Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Video: Retro Game Night with Dino Crisis 2 and Dead Rising 3 DLC
This week for Retro Game Night we are playing Dino Crisis 2 to wrap up the game club for June and trying out the fan service that is Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Edition Ex Plus Alpha (Dash).
Podcast: Data Easy Meets West
No it’s not a typo (just an inside joke), but we are actually talking about Data East and Data West. This includes the games they developed, published, and even the pinball titles available. It may not seem it, but Data East was a limited and significant developer of the mid-late 80s and just about all of the 90s.
Special thanks to Retronauts Episode 88 (1up Run), Brandon Sheffield (and his blog/podcast Insert Credit), as well as Topless Robot for your Data East and extensive Data West information.
Also be sure to check out the ASCII RPG/roguelike Sanctuary, for free, at the following address: http://blackshellgames.itch.io/srpg
Video: Retro Game Night – Dino Crisis
One of this week’s Retro Game Night titles kicks off the June game club with 1999’s Dino Crisis. Click on the box art above to view the video. From Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, this game was simply put as Resident Evil meets Jurassic Park, even at the admission of the game’s characters. In this video we play the first hour with commentary and get you set up for an interesting take on the survival horror genre. We are doing both the first and second game for June, so watch for the sequel coming in two weeks.
Video: Retro Game Night – Zillion
It’s taken a bit to get uploaded but this first part of Retro Game Night is going to be the “Metroid-like” (MetroidVania) title Zillion for the Sega Master System. Click on the image above to be taken to the video.
Review: Splatterhouse 2
Console: Sega Genesis (Mega Drive in Europe/Japan)
Released: 1992
Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco
Digital Release? Yes – Wii Virtual Console (US/Japan only), also as an unlockable on the 2010 Splatterhouse on 360/PS3
Price: $35 (used, cart only), $87-$105 (used, complete), No known New pricing (all prices according to PriceCharting.com), $8 (VC), $4-10 (used 360/PS3 copies of 2010’s Splatterhouse)
Now I remember very fondly getting this game with my brothers when we were younger. My dad deliberately chose it for us because of the title since he was a fan of horror and gore. A game, whether brand new or pre-owned, in our household was rarer than a UFO sighting when we were younger so we relished in any game thrown at us. Splatterhouse 2 shared a special place in our little hearts.
The story of Splatterhouse 2 will depend on your familiarity with the first game released in arcades and the TurboGrafx-16. The basic plot is you are Rick and you have a mask which looks a lot like the Jason Voorhees hockey mask (he was the killer in the Friday the 13th series) and your job is to rescue your girlfriend, Jennifer. The mask is known as the “terror mask” or “hell mask” depending which version of the game you own. The mask gives you super powers and also sort of possess you as it talks to you during small cutscenes between levels.
Podcast: Yakuza Game Club
Yakuza is a series that has always been semi-labeled the “GTA of the East”, which even before we played it we knew wasn’t accurate. In fact, this hidden gem is an action-heavy brawler with great cinematic effect and detailed nuance to things like body language and facial features. We tackle the original PS2 title from Sega that spawned one of the most successful series for the company.
Podcast: Castleroid?
This week we tackle the “MetroidVania” titles in the Castlevania franchise to follow up our initial episode (Devil’s Castle Dracula). Fred and Jam briefly define MetroidVania as a genre, discuss some titles that originated it, and discuss Symphony of the Night – the most prolific of the series – as well as the multiple portable titles that followed.
Mario Kart 64 vs. Diddy Kong Racing – The Ultimate Retro Racing Game Debate
The two notoriously addictive and challenging 3D racing games produced for the Nintendo 64 were Mario Kart 64, developed by Nintendo and released on February 10th 1997, and Diddy Kong Racing, developed by Rareware and released on the 21st of November 1997. Both games skyrocketed in sales and popularity, with Diddy Kong selling over 4.5 million copies and Mario Kart selling over 9 million copies. The outrageous sales of Mario Kart 64 was arguably due to the fact that the characters were previously known and established by Nintendo in previous games, whilst the characters featured on Diddy Kong Racing were generally new installments.
In fact, Nintendo used Diddy Kong Racing as a platform to set up new characters to be released in other Nintendo games; these were characters such as Banjo the bear (the Banjo Kazooie series following) and Conker the Squirrel (the infamous Conkers Bad Fur Day followed). But the age old debate between old school and retro gamers remains: which was better? There are hardcore advocates and arguments on both sides, some of which we will take a look at.
Podcast: Super Metroid Game Club
This week Fred and Jam tackle the beloved SNES title Super Metroid. Building upon the fantastic foundation of the original, many consider this title to be their favorite game of all time. Well neither of us had ever played it, so we gave it the old college try 20 years after release.
May the Fourth Be With You: Super Star Wars (SNES)
For part one of this week’s Retro Friday we are celebrating May the Fourth with the SNES title Super Star Wars. Known for its impressive graphics and sound, this title was also revered for its punishing difficulty. We handle it the best way we can: with swearing and mockery. Check out the video and stay tuned for the remaining members of the Super Star Wars Trilogy later this weekend! Click on the graphic above to be taken to the video.
Gaming History 101 