Learning from the Past: The Arcades
We live in a great time to be a gamer. The quality and quantity of games available is at an all-time high. We can even hop on our systems and play against people in our living rooms or halfway around the world.
This holds even more true for retro gamers. It is getting easier to gain access to older games, whether through the internet, local stores that focus on retro gaming or services like Nintendo’s Virtual Console. Older PC games are making a comeback as well, with Blizzard releasing StarCraft Broodwar for free and services like Good Old Games (gog.com) optimizing the settings for programs like DOSbox so gamers don’t have to fight with it.
There is one experience, however, that will probably never be the same as it was back in the hey days of the 80s and early 90s: the local arcade.
Blog: E3 2017 Reflections and the State of Video Game Coverage
The circus is over, the massive booths have been torn down, and apparently the BET Fan Fest is taking over the L.A. Convention Center this weekend. E3 2017 was an odd one, not only because the “public” was there – given how many friends and family of industry people regularly show at E3 it’s a bit of a stretch to not put scare quotes around public – but because the industry itself is in a state of flux. We saw record numbers of attendees, approximately 78,000 compared to the roughly 55,000 we typically see, and with the inclusion of the public came astronomical lines and big ugly neon green lanyards that basically said “avoid me.” At the same time there was rampant coverage of the show from so many angles instead of a set group of major web sites who are all friends with each other and the public relations reps they meet with that overall cast a much more positive light on E3. Listening to coverage from Polygon, IGN, and Giant Bomb it was clear that the media hadn’t changed its tune, mostly dogging on a majority of what was shown, but what shocked me most was the take on the public presence. It was also a turn for the convention as a whole given that the ESA (the entity behind E3) now has to adjust the way the whole show is handled and I think we’ll see the emergence of a large public show to rival GamesCom in Europe or Tokyo Game Show in Japan. As a person who went with the “pleb pass” (public pass) instead of applying for a media pass, which I’m fairly certain I would have gotten, the whole show confused me. I’ll come out and say it: I don’t understand where video game media coverage is at right now. Despite this fact, I have some thoughts on the key topics from E3 2017.
E3 2017: The Big Pictures Post
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E3 2017: GHX Ep. 11 – What Did You Play?
The biggest split between those that attend E3 and those that watch coverage online is the show itself. Aside from this year, E3 online usually ends on Monday when all the press conferences happen and the big announcements stop. For those that attend the show it’s the exact opposite with most missing the press conferences due to lack of invite or decent Internet, but you’ll be able to play many of the games on the actual show floor. In this “returning from E3” episode, Fred and Jam are joined by guests Andy (42 Level One, Agents of Shieldcast) and Chip (The B-Team Podcast, Agents of Shieldcast, Knuckleballer Radio) to discuss the games Fred actually played at E3. There’s plenty of discussion to be had and lots of insight on what we’ll be seeing in late 2017/early 2018. Note: This episode has no audio anomalies and a sound quality on par with what you have come to expect from our podcasts.
E3 2017: Press Conference Impressions Update
We decided to take down the Press Conference Impressions episodes from the main feed as they were not reflective of quality you’ve come to expect from GH101. We did keep them archived, however, and they can be found at: https://gaminghistory101.com/e3-2017-bad
Please be sure to catch our better E3 2017 recordings as they are what you’ve come to expect from the show. Cheers.
E3 2017: EA’s 2017 Press Conference Impressions
The day has come, it’s officially E3 Press Conferences Day 1 of 3, completely focused on Electronic Arts (EA). A panel with Fred, Heffe, Jam, and Normii get together to discuss what they saw and what they thought. At the end they also speak of predictions going into Day 2 and Microsoft/Bethesda.
PrE3: Sony’s Legacy
Fred flies solo to discuss Time’s recent interview with Sony’s Jim Ryan, what his statements truly meant about Sony, and what he hopes to see from the company at this year’s E3. In an interesting hybrid with both a modern and retro show, there’s plenty of discussion about Sony’s legacy, both in games and in business, and how many sites may have been more harsh on Ryan’s comments than necessary.
GHX Ep. 10: It’s Time For E3!
This week the schedule is all messed up so it ends up being only Fred and Trees. They do manage to have a great discussion including putting final comments on last week’s That Dragon, Cancer debate, retro gaming at summer vacation spots, and next week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Fred will be attending the show and bringing tons of podcast content next week, so stay tuned.
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap Review
I’ve been waiting for a Wonder Boy revival ever since I saw that dammed “to be continued…” message at the end of Wonder Boy in Monster World on the Mega Drive. I did get some relief when the Wonder Boy Collection was released in 2012 for Xbox 360 and PS3, however. This game featured the localized version of Monster World 4 which was the sequel to the beloved game from my childhood. Of course this was just an English translation of a Japanese game that had been around for years. Some would be happy with this but, I wanted more Wonder Boy darn it! Which was why, last year I came over as giddy as a school kid when I heard Wonder Boy would be making a return in not one, not two but three games. One of these three games, Wonder Boy: The Dragons Trap developed by Lizardcube, is a remaster of the 1989 Sega Master System game. While not exactly a new entry into the Wonder Boy series, Lizardcube have put a lot of care and attention into this title, reviving a classic forgotten game to showcase to old fans and a potential new audience.
The Dragons Trap is a beautiful remaster with hand drawn graphics, which brought Monster World to life by filling the 2D game with lots of detail in the backgrounds as well as the character sprites. The game allows you to instantly switch between the old and new graphics at the touch of a button. This simple effect doesn’t interrupt the gameplay and allows you to see just how much effort has been put into the remaster when held against the original. The soundtrack has also been updated this time with a full orchestra. The music is still reminiscent of the old 8 bit titles but has really been brought to life with the updated score. Just like the graphics you can also switch between the old and new soundtracks at the touch of a button.
Podcast: Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Game Club
Fred is joined by Austin and guest John Learned to discuss what most consider to be the best game in the Castlevania franchise. As usual the discussion begins with the development, then onto the main castle, the inverted castle, and final impressions. After the end of the show there are also special announcements involving RetroActive Magazine, live shows, and June on the site.
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