2)
This week Fred and Jam wrap up Majora’s Mask with the final two dungeons, the ending, and probably the biggest draw to the game, the side quests. It’s a lengthy discussion that goes down to the wire but definitely demonstrates a game that while not appreciated in its time but can have a second life now. Part 1 can be found here.
Retro Game Night: The Shield The Game
For our next episode of Is It Kusoge? Fred is playing The Shield The Game based on the FX Network’s popular television show. With the licensing of Michael Chiklis playing his role as lead of the Strike Team Vic Mackey not to mention several other talent from the show. Will this licensed product prove to be like the rest, a rare game like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or is it kusoge?
Warning: The video clearly conveys this, but this title contains adult content including violence and language (nudity is mentioned but doesn’t appear in our playthrough). Viewer discretion is advised.
Capcom Announces Mega Man Legacy Collection
As we gear up to E3 starting just under a week from now, it was inevitable that announcements would start to fly. Odd that one of these announcements comes from Capcom for the Mega Man Legacy Collection that combines the first six Mega Man titles from the NES era into one comprehensive package. This is not the first time these games have all been collected – there was the Mega Man Anniversary Collection in 2004 for the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube with differing opinions on the results and the faithful virtual console allows you to get each game piecemeal for $5 – however in keeping with its “HD Remaster” initiative Capcom is claiming higher quality graphics. The real draw here, aside from the 1080p upscale, is the various challenge modes to switch things up and test even the most seasoned Mega Man fan as well as the museum that has so far promised sketches and art. The Mega Man Legacy Collection will launch sometime this summer on Steam, Xbox One, and PS4 with a 3DS port due this winter for $14.99.
Fred’s Take: This is a somewhat shameless attempt to cash in on the upcoming Keji Inafune (he created Mega Man) project Mighty Number 9. Not only that but aside from upscaling the games and adding some very bare bones items it seems like a shameless cash-in with almost no work done. Still, Frank Cifaldi is head of restoration at Digital Eclipse, the company behind this and many other remakes, and if anyone is going to treat it with care, he will. I just hope this is not the precedence we can come to expect from Capcom’s new dedication to HD and finally see some proper remasters like, say, a Resident Evil 2 overhaul. If you have never played these games, I can see the argument for an inexpensive collection that looks great on an HDTV. Grab the PS4 version though because I can’t stand Microsoft d-pads.
Top 10 Playstation Portable (PSP) Games Debate and Reveal
For this month, Jam and Fred are discussing the top 10 games for the Playstation Portable (PSP). Despite being an emulation and piracy machine from the moment it released, the PSP is not only an impressive piece of hardware but it also provided a library of great software. Clearly some games stand out on both our lists but what was most impressive were the rock solid titles that one of us never even knew existed. If you look at the full article you can see our top 10 without listening to the podcast.
Download this episode (right click and save)
Extra Credit Podcast: Fallout 4 and Video Game Hall of Fame
Jamalais and his lovely co-host Mee10dee team up to discuss the formal announcement of Fallout 4 (including why we should care as retro gamers) and the new changes to the Video Game Hall of Fame.
Podcast: Majora’s Mask Game Club (Part 1)
The recent re-release of one of the Legend of Zelda series more unique entries, Majora’s Mask, sparked our interest enough to do a game club on a title none of us had honestly played. We got more than we bargained for with a unique and enchanting title that we were only able to discuss the first half of in this week’s show. Part 1 deals with the development, release, and intro to the game through the second dungeon, with the end and side quests coming next week.
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask Review
Riding the coat tales of the excellent Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which basically was another re-creation of the original formula that A Link to the Past had done before it only this time in 3D, it was going to be hard to top. Not only that, but there was a long four year development cycle for Ocarina and Nintendo wanted a follow-up done faster with a smaller team by re-using the engine and assets. It was determined that this could be accomplished by containing the whole game in a smaller world and on a game clock that would control the overall scope of the title regardless of what the player did. As a result, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask released in 2000, finished in less than half the time of Ocarina. Unfortunately it also garnered half as many sales (3.36 million compared to the 7+ million of Ocarina) and while critically praised, it didn’t seem to hold the attention of the many fans that wanted many of the series staples to remain intact. Majora’s Mask was recently re-released in 3D on the 3DS and it appears today’s audiences are treating one of the franchise’s few ugly ducklings with a bit more of an open mind. Is that love justified or are people just that desperate to get their hands on a unique Zelda title in hindsight?
Link’s Awakening DX Review
Link’s Awakening was the first Zelda title to be released to the Game Boy, it was also the first Zelda title to receive an updated version in the form of Link’s Awakening DX released to the Game Boy Color. It was the first of the series I played to completion and to this day I hold quite the soft spot for this title. With it being Zelda season on Gaming History 101 I was excited to revisit this title and review it for the site. So its time to strap on those nostalgia goggles and dive back into some old school handheld Zelda.
A Link to the Past Review
With the departure that Zelda II was from the original, Nintendo wasn’t going to take anymore chances as it began to release beloved franchises on its newest console, the Super NES. Of those franchises, The Legend of Zelda was one of the first to be rehashed with A Link to the Past. Instead of trying to create a sequel or something new, Nintendo instead took all the concepts from the original game, added a few enhancements, and made the game that captured so many hearts over again. To be clear, A Link to the Past is not a remake, it’s just the exact formula of the original utilized in the same world with a different map, different set of dungeons, and slightly altered item list. Think if it as a remix to the original rather than a true sequel or remake, but one that marks one of the highest points for both the console and the series itself.
Gaming History 101 